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Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary

Job 28:17

The crystal; or, amber, which in those parts was of very great price; or, the diamond. The Hebrew word is not elsewhere used, and it hath in it the signification of purity, or clearness, or brightness. Jewels; or, vessels; wherein there is not only the excellency of the materials, but the curiosity of art, which renders the other much more valuable.

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See also Job 28:17 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 28:17. Job 28:16, Job 28:16....

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    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 surfac...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 28 _ 1. The treasures of the earth (Job 28:1)_ 2. The better treasures (Job 28:7) 3. God knoweth the way and the true wisdom (Job 28:23)...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    JOB 28. Here again we come to a critical question. It is difficult to fit this chapter into the argument, whether Job 27:7 is given to Job or to Zophar. It is a widely accepted conclusion of scholars...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _and the crystal_ Probably GLASS, which was rare and counted precious in ancient times. _cannot equal it_ The word means to arrange, to set over against, to compare with. The idea here is that gold a...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    As the preceding verses (1 14) expressed the idea that there was no "place" of Wisdom where men could find it and from which they could bring it forth, these verses express the idea that it can be acq...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    BUT WHERE SHALL WISDOM BE FOUND?— Job continues to give further instances of the daring and yet successful attempts of mankind, to provide themselves with every necessary and conveniency of life; such...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    2. But where wisdom is, man cannot discover; only God knows. (Job 28:12-28) TEXT 28:12-28 12 BUT WHERE SHALL WISDOM BE FOUND? And where is the place of understanding? 13 Man knoweth not the price...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _THE GOLD AND THE CRYSTAL CANNOT EQUAL IT: AND THE EXCHANGE OF IT SHALL NOT BE FOR JEWELS OF FINE GOLD._ Crystal, х_ ZªKOWKIYT_ (H2137)] - or else glass, if then known, very costly. From a root х_ ZA...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    28:17 glass (b-3) Or 'crystal.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE MYSTERY OF DIVINE WISDOM In this famous chapter Job declares that Wisdom—that is, the principle of the divine government of the world—is a mystery not to be solved by man. Man's wisdom lies in fea...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    CRYSTAL] RV 'glass': known to the ancients, but extremely costly....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    JOB, A SERVANT OF GOD Job _KEITH SIMONS_ Words in boxes (except for words in brackets) are from the Bible. This commentary has been through Advanced Checking. CHAPTER 28 JOB’S POEM ABOUT WISDOM...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Wisdom is precious. Wisdom is perfect. And wisdom is valuable. In other words, wisdom is much better than anything else. Job was emphasising the importance of wisdom. V19 In the distant country calle...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THE EXCHANGE OF it. — Or, according to some, _the attraction of it._ The remainder of this chapter calls for little remark: its unrivalled sublimity is patent, and comment is superfluous. There is a g...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    לֹא ־יַעַרְכֶ֣נָּה זָ֭הָב וּ זְכֹוכִ֑ית וּ תְ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    XXIII. CHORAL INTERLUDE Job 28:1 THE controversy at length closed, the poet breaks into a chant of the quest of Wisdom. It can hardly be supposed to have been uttered or sung by Job. But if we may g...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE Job 28:1 A search for this pearl of great price has occupied men in every age. Job compares it with the search of the miner for the hidden treasures of the earth, Job 28:1. T...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    In a fine passage Job now discussed the question of wisdom. What was supremely lacking in his friends' dealing with him was wisdom to understand. As an introduction to the main statement of his argume...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Gold. This is the third time it has been mentioned, according to its different degrees of excellence. Hence it is called by the most common name, (Calmet) zahab. (Haydock) --- Crystal was formerly mo...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (13) Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. (14) В¶ The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. (15) It cannot be gotten for gold...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 4 THROUGH 31. As to the friends of Job, they do not call for any extended remarks. They urge the doctrine that God's earthly government is a full measure and...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    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 Topazi...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it [shall not be for] jewels of fine gold. Ver. 17. _The gold and the crystal cannot equal it_] For crystal some read diamond, others ada...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _It cannot be gotten for gold_ The choicest gold laid up in treasures, as the word סגר, _segor_, signifies: _neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof_ Namely, in the balance; for in those...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The gold and the crystal, glass, upon which at that time a very high valuation was placed, whether it was natural or artificial, CANNOT EQUAL IT, AND THE EXCHANGE OF IT SHALL NOT BE FOR JEWELS OF FINE...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    God Alone The Possessor of True Wisdom. Over against man's foolish quest for vain and unstable riches Job places the wisdom of God, unattainable by the outward seeking and searching of men....

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    EARTH'S MEASURED TREASURES (vv.1-6) Job has spoken of the folly of wicked men. Now he shows that which stands in beautiful contrast to Chapter 27. The language here is magnificent, as Job considers...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    JEWELS OF FINE GOLD: Or, vessel of fine gold...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    12-19 Job here speaks of wisdom and understanding, the knowing and enjoying of God and ourselves. Its worth is infinitely more than all the riches in this world. It is a gift of the Holy Ghost which c...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 28:17 gold H2091 crystal H2137 equal H6186 (H8799) exchanged H8545 jewelry H3627 gold H6337 crystal -...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Job's answer continued. The value of divine wisdom. CHARACTERS: God, Job, friends. CONCLUSION: To be truly religious is to be truly wise. If we know God, His wisdom will appear in the prac...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Job 28:2. _Brass is molten,_ melted out of ores of zinc, lapis calaminaris, light perforated ores, found on Mendip hills in Somerset, Derbyshire, and other places. Job 28:4. _The flood breaketh out fr...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _And the crystal cannot equal it._ THE CRYSTAL EXACT In the first place I remark that religion is superior to the crystal in exactness. That shapeless mass of crystal against which you accidentally d...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _But where shall wisdom be found?_ THE SPECULATIVE DIFFICULTIES OF AN INQUIRING INTELLECT SOLVED BY THE HEART OF PRACTICAL PIETY Two things are prominently developed in this chapter--Man’s power and...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 28:12 BUT WHERE SHALL WISDOM BE FOUND? (Compare v. Job 28:20.) With all the negative statements in these verses, the answer is that true wisdom is unknown to m

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 28:15 These verses contain many references to GOLD and precious stones. All are expensive and difficult to obtain, yet none compare with the value of wisdom....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _JOB’S DESCANT ON TRUE WISDOM_ The place occupied by this chapter one peculiar to itself. Its connection with the preceding or succeeding portions of the book by no means obvious. Appears scarcely to...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JOB 28:1 The connection of this chapter with the preceding is somewhat obscure. Probably we are to regard Job as led to see, even while he is justifying God's ways with sinners (Job 27:8),...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now, Job said, turning now to a different vein of thought, he said, "Now, there are places where gold is discovered and silver is discovered, and iron and brass, men dig the shafts, they follow the ve...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Ezekiel 1:22; Revelation 21:11; Revelation 22:1; Revelation 4:6...

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