The scriptures teach that we should be modest in all things. This includes our outward appearance. Can jewelry be considered modest? Do the scriptures teach against wearing jewelry?

In the scriptures, jewelry is associated with a proud look, an immoral lifestyle, and even with pagan worship. Let’s look at the scriptures and see what they have to say about wearing jewelry.

When Jacob told his family to be clean they put away their jewelry.

Genesis 35:2-4  ² Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:  ³ And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.  ⁴ And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

The children of Israel received their jewels from Egypt.

Exodus 11:2  Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.

The purpose of the Israelites taking this gold was so they could use it for God’s service when He had them to build the tabernacle. Instead, they made jewelry.

In Exodus 35 God tells the children of Israel to put away their jewels and offer them to God for His purpose.

Exodus 35:1-22  And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them.  ² Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.  ³ Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.  ⁴ And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying,  ⁵ Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass,  ⁶ And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,  ⁷ And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood,  ⁸ And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,  ⁹ And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.  ¹⁰ And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded;  ¹¹ The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets,  ¹² The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering,  ¹³ The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the shewbread,  ¹⁴ The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light,  ¹⁵ And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle,  ¹⁶ The altar of burnt offering, with his brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,  ¹⁷ The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court,  ¹⁸ The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords,  ¹⁹ The cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office.  ²⁰ And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.  ²¹ And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD’S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.  ²² And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD.

When Israel defeated the Midianites they took their jewelry and offered it to God.

Numbers 31:50-54  ⁵⁰ We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD.  ⁵¹ And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.  ⁵² And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the LORD, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.  ⁵³ (For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)  ⁵⁴ And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.

Ishmalites and Midianites were distinguished from the Israelites by wearing jewelry.

Judges 8:24-27  ²⁴ And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)  ²⁵ And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.  ²⁶ And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels’ necks.  ²⁷ And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

Jezebel adorned her head with ornaments for the purpose of seduction.

2 Kings 9:30  And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head,

This verse will be clearer to modern readers in another translation.

2 Kings 9:30  … she painted her eyes and adorned her head… ESV

2 Kings 9:30  …she painted her eyes and adorned her head… NASB

2 Kings 9:30  …she put paint on her eyes and adorned her head… NKJV

Jeremiah speaks of an adulterous woman and describes her ornaments of gold.

Jeremiah 4:30  And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.

Ezekiel speaks of adulterous women and their use of ornaments.

Ezekiel 23:26  They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels. 

Ezekiel 23:40-43  ⁴⁰ And furthermore, that ye have sent for men to come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent; and, lo, they came: for whom thou didst wash thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and deckedst thyself with ornaments,  ⁴¹ And satest upon a stately bed, and a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set mine incense and mine oil.  ⁴² And a voice of a multitude being at ease was with her: and with the men of the common sort were brought Sabeans from the wilderness, which put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads.  ⁴³ Then said I unto her that was old in adultery

In Hosea God compared unfaithful Israel to adulterous women that wore jewelry.

Hosea 2:13  And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.

God pronounced judgment on the daughters of Zion that wore ornaments.

Isaiah 3:16-23  ¹⁶ Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:  ¹⁷ Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.  ¹⁸ In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,  ¹⁹ The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,  ²⁰ The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,  ²¹ The rings, and nose jewels,  ²² The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,  ²³ The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.

God told Israel to put away their ornaments.

Exodus 33:1-11  And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:  ² And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:  ³ Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.  ⁴ And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.  ⁵ For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.  ⁶ And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.  ⁷ And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.  ⁸ And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.  ⁹ And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.  ¹⁰ And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.  ¹¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

Isaiah describes wearing ornaments as vanity.

Isaiah 3:16-26  ¹⁶ Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:  ¹⁷ Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.  ¹⁸ In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,  ¹⁹ The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,  ²⁰ The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,  ²¹ The rings, and nose jewels,  ²² The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,  ²³ The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.  ²⁴ And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.  ²⁵ Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.  ²⁶ And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.

Sometimes in the Old Testament jewelry was used in a functional way instead of the purpose of ornamentation. An example of this would be a signet ring that was used to conduct business.

Genesis 41:42  And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

Esther 8:2  And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

Esther 8:8  Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring: for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may no man reverse.

Haggai 2:23  In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.

Luke 15:22  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

A signet and bracelet was a seal with its cord (Bernard, p. 185).

Genesis 38:18  And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

Crowns, chains, and bands were used to signify royalty and official positions (Bernard, p. 185).

Genesis 41:42  And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

2 Samuel 1:10  So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.

Daniel 5:29  Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

The high priests used precious stones as symbols during worship.

Exodus 28:17-38  ¹⁷ And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.  ¹⁸ And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.  ¹⁹ And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.  ²⁰ And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.  ²¹ And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.  ²² And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold.  ²³ And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.  ²⁴ And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.  ²⁵ And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it.  ²⁶ And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.  ²⁷ And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.  ²⁸ And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.  ²⁹ And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.  ³⁰ And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.  ³¹ And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.  ³² And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.  ³³ And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:  ³⁴ A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.  ³⁵ And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.  ³⁶ And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.  ³⁷ And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.  ³⁸ And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

Jewelry is seen as a proud look, and a proud look is one of the things that God hates.

Proverbs 6:16-19  ¹⁶ These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:  ¹⁷ A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,  ¹⁸ An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,  ¹⁹ A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

The New Testament gives us many guidelines on holiness living. These guidelines include the use of jewelry.

1 Timothy 2:9  In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

1 Peter 3:3  Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

These verses do not teach against plaiting hair or wearing apparel. They are teaching against the ADORNMENT in your hair and on your apparel.

Jewelry is a lust of the flesh. We are to avoid lust of the flesh.

1 John 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

What is the purpose of wearing jewelry? Is it for God’s glory, or yours? We can’t adorn ourselves for God’s glory because it brings attention to ourselves and not God. We can’t adorn ourselves for our own glory because we will look like the world. We are not to look like, act like, or be like the people of the world.

Romans 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Titus 2:1-8  But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:  ² That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.  ³ The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;  ⁴ That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,  ⁵ To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.  ⁶ Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.  ⁷ In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,  ⁸ Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

In the book of Revelation, Babylon is adorned with jewels and gold.

Revelation 18:16  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

Isn’t New Jerusalem adorned with jewels and gold?

Revelation 21:10-11  ¹⁰ And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,  ¹¹ Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

Revelation 21:18-21  ¹⁸ And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.  ¹⁹ And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;  ²⁰ The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.  ²¹ And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

There is a difference here. This is like the tabernacle in the wilderness. This is a different adornment than what we’ve seen as applied to us. This is an adornment in God’s kingdom for God’s glory. It is OK for God to adorn us in His kingdom for His glory. It is not OK for us to adorn ourselves because it glorifies us and not God.

The Old Testament shows the dangers of jewelry. Every time that Israel received jewelry God commanded them to turn it over to His purpose. The use of Jewelry by the people was associated with heathen customs and adulterous acts. The passages that do mention jewelry favorably are symbolic of spiritual blessings and treasures. The New Testament gives us guidelines and holiness standards. These standards tell us not to wear jewelry. In New Jerusalem God will adorn us for His glory. Seek to please God, not man. If we devote our lives to God we will want to please Him. We should not seek to look like the world, but to look like the people of God- the people of His name- Jesus.

References

Bernard, David K. (1983) Practical holiness, a second look

            Hazelwood: Word Aflame Press

David K. Bernard Practical Holiness