ADAMANT
A name anciently used for the diamond, the hardest of all minerals. It is used for cutting or writing upon glass and other hard substances, Jer 17:1 . It is also employed figuratively, Eze 3:9 ; Zec 7:12 . Others supposed the smiris, or emery, to be meant.
Fuente: American Tract Society Bible Dictionary
Adamant
a term vaguely used to describe any very hard stone, and employed in the Auth. Vers. in Eze 3:9; Zec 7:12, as the rendering of (shamir’), elsewhere (Jer 17:1) rendered DIAMOND (q.v.). , Sir 16:1-30; Sir 16:1-30, in some copies.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Adamant
(Heb. shamir), Ezek. 3:9. The Greek word adamas means diamond. This stone is not referred to, but corundum or some kind of hard steel. It is an emblem of firmness in resisting adversaries of the truth (Zech. 7:12), and of hard-heartedness against the truth (Jer. 17:1).
Fuente: Easton’s Bible Dictionary
Adamant
(the English mean “unconquerable”.) Unusually hard stones, as the diamond, which is a corruption of the word adamant; Hebrew shamir; Greek smiris. Probably the emery stone or the uncrystallized corundum (Eze 3:9). Image for firmness in resisting the adversaries of the truth of God (Zec 7:12). Image of hard heartedness against the truth (Jer 17:1). The stylus pointed with it engraves deeper than the common iron; with such a pen is Jerusalem’s sin marked. Its absence from the high priest’s breast-plate was because it could not be engraven upon; or perhaps it had not been introduced at that early time. (See DIAMOND.)
Fuente: Fausset’s Bible Dictionary
Adamant
ADAMANT is twice (Eze 3:9, Zec 7:12) used in AV [Note: Authorized Version.] and RV [Note: Revised Version.] as tr. [Note: translate or translation.] of shmir, which is elsewhere rendered either brier (Isa 5:6; Isa 7:23-25; Isa 9:18; Isa 10:17; Isa 27:4; Isa 32:13) or diamond (Jer 17:1). Diamond, which arose from adamant by a variety of spelling (adamant, or adimant, then diamant or diamond), has displaced adamant as the name of the precious stone, adamant being now used rhetorically to express extreme hardness.
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
Adamant
ada-mant (, shamr (Eze 3:9; Zec 7:12)): In the passages cited and in Jer 17:1, where it is rendered diamond the word shamir evidently refers to a hard stone. The word adamant (unconquerable) is used in the early Greek writers for a hard metal, perhaps steel, later for a metal-like gold and later for the diamond. The Hebrew shamr, the Greek adamas (from which word diamond as well as adamant is derived) and the English adamant occur regularly in figurative expressions. All three are equally indefinite. Adamant may therefore be considered a good translation for shamr, though the Septuagint does not use adamas in the passages cited. There is a possible etymological identification of shamr with the Greek smyris (smeris or smiris), emery, a granular form of corundum well known to the ancients and used by them for polishing and engraving precious stones. Corundum in all its forms, including the sapphire and ruby, is in the scale of hardness next to the diamond. In English Versions of the Bible Isa 5:6; Isa 7:23-25; Isa 9:18; Isa 10:17; Isa 27:4; Isa 32:13, shamr is translated brier. See also STONES, PRECIOUS.
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Adamant
The word thus rendered is, in Hebrew, Shamir. It occurs in Jer 17:1; Eze 3:9; Zec 7:12. The Septuagint in Jer 17:1, and the Vulgate in all these passages, take it for the diamond. The signification of the word, ‘a sharp point,’ countenances this interpretation, the diamond being for its hardness used in perforating and cutting other minerals. Indeed, this use of the shamir is distinctly alluded to in Jer 17:1, where the stylus pointed with it is distinguished from one of iron. The two other passages also favor this view by using it figuratively to express the hardness and obduracy of the Israelites. Our Authorized Version has ‘diamond’ in Jer 17:1, and ‘adamant’ in the other texts: but in the original the word is the same in all. Bochart, however, rejects the usual explanation, and conceives it to mean ’emery.’ This is a calcined iron mixed with siliceous earth, occurring in livid scales of such hardness that in ancient times, as at present, it was used for polishing and engraving precious stones, diamonds excepted. Rosenmller urges in favor of this notion that if the Hebrews had been acquainted with the diamond, and with the manner of working it, we should doubtless have found it among the stones of the high-priest’s breastplate; and that, as the shamir was not one of the stones thus employed, therefore it was not the diamond. But to this it may be answered, that it was perhaps not used because it could not be engraved on, or was possibly not introduced until a later period.
Fuente: Popular Cyclopedia Biblical Literature
Adamant
shamir. Eze 3:9; Zec 7:12. Though once translated ‘diamond,’ Jer 17:1, it is used symbolically of extreme hardness, ‘harder than a flint.’ The word is translated ‘briars’ and signifies any ‘sharp point:’ hence a diamond point, or anything hard.
Fuente: Concise Bible Dictionary
Adamant
A flint.
Eze 3:9; Zec 7:12 Diamond
Fuente: Nave’s Topical Bible
Adamant
Adamant. This word is found twice in our version, Eze 3:9; Zec 7:12, in both eases used metaphorically to signify firmness of character and purpose. The original word occurs again in Jer 17:1, where it is translated “diamond,” with which the writer’s pen is said to be pointed. The term must signify some exceedingly hard stone; and diamond is the hardest we know.
Fuente: People’s Dictionary of the Bible
Adamant
Adamant. The translation of the Hebrew word, Shamir in Eze 3:9 and Zec 7:12. In Jer 17:1, it is translated “diamond.” In these three passages, the word is the representative of some stone of excessive hardness, and is used metaphorically. It is very probable that by Shamir is intended emery, a variety of corundum, a mineral inferior, only to the diamond in hardness.
Fuente: Smith’s Bible Dictionary
ADAMANT
a very hard stone
Eze 3:9; Zec 7:12
Fuente: Thompson Chain-Reference Bible
Adamant
, , Sir 16:16. A stone of impenetrable hardness. Sometimes this name is given to the diamond; and so it is rendered, Jer 17:1. But the Hebrew word rather means a very hard kind of stone, probably the smiris, which was also used for cutting, engraving, and polishing other hard stones and crystals. The word occurs also in Eze 3:9, and Zec 7:12. In the former place the Lord says to the Prophet, I have made thy forehead as an adamant, firmer than a rock; that is, endued thee with undaunted courage. In the latter, the hearts of wicked men are declared to be as adamant; neither broken by the threatenings and judgments of God, nor penetrated by his promises, invitations, and mercies. See DIAMOND.