H8336a H8336a
marble (white stone for pillars and pavement)
This noun denotes marble, the white or colored stone used in royal architecture and luxury construction. Esther 1:6 describes the Persian palace courtyard with pillars of marble supporting the awnings. The same verse mentions marble twice more in describing the elaborate mosaic pavement (alongside other precious stones). Song of Songs 5:15 uses it metaphorically: the beloved's legs are 'pillars of marble set on bases of gold'—imagery of strength and beauty. The contexts uniformly associate marble with royal splendor and costly construction, fitting Persian imperial aesthetics and love poetry's idealized imagery.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Marble stone in architectural and poetic contexts. Esther 1:6 (appearing three times in the verse) describes Ahasuerus's palace courtyard with marble pillars and marble pavement (alongside porphyry and other precious stones)—typical of Persian imperial grandeur. Song of Songs 5:15 uses marble metaphorically: the beloved's legs are 'pillars of marble'—strong, white, beautiful. The multilingual glosses ('mármol,' 'marble') uniformly identify this as the precious white stone, emphasizing its association with luxury, strength, and aesthetic appeal. 3×
AR["رُخَامٍ", "شِيشْ", "وَ-رُخَامٍ"]·ben["-মর্মরের", "ও-মর্মর", "মর্মরের"]·DE["[ושש]", "[שש]"]·EN["and-marble", "marble"]·FR["[ושש]", "[שש]", "de-marbre,"]·heb["ו-שש", "שש"]·HI["और-फ़ीरोज़़े", "संगमरमर-के"]·ID["dan-marmer", "marmer", "pualam"]·IT["e-lino-fino", "lino-fino", "marble"]·jav["lan-marmer", "marmer"]·KO["그리고-흩옹거리와", "대리석-의", "대리석의"]·PT["e-mármore", "mármore"]·RU["и-мрамора", "мрамора", "мраморные"]·ES["mármol", "y-mármol"]·SW["na-nguzo", "ya-mawe-ya-rangi", "za-marumaru"]·TR["mermer", "ve-mermer"]·urd["اور-سنگ-مرمر", "سنگ-مرمر-کے"]
Related Senses
H6629 1. flock, sheep/goats (small livestock) (274×)H1241 1. cattle, herd (bovine livestock) (183×)H0352a 1. ram (male sheep) (156×)H6499 1. young bull, bullock (130×)H3532 1. lamb, young male sheep (105×)H2543 1. donkey (male ass) (96×)H7794 1. ox, bull (79×)H7462b 1. shepherd (agent noun) (76×)H5795 1. she-goat(s), female goat(s) (68×)H7462b 2. to shepherd, tend, pasture (60×)H1581 1. camel (domestic animal) (54×)H0738b 1. lion (46×)G4263 1. sheep (39×)H5739 1. flock or herd of livestock (38×)H5695 1. calf, young bull (35×)H0738a 1. lion (large predatory feline) (34×)H0860 1. female donkey (34×)H3611 1. dog (animal) (32×)H3715a 1. young lion, lion cub (31×)G0721 1. Lamb (29×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. שֵׁשׁ n.m. id.;—עַמּוּדֵי שׁ׳ Ct 5:15 (in fig.), Est 1:6 a, material of pavement v 6 b (v. בַּ֫הַט).—I. שֵׁשׁ, v. שׁדשׁ.