Article August 18, 1934 Issue

Bible Notes

"Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it" (Job 28:1)—The term translated "vein" means literally "a place of going forth, a source," and is often taken, in this context, to mean "a place whence silver comes, 'a mine' " (Brown, Driver, Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, p. 425); while the second clause is more literally "a place for [the] gold they refine." Moffatt translates: "For silver there are mines, and places for refining gold;" and Smith: "Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where they refine gold."

"Brass is molten out of the stone" (Job 28:2)—The term rendered "brass" is more exactly "copper." "Brass," as the term is now employed in English, is, of course, an alloy, and not obtainable from ore.

"Jewels of fine gold" (Job 28:17)—The word "jewels" in modern usage commonly means "precious stones," but the word "keli," used in the original, denotes literally "articles, utensils, vessels" in a general sense, though it was often employed in the meaning of "precious things, ornaments" (Brown, etc., op. cit., p. 479). The margin of the Revised Version translates: "vessels of fine gold;" and Smith: "articles of fine gold."

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