call upon examples of pre-Christian times in urging that women seek the beauty of “the secret person of the heart in the incorruptible apparel of the quiet and mild spirit, which is of great value in the eyes of God,” pointing to women such as Sarah who so adorned themselves, “subjecting themselves to their own husbands.” (1 Pet. 3:1-6) Thus, if followed, the Scriptures provide the guide to a proper evaluation of ornamentation and jewelry and good balance in its use.

Both men and women wore ornaments in ancient times, and this was true among the Hebrews. Early mention is made of jewelry in the form of a gold nose ring and also bracelets given to Rebekah by Abraham’s servant. (Gen. 24:22, 30, 47, 53) Joseph, upon becoming Pharaoh’s prime minister, received a gold necklace and the monarch’s own signet ring. (Gen. 41:41-43) Such signet rings or seal rings were common in all the Bible lands, frequently being worn on a cord around the neck. (Compare Genesis 38:18.) They served to affix the signature or official seal of the individual to documents and hence, if granted to another person to carry, identified him as a bona fide and authorized representative of the ring’s owner.

At the Exodus the Israelites obtained many silver and gold articles from the Egyptians, and doubtless from these came many of the brooches, earrings, rings and other items they contributed for the preparation of the tabernacle, even as they had wrongly contributed gold earrings for the forming of an idolatrous calf. (Ex. 12:35, 36; 32:1-4; 35:20-24) The tabernacle and its equipment saw much work by artisans skilled in woodworking and working with precious metals and gems as well as weaving and embroidering. (Ex. 35:25-35) The later temple by Solomon was even more gloriously adorned; its cedarwood panels, doors of oil-tree and juniper wood were carved with such figures as gourd-shaped ornaments, garlands of blossoms, cherubs and palm-tree figures and overlaid with gold, while the two copper pillars in front of the structure had network, chainwork, pomegranates, and lily work adorning their capitals. (1 Ki. 6:18, 29, 35; 7:15-22) Solomon showed great appreciation for artistic beauty and his great gold-overlaid ivory throne, with lion figures alongside each arm and twelve more on the six steps before it, was unique in the ancient world.—1 Ki. 10:16-21.

ORNAMENTATION IN PROPHECY

Because of his blessing upon Jerusalem, Jehovah likened this capital of Judah to a woman clothed with costly garments, richly ornamented and bejeweled. Her loss of spirituality and her spiritual prostitution with the nations led to her being stripped of her adornments and left as if naked. (Ezek. 16:2, 10-39) Such stripping came, not only in a spiritual way, but also literally as her greedy conquerors took the city’s wealth, including the bangles, headbands, moon-shaped ornaments, eardrops, bracelets, veils, headdresses, step chains, breastbands, “houses of the soul” (perhaps referring to perfume receptacles), ornamental humming shells, finger and nose rings that “the daughters of Zion” had worn. (Isa. 3:16-26) It would be a time of mourning, for in mourning ornaments were customarily removed.—Ex. 33:4-6.

However, when Jehovah repurchased Zion from Babylonian captivity, he would figuratively build her with a sapphire foundation, with battlements of rubies and gates of fiery glowing stones, this because of the peace and righteousness he would bring (Isa. 54:7, 8, 11-14) and she would be clothed with bridelike attire and ornaments. (Isa. 49:14-18; compare 61:10.) This latter picture resembles somewhat the description of the New Jerusalem with its pearl gates and gemlike foundations, and its being prepared as “a bride adorned for her husband.” (Rev. 21:2, 9-21) Again, it is evident that the ornaments and adornment relate to spiritual qualities and blessings that result from God’s approval and favor.

By contrast, Babylon the Great, the symbolic woman committing fornication with the kings of the earth, decks herself with royal garb and ornaments and lives in shameless luxury, but is to be stripped of all her gorgeous finery, made naked and destroyed. Her beauty is false, and she ‘glorifies herself’; hence her ornamentation does not represent divine blessing and favor but, rather, her own pretenses and the benefits her harlotrous course pays her in the way of power and wealth.—Rev. 17:3-5, 16; 18:7-20; see ANKLET; BEADS; BRACELET; BROOCH; EARRING, JEWELS AND PRECIOUS STONES; NECKLACE; NOSE RING; RING.

ORNAN

(Orʹnan).

A Jebusite from whom David bought the threshing floor that later became the site for the temple. (1 Chron. 21:18-28; 2 Chron. 3:1) Ornan is also called Araunah.—See ARAUNAH.

ORPAH

(Orʹpah) [possibly, (stiff-)necked, rain cloud, or, gazelle].

The Moabite wife of Chilion, and, like Ruth, a daughter-in-law of Naomi. (Compare Ruth 1:3-5 with 4:10.) After the husbands of all three died, the childless widows, Naomi, Orpah and Ruth, began the journey from Moab to Bethlehem. At a certain point Naomi urged her two daughters-in-law to go back to their mothers’ homes and marry in Moab, but they both kept saying to Naomi, “No, but with you we shall return to your people.” Orpah had dealt kindly with her mother-in-law, for whom she evidently felt considerable affection. (Ruth 1:8-10) Her inclination to continue on with Naomi may have been in part the result of having enjoyed life in an Israelite family. But Naomi now stressed the strong probability that for these two Moabite widows to continue with her might mean a life of widowhood in Judah, inasmuch as Naomi had little hope of remarrying so as to bring forth sons and, even should this happen, she was sure that Orpah and Ruth would not want to wait until such sons matured so that they might perform levirate marriage toward these Moabite widows. Orpah’s affection and appreciation were not enough to keep her going along in the face of such a possible future, and, after much weeping, she bade farewell to Naomi and Ruth, and returned “to her people and her gods.”—Ruth 1:3-15.

ORPHAN

See FATHERLESS BOY.

OSPREY

[Heb., peʹres].

One of the “flying creatures” decreed as unclean and not to be eaten, according to the Law covenant. (Lev. 11:13; Deut. 14:12) Its Hebrew name (peʹres) literally means “the breaker.” Understanding this to refer to the breaking of bones by a bird of prey, the Authorized Version renders peʹres as “ossifrage,” a name deriving from Latin and meaning “bone-breaker.” However, ossifrage in English is rather indefinite, since the name has been variously applied to three distinct birds: the lammergeier or bearded vulture, the giant petrel, and the osprey. The