Reference: Seal
Easton
commonly a ring engraved with some device (Ge 38:18,25). Jezebel "wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal" (1Ki 21:8). Seals are frequently mentioned in Jewish history (De 32:34; Ne 9:38-10:1; Es 3:12; Song 8:6; Isa 8:16; Jer 22:24; 32:44, etc.). Sealing a document was equivalent to the signature of the owner of the seal. "The use of a signet-ring by the monarch has recently received a remarkable illustration by the discovery of an impression of such a signet on fine clay at Koyunjik, the site of the ancient Nineveh. This seal appears to have been impressed from the bezel of a metallic finger-ring. It is an oval, 2 inches in length by 1 inch wide, and bears the image, name, and titles of the Egyptian king Sabaco" (Rawlinson's Hist. Illus. of the O.T., p. 46). The actual signet-rings of two Egyptian kings (Cheops and Horus) have been discovered. (See Signet.)
The use of seals is mentioned in the New Testament only in connection with the record of our Lord's burial (Mt 27:66). The tomb was sealed by the Pharisees and chief priests for the purpose of making sure that the disciples would not come and steal the body away (Mt 27:63-64). The mode of doing this was probably by stretching a cord across the stone and sealing it at both ends with sealing-clay. When God is said to have sealed the Redeemer, the meaning is, that he has attested his divine mission (Joh 6:27). Circumcision is a seal, an attestation of the covenant (Ro 4:11). Believers are sealed with the Spirit, as God's mark put upon them (Eph 1:13; 4:30). Converts are by Paul styled the seal of his apostleship, i.e., they are its attestation (1Co 9:2). Seals and sealing are frequently mentioned in the book of Revelation (Re 5:1; 6:1; 7:3; 10:4; 22:10).
Illustration: Ancient Jewish Seals Illustration: Egyptian Signet-Rings
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And he said - What is the pledge that I shall give thee? And She said - Thy signet-ring, and thy guard, and thy staff that is in thy hand. So he gave them to her and came in unto her and she conceived by him.
When, she, was about to be brought forth, then, she herself, sent unto her father-in-law saying, By the man to whom these belong, have I, conceived! And she said - Examine, I pray thee, to whom belong the signet-ring, and the guard, and the staff - these!
Is not, that, stored up with me, - Sealed up amongst my treasures;
So she wrote letters, in the name of Ahab, and sealed them with his signet-ring, - and sent the letters unto the elders, and unto the nobles who were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
Then were called the scribes of the king, in the first month, on the thirteenth day therein, and it was written according to all that Haman commanded unto the satraps of the king, and unto the pashas, who were over every province, and unto the rulers of every people, every province according to the writing thereof, and every people according to the tongue thereof, - in the name of King Ahasuerus, was it written, and sealed with the signet- ring of the king.
SHESet me as a seal, upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm, For, mighty as death, is love, Exacting as hades, is jealousy, - The flames thereof, are flames of fire, The flash of Yah!
Bind thou up the testimony, - Seal the instruction amongst my disciples.
As I live, Declareth Yahweh, - Even though Coniah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet-ring upon my right hand, yet, from thence, would I pull thee off;
Fields - for silver, shall men buy, And write in scrolls And seal them, And take in attestation, witnesses, In the land of Benjamin, and In the places round about Jerusalem, and In the cities of Judah, and In the cities of the hill country, and In the cities of the lowland and In the cities of the South, - For I will cause them of their captivity to return Declareth Yahweh.
saying - Sir! we have been put in mind that, that deceiver, said, while yet living, - After three days, will I, arise. Command, therefore, that the sepulchre be made secure until the third day, - lest once the disciples should come and steal him, and say unto the people, He hath arisen from the dead! and, the last deception, shall be, worse than the first.
And, they, went and secured for themselves the sepulchre, sealing the stone, with the guard.
Be working, not for the food that perisheth, but for the food that endureth unto life age-abiding, - which, the Son of Man, unto you, will give; for upon, the same, hath the Father, even God, set his seal.
And, a sign, he received namely of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while yet uncircumcised; to the end he might be father of all that believe during uncircumcision, to the end the same righteousness might be reckoned unto them, -
If, unto others, I am not an apostle, certainly at least, unto you, I am; for, the seal of my apostleship, ye, are in the Lord.
In whom, ye also - hearing the word of the truth, the glad-message of your salvation, - in whom also believing, - were sealed with the Spirit of the promise, the Holy Spirit ,
And be not grieving the Holy Spirit of God, wherewith ye have been sealed unto a day of redemption;
And I saw, upon the right hand of him that was sitting upon the throne, a scroll; written within, and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.
And I saw, when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as with a voice of thunder - Go!
saying - Do not injure the land, or the sea, or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.
And, when the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to write, and I heard a voice out of heaven, saying - Seal up the things which the seven thunders have uttered, and do not write, them.
And he saith unto me - Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, for, the season, is, near:
Fausets
Used to stamp a document, giving it legal validity. Judah probably wore his suspended from the neck over the breast (Ge 38:18; Song 8:6; Job 38:14). As the plastic clay presents various figures impressed on it by the revolving cylinder seal (one to three inches long, of terra cotta or precious stone, such as is found in Assyria), as "it is turned," so the morning light rolling on over the earth, previously void of form through the darkness, brings out to view hills, valleys, etc. Treasures were sealed up (De 32:34); the lions' den in Daniel's case (Da 6:17); so our Lord's tomb (Mt 27:66).
Sealing up was also to ensure secrecy (Da 12:4; Re 5:1). The signet ring was the symbol of royal authority (Ge 12:20; Es 3:10; 8:10). Clay hardens in the heat, and was therefore used in Assyria and Babylon rather than wax, which melts. A stone cylinder in the Alnwick Museum bears the date of Osirtasin I, between 2,000 and 3,000 B.C. The Assyrian documents were often of baked clay, sealed while wet and burnt afterwards. Often the seal was a lump of clay impressed with a seal and tied the document. Such is the seal of Sabacho or So, king of Egypt (711 B.C.), found at Nimrud (2Ki 17:4).
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And Pharaoh gave command concerning him unto certain men, - and sent him away, with his wife and all that he had.
And he said - What is the pledge that I shall give thee? And She said - Thy signet-ring, and thy guard, and thy staff that is in thy hand. So he gave them to her and came in unto her and she conceived by him.
Is not, that, stored up with me, - Sealed up amongst my treasures;
Then found the king of Assyria, in Hosea, a conspiracy, in that he had sent messengers unto So king of Egypt, and had not brought up a present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year, - therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
So then the king took his signet-ring from off his hand, and gave it unto Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the adversary of the Jews;
and he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king's signet-ring, - and sent letters by the hand of runners on horses, riding the swift steeds used in the kings service, bred of the stud:
It transformeth itself like the clay of a seal, so that things stand forth like one arrayed;
SHESet me as a seal, upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm, For, mighty as death, is love, Exacting as hades, is jealousy, - The flames thereof, are flames of fire, The flash of Yah!
And there was brought a certain stone, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet-ring, and with the signet-ring of his nobles, that nothing might be changed, as to Daniel.
But, thou, Daniel, close up the words, and seal the book, until the time of the end, - many will run to and fro, and knowledge, shall abound.
And, they, went and secured for themselves the sepulchre, sealing the stone, with the guard.
And I saw, upon the right hand of him that was sitting upon the throne, a scroll; written within, and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.
Smith
Seal.
The importance attached to seals in the East is so great that without one no document is regarded as authentic. Among the methods of sealing used in Egypt at a very early period were engraved stones, graved stones, pierced through their length and hung by a string or chain from the arm or neck, or set in rings for the finger. The most ancient form used for this purpose was the scarabaeus, formed of precious or common stone, or even of blue pottery or porcelain, on the flat side of which the inscription or device was engraved. In many cases the seal consisted of a lump of clay, impressed with the seal and attached to the document, whether of papyrus or other material, by strings. In other cases wax was used. In sealing a sepulchre or box, the fastening was covered with clay or wax, and the impression from a seal of one in authority was stamped upon it, so that it could not be broken open without discovery. The signet-ring was an ordinary part of a man's equipment.
The ring or the seal as an emblem of authority in Egypt, Persia and elsewhere is mentioned in
Ge 41:42; 1Ki 21:8; Es 3:10,12; 8:2; Da 6:17
and as an evidence of a covenant, in
Jer 32:10,44; Ne 9:38-10:1; Hag 2:23
Engraved signets were in use among the Hebrews in early times.
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And he said - What is the pledge that I shall give thee? And She said - Thy signet-ring, and thy guard, and thy staff that is in thy hand. So he gave them to her and came in unto her and she conceived by him.
So Pharaoh took his ring from off his hands and put it upon Joseph's hand, - and clothed him in garments of fine linen, and put the chain of gold upon his neck;
with the work of a stone engraver, like seal-ring engravings, shalt thou engrave the two stones, after the names of the sons of Israel, - to be encircled with settings of gold, shalt thou make them.
And thou shalt make a burnished plate, of pure gold, - and shalt engrave thereupon, like the engravings of a seal-ring, Holiness to Yahweh.
And they wrought the onyx stones, enclosed in ouches of gold, - graven with the engravings of a seal-ring, after the names of the sons of Israel.
So then the king took his signet-ring from off his hand, and gave it unto Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the adversary of the Jews;
Then were called the scribes of the king, in the first month, on the thirteenth day therein, and it was written according to all that Haman commanded unto the satraps of the king, and unto the pashas, who were over every province, and unto the rulers of every people, every province according to the writing thereof, and every people according to the tongue thereof, - in the name of King Ahasuerus, was it written, and sealed with the signet- ring of the king.
And the king took off his signet-ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai, - and Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
and I wrote in the scroll and sealed it, and took in attestation witnesses, - and weighed the silver in the balances.
Fields - for silver, shall men buy, And write in scrolls And seal them, And take in attestation, witnesses, In the land of Benjamin, and In the places round about Jerusalem, and In the cities of Judah, and In the cities of the hill country, and In the cities of the lowland and In the cities of the South, - For I will cause them of their captivity to return Declareth Yahweh.
And there was brought a certain stone, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet-ring, and with the signet-ring of his nobles, that nothing might be changed, as to Daniel.
On that day, declareth Yahweh of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel - my servant, declareth Yahweh, and will set thee as a signet-ring; For, thee, have I chosen, Declareth Yahweh of hosts.
Watsons
SEAL. The ancient Hebrews wore their seals or signets, in rings on their fingers, or in bracelets on their arms, as is now the custom in the east. Haman sealed the decree of King Ahasuerus against the Jews with the king's seal, Es 3:12. The priests of Bel desired the king to seal the door of their temple with his own seal. The spouse in the Song 8:6, wishes that his spouse would wear him as a signet on her arm. Pliny observes, that the use of seals or signets was rare at the time of the Trojan war, and that they were under the necessity of closing their letters with several knots. But among the Hebrews they are much more ancient. Judah left his seal as a pledge with Tamar, Ge 38:25. Moses says, De 32:34, that God keeps sealed up in his treasuries, under his own seal, the instruments of his vengeance. Job says, Job 9:7, that he keeps the stars as under his seal, and allows them to appear when he thinks proper. He says also, "My transgression is sealed up in a bag," Job 14:7. When they intended to seal up a letter, or a book, they wrapped it round with flax, or thread, then applied the wax to it, and afterward the seal. The Lord commanded Isaiah to tie up or wrap up the book in which his prophecies were written, and to seal them till the time he should bid him publish them, Isa 8:16-17. He gives the same command to Da 12:4. The book that was shown to St. John the evangelist, Re 5:1; 6:1-2, &c, was sealed with seven seals. It was a rare thing to affix such a number of seals, but this insinuated the great importance and secrecy of the matter. In civil contracts they generally made two originals: one continued open, and was kept by him for whose interest the contract was made; the other was sealed and deposited in some public office.
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When, she, was about to be brought forth, then, she herself, sent unto her father-in-law saying, By the man to whom these belong, have I, conceived! And she said - Examine, I pray thee, to whom belong the signet-ring, and the guard, and the staff - these!
Is not, that, stored up with me, - Sealed up amongst my treasures;
Then were called the scribes of the king, in the first month, on the thirteenth day therein, and it was written according to all that Haman commanded unto the satraps of the king, and unto the pashas, who were over every province, and unto the rulers of every people, every province according to the writing thereof, and every people according to the tongue thereof, - in the name of King Ahasuerus, was it written, and sealed with the signet- ring of the king.
Who commandeth the sun, and it breaketh not forth, and, about the stars, he putteth a seal;
Though there is - for a tree - hope, - if it should be cut down, that, again, it will grow, and, the tender branch thereof, will not cease;
SHESet me as a seal, upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm, For, mighty as death, is love, Exacting as hades, is jealousy, - The flames thereof, are flames of fire, The flash of Yah!
Bind thou up the testimony, - Seal the instruction amongst my disciples. I will therefore long for Yahweh, Who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, - And will wait, for him.
But, thou, Daniel, close up the words, and seal the book, until the time of the end, - many will run to and fro, and knowledge, shall abound.
And I saw, upon the right hand of him that was sitting upon the throne, a scroll; written within, and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.
And I saw, when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as with a voice of thunder - Go! And I saw, and lo! a white horse, - and he that was sitting thereon holding a bow; and there was given unto him a crown, and he went forth conquering, and that he might conquer.