Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 28:19
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
19. equal it ] See on Job 28:17.
be valued ] See on Job 28:16.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The topaz – The topaz is a precious stone, whose colors are yellow, green, blue, and red. Its natural place is in various primitive rocks, such as the topaz-rock, gneiss, and clay-slate. It is found in the granite and gneiss districts of Mar and Cairnaorta, in Cornwall, in Brazil, and in various other places. The most valuable stones of this kind now known are those which are found in Brazil. This gem is much prized by jewelers, and is considered as one of the more beautiful ornamental stones. The Hebrew word ptdah, occurs in Exo 28:17; Exo 39:10; Eze 28:13. and in this place only. It is uniformly rendered topaz. It is not improbable that the English word topaz, and the Greek topazion, are derived from this, by a slight transposition of the letters – . The Vulgate and the Septuagint render this topaz.
Of Ethiopia – Hebrew kush – Cush. Coverdale here renders it, India. On the meaning of this word, and the region denoted by it, see the notes at Isa 11:11. It may mean either the part of Africa now known as Ethiopia, or Abyssinia and Nubia; the southern part of Arabia, or the Oriental Cush in the vicinity of the Tigris. It is better, since the word has such ambiguity, to retain the original, and to translate it Cush. For anything that appears, this may have denoted, in the time of Job, the southern part of Arabia. It is known that the topaz was found there. Thus, Pliny says, Lib. xxxvii. 32, Reperta est – in Arabiae insula, quae Citis vocatur; in qua Troglodytae praedones, diutius fame – prossi cum herbas radicesque effoderant, eruerunt topazion.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 19. The topaz of Ethiopia] The country called Cush, which we call Ethiopia, is supposed to be that which extends from the eastern coast of the Red Sea, and stretches towards Lower Egypt. Diodorus Siculus says that the topaz was found in great abundance, as his description intimates, in an island in the Red Sea called Ophiodes, or the isle of serpents, Hist. lib. iii., p. 121. His account is curious, but I greatly doubt its correctness; it seems too much in the form of a legend: yet the reader may consult the place.
See also Clarke on “Job 28:16“.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The topaz; of which see Exo 28:17; 39:10.
Of Ethiopia, or, of Arabia; for Cush signifies both Ethiopia and Arabia; and the topaz was found in the Red Sea, which lay between both, and so might be ascribed to either.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
19. EthiopiaCush inthe Hebrew. Either Ethiopia, or the south of Arabia, near theTigris.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it,…. Not Ethiopia Abyssinia, or that which lies beyond Egypt in Africa; for, as Ludolphus x says, there are no gems found there, or very rarely; but Cush, as the word is, or Arabia Chusaea, the same with the country of Midian, and the parts adjacent; see Hab 3:7; hence Zipporah, the wife of Moses, who was of that country, is called an Ethiopian woman, Nu 12:1; and this was near Job’s country, who knew the produce of it; and here the topaz is found, as many writers observe. Diodorus Siculus says y, in Ophiodes, an island in the Arabian gulf, belonging to the Troglodytes, the topaz is found, which is a very clear stone, pleasant to the sight, like to glass, and affording a wonderful golden colour; and with him Strabo z agrees, who relates there is an island called Ophiodes, from its being freed from serpents by the king’s orders, which killed men that came there for topazes; which, he says, is a clear stone of a golden colour, and so refulgent, that it is not easy to see it in the daytime, being so surrounded with light; but at night it is seen by those that gather it, who set a vessel for a sign, and then dig for it in the daytime; and, he adds, a multitude of men are hired by the kings of Egypt, to gather and keep these stones, and men from stealing them; and, according to Archelaus a, the topaz is found in Chitis, an island in Arabia, where the Troglodytes digging for herbs and roots find it; and, as Juba relates b, there is an island called Topazion, in the Red sea, three hundred furlongs (about 73 miles) from the continent, which is cloudy, and is therefore often sought for by navigators; whence he says it had its name Topazion, which in the language of the Troglodytes signifies to seek, and the topaz itself in their language so signifies; in the Samaritan version of Ex 39:10; it is called Dachetah, from the Arabic word c “Dachatz”, the language of the Troglodytes, which signifies to seek and search by removing the earth with the foot. This island seems to be the same with Topazos, which Pliny d says is an island of the Arabians, and gave name to a gem, meaning the topaz; but the truth rather is, that the gem gave name to the island: upon the whole, it is no wonder, as Braunius e observes, that this gem should be called by Job the Arabian topaz. The Targum here calls it a green pearl; and some have thought the emerald is meant, which is of that colour; and the emeralds of Ethiopia are praised by some, according to Juba f; and in Egypt were emerald mines the Ethiopians laid a claim to g; and there were emeralds also in Arabia, as the above Juba relates; however, be this what it may, as it is most likely to be the topaz, it is not equal in value to wisdom, no, not the largest topaz ever known; not even that of the great Mogul, which weighs more than an hundred fifty seven carats, valued at 271,500 French pounds h; and according to Tavernier i it weighs almost an hundred fifty eight carats, and was bought at Goa for almost 272,000 florins:
neither shall it be valued with pure gold; that is most refined and freed from dross; they are not to be laid together as of equal value;
[See comments on Job 28:16], where the same word is used.
x Hist. Ethiop. l. 1. c. 7. y Bibliothec. l. 3. p. 172. z Geograph. l. 16. p. 529. a Apud Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 37. c. 8. b Apud ib. c Vid. Castel. Lex. Heptaglott. col. 686, 693. d Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 29. e De Vest. Sacerdot. Heb. p. 649. f Apud Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 37. c. 5. g Heliodor. Ethiop. l. 8. 1. & 9. 6. h Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr p. 747. i Apud Braunium de Vest. Sacerdot. Heb. p. 649, 650.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
19. Topaz A most precious gem, whose prevailing colour was wine-yellow, passing over into carnation red, lilac, or a pale green. Professor Eadie states that a single topaz has sold for more than a million dollars. See Pliny, xxxvii, sec. 32. All Semitic nations displayed an absorbing passion for jewels and precious stones. Jdg 8:24; Eze 28:13, etc. As with the King of Tyre, their aspiration was to be covered with precious stones. Before the imagination, kindled with the contemplation of earth’s treasures, celestial wisdom urges her own incomparable worth.
Ethiopia Hebrew, Cush. “Where the south declines,” says Herodotus, (iii, 114,) “toward the setting sun, lies the country called Ethiopia, the last inhabited land in that direction.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 28:19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
Ver. 19. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it ] Of the Topaz, see Plin. lib. 86, cap. 8. It seemeth to have the lustre of gold and purity of crystal, and those agreeable mixtures of colours which make the purple of kings. The operations of this stone are many and rare, as Rueus sets them forth, lib. 2, cap. 3.
Neither shall it be valued with pure gold
Haec quia pro vili, sub pedibusque iacet (Ovid).
Money is most men’s study, not without a horrible neglect of piety, which yet is the principal thing, Pro 4:7 , and profitable to all things, 1Ti 4:8 , as that which hath the promise of both lives, Ibid. Now the promises are exceeding great and precious things, 2Pe 1:4 , even the unsearchable riches of Christ, Eph 3:8 . Such gold as cannot be too dearly bought, Mat 13:44 ; Mat 13:46 , nor too far set, no, though so far as the queen of Sheba came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and could have been content to have changed her throne for his footstool. Sure it is she was no niggard, but parted with abundance of precious things and sweet odours for that wisdom which she held, and worthily, far more sweet and precious than all her annual revenue. Sure it is, that if the mountains were pearl, the huge rock rubies, and the whole globe a shining chrysolyte, yet all this were nothing to the worth of the wisdom here commended. How greatly bound then are God’s people to bless his name for communicating unto us this invaluable treasure by his word and Spirit, 1Co 2:13 Hath he not written for us excellent things in counsels and knowledge? Pro 22:20 ; hath he not made his Son, that essential wisdom of his, to become unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption? 1Co 1:30 . Should some earthly prince give us a rich ring off his finger, wherein there were a chrysolyte, a sapphire, a topaz, or some other precious stone, how highly would we honour him, and what would we not be ready to do or suffer for him? And shall we not much more do so for God, rich in mercy, plenteous in goodness, abundant in kindness and in truth, who giveth us all things richly to enjoy? O pray for that blessed sight, Eph 1:18 ; Eph 3:18 , and reckon one grain of grace more worth than all the gold of Ophir, one remnant of faith beyond all the gorgeous and gay attire in the world.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
topaz: Exo 28:17, Exo 39:10, Eze 28:13, Rev 21:20