Overview
The Bible addresses seals across 44 verses, drawn from both the Old and New Testaments. These passages cluster most in Revelation, Jeremiah and Genesis. Closely related themes include Sealing of the Holy Spirit, Witness, Hanameel and Land. Figures whose stories touch this theme include Joseph, Daniel, Ahab and Naboth.
Key Bible verses about seals
Old Testament
Genesis
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.
When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
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; fine: or, silk
Nehemiah
And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it. seal: Heb. are at the sealing, or, sealed
Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah, those: Heb. at the sealings the Tirshatha: or, the governor
Esther
Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring. scribes: or, secretaries
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.
Job
Song of Solomon
A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. inclosed: Heb. barred shut up: Heb. barred
Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. cruel: Heb. hard
Jeremiah
As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;
And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver. seventeen: or, seven shekels and ten pieces of silver
And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. subscribed: Heb. wrote in the book
So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open:
And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.
Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LORD.
Daniel
And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
New Testament
Matthew
John
2 Corinthians
Ephesians
Revelation
And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
People in the Bible and seals
Biblical figures whose stories intersect with this theme.
In the Bible dictionary
Studying seals for yourself
- Begin with Genesis 38:18, then read the passages below in canonical order.
- Compare how Revelation, Jeremiah and Genesis each treat the theme.
- Consider the lives of Joseph, Daniel and Ahab and how their stories intersect with it.
- Widen the study to related themes: Sealing of the Holy Spirit, Witness, Hanameel and Land.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Bible say about seals?
The Bible addresses seals across 44 verses, drawn from both the Old and New Testaments. These passages cluster most in Revelation, Jeremiah and Genesis. Closely related themes include Sealing of the Holy Spirit, Witness, Hanameel and Land. Figures whose stories touch this theme include Joseph, Daniel, Ahab and Naboth.
How many Bible verses are about seals?
The Bible references seals in 44 verses (King James Version).
Where does the Bible first mention seals?
In canonical order, the first of these passages is 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.”
Which people in the Bible are associated with seals?
Joseph, Daniel, Ahab, Naboth and Nehemiah.
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