ὑᾰλ-ῐνος G5193
glassy, made of glass or crystal; having the appearance or substance of glass
This adjective describes something made of glass or having glass-like qualities—transparent, smooth, crystalline. In antiquity, glass was a luxury material, and the image of a sea of glass evokes both beauty and perfection. The term appears only in Revelation's throne room visions, where the heavenly temple contains a glassy sea unlike anything in the earthly tabernacle. The image may echo the bronze laver in Solomon's temple but transformed into something transcendent and static—a sea that doesn't move, suggesting perfect peace and stability before God's throne.
Senses
1. sense 1 — All three occurrences appear in Revelation's visionary descriptions of heaven's throne room. Revelation 4:6 depicts "a sea of glass (hualinē) like crystal" before the throne, creating an atmosphere of awe and otherness. Revelation 15:2 twice mentions the glassy sea, now "mingled with fire," where the victorious stand with harps—a scene of triumph and worship. The Spanish de vidrio, French de verre, and German glaesern all straightforwardly denote glass composition. The glassy sea serves as a platform for worship and a symbol of the transparent, unmixed perfection of God's presence, where nothing is hidden and all is revealed in crystal clarity. 3×
AR["الزُّجاجيِّ", "زُجاجيٍّ"]·ben["কাচের", "কাচের,"]·DE["glaesern"]·EN["glassy"]·FR["de-verre"]·heb["הַזְּכוּכִית", "זְכוּכִית"]·HI["काँच-सा,", "कांच-का", "कांच-के"]·ID["kaca", "kaca,"]·IT["ualinē", "ualinēn"]·jav["kaca"]·KO["유리-의"]·PT["de-vidro"]·RU["стеклянное", "стеклянное,", "стеклянном,"]·ES["de-vidrio"]·SW["ya-kioo", "ya-kioo,"]·TR["camdan"]·urd["شیشے-جیسا", "شیشے-جیسے", "شیشے-کا"]
Related Senses
H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H5178a 1. bronze/copper as metal (131×)H6083 1. dust, dry earth, soil (108×)H8313 1. burn, set fire to (94×)H2734 1. anger was kindled (82×)G5204 1. water (80×)H2822 1. darkness, absence of light (80×)G5457 1. light (illumination) (71×)G0450 1. rise, stand up (physical) (69×)H6965b 2. Qal: to stand firm, endure, be valid (50×)H6999a 2. burn sacrifice on altar (Hifil) (45×)H5553 1. rock, cliff (physical feature) (43×)H6965b 4. Hifil: to establish, confirm (covenant/kingdom/word) (40×)H1197a 1. burn, be on fire (39×)H4306 1. rain, showers (38×)H1653 1. rain, precipitation (34×)G4655 1. darkness (30×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ὑᾰλ-ῐνος, η, ον, of crystal or glass, Refs 6th c.BC+; ὑ. χρῶμα, = ferrugineus, Refs; hyalinum is explained as vitreum, viridi colore, Refsὑέλινος, η, ον, Refs 2nd c.AD+