Job 28:15

Job 28:15 It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed [for] the price thereof.

Ver. 15. It cannot be gotten for gold] Non emitur, nec aestimatur, it is not purchased or procured with money, as other learning may ( en precium et praestantiam sapientiae). "With a great sum obtained I this freedom," said that colonel, Act 22:28. So may many say of their learning, they have sufficiently paid for it. Cleanthes parted with all he had for learning; Plato gave thirty thousand florins for three books; Reuchlin gave the Jew that taught him Hebrew a crown for every hour’s pains; Jerome got his skill in that language with the hazard of his life, and held it a good bargain. But here is no such trading. See Act 8:18-20. Fie (quoth that rich and wretched cardinal, when he saw he must die), will money do nothing? will not death be hired? may not heaven be purchased? No, no, God is no money merchant; his kingdom is not partum, wealthy, but paratum, the prepared, Mat 25:34, his grace is gratuitous; Mat 13:11, To you it is given (and what more free than gift?) to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. And to you it is given, freely given, on behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, &c., Php 1:29. That proud merit monger that said, Gratis non accipiam, I will not have grace or glory of free cost, could not but go without both (Vega).

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Job 28:15-17. 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 times money was paid by weight. It cannot be valued with gold of Ophir — Though the gold that comes from thence be the purest of all, neither that, nor the most precious stones, can purchase this wisdom. The gold and the crystal — Hebrew, זכוכית, zecucith, gemma nitidissima, a very bright gem, says Buxtorf: lapis pretiosus, nitidus, a bright precious stone, Ab. Ezra. The word is not elsewhere used, but being derived from זכךְ, zachach, purus, vel mundus esse, it has in it the signification of purity, clearness, and brightness. The exchange of it shall not be for jewels — Or, vessels, as כלי, chelei, rather means; of fine gold, פז, paz, of solid gold, in which vessels the curiosity of art is added to the excellence of the matter of which they are formed.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15. Gold — Hebrew, segor. Four different words are used for gold in this chapter. Gold, “most honoured prize of wealth,” (Pindar,) first and last (Job_28:15; Job_28:19) in this brilliant array of nature’s treasures, filled then, as now, its world-wide place of supremacy. See note, however, on Job_28:1.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

It can neither be bought for gold nor precious stones, but is only the gift of God.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Not the usual word for "gold"; from a Hebrew root, "to shut up" with care; that is, purest gold (Kg1 6:20, Margin).

weighed--The precious metals were weighed out before coining was known (Gen 23:16).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 15. It cannot be gotten for gold] Genuine religion and true happiness are not to be acquired by earthly property. Solomon made gold and silver as plentiful as the stones in Jerusalem, and had all the delights of the sons of men, and yet he was not happy; yea, he had wisdom, was the wisest of men, but he had not the wisdom of which Job speaks here, and therefore, to him, all was vanity and vexation of spirit. If Solomon, as some suppose, was the author of this book, the sentiments expressed here are such as we might expect from this deeply experienced and wise man.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

15. for gold] Probably, as margin, fine gold, i. e. purified gold; comp. 1Ki_6:20, where a word somewhat similar occurs.

be weighed] In ancient times money was weighed, not counted, Gen_23:16.

15–19. 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 acquired by no price which men can offer for it. It is altogether unattainable. The passage may contain the additional idea of the preciousness or desirableness of Wisdom (see Job_28:18), but the purpose of these verses is not to set forth wisdom as a good or as the chief good, for which one might willingly give all that he holds most precious; the thought of the passage is that though one should offer gold and precious stones for Wisdom it cannot be procured, being nowhere to be found. That the Writer’s purpose is to express this conception mainly is evident from the refrain which closes the passage, as a similar one closed the preceding passage: But Wisdom whence cometh it? and where is the place of understanding? (Job_28:20).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

It cannot be gotten for gold,.... Having in general said that there is nothing in the whole compass of the terraqueous globe, nothing that is upon the surface of the earth, or in the bowels of it, or in the vast ocean, that is an equivalent price for wisdom, Job descends to particulars, and instances first in gold, that being the most valuable of metals; the word here used for it signifies "shut up" (w), because it is first shut up in the earth, out of which it is dug, and when taken from thence, and refined, and made into coins or vessels, it is shut up among the treasures of men; the words may be more literally rendered, "gold shall not be given instead of it" (x); as a sufficient price, or valuable consideration for it:

neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof; in former times this metal used to be delivered, in buying and selling, not by the number and value of pieces, but by weight, in rude masses and lumps, and even when coined into shekels; see Gen 23:16.

(w) Sept. "conclusum", Tigurine version; "clausum", Bolducius. (x) "non dabitur pro ea", V. L. Montanus, Schultens.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

It cannot be gotten for gold - Margin, “fine gold shall not be given for it.” The word which is here rendered “gold.” and in the margin “fine gold” (סגור segôr), is not the common word used to denote this metal. It is derived from סגר sâgar, to “shut,” to “close,” and means properly that which is “shut up” or “enclosed;” and hence, Gesenius supposes it means pure gold, or the most precious gold, as that which is shut up or enclosed with care. Dr. Good renders it “solid gold,” supposing it means that which is condensed, or beaten. The phrase occurs in nearly the same form סגור זהב zâhâb sâgûr, “gold shut up,” Margin,) in 1Ki 6:20-21; 1Ki 7:49-50; 1Ki 10:21; 2Ch 4:21-22; 2Ch 9:20, and undoubtedly denotes there the most precious kind of gold. Its relation to the sense of the verb “to shut up” is not certain. Prof. Lee supposes that the idea is derived from the use of the word, and of similar words in Arabic, where the idea of heating, fusing, giving another color, changing the shape, and thence of fixing, retaining, etc., is found; and that the idea here is that of fused or purified gold. Michaelis supposes that it refers to “native” gold that is pure and unadulterated, or the form of gold called “dendroides,” from its shooting out in the form of a tree - “baumartig gewachsenes Gold” (from the Arabic, “a tree”). It is not known, however, that the Hebrew word סגר was always used to denote a tree. There can be no doubt that the word denotes “gold” of a pure kind, and it may have been given to it because gold of that kind was carefully “shut up” in places of safe keeping; but it would seem more probable to me that it was given to it for some reason now unknown. Of many of the names now given by us to objects which are significant, and which are easily understood by us, it would be impossible to trace the reason or propriety, after the lapse of four thousand years.

Neither shall silver be weighed - That is, it would be impossible to weigh out so much silver as to equal its value. Before the art of coining was known, it was common to weigh the precious metals that were used as a medium of trade; compare Gen 23:16.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Finest, obrizum, which has the colour of fire. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xxiii. 3.) The old Vulgate and Septuagint read "locked-up gold," aurum conclusum, (Calmet) and the Hebrew Segor, (Haydock) "that which is shut up," like things of value: gold is sometimes specified, 3 Kings vi. 20.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

For gold; the choicest gold laid up in treasures, as the word signifies. Weighed, to wit, in the balance; for in those times money was paid by weight, not by tale. See Gen 23:16; Jer 23:9,10.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

It cannot be gotten for gold. No amount of gold can purchase it; no, not of the purest and most refined quality, (1Ki_6:20, 1Ki_6:21) for it is not a thing that can be bought or sold God must grant it, and find a way of imparting it; which he certainly will not do for a sum of money. Neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof; If gold cannot purchase it, much less can silver the less valuable medium of exchange. (On the weighing of silver, in sales, see Gen_23:16 Jer_32:9 Ezr_8:26)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

It cannot be gotten for gold

This can be stated in active form. This implies that wisdom is worth much more than gold. AT: "People cannot pay for wisdom with gold" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

neither can silver be weighed as its price

This implies that wisdom is worth much more than silver. It can be stated in active form. AT: "and people cannot weigh out enough silver to pay for wisdom" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

It cannot be valued with ... sapphire

This implies that wisdom is much more valuable than the gold of Ophir, precious onyx and sapphire. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Ophir

This is the name of a land where there was fine gold. (See: How to Translate Names)

onyx

a valuable black gemstone

sapphire

a valuable blue gemstone

Gold and crystal cannot equal it in worth

This implies that wisdom is much more valuable than gold and crystal.

crystal

a valuable gemstone that is clear or lightly colored

neither can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold

"and it cannot be exchanged for jewels of fine gold." This implies that wisdom is much more valuable than jewels of fine gold.

exchanged

"traded"

translationWords

gold

silver

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Fine gold cannot be given Heb. סְגוּר. This is synonymous with זהב סגוּר, lit. closed gold. This is fine gold, for when it is open, all gold establishments close.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.