Ivory

The Hebrew word for ivory is shenhabbim, possibly a compound of shen, 'tooth,' and habbim, an African word for elephant. Shenhabbim is found only twice in the OT (1Ki 10:22 & 2 Chron 9:21). The English word for 'ivory,' however, appears in most translations of the OT another 10x, where it translates just the word shen. It is the contexts that suggests that ivory was meant. Ivory appears in the NT only in Rev 18:12, where it translates the Greek word elephantinon.

As in all cultures—ancient and modern—ivory was prized in ancient Israel as a luxury indicative of wealth and status, adorning thrones, inlaid in furniture and crafted into fashion accessories. All the occurrences of the word appear in this context; gold and/or silver is not far away.

CONCORDANCE (NIV):

1Ki 10:(17-)18 — He [Solomon] also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three minas of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. Then the king made a great throne inlaid with ivory and overlaid with fine gold.

1Ki 10:22 — The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years it returned carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.

1Ki 22:39 — As for the other events of Ahab's reign, including all he did, the palace he built and inlaid with ivory, and the cities he fortified, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

2Chron 9:17 — Then the king [Solomon] made a great throne inlaid with ivory and overlaid with pure gold.

2Chron 9:21 — The king [Solomon] had a fleet of trading ships manned by Hiram's men. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.

Psm 45:(7-)8 — You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad.

Song 5:14(-15) — His arms are rods of gold set with chrysolite. His body is like polished ivory decorated with sapphires. His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as its cedars.

Song 7:4 — Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking towards Damascus.

Eze 27:6 — Of oaks from Bashan they made your oars; of cypress wood from the coasts of Cyprus they made your deck, inlaid with ivory.

Eze 27:15 — The men of Rhodes traded with you, and many coastlands were your customers; they paid you with ivory tusks and ebony.

Amos 3:15 — I will tear down the winter house along with the summer house; the houses adorned with ivory will be destroyed and the mansions will be demolished," declares the Lord.

Amos 6:4 — You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves.

Rev 18:(11-)12 — "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no-one buys their cargoes any more—cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble . . .