The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.
The verse belongs to a description of the valuable things people can uncover by mining, where rocks are the place of sapphires and the earth holds dust of gold. Every earthly treasure has its definite place where it may be found, with precious stones and gold dust located in rock and earth just as silver has its vein and iron and copper come out of the ground. Valuable things lie hidden beneath the surface, so obtaining their riches requires searching deeply. These discoverable riches set up the chapter's contrast between what human skill can discover and the wisdom that cannot be obtained through wealth or searching.
The chapter is a reflection on wisdom that tells where wisdom cannot be found and how even the simple can find it. That wisdom cannot be obtained through wealth or searching, even by the skill that finds hidden ore. True wisdom is found in fearing the Lord and turning from evil. The chapter praises God's wisdom, which his children must learn by walking in the fear of him.
Like a mine full of precious ore, the Bible holds inestimable treasures. Its riches remain undiscovered because it is not valued and not searched. Its treasures therefore require careful, sustained investigation rather than superficial reading.
The verse belongs to a description of the valuable things people can uncover by mining, where rocks are the place of sapphires and the earth holds dust of gold. Every earthly treasure has its definite place where it may be found, with precious stones and gold dust located in rock and earth just as silver has its vein and iron and copper come out of the ground. Valuable things lie hidden beneath the surface, so obtaining their riches requires searching deeply. These discoverable riches set up the chapter's contrast between what human skill can discover and the wisdom that cannot be obtained through wealth or searching.
The chapter is a reflection on wisdom that tells where wisdom cannot be found and how even the simple can find it. That wisdom cannot be obtained through wealth or searching, even by the skill that finds hidden ore. True wisdom is found in fearing the Lord and turning from evil. The chapter praises God's wisdom, which his children must learn by walking in the fear of him.
Like a mine full of precious ore, the Bible holds inestimable treasures. Its riches remain undiscovered because it is not valued and not searched. Its treasures therefore require careful, sustained investigation rather than superficial reading.