Revelation 21:19-21
Context21:19 The foundations of the city’s wall are decorated 1 with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation is jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, 2 the fourth emerald, 21:20 the fifth onyx, 3 the sixth carnelian, 4 the seventh chrysolite, 5 the eighth beryl, 6 the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, 7 the eleventh jacinth, 8 and the twelfth amethyst. 21:21 And the twelve gates are twelve pearls – each one of the gates is made from just one pearl! The 9 main street 10 of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.
1 tn The perfect participle here has been translated as an intensive (resultative) perfect.
2 sn Agate (also called chalcedony) is a semiprecious stone usually milky or gray in color (L&N 2.32).
3 sn Onyx (also called sardonyx) is a semiprecious stone that comes in various colors (L&N 2.35).
4 sn Carnelian is a semiprecious gemstone, usually red in color (L&N 2.36).
5 sn Chrysolite refers to either quartz or topaz, golden yellow in color (L&N 2.37).
6 sn Beryl is a semiprecious stone, usually blue-green or green in color (L&N 2.38).
7 sn Chrysoprase is a greenish type of quartz (L&N 2.40).
8 sn Jacinth is a semiprecious stone, probably blue in color (also called “hyacinth,” but that translation is not used here because of possible confusion with the flower of the same name). See L&N 2.41.
9 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
10 tn The Greek word πλατεῖα (plateia) refers to a major (broad) street (L&N 1.103).