Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

EARRING

Men, women, and children of the ancient Near East adorned their ears and noses with jewelry. Ezek. 16:12 distinguishes Heb. ʿāgîlîm, ear ornaments, from nezem, a nose ring (Gen. 24:22, 30, 47; Isa. 3:21; Prov. 11:22), but nezem can also refer to earrings (Gen. 35:4; Exod. 32:2-3; Prov. 25:12). In other passages the distinction is not clear, and nezem may have simply referred to any small ring-shaped item of jewelry.

Rings are associated with the manufacture of an idol or cult object (Exod. 32:2-3; Judg. 8:27; Gen. 35:4), and they are among the pieces of jewelry offered for use in God’s tent of meeting (Exod. 35:22). A ring’s material, when mentioned, is always gold (Gen. 24:22, 30, 47; Exod. 32:2-3; 35:22; Judg. 8:24; Job 42:11). Gold or silver rings are infrequent among Palestinian archaeological finds, but iron, copper, and brass rings are common. Gold rings are often lunate (crescent shaped) with a point at one end for insertion into the earlobe or nose. Other rings are penannular, i.e., circular with a break and two overlapping points. Some earrings were quite heavy (Gen. 24:22; Judg. 8:24-26; cf. ANEP, 72). Rings sometimes had additional decorations, especially clusters of balls (“mulberry” earrings) and pendants shaped like pomegranate buds. Jewelry smiths cast these rings in engraved stone molds. See ANEP for pictures of various rings.

Joseph E. Jensen

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

EARRING

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)