Topical Bible: Gold used in the Arts: Into Ornaments

Bible > Topical > Gold used in the Arts

◄ Gold used in the Arts: Into Ornaments ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

Gold, a precious metal highly esteemed for its beauty and rarity, holds significant importance in biblical history and literature. Its use in the creation of ornaments is well-documented throughout the Scriptures, reflecting both the wealth and the artistic expression of ancient cultures.

Biblical References and Context

Gold's first mention in the Bible is in the context of the Garden of Eden, where the land of Havilah is noted for its fine gold (Genesis 2:11-12). This early reference sets the stage for gold's enduring value and desirability. As the narrative of the Bible unfolds, gold becomes a symbol of wealth, divine blessing, and artistic craftsmanship.

In the construction of the Tabernacle, gold was extensively used to create various ornaments and sacred objects. Exodus 25-31 details the instructions given to Moses for the Tabernacle's construction, where gold was used to overlay the Ark of the Covenant, the table for the showbread, the lampstand, and other sacred furnishings. "Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it" (Exodus 25:11). These gold ornaments were not merely decorative but served to reflect the glory and holiness of God.

The use of gold in personal adornment is also evident in the Bible. In Genesis 24:22, Abraham's servant gives Rebekah a gold nose ring and bracelets as a sign of betrothal to Isaac. Similarly, in Song of Solomon, gold is used metaphorically to describe beauty and value: "Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels. We will make you ornaments of gold, studded with silver" (Song of Solomon 1:10-11).

Cultural and Religious Significance

Gold ornaments in biblical times were not only symbols of wealth and status but also held religious significance. The high priest's garments, as described in Exodus 28, included a breastplate, ephod, and other items adorned with gold. These garments were crafted with skill and precision, signifying the priest's role as an intermediary between God and the people.

The artistic use of gold extended beyond religious contexts into royal and personal adornment. In 1 Kings 10, the Queen of Sheba visits King Solomon, bringing with her a great quantity of gold, spices, and precious stones. Solomon's wealth and wisdom were renowned, and gold played a central role in his kingdom's splendor. "All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold" (1 Kings 10:21).

Moral and Spiritual Reflections

While gold is celebrated for its beauty and utility, the Bible also warns against the potential for idolatry and moral corruption associated with its pursuit. The incident of the golden calf in Exodus 32 serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of valuing material wealth over spiritual devotion. The Israelites' creation of a gold idol led to severe consequences, highlighting the tension between the use of gold for divine purposes and its misuse.

In the New Testament, gold continues to be a symbol of wealth and temptation. In 1 Timothy 6:10, Paul warns, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." This admonition serves as a reminder of the need for a balanced perspective on material wealth, including gold, in the life of a believer.

Conclusion

Throughout the Bible, gold is portrayed as a material of great beauty and value, used in the creation of ornaments that serve both artistic and religious purposes. Its use in the Tabernacle, personal adornment, and royal settings underscores its significance in biblical culture. However, the Scriptures also caution against the potential for idolatry and moral compromise, urging believers to maintain a proper perspective on the role of material wealth in their spiritual lives.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 24:22
And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;
Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 3:22
But every woman shall borrow of her neighbor, and of her that sojournes in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and you shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters; and you shall spoil the Egyptians.
Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 11:2
Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver and jewels of gold.
Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 28:11
With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: you shall make them to be set in ouches of gold.
Nave's Topical Index

Numbers 31:50,51
We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD, what every man has gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD.
Nave's Topical Index

Songs 1:10
Your cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, your neck with chains of gold.
Nave's Topical Index

Songs 5:14
His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.
Nave's Topical Index

Ezekiel 16:17
You have also taken your fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and made to yourself images of men, and did commit prostitution with them,
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Concerning the Sabbatic River which Titus Saw as He was Journeying ...
... to the life what was embroidered by the arts of the ... whose structure was entirely
either of ivory or of gold. ... they had consecrated, in the prayers used in such ...
/.../chapter v concerning the sabbatic.htm

Philippians iii. 3-Jan
... fitting occasion, and strength likewise to be used on fitting ... we should devote ourselves
to the base arts but to ... it should be decked out with gold, while the ...
/.../homily x philippians iii 3-jan.htm

On Clothes.
... of the hair, and the wicked arts that are ... the guileless Jesus shines conspicuous
as gold, and the ... Elias used a sheepskin mantle, and fastened the sheepskin ...
/.../clement/the instructor paedagogus/chapter xi name clothes.htm

Hiram, the Inspired Artificer
... laver, called "a molten sea," to be used for the ... to devise cunning works, to work
in gold, and in ... ingenuity and inventiveness as to the various arts, and even ...
/.../milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/hiram the inspired artificer.htm

Second Instruction.
... and gold, and concerning those who have used omens, and ... part of our needs, ministering
to countless arts; and why ... I speak of a comparison between gold and iron ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chrysostom/on the priesthood/second instruction.htm

The Empress Eudoxia from the Story of Christian Womanhood in Old ...
... love for Justina, and, renouncing all his arts, was converted ... of marble, and wherever
commoner stone was used the surface was beautified with gold plate ...
/.../brittain/women of early christianity/ix the empress eudoxia from.htm

Treatise ii. On the Dress of virgins.
... that use this world, as though they used it not. ... nor arranged necklaces with stones
set in gold, and with ... appeal, who have adorned themselves with arts of this ...
/.../cyprian/the treatises of cyprian/treatise ii on the dress.htm

The Death of Cyrus.
... They possessed many of those mechanical arts which are the ... They made, also, many
ornaments and decorations of gold. ... way, that is, by being always used as a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter xii the death of.htm

The Absurdity and Shamefulness of the Images by which the Gods are ...
... Nicagorus was styled Hermes, and used the dress of Hermes ... if considered as to its
origin, is gold, it is ... Such frenzy have mischief-working arts created in the ...
/.../exhortation to the heathen/chapter iv the absurdity and shamefulness.htm

Book 8 Footnotes
... have belonged to such profane but curious arts as we ... cypress tree, and only overlaid
with gold; and both ... animal so called, which was never used in corrections ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 8 footnotes.htm