עָגִיל (a.gil)
a.gil
ring
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun agil refers to a circular ornament, specifically a hoop or ring worn as jewelry. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Numbers 31:50, where the Midianite captives present gold ornaments to Moses and the Israelite leaders as a gift.
This single occurrence highlights its function as a personal adornment for both men and women. The word describes the physical object itself—a ring or hoop—rather than the act of wearing it. In this context, the gifts serve as an atonement offering before the Lord, linking the item to ritual gratitude rather than mere vanity.
Translators typically render agil as "earrings" or "ornaments," depending on the surrounding context of gold items. The term underscores the value placed on such metalwork in ancient Near Eastern culture, where personal jewelry often held significant monetary and social weight.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word agil appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, describing a simple ring or hoop used as personal jewelry. In Numbers 31:50, it is listed among gold ornaments brought by the Israelite soldiers as a gift to Moses and Aaron. This offering was not merely a display of wealth but an act of gratitude and atonement before God.
For your faith, this rare word reminds us that material things can be transformed into acts of worship. When we bring our resources back to God, even small items like jewelry become part of a larger story of redemption. It invites us to consider how our own possessions might serve as tokens of thanksgiving rather than just personal adornment.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- an earring1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- עָגִ֣יל1×
Key Verses
-
Numbers 31:50
We have brought Yahweh’s offering, what every man found: gold ornaments, armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for our souls before Yahweh.”
This is the only biblical occurrence of agil, where it specifically denotes earrings among other gold items offered for atonement.