Brief Overview of σάρδινος (Strong’s G4555: sardinos)

Strong’s G4555: A precious stone of reddish hue, likely carnelian or red jasper, used in Revelation to describe the appearance of the One seated on the throne. Its deep red color symbolizes divine majesty, sovereignty, and the redemptive nature of God’s glory.

U- Unveiling the Word

Σάρδινος represents one of the precious stones used in John’s apocalyptic vision to describe the glory of God. In Revelation 4:3, the stone’s red color is used to portray the majestic appearance of the One seated on the throne. The early church interpreted this reddish stone as symbolizing both divine glory and the redemptive nature of God’s presence, connecting it to Christ’s sacrificial blood. Today, this symbolism continues to remind believers of God’s majestic holiness and redemptive love manifested in Christ.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: σάρδινος, sardinos, /sar’-dee-nos/
• Pronunciation Guide: ‘sar’ as in ‘sardine’, ‘dee’ as in ‘deep’, ‘nos’ as in ‘nose’
• Part of Speech: Adjective

Etymology:

• Derived from Σάρδεις (Sardis), the city where such stones were found
• Suffix -ινος (-inos) indicates “pertaining to” or “made of”
• Related to Hebrew אדם (odem) meaning “red”

D – Defining Meanings

• Primary meaning: A precious stone of reddish color
• Secondary meaning: A stone symbolizing divine glory
• Contextual meaning: Description of God’s appearance

Translation Options:

• Sardine stone – Traditional biblical translation
• Carnelian – Modern geological equivalent
• Ruby-colored stone – Descriptive translation

E – Exploring Similar Words

• σάρδιον (sardion) /sar’-dee-on/ – Another form of the same stone. See G4556
• ἴασπις (iaspis) /ee’-as-pis/ – Jasper, another throne room stone. See G2393
• σμάραγδος (smaragdos) /smar’-ag-dos/ – Emerald, mentioned in the same context. See G4665

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Morphological features as an adjective:

• Case: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative
• Number: Singular and Plural
• Gender: Masculine, Feminine, Neuter
• Declension: Second declension

Examples:

• Masculine: σάρδινος
• Feminine: σαρδίνη
• Neuter: σάρδινον
• Plural: σάρδινοι

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG identifies σάρδινος as a precious stone of reddish color. Thayer’s connects it to modern carnelian. LSJ notes its use in ancient jewelry and royal contexts. Vine’s emphasizes its significance in Revelation’s throne room vision. Strong’s links it to the city of Sardis. Moulton and Milligan document its use in ancient commercial contexts.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
Revelation 4:3: “And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone [σάρδινος]: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.”

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

Σάρδινος beautifully portrays the majestic glory of God in Revelation’s throne room vision. Its deep red color reminds us of both God’s sovereign majesty and Christ’s redemptive sacrifice. The good news shines through as we see that the One seated on the throne, described with this precious stone’s brilliance, is the same God who gave His Son for our salvation.

D – Did You Know?

1. The stone was widely used in ancient royal seals
2. Early Christian art often depicted the throne room scene using red stones
3. Ancient traders valued sardine stones from Sardis above those from other regions

Strong’s G4555: A precious stone of deep red color, used in Revelation to describe the appearance of God on His throne. Associated with divine majesty and redemption, symbolizing both God’s glory and Christ’s sacrificial love.

Part of speech: Adjective

Tags: precious-stones, revelation, throne-room, divine-glory, apocalyptic-vision, god’s-majesty, redemption, carnelian, divine-appearance, worship​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​