לֶ֫שֶׁם (le.shem)
le.shem
jacinth
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun le.shem refers to a precious stone featured in the high priest’s breastplate, appearing only twice in the Hebrew Bible within Exodus 28:19 and 39:12. Its exact identity remains uncertain among scholars, with ancient translations like the Greek Septuagint identifying it as a ligurius, while modern interpretations often suggest jacinth or ligure.
This ambiguity reflects the challenges of matching ancient Near Eastern mineral terms to specific modern gemstones. The word’s presence in the priestly garments highlights its value and symbolic role within Israelite worship. As one of the twelve stones representing the tribes of Israel, le.shem contributed to the sacred visual language of the tabernacle, though its precise color or composition is lost to history.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The high priest’s breastplate carried twelve stones, each representing one of Israel’s tribes before God. Among them was le.shem, a stone whose exact identity remains uncertain to us today. Whether it was jacinth, ligure, or another precious gem, its precise nature matters less than what it signified: value, beauty, and sacred order within worship.
For your faith life, this reminds us that God cares about the details of His people’s representation. Just as each stone held a place in the breastplate, every believer has a unique role in the community of faith. You do not need to have all your answers about identity or purpose right away. Like the ancient stones, you are part of a larger design that God holds together.
When uncertainty clouds your understanding of Scripture or your own path, remember that clarity is not always required for significance. The priest wore these stones not because their composition was fully known, but because they pointed to something holy. Your presence in the body of Christ carries similar weight, even when the details are unclear.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [will be] a jacinth1×
- [was] a jacinth1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לֶ֥שֶׁם2×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 28:19
and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
This verse establishes le.shem as part of the third row of the high priest's breastplate, setting its place within the structured representation of Israel's tribes.
-
Exodus 39:12
and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
Here the word appears in the narrative of the garment's completion, confirming that the stone was physically present in the finished priestly vestments as commanded.