Bible Encyclopedia: Coral

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

CORAL

kor'-al (ra'moth, peninim): The red coral or precious coral, Corallium rubrum, is confined to the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas. It is the calcareous axis of a branching colony of polyps. It does not form reefs, but occurs in small masses from 40 to 100 fathoms below the surface. It differs totally in structure from the white corals which form coral reefs, belonging to the order of Octactinia or Eight-rayed Polyps, while the reef-building corals belong to the Hexactinia or Six-rayed Polyps.

Ra'moth, apparently from r. ra'am, "to be high" (compare rum, "to be high"), occurs in three passages. In Proverbs 24:7, EVV have "too high": "Wisdom is too high for a fool." In Job 28:12-19, where various precious things are compared with wisdom, English Versions of the Bible has "coral"(King James Version, margin "Ramoth"). It is mentioned here along with ceghor, "gold" (the Revised Version, margin "treasure"); kethem, "gold of Ophir"; shoham, "onyx" (the Revised Version, margin "beryl"); cappir, "sapphire"; zahabh, "gold"; zekhukhith, "crystal" (the Revised Version (British and American) "glass"); paz, "gold"; gabhish, "pearls" (the Revised Version (British and American) "crystal"); peninim, "rubies" (the Revised Version, margin "red coral" or "pearls"); piTedhah, "topaz." While the real meaning of some of these terms is doubtful (see STONES, PRECIOUS), they all, including ra'moth, appear to be precious stones or metals. In Ezekiel 27:16, ra'moth occurs with nophekh, "emeralds" (the Revised Version, margin "carbuncles"); 'argaman, "purple"; riqmah, "broidered work"; buts, "fine linen"; kadhkodh, "agate"(King James Version, margin "chrysoprase," the Revised Version (British and American) "rubies"). Here the context does not require a precious stone or metal, and Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) has sericum, i. e. "Chinese material" or "silk." Notwithstanding, therefore, the traditional rendering, "coral," the real meaning of ra'moth must be admitted to be doubtful.

Peninim (from the root panan, "to divide up," "to separate"; compare Arabic fanan, "a branch of a tree") occurs in Job 28:18 Proverbs 3:15; Proverbs 8:11; Proverbs 20:15; Proverbs 31:10 Lamentations 4:7. In all these passages English Versions of the Bible has "rubies" (Job 28:18, the Revised Version, margin "red coral" or "pearls"; Lamentations 4:7, the Revised Version, margin "corals"). Everywhere a precious substance is indicated, but nowhere does the context give any light as to the nature of the substance, except in Lamentations 4:7, where we have the statement that the nobles of Jerusalem "were more ruddy in body" than peninim. This and the etymology favor a branching red substance such as precious coral. The occurrence of peninim and ra'moth together in Job 28:18 is, if we give the precedence to peninim, a further argument against ra'moth meaning "coral."

Alfred Ely Day

Strong's Hebrew

7215. ramoth -- perhaps corals
... 7214, 7215. ramoth. 7216 . perhaps corals. Transliteration: ramoth Phonetic
Spelling: (raw-maw') Short Definition: coral. ... coral. ...
/hebrew/7215.htm - 6k

Library

The Adventures of Saint Patrick of Ireland.
... to the first who came up, expecting to assist her to land; for, as they were dressed
in sea-green garments, and had wreaths of red and white coral on their ...
/.../kingston/the seven champions of christendom/chapter nine the adventures of.htm

Temptation
... But if, again, you met, as you may meet in the tropics, a lovely little coral snake,
braided with red and white, its mouth so small that it seems impossible ...
/.../kingsley/all saints day and other sermons/sermon vii temptation.htm

(And Last): Homeward Bound
... would we have looked at that beautiful and fertile little spot, and have pictured
to ourselves Robinson Crusoe and Man Friday pacing along the coral beach in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xvii and last homeward.htm

The Dawn of Mind
... the Malay Peninsula they strew the ground in endless numbers; and again, in Australia,
New Zealand, New Caledonia, the New Hebrides, and the Coral Islands of ...
/.../drummond/the lowell lectures on the ascent of man/chapter iv the dawn of.htm

Preface
... They toiled silently for the advancement of learning, like the coral insects who
play their part beneath the waters in rearing a fair island for the abode of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/conybeare/a grammar of septuagint greek/preface.htm

The Method of the New Theology, and Some of Its Applications
... It is simply the growing fringe of the coral reef, the bit of land far out, in contact
on the one hand with the unexplored sea"the bit of land far out in the ...
/.../berkhof/new evangelism and other papers/the method of the new.htm

1875-1877. Mrs. Way's Sewing --Class for Jewesses --Bible Flower ...
... "Again the hedges, tipped with tiny coral buds, primroses, and daffodils peeping
up amid the brushwood, golden-eyed celandines and daisies lifting their sweet ...
//christianbookshelf.org/lowe/gods answers/chapter vi 1875-1877 mrs ways.htm

The Daily Walk with Others (I. ).
... beginning, "In the secret of His Presence." It is given in part in several recent
hymn-books, but for its complete form see From India's Coral Strand, (Home ...
/.../moule/to my younger brethren/chapter iv the daily walk.htm

What was Heard in the Basilica of Peace
... its luminous bow; and high above the heavy mass of architecture, resting upon slim
aerial little columns, a buoyant aediculus shines like a coral tabernacle or ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/ii what was heard in.htm

Trust in God --True Wisdom
... jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral or of pearls: for
the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/trust in godtrue wisdom.htm

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Coral

(Ezekiel 27:16) A production of the sea, formed by minute animals called zoophytes. It is their shell or house. It takes various forms, as of trees, shrubs, hemispheres. The principal colors are red and white. It was used for beads and ornaments. With regard to the estimation in which coral was held by the Jews and other Orientals, it must be remembered that coral varies in price with us. Pliny says that the Indians valued coral as the Romans valued pearls. (Job 28:18)

ATS Bible Dictionary

Coral

A hard calcareous, marine production, produced by the labors of millions of insects, and often resembling in figure the stem of a plant, divided into branches. It is of various colors, black, white, and red. The latter is the most valuable. It is ranked by Job 28:18, and Ezekiel 27:16, among precious stones. It abounds in the Red sea; and the islands of the South seas are often coral reefs, covered over with earth. The word "rubies" in Proverbs 3:15; 8:11; 20:15; 31:10, is thought by many to mean ornaments of coral.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Hebrews ramoth, meaning "heights;" i.e., "high-priced" or valuable things, or, as some suppose, "that which grows high," like a tree (Job 28:18; Ezek. 27:16), according to the Rabbins, red coral, which was in use for ornaments.

The coral is a cretaceous marine product, the deposit by minute polypous animals of calcareous matter in cells in which the animal lives. It is of numberless shapes as it grows, but usually is branched like a tree. Great coral reefs and coral islands abound in the Red Sea, whence probably the Hebrews derived their knowledge of it. It is found of different colours, white, black, and red. The red, being esteemed the most precious, was used, as noticed above, for ornamental purposes.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) The hard parts or skeleton of various Anthozoa, and of a few Hydrozoa. Similar structures are also formed by some Bryozoa.

2. (n.) The ovaries of a cooked lobster; -- so called from their color.

3. (n.) A piece of coral, usually fitted with small bells and other appurtenances, used by children as a plaything.

Thesaurus

Coral (3 Occurrences)
... 27:16), according to the Rabbins, red coral, which was in use for ornaments.
The coral is a cretaceous marine product, the deposit ...
/c/coral.htm - 12k

Rubies (8 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Rubies (8 Occurrences). Job 28:18 No mention shall be
made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies. ...
/r/rubies.htm - 8k

Red (124 Occurrences)
... Some think it is derived from the red colour of the mountains on the western shore;
others from the red coral found in the sea, or the red appearance sometimes ...
/r/red.htm - 77k

Zoology
... Flea DIPTERA: Fly RHYNCHOTA; Louse, Scarlet-Worm ORTHOPTERA: Grasshopper, Locust
(sv INSECTS) Arachnida: Spider, Scorpion Coelenterata: Coral Porifera: Sponge ...
/z/zoology.htm - 18k

Nosejewels
... Usually there were pendant from the metal ring jewels, beads or coral. Such ornaments
are still worn in some parts of the East. See also AMULET; JEWEL. ...
/n/nosejewels.htm - 8k

Nose-jewels (1 Occurrence)
... Usually there were pendant from the metal ring jewels, beads or coral. Such ornaments
are still worn in some parts of the East. See also AMULET; JEWEL. ...
/n/nose-jewels.htm - 9k

Jasper (8 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Job 28:18 No mention shall be made of
coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies. (See NIV). ...
/j/jasper.htm - 10k

Fairs (6 Occurrences)
... reason of the multitude of the wares of thy making: they occupied in thy fairs with
emeralds, purple, and broidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and agate. ...
/f/fairs.htm - 9k

Fabric (8 Occurrences)
... by reason of the multitude of your handiworks: they traded for your wares with emeralds,
purple, and embroidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and rubies. ...
/f/fabric.htm - 9k

Terebinth (15 Occurrences)
... 1:30). The terebinth is liable to be infected by many showy galls, some
varieties looking like pieces of red coral. In Palestine ...
/t/terebinth.htm - 15k

Bible Concordance

Coral (3 Occurrences)

Job 28:18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Lamentations 4:7 Her holy ones were cleaner than snow, they were whiter than milk, their bodies were redder than corals, their form was as the sapphire:
(Root in BBE NAS RSV)

Ezekiel 27:16 Syria was your merchant by reason of the multitude of your handiworks: they traded for your wares with emeralds, purple, and embroidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and rubies.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Coral

Coral: General Scriptures Concerning

Related Terms

Rubies (8 Occurrences)

Red (124 Occurrences)

Zoology

Nosejewels

Nose-jewels (1 Occurrence)

Jasper (8 Occurrences)

Fairs (6 Occurrences)

Fabric (8 Occurrences)