Original Word: נֶקֶב
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: neqeb
Pronunciation: neh'-keb
Phonetic Spelling: (neh'keb)
NASB: sockets
Word Origin: [a bezel (for a gem)]

1. pipe

pipe

A bezel (for a gem) -- pipe.

Word Origin
from naqab
Definition
perhaps sockets (technical term of jeweler's work)
NASB Translation
sockets (1).

I. [נֶ֫קֶב] noun [masculine] technical term of jeweller's work, probably some hole or cavity (Hi-Sm Co Berthol; Toy^{Hpt leaves untranslated}), — only plural suffix תֻּמֶּיךָ וּנְקָבֶיךָ Ezekiel 28:13 thy sockets and thy grooves (Da), or thy settings and thy sockets.

Term and Translational Range

נֶקֶב is rendered in Ezekiel 28:13 as “settings”, referring to the finely worked recesses into which gems are mounted. English versions vary (“mountings,” “sockets,” “engravings”), but each translation points to the crafted cavities that hold precious stones in place.

Scriptural Setting (Ezekiel 28:13)

“You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone adorned you… Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold; they were prepared on the day you were created.”

The lament over the king of Tyre employs Edenic imagery to portray surpassing beauty and perfection. נֶקֶב anchors the description in tangible craftsmanship: the stones are not loose but precisely seated, conveying intentional artistry rather than random adornment.

Historical and Cultural Background

1. Ancient Near-Eastern jewelers cut narrow recesses into gold or silver backings, ensuring that gems remained secure yet prominent.
2. Such settings signaled wealth, rank and divine favor. Royal treasuries catalogued both gems and their bezels, sometimes valuing the workmanship above the stone itself.
3. Israel knew comparable craftsmanship in the high-priestly breastpiece (Exodus 28:17–21), where twelve stones, each “set” in gold filigree, symbolized the tribes before the Lord. Though a different Hebrew term is used there, the concept parallels נֶקֶב: ordered beauty dedicated to God.

Theological Significance

• Design and Intent: The single use of נֶקֶב insists that every facet of created splendor—down to the recess that holds a jewel—is purposeful. Beauty is not incidental; it reflects the deliberate design of the Creator (Psalm 104:24).
• Accountability of Glory: The king of Tyre (and, in prophetic reach, the proud spiritual power behind him) received exquisite gifts “prepared on the day you were created,” yet twisted them into self-exaltation (Ezekiel 28:17). נֶקֶב therefore participates in Scripture’s broader warning that unacknowledged glory becomes the seedbed of judgment.
• Echo of Eden, Promise of Restoration: By evoking Eden, the verse reminds readers of the lost paradise and anticipates its restoration (Revelation 21:18–21), where jewels again appear, perfectly set, this time in the foundations of the New Jerusalem.

Christological and Prophetic Dimensions

The flawless mounting of gems prefigures the faultless character of Christ, “a living stone—rejected by men, but chosen and precious to God” (1 Peter 2:4). As believers are “being built together” (Ephesians 2:22), they are set into place by the Master Jeweler, echoing נֶקֶב’s imagery of fixed, purposeful placement.

Practical Ministry Implications

1. Stewardship of Gifts: Like jeweled settings, spiritual gifts are intentional placements. Ministries flourish when believers serve within God-designed niches (Romans 12:3–8).
2. Humility in Glory: Recognizing God’s workmanship guards against the pride that felled Tyre’s ruler (Proverbs 16:18).
3. Worshipful Craftsmanship: Whether in preaching, music, art or daily labor, excellence that reflects divine beauty bears witness to the God who fashions both gems and their settings (Colossians 3:23).

Related Passages and Thematic Echoes

• Exodus 28:17; 39:10 – Gold settings for breastpiece stones.
• Isaiah 54:11–12 – Foundations with sapphires and carbuncles.
• Revelation 21:18–21 – Jewel-laden city of God.
• 1 Chronicles 29:2 – Prepared stones “to be set” for the temple.

Summary

נֶקֶב, though appearing only once, invites deep reflection on divine artistry, ordered beauty and faithful stewardship. In Ezekiel’s lament it underscores a tragic misuse of God-given splendor; in the sweep of Scripture it foreshadows the consummate setting of redeemed lives into the eternal, jeweled city of God.

וּנְקָבֶ֙יךָ֙ ונקביך ū·nə·qā·ḇe·ḵā unekaVeicha ūnəqāḇeḵāInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts