Amber
Summary
A term appearing in Ezekiel's visions, probably referring not to the fossilized resin but to a brilliant polished metal or alloy resembling gleaming brass.
☩Biblical Usage
The Hebrew word chashmal appears only in Ezekiel's visions, describing the appearance of divine glory. It is associated with fire and brilliant light, symbolizing the dazzling brightness of God's presence. The prophet saw something like "the color of amber" emerging from the fire and brightness of the theophanic cloud.
☩Probable Identification
Despite the traditional translation "amber," this term probably does not refer to the fossilized resin known today by that name. Rather, it likely indicates a polished metal, possibly an alloy of gold and silver (called electrum by the ancients), or smooth polished brass. The Septuagint translates it as elektron, which in Greek referred both to amber and to a brilliant metal composed of silver and gold. The emphasis is on the metal's gleaming, lustrous quality symbolizing divine radiance.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Amber," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.George Morrish, "Amber," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Amber," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).