18<\/strong>. or of pearls<\/em> ] Rather, of crystal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n price of wisdom is above rubies<\/em> ] Or, the possession of wisdom is above<\/strong> (or, more than) pearls,<\/strong> i. e. pearls cannot acquire it or give possession of it. The meaning is scarcely that Wisdom is a more precious thing to possess than pearls.<\/p>\n No mention shall be made of coral – <\/B>That is, as a price by which to purchase wisdom, or in comparison with wisdom. The margin here is, Ramoth – retaining the Hebrew word <\/span> ra’mah<\/I>. Jerome renders it, excelsa<\/I> – exalted or valuable things. So the Septuagint, <\/SPAN><\/span> Meteora<\/I> – exalted or sublime things; as if the word were from <\/span>, to be exalted. According to the rabbis, the word here means red coral. It occurs also in Eze 27:16<\/span>, where it is mentioned as a valuable commodity in merchandise in which Syria traded with Tyre, and occurs in connection with emeralds, purple, broidered work, fine linen, and agate. The coral is a well known marine substance, not valued now as if it were a precious stone, but probably in the time of Job regarded as of value sufficient to be reckoned with gems. It was not rare, though its uses were not known. As a beautiful object, it might at that time deserve to be mentioned in connection with pearls.<\/P> It is now found in abundance in the Red Sea, and probably that which was known to Job was obtained there. Shaw says, In rowing gently over it (the port Tor), while the surface of the sea was calm, such a diversity of Madrepores Furuses,<\/I> and other marine vegetables, presented themselves to the eye, that we could not forbear taking them, as Pliny (L. xiii. cap. 25) had done before us, for a forest under water. The branched Madrepores particularly contributed very much to authorize the comparison, for we passed over several that were eight or ten feet high, growing sometimes pyramidical like the cypress, and at other times had their branches more open and diffused, like the oak; not to speak of others which, like the creeping plants, spread themselves over the bottom of the sea; Travels, p. 384, Ed. Oxford, 1738. It should be added, however, that there is no absolute certainty that Job referred here to coral. The Hebrew word would suggest simply that which was exalted in value, or of great price; and it is not easy to determine to what particular substance Job meant to apply it.<\/P> Or of pearls – <\/B><\/span> gabysh<\/I>. This word occurs nowhere else, though <\/span> ‘elgabysh<\/I>, is found in Eze 13:11<\/span>, Eze 13:13<\/span>; Eze 38:22<\/span>, where it means hail-stones, or pieces of ice. Perhaps the word here means merely crystal – resembling ice. So Umbreit Gesenius, and others, understand it. Prof. Lee supposes that the word used here denotes that which is aggregated and then what is massive, or vast; see his note on this place. Jerome renders it, eminentia<\/I> – exalted, lofty things; the Septuagint retains the word without attempting to translate it – <\/SPAN><\/span> gabis<\/I> – and the fact that they have not endeavored to render it, is a strong circumstance to show that it is now hopeless to attempt to determine its meaning.<\/P> Above rubies – <\/B>The ruby is a precious stone of a carmine red color, sometimes verging to violet. There are two kinds of rubies, the oriental or corundum, and the spinelle. The ruby is next in hardness to the diamond, and approaches it in value. The oriental ruby is the same as the sapphire. The ruby is found in the kingdom of Pegu, in the Mysore country, in Ceylon, and in some other places, and is usually imbedded in gneiss. It is by no means certain, however, that the word used here (<\/span> panynym<\/I>) means rubies. Many of the rabbis suppose that pearls are meant by it; and so Bochart, Hieroz. ii. Lib. v. c. 6, 7, understands it. John D. Michaelis understands it to mean red corals, and Gesenius concurs with this opinion. Umbreit renders it, Perlen<\/I> – pearls. The word occurs in Pro 3:15<\/span>; Pro 8:11<\/span>; Pro 20:15<\/span>; Pro 31:10<\/span>; Lam 4:7<\/span>. In the Proverbs, as here, it is used in comparison with wisdom, and undoubtedly denotes one of the precious gems.<\/P> <\/p>\n Verse 18<\/span>. See also Clarke on “<\/I>Job 28:16<\/I><\/span>“<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> Ver. 18<\/span>. 4. ramoth, CORAL, from raam<\/I>, to be exalted<\/I> or elevated<\/I>; probably from this remarkable property of coral, “it always grows from the tops of marine rocky caverns with the head downwards.” Red coral<\/I> is found in the Mediterranean, about the isles of Majorca and Minorca, on the African coast, and in the Ethiopic ocean.<\/P> <\/P> 5. gabish, PEARLS, from gabash<\/I>, in Arabic, to be smooth<\/I>, to shave off the hair<\/I>; and hence gabish<\/I>, the pearl<\/I>, the smooth round substance<\/I>; and also hail<\/I> or hailstones,<\/I> because of their resemblance to pearls<\/I>. The pearl<\/I> is the production of a shell-fish of the oyster<\/I> kind, found chiefly in the East Indies, and called berberi<\/I>; but pearls are occasionally found in the common oyster<\/I>, as I have myself observed, and in the muscle<\/I> also. They are of a brilliant sparkling white, perfectly round in general, and formed of coats<\/I> in the manner of an onion<\/I>. Out of one oyster I once took six<\/I> pearls. When large, fine, and without spots, they are valuable. I have seen one that formed the whole body of a Hindoo idol, Creeshna<\/I>, more than an inch in length, and valued at 300 guineas.<\/P> <\/P> Ver. 18<\/span>. 6. peninim, RUBIES, from panah<\/I>, he turned, looked, beheld<\/I>. The oriental ruby<\/I> is blood-red, rose-red, or with a tinge of violet. It has occasionally a mixture of blue<\/I>, and is generally in the form of six-sided prisms<\/I>. It is a species of the sapphire<\/I>, and is sometimes chatoyant<\/I> in its appearance, i.e., has a curious kind of reflection, similar to the cat’s eye<\/I>: and as this is particularly striking, and changes<\/I> as you turn<\/I> the stone, hence probably the name peninim<\/I>, which you derive from panah<\/I>, to turn, look, behold, c.<\/P> <\/P> But some learned men are of opinion that the magnet<\/I> or loadstone<\/I> is meant, and it is thus called because of the remarkable property it has of turning north<\/I> and south<\/I>. And this notion is rendered the more likely, because it agrees with another word in this verse, expressive of a different property of the magnet, viz., its attractive<\/I> influence: for the Hebrew words meshech chochmah mippeninim<\/I>, which we render, The price of<\/I> wisdom is above rubies<\/I>, is literally, The ATTRACTION of wisdom is<\/I> beyond the peninim<\/I>, the loadstone<\/I> for all the gold, silver, and precious stones, have strong influence on the human heart, attracting all its passions strongly; yet the attraction of<\/I> wisdom <\/I>– that which insures a man’s happiness<\/I> in both worlds – is more powerful and influential, when understood, than all of these, and even than the loadstone<\/I>, for that can only attract iron<\/I>; but, through desire<\/I> of the other, a man, having separated himself<\/I> from all those earthly entanglements, seeketh and intermeddleth<\/I> with ALL WISDOM<\/I>. The attractive<\/I> property of the loadstone must have been observed from its first discovery; and there is every reason to believe that the magnet<\/I> and its virtues were known in the East long before they were discovered in Europe.<\/P> <\/P> 7. pitdah, the TOPAZ. This word occurs only in Ex 28:17<\/span>; Ex 39:10<\/span>; Eze 28:13<\/span>, and in the present place; in all of which, except that of Ezekiel, where the Septuagint is all confusion, the Septuagint<\/I> and Vulgate<\/I> render the word always , topazius, the TOPAZ<\/I>. This stone is generally found in a prismatic form, sometimes limpid and nearly transparent, or of various shades<\/I> of yellow, green, blue, lilac<\/I>, and red<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> I have thus given the best account I can of the stones here mentioned, allowing that they answer to the names by which we translate them. But on this point there is great uncertainty, as I have already had occasion to observe in other parts of this work. Beasts, birds, plants, metals, precious stones, unguents, different kinds of grain, c., are certainly mentioned in the sacred writings but whether we know what the different Hebrew terms signify, is more than we can certainly affirm. Of some there is little room to doubt; of others conjecture<\/I> must in the present state of our knowledge, supply the place of certainty<\/I>. See PHILIP’S Elementary Introduction<\/I> to MINERALOGY; an accurate work, which I feel pleasure in recommending to all students in the science.<\/P> <\/p>\n No mention shall be made; <\/B>they are of no value, nor worthy to be named the same day with this, nor fit to be mentioned as a price or recompence wherewith to purchase this. The price<\/I>; or, the attraction<\/I>, or acquisition<\/I>; or rather, the extraction<\/I>, or drawing forth<\/I>. For Job useth the word of art which was proper in the taking of <\/P> pearls, <\/B>as the following word, rendered by our translators rubies, is understood by divers, both Hebrew and Christian interpreters, and amongst others by the late eminently learned Bochart, who proveth it by divers arguments. Now these pearls are and were taken by men that dived to the bottom of the sea, and drew them out<\/I> thence, which is the very word which both Arabic and Latin authors use in the case; as indeed the same word is used of all fishermen, who are said to draw forth with their hook, or net, or otherwise, fishes, or any other thing for which they are fishing. Moreover this diving, as it produced great profit, so it was not without some danger and difficulty; for if they heedlessly put their fingers into the gaping shell, within which the pearl was, it speedily closed upon them, and put them to exquisite pain, to the loss of their finger, and sometimes of their life; which is a fit representation of the state of those persons who search after the knowledge of Gods counsels and ways, and the grounds of them, who as when they modestly inquire into them, and truly discover them, they have infinite advantage and satisfaction therein; so if they pry into them too boldly, searching into those things which God hath concealed, and rashly judging of them above what they know, which Job judged to be his friends case, they expose themselves to manifold snares and dangers. And this extraction<\/I>, or drawing forth<\/I>, is aptly used concerning this wisdom, which lying very deep and remote from the reach of ordinary men, is not to be obtained without diligent search and consideration. And so the place may be thus translated, the extraction or drawing forth of wisdom is above that<\/I> (to wit, the extraction) of pearls. <\/P> <\/p>\n 18.<\/B> Red coral (Eze27:16<\/span>). <\/P> pearls<\/B>literally, “whatis frozen.” Probably crystal;<\/I> and Job28:17<\/span> will then be glass.<\/I> <\/P> rubies<\/B>UMBREITtranslates “pearls” (see Lam 4:1<\/span>;Pro 3:15<\/span>). The Urim and Thummim,the means of consulting God by the twelve stones on the high priest’sbreastplate, “the stones of the sanctuary” (La4:1<\/span>), have their counterpart in this chapter; the precious stonessymbolizing the “light” and “perfection” of thedivine wisdom.<\/P><\/p>\n No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls<\/strong>,…. Coral is a marine plant, is as hard as a stone, and of such value as to be reckoned among precious stones; [See comments on Eze 27:16]<\/span>. In Arabia Felix, on the shore of the Red sea, is a place called Coralia n; it may be from coral found there. Pearls are from shellfish taken out of the sea, though these seem rather intended in the next clause: the words “ramoth” and “gabish” are left untranslated by some, and by others are taken for precious stones, though unknown, so called because they are found in high places, which both words signify. The Targum renders the first by “sandalchin”, and seems to be the same with the sardonyx, a precious stone found in Arabia, and which found there is by Pliny o said to excel. Junius and Tremellius render it by “sandastros”; which, as Pliny says p, some call “Garamantis”, being bred in a place of that name in India; and he also observes, that it is found in Arabia towards the south, and has shining golden drops in the body of it; it is a sort of a carbuncle. “Gabish” seems to have some affinity with “chabazios”, mentioned by Orpheus q as a precious stone; but whatever precious stones are meant, as it is hard to determine what, they are not to be spoken of with wisdom, or to be compared to it:<\/p>\n for the price of wisdom is above rubies<\/strong>; or rather pearls, as Bochart r seems to have abundantly proved, who renders the words,<\/p>\n “the extraction of wisdom is greater than the extraction of pearls;”<\/p>\n and so the Targum; there being, as he thinks, an allusion to the extraction of pearls out of the sea by divers into it s; who get them through much art, difficulty, and danger; and he observes, that there is a double extraction, or drawing them out, first of the shellfish out of the sea, and then of the pearls out of the shells; but the drawing out of wisdom, or the attainment of that; is more difficult, and superior to it, as well as attended with greater advantage; see Pr 3:15<\/span> and<\/p>\n [See comments on La 4:7]<\/span>; and though of pearls some are very large, Oviedo t speaks of one that weighed thirty one carats, and another twenty six; some as big as hazel nuts, and even as a middling walnut, and of very great price, as that bought by Pope Paul at 44,000 ducats u; that by Philip the Second, of the size of a pigeon’s egg, valued at an hundred forty four thousand ducats; that drank by Cleopatra at a draught, reckoned worth eighty thousand pounds sterling; and that of the emperor of Persia, bought at 110,400 pounds w; yet the price of wisdom is above them.<\/p>\n n Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 28. o Ib. l. 37. c. 6. p Ib. c. 7. q , p. 240. r Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 5. c. 6. col. 681, &c. s Of fishing for pearls in this way, see the Account of it in Vartoman. Navigat. l. 3. c. 2. in P. Martyr. Decad. 3. l. 2. and Oviedo de Occident. Ind. c. 4. and with nets, Aelian. de Animal. l. 15. c. 8. Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 9. c. 35. t Ut supra. (Oviedo de Occident. Ind. c. 4.) u P. Martyr, Decad. 3. l. 10. w See Chambers’s Dictionary on the word “Pearl”.<\/p>\n 18<\/strong>. <\/strong> Coral <\/strong> Ramoth, <\/em> cognate with the Arabic rama, to be blood red. <\/em> “Probably the red coral, which was highly prized by the ancients.” Winer. <\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n Pearls <\/strong> Hebrew, Gabish. <\/em> So uncertain is the meaning of this word that Schultens leaves it untranslated. The word means ice, <\/em> and it is now generally thought to have been the quartz crystal <\/em> from its being pellucid, like ice. Carey renders it mother-of-pearl. <\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n Price <\/strong> Possession. <\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n Rubies <\/strong> Peninim, <\/em> The meaning is doubtful probably pearls. <\/em> Thus most recent commentators. Pearls were in ancient times procured from the Persian Gulf, whose fisheries were pointed out to Nearchus, the admiral of Alexander the Great. In the Assyrian ruins Layard found a gold ear-ring adorned with pearls. ( Nineveh, <\/em> 3:595.)<\/p>\n Job 28:18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom [is] above rubies.<\/p>\n Ver. 18. No mention shall be made of coral<\/strong> ] No talk of coral or carbuncle, of pearl, or any other the rarest and richest jewels in all the world. We read of Cleopatra, that vying with Antony in luxury, she drunk up a pearl of incredible price dissolved in vinegar; and of Charles, duke of Burgundy, that in the fight at Nansey, he lost a diamond of that worth, ut eo tota aliqua regio emi posset,<\/em> that therewith a man might have bought a whole country (Macrob. Sat. lib. 5, cap. 17; Alsted. Chronol.). It was afterwards set in the pope’s triple crown; but no way worthy to be mentioned in the same day with wisdom. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n For the price of wisdom is above rubies<\/strong> ] Which are so called from their lovely redness. See Lam 4:7<\/span> . Pearls some render it; of which Pliny saith, Principium culmenque rerum ommum pretii margaritae tenent,<\/em> Pearls are the principal of all precious things. They were so of old; but they are not so today. What huge sums were once given for saints’ relics (as they called them) and popes’ pardons! but now the world is grown wiser. England is no more a babe; there is no man here, but now he knows that they do foolishly that give gold for lead, more weight of that than they receive of this. This and much more to the same purpose speaketh Henry VIII (in his protestation against the pope), who yet, as a faint chapman, went not to the price of this true wisdom; as appeareth by that public speech of his in parliament, There are many that are too busy with their new sumpsimus,<\/em> and others that dote too much upon their old mumpsimus.<\/em> The new religion, though true, he envied; the old, though his own, he despised; being as a speckled bird, or a cake half baked, &c.<\/p>\n coral: or, Ramoth, Eze 27:16 <\/p>\n pearls: Mat 7:6, Mat 13:45, Mat 13:46, 1Ti 2:9, Rev 17:4, Rev 18:12, Rev 21:21 <\/p>\n rubies: Pro 3:15, Pro 31:10, Lam 4:7 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Exo 28:17 – a sardius Job 28:15 – It cannot be gotten for gold<\/p>\n Job 28:18-19. No mention shall be made of coral or of pearls They are of no value, if compared with wisdom, nor fit to be mentioned as a price wherewith to purchase it. For the price, &c. Hebrew, , meshech, the attraction, or extraction, of wisdom is above rubies , mippeninim, pearls. But the expression is rendered by the LXX., , above the innermost, or most concealed and guarded things; and by the Vulgate de occultis, of secret things. Chappelow proposes to render the words, The attraction of wisdom is above any thing we behold: a translation which, as he observes, Aquilas version justifies , wisdom is sweet, or desirable, above the things that are anywhere seen. Poole, who would render meshech, extraction, or acquisition, thinks there is an allusion to the manner in which pearls are obtained, namely, by diving to the bottom of the sea; which, he observes, is aptly applied to this wisdom, because, lying very deep, and remote from the reach of mankind, it is not to be obtained without diligent search and consideration. The clause would then be read, The drawing forth of wisdom is above that of pearls: that is, men may dive into the sea, and fetch up pearls, but this wisdom lies a great deal deeper. The topaz of Ethiopia Or of Arabia, for Cush signifies both countries; and the topaz, which Pliny calls amplissima gemmarum, the most noble of gems, was found in the Red sea, which lay between both, and so might be ascribed to either; shall not equal it, &c. The Ethiopian topaz, which is so much esteemed for its wonderful lustre, doth not come near it in value; nor are the golden ornaments which they wear in those parts proportionable to it.<\/p>\n 28:18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of {l} pearls: for the price of wisdom [is] above rubies.<\/p>\n (l) Which was thought to be a king of precious stone.<\/p>\n No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom [is] above rubies. 18. or of pearls ] Rather, of crystal. price of wisdom is above rubies ] Or, the possession of wisdom is above (or, more than) pearls, i. e. pearls cannot acquire it or give possession of it. … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 28:18”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13534"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13534\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"