Ornaments

The use of jewellery and other adornments is not forbidden in Scripture, but excessive use can indicate worldliness. Inner spiritual adornment is of greater value.

Possession and use of various ornaments show wealth

Ornaments used to beautify

Song of Solomon 1:10–11 See also Genesis 37:3, Genesis 37:23, Genesis 37:32; 2 Samuel 1:24; Jeremiah 2:32

Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels. We will make you ornaments of gold, studded with beads of silver.

Rings, ear-rings and nose rings

Genesis 35:4; Exodus 32:2–3; Judges 8:24; Esther 8:8; Proverbs 25:12; Isaiah 3:19, Isaiah 3:21; Ezekiel 16:12; Luke 15:22; James 2:2

Bracelets and gold chains

Genesis 24:22, Genesis 41:42; Proverbs 1:9; Ezekiel 16:11; Daniel 5:29

Bells

Exodus 28:33–35

Ornaments plundered from Egypt

Exodus 3:22

Every woman shall ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.”

The misuse of ornaments for pride and seduction

Isaiah 3:16 See also Ezekiel 23:40, Ezekiel 23:42; Hosea 2:13

The LORD also says: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty — walking with heads held high and wanton eyes, prancing and skipping as they go, jingling the bracelets on their ankles —

Ornaments as gifts

Genesis 24:53 See also Genesis 24:22; Job 42:11

Then he brought out jewels of silver and gold, and articles of clothing, and he gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious gifts to her brother and her mother.

Adornment as a picture of God's love

Ezekiel 16:11–13 See also Isaiah 61:10; Luke 15:22

I adorned you with jewelry, and I put bracelets on your wrists and a chain around your neck. I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head. So you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was made of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be queen.

Ornaments as symbols of authority

Genesis 41:42 See also 2 Samuel 1:10; Esther 3:10; Daniel 5:29

Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck.

Ornaments discarded

In mourning

Exodus 33:4–6 See also Ezekiel 26:16

When the people heard this bad news, they went into mourning, and no one put on any of his jewelry. For the LORD had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I should go with you for a single moment, I would destroy you. Now take off your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.’” So the Israelites stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb onward.

To make idols

Exodus 32:2–4 See also Judges 8:24–27

So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”

As offerings to God

Exodus 35:22 See also Numbers 31:50

So all who had willing hearts, both men and women, came and brought brooches and earrings, rings and necklaces, and all kinds of gold jewelry. And they all presented their gold as a wave offering to the LORD.

Inner, not outer, adornment encouraged

1 Peter 3:3–4

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes, but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.