H5141 H5141
A ring of gold worn as personal adornment — as an earring, a nose ring, or a general ornamental ring
The Hebrew noun nezem names one of the most vivid pieces of jewelry in the biblical world: a gold ring worn either on the ear or in the nose. Abraham's servant places a golden nezem on Rebekah's nose as a betrothal gift (Gen 24:22, 47), while Jacob buries foreign earrings beneath the oak at Shechem (Gen 35:4). The golden calf itself was forged from earrings torn from the people's ears (Exod 32:2-3). Proverbs deploys the word in two memorable comparisons: a gold ring in a pig's snout (Prov 11:22) and a gold earring in the ear of the wise reprover (Prov 25:12). Spanish pendiente ('earring') and aro ('ring') nicely distinguish the two placements, while the Syriac cognate zmama confirms the nasal usage. The word's semantic range is determined less by etymology than by the prepositional phrase that follows — 'on the nose' versus 'in the ears.'
1. earring — An earring — a gold ring worn on or in the ear as personal adornment. The golden calf narrative is the defining context: Aaron commands 'break off the golden rings that are in the ears of your wives' (Exod 32:2-3). Genesis 35:4 connects earrings with foreign gods, as Jacob gathers them for burial. Judges 8:24-26 notes that the Ishmaelites wore golden earrings, and Ezekiel 16:12 includes them in God's lavish adornment of Jerusalem. Spanish pendientes de oro and French anneaux d'oreilles both reflect this usage. 8×
AR["أَقْرَاط","الأَقْراطَ","خَزائِمَ","قُرْط","وَ-خِزاماً"]·ben["-কানের-অলংকার","এবং-নথের-আংটি","কানের-দুল","কানের-দুলগুলির"]·DE["Ringe-von","die-Ringe","earring-von","earrings-von","und-Ring"]·EN["and-ring","earring-of","earrings-of","rings-of","the-rings"]·FR["anneaux-de","earring-de","earrings-de","et-anneau","le-anneaux"]·heb["ה-נזמים","ו-נזם","נזם","נזמי"]·HI["और-नथनी","नथ","नथें","नथों-का","बालियाँ"]·ID["anting-anting","dan-anting-anting"]·IT["anelli-di","e-anello","earring-di","earrings-di","il-anelli"]·jav["anting-anting","anting-anting-","lan-anting-anting","suweng"]·KO["귀고리-","귀고리들-","귀고리들을","그-고리들을","그리고-귀고리와"]·PT["argola-de","argolas-de","argolas-de-","e-argola","os-brincos"]·RU["и-серьгу","серьги","серьгу","серёг"]·ES["los-pendientes","los-pendientes-de","pendiente-de","pendientes-de","y-pendientes"]·SW["hereni","na-hereni","na-mfalme","pete-ya-masikioni","pete-za-masikioni","pete-za-masikioni-za"]·TR["-küpeleri","halka","halkaları","halkalarının","halkasını","küpelerini","ve-küpe"]·urd["اور-بندے","بالی","بالیاں","بالیوں","بالیوں-کا"]
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
2. nose ring — A nose ring — a gold ring worn through or upon the nose, often given as a bridal or betrothal gift. Genesis 24 provides the foundational scene: Abraham's servant places a golden nezem on Rebekah's nose (Gen 24:22, 30, 47). Isaiah 3:21 lists nose rings among the finery stripped from the daughters of Zion, and Ezekiel 16:12 pictures God placing one on Jerusalem's face. Proverbs 11:22 delivers its biting comparison: 'a gold ring in a pig's snout.' The Syriac zmama ('nasal ring') is a close cognate. 5×
AR["الْخِزَامَةَ","خِزَامَةً","وَ-أَقرَاصِ"]·ben["ও-নাকের-দুলের","নথ","নাকছাবি"]·DE["[ונזמי]","[נזם]","den-Nasenring","einen-Nasenring"]·EN["a-ring-of","and-the-nose-rings","ring","the-ring"]·FR["[ונזמי]","anneau","le-anneau","un-anneau-de"]·heb["ה-נזם","ו-נזמי","נזם"]·HI["और-नथुने","नथ"]·ID["cincin","cincin-hidung","dan-anting-anting-"]·IT["[ונזמי]","[נזם]","il-anello","un-anello-di"]·jav["ali-ali-irung","cicin-irung","lan-sesupè-"]·KO["그-코걸이를","코걸이를","코고리들을"]·PT["a-argola","anel","argola-de","e-as-argolas-de"]·RU["и-кольца","кольцо"]·ES["aro","el-pendiente","pendiente-de","y-aros-de"]·SW["na-vipuli-vya","pete","pete-ya-pua"]·TR["-burun-halkasını","burun-halkası","halka","ve-halkalari-"]·urd["-بالی","اور-ناک-کی-بالیوں","بالی","نتھ"]
3. ring (general ornamental) — A ring used as general ornament where the specific placement — nose or ear — is unspecified or contextually ambiguous. Job 42:11 records that each of Job's comforters gave him a nezem of gold among their restoration gifts, with no anatomical specification. Hosea 2:13 mentions rings (alongside other jewelry) that the unfaithful wife wore for her lovers. Proverbs 25:12 compares the wise reprover to 'a gold ring,' leaving the body part open. Spanish anillo de oro and French anneau d'or both capture this unspecified ornamental sense. 4×
AR["بِأَقراطِها","خِزامَةٌ","قُرْطًا","قُرْطُ"]·ben["আংটি","কানের-দুল","তাঁর-নাকের-দুল","নোলক"]·DE["[נזם]","[נזמה]"]·EN["a-ring-of","her-ring"]·FR["anneau","נזם"]·heb["נזם","נזמה"]·HI["एक-नथ","नथ","नथ-उसकी","बाली"]·ID["Anting","Cincin","anting-antingnya","cincin"]·IT["[נזמה]","a-ring-of","un-ring-di"]·jav["ali-ali","anting","anting-anting"]·KO["고리-그녀의-로","고리-는","고리를","고리이요"]·PT["Anel-de","Argola-de","argola-dela","um-anel-de-"]·RU["кольцо","кольцом-своим"]·ES["Aro-de","anillo-de","pendiente-de","su-anillo"]·SW["hereni-zake","pete-ya"]·TR["halka","küpesini","yüzük"]·urd["بالی","بالی-اُس-کی","نتھ"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† נֶ֫זֶם n.m. Jb 42:11 ring, always of gold when material mentioned;—נ׳ abs. Gn 24:30 +; cstr. v 22 +; sf. נִזְמָהּ Ho 2:15; pl. נְזָמִים Gn 35:4; cstr. נִזְמֵי Ex 32:2 +;— 1. nose-ring (Syriac ܙܡܳܡܳܐ) woman’s ornament, נ׳ עַל־אַפָּהּ Gn 24:47 cf. v 22, 30 (J); נִזְמֵי הָאָף Is 3:21 (‖ טַבַּ֫עַת seal-ring); perhaps also Ho 2:15; Ez 16:12 fig. of י׳’s adoring Jerus. (‖ עֲגִילִים עַל־אָזְנַיִךְ);…