3539. kadkod
Lexical Summary
kadkod: Ruby, Agate, or Carbuncle

Original Word: כְּדַכֹּד
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: kadkod
Pronunciation: kad-kode
Phonetic Spelling: (kad-kobe')
KJV: agate
NASB: rubies
Word Origin: [from the same as H3537 (כַּד - jar) in the sense of striking fire from a metal forged]

1. a sparkling gem, probably the ruby

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
agate

From the same as kad in the sense of striking fire from a metal forged; a sparkling gem, probably the ruby -- agate.

see HEBREW kad

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from the same as kad
Definition
(a precious stone) perhaps ruby
NASB Translation
rubies (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
כַּדְכֹּד noun [masculine] a precious stone, perhaps ruby (from sparkle ?; Aramaic "" is כַּדְכְּדָנָא); ׳כ Ezekiel 27:16 as article of commerce; כַּדְכֹֿד Isaiah 54:12 figurative in promise to Zion.

כְּדֵי see דַּי.

כדר (√ of following; compare Arabic VII. shoot or rush down (of hawk, star, etc.; also of an attacking force) so Thes Fl in DeJob 15:24 Buhl Di and others; see also modern Arabic annoy, vex, reprimand, SpiroVocab.; oftener be dark, gloomy, turbid, whence > כידור = seething tumult, of battle, compare Köii, 147, § 71, 1).

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Identification

The term כְּדַכֹּד is the name of a precious red-hued stone whose precise mineral equivalent is uncertain. English versions render it “rubies,” “agate,” “garnet,” or “carbuncle.” Whatever the modern scientific label, the word points to a brilliant gem prized in the ancient Near East for its fiery luster and high commercial value.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Isaiah 54:12 – “I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.”
2. Ezekiel 27:16 – “Aram did business with you because of your many products; they exchanged turquoise, purple wool, embroidered fabric, fine linen, coral, and rubies for your merchandise.”

Historical and Cultural Background

Trade routes radiating from Arabia and India funneled exotic stones northward through Damascus to Phoenician ports. Tyre’s merchants (Ezekiel 27) stocked כְּדַכֹּד alongside turquoise and coral, confirming its status among luxury commodities of the first millennium B.C. In Isaiah’s vision, the Lord promises a future Jerusalem whose very parapets gleam with the stone, evoking the opulence reserved for royal palaces and underscoring divine commitment to downtrodden Zion after exile.

Symbolic and Theological Significance

• Restoration and Security – Rubies in battlements portray walls that both shine and shield. The image assures the people that their rebuilt community will be simultaneously beautiful and impregnable, reflecting the covenant faithfulness of God (compare Zechariah 2:5).
• Glory Transferred – What Tyre flaunted in commerce (Ezekiel 27) will ultimately grace Jerusalem in righteousness. The contrast exposes the futility of mercantile pride and the permanence of God-given glory.
• Anticipation of the New Jerusalem – Isaiah’s gemstone prophecy resonates with Revelation 21:18-21, where foundations are adorned with precious stones and gates are pearls. כְּדַכֹּד thus becomes a prophetic bridge from post-exilic hopes to the consummated kingdom.

Christological Perspective

The crimson brilliance of the stone naturally invites meditation on the atoning blood of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:12), by which He secures the city “whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). As earthly walls glisten with red gemstones, so believers are reminded that their ultimate security and beauty rest in the finished work of the Redeemer.

Ministry Applications

• Encouragement in Church Building – Pastors and church planters may draw from Isaiah 54:12 to depict congregational life fashioned with spiritual excellence, not merely utilitarian structure.
• Hope amid Cultural Decline – Like exiles who first heard Isaiah, modern believers facing societal upheaval can look beyond present rubble to the radiant city God is constructing.
• Marketplace Witness – Ezekiel’s catalog of Tyre’s trade encourages Christians engaged in commerce to steward resources with humility, remembering that true wealth adorns the kingdom, not personal empires.

Related References for Study

Revelation 21:19, Proverbs 8:11, Job 28:18, Lamentations 4:7, 1 Peter 2:4-6.

Forms and Transliterations
וְכַדְכֹּ֔ד וכדכד כַּֽדְכֹד֙ כדכד kaḏ·ḵōḏ kadChod kaḏḵōḏ vechadKod wə·ḵaḏ·kōḏ wəḵaḏkōḏ
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Isaiah 54:12
HEB: וְשַׂמְתִּ֤י כַּֽדְכֹד֙ שִׁמְשֹׁתַ֔יִךְ וּשְׁעָרַ֖יִךְ
NAS: your battlements of rubies, And your gates
KJV: thy windows of agates, and thy gates
INT: will make of rubies your battlements and your gates

Ezekiel 27:16
HEB: וּבוּץ֙ וְרָאמֹ֣ת וְכַדְכֹּ֔ד נָתְנ֖וּ בְּעִזְבוֹנָֽיִךְ׃
NAS: fine linen, coral and rubies.
KJV: and fine linen, and coral, and agate.
INT: fine coral and rubies paid your wares

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3539
2 Occurrences


kaḏ·ḵōḏ — 1 Occ.
wə·ḵaḏ·kōḏ — 1 Occ.

3538b
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