Job 28:6

6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and the clods of it are gold.

Job 28:6 Meaning and Commentary

Job 28:6

The stones of it [are] the place of sapphires
In some parts of the earth its stones are a quarry of sapphires, put here for all precious stones: this is a most excellent precious stone, of a sky colour, with golden specks, and was one of the stones in the breast plate of the high priest; and by which are represented the pavement under the feet of the God of Israel, the throne of Christ, his bowels and affections for his people, the comeliness of them, and the glory of his church in the latter day, ( Exodus 24:10 ) ( 28:18 ) ( Ezekiel 1:26 ) ( Song of Solomon 5:14 ) ( Lamentations 4:7 ) ( Isaiah 54:11 ) ;

and it hath dust of gold;
some parts of the earth abound with the dust of gold; its dust is gold, or it hath gold as plenty as dust; though some think this refers to the sapphire in the preceding clause, which, as Pliny says ^F4, has "pulvis aureus", dust of gold, in it, and shines and sparkles with golden points, or specks; and so say other writers {e}; but the word used rather signifies clods, lumps, masses of gold, which better agree with the earth; and, besides, no very good reason can be given why there should be such a particular description of the sapphire; whereas the earth is the original of that, and of all the other things before spoken of.

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 Nat. Hist. l. 37. c. 9.
F5 Ruaeus de Gemmis, l. 2. c. 2.

Job 28:6 In-Context

4 The flood divideth from the people that are on their journey, those whom the food of the needy man hath forgotten, and who cannot be come at.

5 The land, out of which bread grew in its place, hath been overturned with fire.

6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and the clods of it are gold.

7 The bird hath not known the path, neither hath the eye of the vulture beheld it.

8 The children of the merchants have not trodden it, neither hath the lioness passed by it.