Job 28:19

The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it,.... Not Ethiopia Abyssinia, or that which lies beyond Egypt in Africa; for, as Ludolphus (x) says, there are no gems found there, or very rarely; but Cush,

The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. Ethiopia - Cush in the Hebrew. Either Ethiopia or the south of Arabia near the Tigris.

The topaz; of which see 39:10. Of Ethiopia, or, of Arabia; for Cush signifies both Ethiopia and Arabia; and the topaz was found in the Red Sea, which lay between both, and so might be ascribed to either.

Job 28:19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.Ver. 19. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it] Of the Topaz, see Plin. lib. 86, cap. 8. It seemeth to have the lustre of gold and purity of crystal, and those agreeable mixtures of colours which make the purple of kings. The operations of this stone are many and rare, as Rueus sets them forth, lib. 2, cap. 3. Neither shall it be valued with pure gold] Plato saith as much of moral wisdom, Oυτεχρυσυς, ουτεαδαμας, ουτωςαστραπτει, No gold or gem so glistereth. And elsewhere he saith, that if moral virtue could be beheld with mortal eyes, mirificos sui amores excitaret, it would wonderfully enamour men. Aurelius the emperor would say, that he would not leave the knowledge he might learn in one hour for all the gold that he possessed. Alphonsus, king of Arragon, professed that he would rather choose to lose his jewels than his books, his kingdoms (whereof he had many), quam litteras, quas permodicas scire dicebat, than that little learning he had attained unto (Val. Max. Christian. 118,237). Many have been so taken with the study of the mathematics, that they could have lived and died in it. Vae igitur stupori nostro, woe then to the world because of wisdom! this incomparable wisdom of God in a mystery, as the apostle calleth it. Haec quia pro vili, sub pedibusque iacet (Ovid). Money is most men’ s study, not without a horrible neglect of piety, which yet is the principal thing, Proverbs 4:7, and profitable to all things, 1 Timothy 4:8, as that which hath the promise of both lives, Ibid. Now the promises are exceeding great and precious things, 2 Peter 1:4, even the unsearchable riches of Christ, Ephesians 3:8. Such gold as cannot be too dearly bought, Matthew 13:44; Matthew 13:46, nor too far set, no, though so far as the queen of Sheba came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and could have been content to have changed her throne for his footstool. Sure it is she was no niggard, but parted with abundance of precious things and sweet odours for that wisdom which she held, and worthily, far more sweet and precious than all her annual revenue. Sure it is, that if the mountains were pearl, the huge rock rubies, and the whole globe a shining chrysolyte, yet all this were nothing to the worth of the wisdom here commended. How greatly bound then are God’ s people to bless his name for communicating unto us this invaluable treasure by his word and Spirit, 1 Corinthians 2:13 Hath he not written for us excellent things in counsels and knowledge? Proverbs 22:20; hath he not made his Son, that essential wisdom of his, to become unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption? 1 Corinthians 1:30.

Verse 19. The topaz of Ethiopia] The country called Cush, which we call Ethiopia, is supposed to be that which extends from the eastern coast of the Red Sea, and stretches towards Lower Egypt. Diodorus Siculus says that the topaz was found in great abundance, as his description intimates, in an island in the Red Sea called Ophiodes, or the isle of serpents, Hist. lib. iii., p. 121. His account is curious, but I greatly doubt its correctness; it seems too much in the form of a legend: yet the reader may consult the place. See also Clarke on "Job 28:16".

19. equal it] See on Job 28:17. be valued] See on Job 28:16.

The topaz - The topaz is a precious stone, whose colors are yellow, green, blue, and red. Its natural place is in various primitive rocks, such as the topaz-rock, gneiss, and clay-slate.

19. Topaz — A most precious gem, whose prevailing colour was wine-yellow, passing over into carnation red, lilac, or a pale green. Professor Eadie states that a single topaz has sold for more than a million dollars.