Revelation 4:3

 Revelation 4:3

And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

a. ASV: And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper stone and a sardius: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon.  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: And He who is sitting was in sight like a stone, jasper and sardine: and a rainbow was round the throne in sight like an emerald.  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: And He Who sat there appeared like [the crystalline brightness of] jasper and [the fiery] sardius, and encircling the throne there was a halo that looked like [a rainbow of] emerald. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Peshitta Eastern Text: And he who sat resembled a stone of jasper and sardonyx and round about the throne was a rainbow resembling emeralds.  [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT. Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

1. “And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone…”

a. And [Strong: 2532. kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. [he] that [Strong: 3588. [ho] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [ho] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé  hē, hai, tas.]

c. sat [Strong: 2521. kathemai kath'-ay-mahee from 2596; and hemai (to sit; akin to the base of 1476); to sit down; figuratively, to remain, reside:--dwell, sit (by, down).]

d. was [Strong: 2258. en ane imperfect of 1510; I (thou, etc.) was (wast or were):--+ agree, be, X have (+ charge of), hold, use, was(-t), were.]

e. [to] look upon [Strong: 3706. horasis hor'-as-is from 3708; the act of gazing, i.e. (externally) an aspect or (internally) an inspired appearance:--sight, vision.]

f. like [Strong: 3664. homoios hom'-oy-os from the base of 3674; similar (in appearance or character):--like, + manner.]

g. [a] jasper [Strong: 2393. iaspis ee'-as-pis probably of foreign origin (see 3471); "jasper", a gem:--jasper.]

h. and [Strong: 2532. kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

i. [a] sardine [Strong: 4555. sardinos sar'-dee-nos from the same as 4556; sardine (3037 being implied), i.e. a gem, so called:--sardine.]

j. stone [Strong: 3037. lithos lee'-thos apparently a primary word; a stone (literally or figuratively):--(mill-, stumbling-)stone.]

2. “...and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.”

a. and [Strong: 2532. kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. [there was a] rainbow [Strong: 2463. iris ee'-ris perhaps from 2046 (as a symbol of the female messenger of the pagan deities); a rainbow ("iris"):--rainbow.]

c. round about [Strong: 2943. kuklothen koo-kloth'-en adverb from the same as 2945; from the circle, i.e. all around:--(round) about.]

d. the [Strong: 3588. [tou] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tou] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé  hē, hai, tas.]

e. throne [Strong: 2362. thronos thron'-os from thrao (to sit); a stately seat ("throne"); by implication, power or (concretely) a potentate:--seat, throne.]

f. [in] sight [Strong: 3706. horasis hor'-as-is from 3708; the act of gazing, i.e. (externally) an aspect or (internally) an inspired appearance:--sight, vision.]

g. like [Strong: 3664. homoios hom'-oy-os from the base of 3674; similar (in appearance or character):--like, + manner.]

h. [unto an] emerald [Strong: 4664. smaragdinos smar-ag'-dee-nos from 4665; consisting of emerald:--emerald.]

1). Chuck Missler: And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

a). “Rainbow” is the Greek word iris, which can also mean “halo.”

b). “Emerald”: Gen 9:11-17; Ex 24:10. Jasper will also later appear as first in

both the wall and foundation of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:11, 18-19).

c). Sardius is the first stone in the breastplate of the high priest, representing Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob. (Jesus was the firstborn of the dead.) It is the sixth stone in the foundation of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:20).

d). Pliny says it was discovered in Sardis and its color was a fiery red.