Attributed commentary excerpt
Barnes' Notes on Job 28:17
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Notes on the Whole Bible
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · 19th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
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. It is from זכה zâkâh, to be clean, pure; and is given to the crystal on account of its transparency. In Arabic the word means either glass or crystal. Jerome translates it, “vitrum” - glass; the Septuagint ὕαλος hualos - crystal, or the “lapis crystallinus.” Hesychius says that the crystal denotes λαμπρὸν κρύος lampron kruos - “clear ice” or, λίθον τίμιον lithon timion - “a precious stone.” There is no reason to suppose that “glass” was known so early as this, and the probability is that the word here denotes something like the rock crystal, having a strong resemblance to the diamond, and perhaps then regarded as nearly of equal value. It cannot be supposed that the relative value of gems was then understood as it is now. Jewels of fine gold - Margin, “vessels.” The Hebrew word כלי kelı̂y properly means vessels, or instruments. It may refer here, however, to ornaments for the person, as it was in that way chiefly that gold was employed. return to 'Top of Page'
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