σάρδινος (G4555) — Greek Lexicon

σάρδινος

sárdinos

G4555 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A sardine-colored; specifically, made of sard or having the appearance of sard, a reddish-brown variety of chalcedony; by implication, a sardine stone or gem used as a precious stone or jewel, especially in ornamental or ritual contexts.

Semantic Range

of sard, sard-colored, made of sard, sardine stone, applied to gemstones of reddish-brown appearance

Root / Etymology

From the same root as σάρδιος (sardios), meaning 'sard', a precious stone, itself ultimately likely from the ancient city of Sardis or from the region producing such stones; the adjective σάρδινος means 'of sard' or 'sardine-colored'.

Historical & Contextual Notes

σάρδινος is very rare in surviving Greek literature and appears in the New Testament (Revelation 4:3) as an adjective describing the appearance of a gemstone, almost always in formulaic lists with other precious stones. The term derives from σάρδιος, widely attested in Greek sources as the name of the reddish-brown chalcedony stone called 'sard'. In the context of the LXX and New Testament, the stone's value is connected to its use in ornamentation, such as the High Priest's breastpiece (e.g., Exodus 28:17 LXX) and in apocalyptic visions (Revelation). The English term 'sardine' as a gemstone is a historical rendering but is not widely used in mineralogy today; 'sard' is the more standard term. The word does not appear with any broader metaphorical senses. In post-biblical Greek the usage remains limited and technical. English Bible translations typically retain the transliterated form, which may obscure the specific color or stone referred to. σάρδινος is distinct from sardonyx (σαρδόνυξ, G4567), a different kind of layered stone.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the same as σάρδιος; sardine (λίθος being implied), i.e. a gem, so called:--sardine.

Root Family

σάρδινος (sardinos) — sard gemstone, sard-colored, made of sard

Root σάρδ- sard (reddish-brown gemstone), made of sard, sardine-colored

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G4555-02`	σάρδιον	sardion	`N NOM N SG`	sardius	sard gemstone	sardius	1
`G4555-01`	σαρδίῳ	sardio	`N DAT N SG`	a sardius	to a sard stone	to a sardius	1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G4555-01`	Revelation 4:3	σαρδίῳ	sardio	`N DAT N SG`	a sardius	to a sard stone	to a sardius
`G4555-02`	Revelation 21:20	σάρδιον	sardion	`N NOM N SG`	sardius	sard gemstone	sardius

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