Bible Strands
Genesis 2:12
And the gold of that land is pure, and bdellium and onyx are found there.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrator describes the geography of the region through which the Pishon river flows, immediately after naming the river and before introducing the Gihon river.
The words — וּֽ/זֲהַ֛ב (u./za.Hav) translates as "and the gold," while הַ/בְּדֹ֖לַח (ha./be.Do.lach) denotes bdellium, a resinous substance. הַ/שֹּֽׁהַם\׃ (ha./Sho.ham) literally means "the onyx" or "the stone of onyx."
The thread — The verse lists Havilah's resources alongside precious stones that later appear in priestly vestments and prophetic imagery (Exodus 28:20, Ezekiel 28:13, Job 28:16).
Why it lands — The text records the material composition of the land without commentary. It establishes the physical inventory of the location before the narrative proceeds to human action.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.
Cross-references
- Ezekiel 28:13 You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald. Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold, prepared on the day of your creation.
- Exodus 28:20 and in the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. Mount these stones in gold filigree settings.
- Job 28:16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.
- Exodus 39:13 and the fourth row had a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. These stones were mounted in gold filigree settings.
- Numbers 11:7 Now the manna resembled coriander seed, and its appearance was like that of gum resin.