Job 28:15-19
It cannot be bought for gold, and silver cannot be weighed as its price. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire. Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; the price of wisdom is above pearls. The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse highlights that even the "purest gold" and "silver weighed out" – the ultimate forms of wealth in ancient times – are utterly insufficient as payment. This isn't just about money; it emphasizes that true wisdom is beyond any material transaction, something intrinsically valuable that can't be purchased.
Job has just explored the earth's depths and the sea's vastness, finding them incapable of holding or revealing true wisdom. Now, he emphasizes that even the world's most precious commodities are utterly worthless in acquiring this divine understanding. Gold, even the purest kind, and silver, weighed out in ancient transactions, cannot possibly purchase the wisdom that comes only from God.
What's the most valuable thing you can imagine? Job says even the purest, most precious forms of gold and silver can't buy it.
Job 28 is on a quest to find wisdom. In this passage, he's exploring where wisdom isn't. It's not found in the earth, no matter how deep you dig or how much treasure you unearth.
The Rarest Riches
Job uses specific terms for wealth here: 'gold' and 'silver'. The Hebrew word for 'gold' (segor) likely refers to the purest, most carefully guarded gold – perhaps uncoined, solid nuggets. It wasn't just any gold; it was the best, the most precious kind.
Beyond Measure
'Silver cannot be weighed as its price' points to an ancient practice. Before coins were common, silver was paid by weight. Job declares that even if you piled up and weighed out all the silver you could find, it still wouldn't be enough to purchase wisdom. Wisdom's value is beyond any earthly currency, no matter how refined or abundant.
If you can't buy wisdom with the world's greatest treasures, where does it actually come from?
Job's point isn't just that wisdom is expensive; it's that it's not for sale in the way material wealth is.
The Futility of Human Effort
The context of Job 28 reveals that Job is lamenting the inaccessibility of wisdom. He's explored the depths of the earth and the sea, and all the precious materials found there, only to conclude that wisdom cannot be unearthed or purchased.
Divine Revelation
The verses that follow Job 28:15 make this clear. The refrain is repeated: 'But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?' (Job 28:12, 20). The answer, revealed later in Job and throughout Scripture, is that true wisdom originates from God. It's not a commodity to be traded but a gift to be received through reverence for the Lord.
Understand the original words
zahav · Hebrew Noun
A precious metal symbolizing earthly wealth, value, or human resources. In Scripture, it is often contrasted with the incomparable value of spiritual treasures or divine revelation.
keseph · Hebrew Noun
A precious metal frequently used in the Bible as a medium of exchange or a measure of value. Like gold, it is used here to emphasize the inability of material wealth to purchase spiritual truth.
kethem · Hebrew Noun
A high-value, precious metal that represents worldly wealth, purity, and durability. In Scripture, it is frequently used as a standard of material value that is ultimately inferior to divine truths like wisdom or faith.
shoham · Hebrew Noun
This passage echoes Job's sentiment by stating that true happiness and understanding are more valuable than any earthly treasure, including silver and gold, highlighting their priceless nature.
Matthew 13:44-46Jesus uses parables to show that the Kingdom of Heaven, a concept akin to divine wisdom, is so valuable that one would sell everything they own to obtain it, illustrating its immeasurable worth beyond monetary value.
1 Corinthians 1:18-25Paul contrasts the 'wisdom of the world' with the 'wisdom of God,' emphasizing that divine wisdom, though foolish to worldly standards, is infinitely more precious and powerful than human knowledge or riches.
Philippians 3:7-8Paul counts all his former achievements and status as 'loss' and 'rubbish' compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, mirroring Job's assertion that worldly wealth cannot compare to true wisdom.
bensonJob 28:15: "It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof."
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 purc…
clarkeJob 28:15: "It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof."
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…
The verse highlights that even the "purest gold" and "silver weighed out" – the ultimate forms of wealth in ancient times – are utterly insufficient as payment. This isn't just about money; it emphasizes that true wisdom is beyond any material transaction, something intrinsically valuable that can't be purchased.
Job has just explored the earth's depths and the sea's vastness, finding them incapable of holding or revealing true wisdom. Now, he emphasizes that even the world's most precious commodities are utterly worthless in acquiring this divine understanding. Gold, even the purest kind, and silver, weighed out in ancient transactions, cannot possibly purchase the wisdom that comes only from God.
Job has just explored the earth's depths and the sea's vastness, finding them incapable of holding or revealing true wisdom. Now, he emphasizes that even the world's most precious commodities are utterly worthless in acquiring this divine understanding. Gold, even the purest kind, and silver, weighed out in ancient transactions, cannot possibly purchase the wisdom that comes only from God.
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A precious stone, often identified as a variety of agate or chalcedony. It symbolizes beauty and rare material worth.
sappir · Hebrew Noun
A precious stone, likely blue, symbolizing celestial beauty, brilliance, and the majesty of God’s throne.
zekokith · Hebrew Noun
A substance valued for its transparency and clarity. In this context, it represents material objects of high aesthetic value that fail to reach the incomparable worth of wisdom.
keli paz · Hebrew Noun phrase
A general term for costly ornaments or stones. Biblical usage often contrasts the fleeting value of material jewels with the eternal value of God’s word and wisdom.
ramoth · Hebrew Noun
A precious red or pink substance from the sea. It highlights the vast reach of human commerce seeking beauty, yet emphasizes the limitations of such treasures compared to spiritual reality.
gabish · Hebrew Noun
A clear, transparent stone (often rock crystal or quartz). It signifies clarity and value, used here to demonstrate that wisdom surpasses all tangible human acquisition.
chokmah · Hebrew Noun
The divine, practical, and spiritual capacity to perceive reality from God’s perspective and live in accordance with His will. It is described as being more precious than any physical treasure.
peninim · Hebrew Noun
Hard, lustrous objects formed in mollusks. They represent the height of earthly luxury and rarity, yet are declared insufficient to purchase or equate to the value of wisdom.
pitdah · Hebrew Noun
A precious yellow or golden-colored gemstone. Its inclusion emphasizes that even exotic, distant treasures cannot rival the worth of divine understanding.
"It cannot be bought for gold, and silver cannot be weighed as its price. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire. Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewels of…" — The verse highlights that even the "purest gold" and "silver weighed out" – the ultimate forms of wealth in ancient times – are utterly insufficient as payment. This isn't just about money; it emphas…
