What is…
adamant

Hebrew: שָׁמִיר —transliteration: shamir —meaning: briars, a rock or very hard mineral, corundum, emery, flint

The Hebrew word shamir occurs 11 times in Scripture, but is only translated as “adamant” by the King James Version in two verses (Ezekiel 3:9 KJV; Zechariah 7:12 KJV). In 9 other verses, the KJV and other versions translate shamir as “briars.” The KJV translation in Ezekiel and Zechariah is an archaic old English meaning of the word “adamant.” The meaning comes from the Greek word “adamas,” which means “diamond.”

The NASB translates shamir in these verses as “emery” and “flint” (Ezekiel 3:9 NASB; Zechariah 7:12 NASB).

And the Legacy Standard Bible uses the word “diamond”…

Like diamond stronger than flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house.” —Ezekiel 3:9 LSB

And they made their hearts diamond-hard so that they could not hear the law and the words which Yahweh of hosts had sent by His Spirit by the hand of the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from Yahweh of hosts.—Zechariah 7:12 LSB

Shamir is used as a symbol of firmness in resisting adversaries of the truth (Zechariah 7:12), and of hard-heartedness against the truth (Jeremiah 17:1).

Article Version: March 13, 2018

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