ὑάκινθος
hyákinthos
G5192 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A precious stone or material of deep blue or blue-violet color, hyacinth; in certain contexts, the word may also refer to the plant hyacinth, but in the New Testament and Koine sources, it principally denotes a blue or violet-blue gemstone, corresponding in appearance or color to the hyacinth flower.
Semantic Range
hyacinth flower, hyacinth-blue color, deep blue or violet gemstone, blue-dyed material, blue-violet lustrous object
Root / Etymology
The word ὑάκινθος is a loan from earlier Greek, likely ultimately from a pre-Greek or Asianic substrate, related to the name of the plant (hyacinth). Its usage as a gemstone name in Koine is derived by analogy to the flower's color—etymology uncertain beyond ancient Greek usage.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, ὑάκινθος primarily refers to the hyacinth flower, associated with myth and mourning. In Hellenistic and later Koine usage, especially in precious stones inventories and medical or scientific contexts, it is used for a gemstone of deep blue or blue-purple color. In Revelation 9:17 of the New Testament, it refers to a blue or blue-violet object (likely cloth or armor of gemstone-bright color) rather than an actual gem. The ancient identification of the hyacinth gemstone is debated; it may correspond to what is today called zircon, but color perception and terminology differed in antiquity. English Bible tradition often renders it as 'jacinth,' but this may misleadingly suggest the orange-red gem known as jacinth today. In the Septuagint and other Greek-Jewish texts, the color association is typically with deep blue shades, occasionally overlapping with sapphire (σαπφείρινος). The semantic range does not include the modern meanings of jacinth (orange-red), and care must be taken to avoid anachronistic identifications.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of uncertain derivation; the "hyacinth" or "jacinth", i.e. some gem of a deep blue color, probably the zirkon:-- jacinth.
Root Family
ὑάκινθ- (hyákinthos) — hyacinth (plant), hyacinth-colored (blue-violet), deep blue stone or gem
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5192-01 |
ὑάκινθος | uakinthos | N NOM M SG |
jacinth | hyacinth-blue gemstone | jacinth | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5192-01 |
Revelation 21:20 | ὑάκινθος | uakinthos | N NOM M SG |
jacinth | hyacinth-blue gemstone | jacinth |