HEBREW WORD STUDY – GEMSTONES – NEZER – נזר  Nun Zayin Resh

Proverbs 27:24: “For riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure of all generations.”

Revelations 2:17: “To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receives it.”

I have spent some time on the word “crown” as it is rendered in Proverbs 27:24. The word rendered as “crown” is nezer which is not a crown at all, but a diadem or, more specifically, the stones in a diadem.  The various precious stones or gemstones in a diadem were considered more than symbolic in ancient times, it was believed that these stones carried powers to protect, heal and bring about stability. Hence the ancient Egyptians wore these stones around various parts of their bodies to offer protection, healing or stability. Areas that needed protection were the wrists, neck, head, fingers, and ankles. Today we wear such gemstones for decoration purposes and they are not adverstised as having any powers other than to attract attention.  

The king’s diadem would have a white stone set among many other stones. The white stone had his name engraved on it. If he were to remove that stone and give it to someone, that would represent the ultimate authority a king could give to someone.  Later the white stone took on new meanings.  By the first century A.D., the white stone became an engagement stone. It later took on the form of an engagement ring with the white stone being represented as a diamond. However, in the first century the groom would give his bride a white stone and engraved on the stone would be a special name, a pet name.  As lovers do today they would give their beloved a name like “Sugar Babe.” Such names were often embarrassing and thus were kept secret between the two lovers and used only between themselves. Only one person in the world could call a woman by that special name, and that would be her husband, her beloved. Another practice with the gemstones would be that the king would remove a stone from his diadem to give as a gift to a special servant.  It could be a red stone which represents a certain amount of royal power being bestowed upon this servant, or it could be a green stone, representing his restoration, or a blue stone representing wealth or riches.  In fact, esoterically, the word nezer represents descending – Nun, from a joining together – Zayin, and a seeing with the naked eye – Resh.  Thus, when a subject received a gemstone from the kings diadem, it would represent the power inherent in that stone descending from the king to the subject to join that subject with the king in common enterprise and the stone would a tangible object of this bond which could be seen with the naked eye.

Solomon who wrote this passage could have this in mind.  As a king he could have given away gemstones from his diadem, but the power they granted would not last beyond his own lifetime and could not be passed unto the next generation.  The word “secure” as rendered in Proverbs 27:24 is chasan in the Hebrew and really means wealth or power. Hence the wealth or power of the gemstone is not wealth and power for all generations. 

I suppose the esoteric nature of the word nezer would suggest that God sends down actual physical and tangible gem stones, however, I am not running out to my back yard every morning looking for a gem stone, I would spiritualize a nezer to be any power or authority that God grants to me. It is to be noted that this is to me personally and not something I inherit from my father or pass down to another generation. This is personal between God and I. Like the white stone which has God’s special pet name for me engraved upon it, whatever gemstone he sends down to me will have that special pet name that God has for me on it so that it is mine and belongs to no one else.

I read where Billy Graham’s son, Franklin Graham was been encouraged by many to pick up the mantel and carry on the massive crusades like his father. Yet, he was wise enough to know that the gemstone his father received is not intended for him. Instead, he sought his own gemstone and organized the Samaritan’s Purse.   

It is so easy to look at someone else’s gemstone and seek to acquire it for ourselves. We seek to copy some other person’s ministry, message or even their walk with God, rather than seeking our own gemstone. God has a gemstone for each of us taken right from his diadem with our special pet name know only between Him and us and to be shared between you and Him alone.