Isaiah 13:12
in Isaiah 13I will make man scarcer than pure gold, and mankind rarer than the gold of Ophir.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I will make a man more rare than fine gold, even a man than the pure gold of Ophir.
KJV
I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
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This verse in Isaiah 13
Commentary
11 notes on this verse(Verse 12) A man will be more precious than gold and a human more adorned than the world. LXX: And those who have been abandoned will be honored more than refined gold, and a man will be more honorable than the sapphire stone.
This site's exposition
Day of the LORD is coming
on Isaiah 13:9-13
The oracle is headed against Babylon, and a darkened sun is the prophets' figure for a ruling power's fall. The punishment of "the world for its evil" reaches wider, toward the final Day of the LORD the prophets name, and the text allows both.
This site's exposition
the gold of Ophir
Ophir was the source of Solomon's finest gold in 1 Kings 9:28. Barnes read the verse as so many men of Babylon cut off that one defender would be worth more than gold. Clarke tied it to verse 17, where the Medes have no regard for silver.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Verse 12) The man will be more precious than gold, and the human being will shine like the world. The obvious reason why God visits the earth, that is, the evils of Babylon: so that the inhabited land will be turned into a desert. However, everything that is rare is called precious; just as above, according to the story, we read about seven women taking hold of one man due to the scarcity of men, saying: We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name and take away our reproach (Isaiah 4:1). And in the book of Samuel it is written: The word of the Lord was precious in those days (1 Samuel 3:1), that is, rare. Note that in Hebrew, instead of general gold, it is written Phaz (), and instead of fine gold, it is written Ophir ().
(Verse 12) How you have fallen from heaven, Lucifer, son of the morning! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! LXX: How you have fallen from heaven, Lucifer, son of the morning! You have been shattered on the earth, who once sent to all the nations. For Lucifer, which is translated in Hebrew as Elil (), Aquila rendered the howling son of dawn. Truly, he should have howled and lamented, for he was cast down to the earth and shattered due to his pride. And the Savior also speaks to the disciples: I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven (Luke 10:18). Not only do I see, but I saw beforehand when he fell. And if he fell because of his pride from such greatness, you also should not boast, because demons are subject to you: but because your names are written in heaven; so that as he fell through pride, you may ascend through humility. This is the prince of the world, who used to rise among the other stars in the morning, and by his fault became the evening star from Lucifer, and not rising, but setting: who wounded nations, or who sent his own satellites to nations, to deceive them all with his deceit. These are false Apostles, deceitful workers, who disguise themselves as Apostles of Christ, who sow tares among the good seed, while the shepherds of the Churches are asleep and unwilling or unable to resist their evil. But Jacob, whom the Lord has shown mercy to and chosen, is still speaking these things to the devil, or as the Seventy wish to say, about the devil, that is, not as referring to the second person, but to the third.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Third, he sets out the moderation of the punishment. And he sets out four things: first, the small number of defenders: more precious, that is, more rare: the word of God was precious (1 Sam 3:1), and a man, who can defend by power, yea …
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Septem Donis, Collation 6 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
That price is most precious. On account of this Isaiah says: "A man shall be more precious than gold, and a human being than pure gold of Ophir." This he says of Christ, who made us precious.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
I will make a man more precious than fine gold,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The troops of the neighbouring nations would not be hired into the service of the king of Babylon, because they saw every thing go against him. Populous countries are soon depopulated by war. And God can soon make a kingdom that has been courted and admired to be dreaded and shunned by all, as a house that is falling, or a ship that is sinking.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
I will make a man more precious than fine gold-wedge of Ophir - The Medes and Persians will not be satisfied with the spoils of the Babylonians. They seek either to destroy or enslave them; and they will accept no ransom for any man - either for אנוש enosh, the poor man, or for אדם adam, the more honorable person. All must fall by the sword, or go into captivity together; for the Medes, (Isa 13:17), regard not silver, and delight not in gold.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
I will make a man ... - I will so cut off and destroy the men of Babylon, that a single man to defend the city will be more rare and valuable than fine gold. The expression indicates that there would be a great slaughter of the people of Babylon. Than fine gold - Pure, unalloyed gold. The word used here (פז pâz) is often distinguished from common gold Psa 19:11; Psa 119:127; Pro 8:19. Than the golden wedge of Ophir - The word (כתם kethem) rendered ‘wedge’ means properly “gold;” yellow gold; what is hidden, precious, or hoarded; and is used only in poetry. It indicates nothing about the shape of the gold, as the word, wedge would seem to suppose. ‘Ophir was a country to which the vessels of Solomon traded, and which was particularly distinguished for producing gold; but respecting its particular situation, there has been much discussion. The ‘ships of Tarshish’ sailed from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea, and went to Ophir 1Ki 9:26; 1Ki 10:22; 1Ki 22:48. Three years were required for the voyage; and they returned freighted with gold, peacocks, apes, spices, ivory, and ebony (1Ki 9:28; 1Ki 10:11-12; compare 2Ch 8:18). The gold of that country was more celebrated than that of any other country for its purity. Josephus supposes that it was in the East Indies; Bruce that it was in South Africa; Rosenmuller and others suppose that it was in Southern Arabia. It is probable that the situation of Ophir must ever remain a matter of conjecture. The Chaldee Paraphrase gives a different sense to this passage. ‘I will love those who fear me, more than gold in which people glory; and those who observe the law more than the tried gold of Ophir.’ (On the situation of Ophir the following works may be consulted: The “Pictorial Bible,” vol. ii. pp. 364-369; Martini Lipenii, “Dissert. de Ophir;” Joan. Christophori Wichmanshausen “Dissert. de Navig. Ophritica:” H. Relandi, “Dissert. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
I will make mortal man dearer than fine gold On that night I will honor Daniel more than fine gold. When they brought him to read the writing (Dan.:25): “Mene mene tekel ufarsin”; (ibid.: 25) “Then Belshazzar ordered, and they dressed Daniel in purple..”
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
6 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אוֹקִ֥יר | ʾokir | I will make precious | H3365 → | |
| אֱנ֖וֹשׁ | ʾenoosh | humankind | H582 → | 566 times |
| מִפָּ֑ז | mipaz | more than pure gold | H6337 → | |
| וְאָדָ֖ם | veadam | and humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| מִכֶּ֥תֶם | miketem | more than [the] gold of | H3800 → | |
| אוֹפִֽיר׃ | ʾofir | Ophir | H211 → |
אוֹקִ֥ירI will make precious
ʾokirH3365 →
אֱנ֖וֹשׁhumankind
ʾenooshH582 →566 times
מִפָּ֑זmore than pure gold
mipazH6337 →
וְאָדָ֖םand humankind
veadamH120 →551 times
מִכֶּ֥תֶםmore than [the] gold of
miketemH3800 →
אוֹפִֽיר׃Ophir
ʾofirH211 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 4:1In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, “We will eat our own bread and provide our own clothes. Just let us be called by your name. Take away…
it leads to
- Genesis 30:23
and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said.
- Isaiah 2:17
So the pride of man will be brought low, and the loftiness of men will be humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day,
- Luke 1:25
“The Lord has done this for me. In these days He has shown me favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
- Luke 21:22
For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.
- Genesis 30:23
Through
Psalms 137:9Blessed is he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.
it leads to
- Isaiah 13:16
Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished.
- Nahum 3:10
Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity. Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. They cast lots for her dignitaries, and all her nobles were bound in…
- Hosea 13:16
Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.
- 2 Kings 8:12
“Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the evil you will do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword,…
- Isaiah 13:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Isaiah

This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 6; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.
