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Job 28:17

in Job 28

Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Gold and glass cannot equal it, Neither shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

KJV

The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.

This verse in Job 28

Commentary

6 notes on this verse
The gold and the crystal cannot equal it,.... Crystal was found in an island of the Red sea, situated before Arabia, called Neron, and in another, which from a gem found in it bears the name of Topazion, and may be thought therefore to be well known by Job; and though it is not now of so much account, it formerly was very valuable.

This site's exposition

It cannot be bought with gold

on Job 28:15-17

"It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver" begins the list of prices. "It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir", the most prized gold of the ancient world. Clarke reads the list as cumulative, each named treasure raising the bar.

This site's exposition

Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it

Gill notes that crystal came from an island of the Red Sea near Arabia, and so may have been known to Job. Barnes describes crystal as a clear stone of regular form. The poem prices wisdom beyond crystal, jewels and fine gold.

The record, by era

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on Job · Written before 1274.

proposed

He then speaks about things which have a value because of their beauty saying, "Nor will gold equal her," which has beauty from splendor, "nor glass," which has beauty from its transparency, although it is not distinguished by its high price. He then speaks about …

A commentator

Gregory the Dialogist

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XVIII · Written before 604.

proposed

The gold and the glass cannot equal it. Neither shall vessels of gold high and overtopping be exchanged instead of it. Who that is sound of perception would deem it worthy to understand this according to the letter? For 'glass,' as we said above, is of much less worth than 'gold,' and after it was said that 'gold is not equal' to this Wisdom, it is yet further, as if heightening, subjoined, that 'glass' too cannot equal it either. But the bare letter failing us in the historical sense, sends us to investigating the mystery of the allegory.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

The gold and the crystal - A crystal, in chemistry, is an inorganic body which, by the operation of affinity, has assumed the form of a regular solid, terminated by a number of plane and smooth surfaces. It is round in various forms and sizes, and is composed of a great variety of substances. The common “rock crystal” is a general name for all the transparent crystals of quartz, particularly of limpid or colorless quartz. “Webster.” The word used here (זכוּכית zekûkı̂yth) occurs nowhere else in the Bible.

The words behind it

7 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • לֹא־not

    lo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • יַעַרְכֶ֣נָּהit will be comparable to it

    yaarkhenahH6186 →74 times

  • זָ֭הָבgold

    zahoH2091 →389 times

  • וּזְכוֹכִ֑יתand glass

    uzekhokhitH2137 →

  • וּתְמ֖וּרָתָ֣הּand [is] exchange its

    utemuratahH8545 →6 times

  • כְּלִי־a vessel of

    keli-H3627 →

  • פָֽז׃pure gold

    fazH6337 →

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Revelation 22:1

    Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb

    it leads to

    • Revelation 7:17

      For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

    • John 4:14

      But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”

    • John 7:38–39

      Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’”

    • Psalms 36:8–9

      They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from Your river of delights.

    • John 4:10–11

      Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

  • Through

    Revelation 21:11

    shining with the glory of God. Its radiance was like a most precious jewel, like a jasper, as clear as crystal.

    it leads to

    • Revelation 4:6

      And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, as clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, covered with eyes in front and back.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    Revelation 4:6

    And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, as clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, covered with eyes in front and back.

    it leads to

    • Revelation 15:2

      And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, beside which stood those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name. They were holding harps…

    • Revelation 5:6

      Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven…

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies2

On this verse

On this chapter

About Job

Job Hears of His Misfortunes, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Job Hears of His Misfortunes, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XVIII; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.