Bracelets in the Bible are often mentioned as ornaments worn by both men and women, symbolizing wealth, status, and sometimes covenantal relationships. They are typically crafted from precious metals and stones, reflecting the cultural and economic contexts of the biblical periods.

Old Testament References

In the Old Testament, bracelets are frequently associated with wealth and adornment. Genesis 24:22 describes the servant of Abraham giving Rebekah a gold nose ring and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels as a sign of betrothal to Isaac: "And after the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels." This passage highlights the use of bracelets as gifts in matrimonial arrangements, signifying commitment and prosperity.

Bracelets also appear in the context of spoils of war. In Numbers 31:50, the Israelites present offerings to the Lord, including bracelets, as part of the plunder taken from the Midianites: "So we have brought as an offering to the LORD the gold articles each man acquired—armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD."

Ezekiel 16:11-12 uses bracelets metaphorically to describe God's adornment of Jerusalem, symbolizing His covenant and blessing: "I adorned you with jewelry, and I put bracelets on your wrists and a chain around your neck. I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head."

New Testament Context

While the New Testament does not explicitly mention bracelets, the cultural practice of wearing jewelry, including bracelets, continued into the New Testament era. The apostle Peter advises women in 1 Peter 3:3-4 to focus on inner beauty rather than external adornment: "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes, but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight."

Cultural and Symbolic Significance

In biblical times, bracelets were not merely decorative but also carried symbolic meanings. They could signify social status, wealth, and identity. In some instances, they were used as tokens of betrothal or covenant, as seen in the account of Rebekah. The use of bracelets as offerings or spoils of war underscores their value and desirability.

Conclusion

Bracelets in the Bible serve as a reflection of the cultural practices of the ancient Near East, illustrating themes of wealth, beauty, and covenant. They are mentioned in various contexts, from matrimonial gifts to symbols of divine favor, highlighting their multifaceted role in biblical narratives.3558. kumaz -- (a golden ornament) perhaps a bracelet
... 3557, 3558. kumaz. 3559 . (a golden ornament) perhaps a bracelet. Transliteration:
kumaz Phonetic Spelling: (koo-mawz') Short Definition: bracelets. ...
/hebrew/3558.htm - 6k

8285. sherah -- a bracelet
... 8284, 8285. sherah. 8286 . a bracelet. Transliteration: sherah Phonetic
Spelling: (shay-raw') Short Definition: bracelets. Word ...
/hebrew/8285.htm - 6k

6781a. tsamid -- bracelet
... bracelet. Transliteration: tsamid Short Definition: bracelets. Word Origin from
tsamad Definition bracelet NASB Word Usage bracelets (6). 6781, 6781a. ...
/hebrew/6781a.htm - 5k

Letter xxxi. To Eustochium.
... 1. Doves, bracelets, and a letter are outwardly but small gifts to receive from
a virgin, but the action which has prompted them enhances their value. ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter xxxi to eustochium.htm

How Rebekah Became the Wife of Isaac
... camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring, five ounces in weight, and
put it in her nose, and put on her arms two golden bracelets weighing five ...
/.../sherman/the childrens bible/how rebekah became the wife.htm

On the Sinful Woman.
... And tears gushed forth from her eyes over that deadly eyepaint. [636] She drew
off and cast from her hands the enticing bracelets of her youth. ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/on the sinful woman.htm

Among the People, and with the Pharisees
... Some of them had also bracelets above the wrist (commonly of the right arm),
made of ivory, gold, or precious stones strung together. ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 13 among the people.htm

The End of Cambyses.
... There were some purple vestments of a very rich and splendid dye, and a golden chain
for the neck, golden bracelets for the wrists, an alabaster box of very ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/chapter ii the end of.htm

Marriage of the Blessed virgin to Joseph
... The full sleeves, over which the shoulder-pieces of the scapulary projected, were
lightly held together by bracelets above and below the elbow. ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/vii marriage of the blessed.htm

Vile Ingratitude!
... "I have decked thee also with ornaments, and put bracelets upon thy hands and a
chain on thy neck, and I put a jewel on thy forehead and earrings in thy ears ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/vile ingratitude.htm

There is a Blessedness in Reversion
... Plutarch reports of Tarpeia, a vestal nun, who bargained with the enemy to betray
the Capitol of Rome to them, if she might have the golden bracelets on their ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/2 there is a blessedness.htm

The Story of Rebekah.
... Then he took a golden jewel and a pair of gold bracelets, and put them upon her,
and asked whose daughter she was, and if her father could lodge him and his ...
/.../anonymous/mother stories from the old testament/the story of rebekah.htm

The Bible
... He might, if he pleased, wrap himself with might as with a garment; he might put
the stars around his wrist for bracelets, and bind the suns around his brow ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/the bible.htm

Bracelets (10 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Bracelets (10 Occurrences). Genesis 24:22 It happened,
as the camels had done drinking, that the man took ...
/b/bracelets.htm - 9k

Bracelet (5 Occurrences)
... (3.) In Isaiah 3:19, the rendering of a Hebrew word meaning chains, ie, twisted
or chain-like bracelets. ...Bracelets were worn by men as well as by women (Cant. ...
/b/bracelet.htm - 13k

Earring (7 Occurrences)
... Abraham's servant "put the earring upon (Rebekah's) face, and the bracelets upon
her hands" (Genesis 24:47 King James Version), in accordance with custom ...
/e/earring.htm - 10k

Wrists (5 Occurrences)
... Genesis 24:22 It happened, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a
golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten ...
/w/wrists.htm - 8k

Ear-ring (6 Occurrences)
... Genesis 24:22 And it came to pass as the camels had done drinking, that the man
took a golden ear-ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands ...
/e/ear-ring.htm - 8k

Ring (33 Occurrences)
... as gifts for sacred purposes from both men and women: "brooches, and ear-rings,
and signet-rings" (margin "nose-rings") (Exodus 35:22); "bracelets, rings (the ...
/r/ring.htm - 24k

Ornament (23 Occurrences)
... But the term may be limited here to the various rings, bracelets and chains made
of precious metals and more or less jeweled (compare Jeremiah 2:32). ...
/o/ornament.htm - 17k

Earrings (14 Occurrences)
... Numbers 31:50 We have brought Yahweh's offering, what every man has gotten, of jewels
of gold, armlets, and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces ...
/e/earrings.htm - 11k

Camels (52 Occurrences)
... Genesis 24:22 It happened, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a
golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten ...
/c/camels.htm - 24k

Armlet (1 Occurrence)
... list given of Judith's ornaments: who "decked herself bravely with her armlets
(the Revised Version (British and American) `chains') and her bracelets, and her ...
/a/armlet.htm - 8k

Is "what would Jesus do?" (WWJD) something we should seek to live by? | GotQuestions.org

Bracelets: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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