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Revelation 21:19

New Testament Apocalyptic ASV (1901)

What does Revelation 21:19 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;
Revelation 21:19 — American Standard Version

Context — Revelation 21

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
16And the city lieth foursquare, and the length thereof is as great as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs: the length and the breadth and the height thereof are equal.
17And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, [according to] the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
18And the building of the wall thereof was jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto pure glass.
19The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;
20the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst.
21And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the several gates was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
22And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple thereof.
← Revelation 21:18Revelation 21:20 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the foundations of the wall of the city, etc.] Which were twelve; (see <662114>Revelation 21:14) were garnished with all manner of precious stones: (see <235411>Isaiah 54:11,12) not that there were all manner of precious stones in every foundation, but in them all there were, and each foundation had its stone peculiar to it, as follows; and which are not applicable to the persons of the apostles, who were not the foundations, but on them their names only were written: and besides, the order of them, as given in the Evangelists and Acts of the Apostles, is not certain, and always the same, to which these several stories may be adjusted; though they are doubtless comparable to them for…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“And--so Syriac, Coptic, and ANDREAS. But A, B, and Vulgate omit. Compare Rev 21:14 with this verse; also Isa 54:11. all manner of precious stones--Contrast Rev 18:12 as to the harlot, Babylon. These precious stones constituted the "foundations." chalcedony--agate from Chalcedon: semi-opaque, sky-blue, with stripes of other colors [ALFORD].”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“And the foundations of the wall of the city - notes on Revelation 21:14. Were garnished - Were adorned, or decorated. That is, the foundations were composed of precious stones, giving them this highly ornamented and brilliant appearance. The first foundation - The first “row, layer, or course.” notes on Revelation 21:14. Was jasper - See the notes on Revelation 4:3. The second, sapphire - This stone is not elsewhere mentioned in the New Testament. It is a precious stone, next in hardness to the diamond, usually of an azure or sky-blue color, but of various shades. The third, a chalcedony - This word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. The stone referred to is an uncrystallized…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the foundations were adorned with precious stones - That is, beautifully made of them. The precious stones on the high priest's breastplate of judgment were a proper emblem to express the happiness of God's church in his presence with them, and in the blessing of his protection. The like ornaments on the foundations of the walls of this city may express the perfect glory and happiness of all the inhabitants of it from the most glorious presence and protection of God. Each precious stone was not the ornament of the foundation, but the foundation itself. The colours of these are remarkably mixed. A jasper is of the colour of white marble, with a light shade of green and of red; a sapphire…”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“21:19 The twelve precious stones adorning the foundation stones of the city’s wall are a reminder of the twelve stones on the high priests’ breastplate that represented the people of God (see Exod 28:17-20).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“the foundations: Job 28:16-19; Pro 3:15; Isa 54:11, Isa 54:12 sapphire: Exo 28:17-21, Exo 29:10-14 Revelation 21:21”
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Related study paths

Read Revelation 21 in contextBrowse Greek word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification