Gold, (Gr. χρυσός or χρυσίον, the last being prob. a diminutive of the former and more general term, and therefore expressing gold in a small piece or quantity, especially as wrought, e.g. a golden ornament, 1 Peter 3:3; Revelation 17:4; [18:16;] or gold coin, Acts 3:6; 20:33; 1 Peter 1:18; but also used of the metal generally Hebrews 9:4; 1 Peter 1:7; Revelation 3:18; 21:18,21), the most valuable of metals, from its color, lustre, weight, ductility, and other useful properties (Pliny, H.N. 33:19). As it is only procured in small quantities, its value is less liable to change than that of other metals, and this, with its other qualities, has in all ages rendered it peculiarly available for coin. There are six Hebrew words used to denote it, and four of them occur in Job 28:15-17. These are:
1. זָהָב, zahab’, the common name, connected with צֶהִב tsahab’ (to be yellow), as Germ. geld, from gelb, yellow. Various epithets are applied to it, as “fine” (2 Chronicles 3:5), “refined” (1 Chronicles 28:18), “pure” (Exodus 25:11). In opposition to these, “beaten gold” (ז8 שָׁחוּט) is probably mixed gold; Sept. ἐλατός; used of Solomon’s shields (1 Kings 10:16). In Job 37:22 it is rendered in the A.V. “fair weather;” Sept. νέφη χρυσαυγοῦντα (comp. Zechariah 4:12). The corresponding Chald. word is דּהִב, dehab’ (Daniel 2:32; 3:1,5,7).
2. סגוֹר, segor’ (Job 28:15), elsewhere as an epithet, סָגוּר, sagur’ (Sept. κειμέλιον, either from its compactness, or as being inclosed or treasured, i.e. fine gold (1 Kings 6:20; 7:49, etc.). Many names of precious substances in Hebrew come from roots signifying concealment, as מִטמוֹן (Genesis 43:23, A.V. “treasure”).
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Author: McClintock and Strong Cyclopedia
Keywords: Gold, Ophir, Gold of Ophir, money, coins, mineral, precious metal
Bible reference(s): Genesis 2:11, Genesis 2:12, Genesis 13:2, Genesis 24:22, Genesis 24:35, Genesis 24:53, Genesis 41:42, Genesis 44:8, Exodus 3:22, Exodus 11:2, Exodus 12:35, Exodus 20:23, Exodus 25:3, Exodus 25:11, Exodus 25:12, Exodus 25:13, Exodus 25:17, Exodus 25:18, Exodus 25:24, Exodus 25:25, Exodus 25:26, Exodus 25:28, Exodus 25:29, Exodus 25:31, Exodus 25:36, Exodus 25:38, Exodus 25:39, Exodus 26:6, Exodus 26:29, Exodus 26:32, Exodus 26:37, Exodus 28:5, Exodus 28:6, Exodus 28:8, Exodus 28:11, Exodus 28:13, Exodus 28:14, Exodus 28:15, Exodus 28:20, Exodus 28:22, Exodus 28:23, Exodus 28:24, Exodus 28:26, Exodus 28:27, Exodus 28:33, Exodus 28:34, Exodus 28:36, Exodus 30:3, Exodus 30:4, Exodus 30:5, Exodus 31:4, Exodus 31:8, Exodus 32:2, Exodus 32:3, Exodus 32:24, Exodus 32:31, Exodus 35:5, Exodus 35:22, Exodus 35:32, Exodus 36:13, Exodus 36:34, Exodus 36:36, Exodus 36:38, Exodus 37:2, Exodus 37:3, Exodus 37:4, Exodus 37:6, Exodus 37:7, Exodus 37:11, Exodus 37:12, Exodus 37:13, Exodus 37:15, Exodus 37:16, Exodus 37:17, Exodus 37:22, Exodus 37:23, Exodus 37:24, Exodus 37:26, Exodus 37:27, Exodus 37:28, Exodus 38:24, Exodus 39:2, Exodus 39:3, Exodus 39:5, Exodus 39:6, Exodus 39:8, Exodus 39:13, Exodus 39:15, Exodus 39:16, Exodus 39:17, Exodus 39:19, Exodus 39:20, Exodus 39:25, Exodus 39:30, Exodus 39:38, Exodus 40:5, Exodus 40:26, Leviticus 8:9, Leviticus 24:4, Leviticus 24:6, Numbers 4:11, Numbers 7:14, Numbers 7:20, Numbers 7:26, Numbers 7:32, Numbers 7:38, Numbers 7:44, Numbers 7:50, Numbers 7:56, Numbers 7:62, Numbers 7:68, Numbers 7:74, Numbers 7:80, Numbers 7:84, Numbers 7:86, Numbers 8:4, Numbers 22:18, Numbers 24:13, Numbers 31:22, Numbers 31:50, Numbers 31:51, Numbers 31:52, Numbers 31:54, Deuteronomy 7:25, Deuteronomy 8:13, Deuteronomy 17:17, Deuteronomy 29:17, Joshua 6:19, Joshua 6:24, Joshua 7:21, Joshua 7:24, Joshua 22:8, Judges 8:24, Judges 8:26, 1 Samuel 6:4, 1 Samuel 6:8, 1 Samuel 6:11, 1 Samuel 6:15, 1 Samuel 6:17, 1 Samuel 6:18, 2 Samuel 1:24, 2 Samuel 8:7, 2 Samuel 8:10, 2 Samuel 8:11, 2 Samuel 12:30, 2 Samuel 21:4, 1 Kings 6:20, 1 Kings 6:21, 1 Kings 6:22, 1 Kings 6:28, 1 Kings 6:30, 1 Kings 6:32, 1 Kings 6:35, 1 Kings 7:48, 1 Kings 7:49, 1 Kings 7:50, 1 Kings 7:51, 1 Kings 9:11, 1 Kings 9:14, 1 Kings 9:28, 1 Kings 10:2, 1 Kings 10:10, 1 Kings 10:11, 1 Kings 10:14, 1 Kings 10:16, 1 Kings 10:17, 1 Kings 10:18, 1 Kings 10:21, 1 Kings 10:22, 1 Kings 10:25, 1 Kings 12:28, 1 Kings 14:26, 1 Kings 15:15, 1 Kings 15:18, 1 Kings 15:19, 1 Kings 20:3, 1 Kings 20:5, 1 Kings 20:7, 1 Kings 22:48, 2 Kings 5:5, 2 Kings 7:8, 2 Kings 10:29, 2 Kings 12:13, 2 Kings 12:18, 2 Kings 14:14, 2 Kings 16:8, 2 Kings 18:14, 2 Kings 18:16, 2 Kings 20:13, 2 Kings 23:33, 2 Kings 23:35, 2 Kings 24:13, 2 Kings 25:15, 1 Chronicles 18:7, 1 Chronicles 18:10, 1 Chronicles 18:11, 1 Chronicles 20:2, 1 Chronicles 21:25, 1 Chronicles 22:14, 1 Chronicles 22:16, 1 Chronicles 28:14, 1 Chronicles 28:15, 1 Chronicles 28:16, 1 Chronicles 28:17, 1 Chronicles 28:18, 1 Chronicles 29:2, 1 Chronicles 29:3, 1 Chronicles 29:4, 1 Chronicles 29:5, 1 Chronicles 29:7, 2 Chronicles 1:15, 2 Chronicles 2:7, 2 Chronicles 2:14, 2 Chronicles 3:4, 2 Chronicles 3:5, 2 Chronicles 3:6, 2 Chronicles 3:7, 2 Chronicles 3:8, 2 Chronicles 3:9, 2 Chronicles 3:10, 2 Chronicles 4:7, 2 Chronicles 4:8, 2 Chronicles 4:19, 2 Chronicles 4:20, 2 Chronicles 4:21, 2 Chronicles 4:22, 2 Chronicles 5:1, 2 Chronicles 8:18, 2 Chronicles 9:1, 2 Chronicles 9:9, 2 Chronicles 9:10, 2 Chronicles 9:13, 2 Chronicles 9:14, 2 Chronicles 9:15, 2 Chronicles 9:16, 2 Chronicles 9:17, 2 Chronicles 9:18, 2 Chronicles 9:20, 2 Chronicles 9:21, 2 Chronicles 9:24, 2 Chronicles 12:9, 2 Chronicles 13:8, 2 Chronicles 13:11, 2 Chronicles 15:18, 2 Chronicles 16:2, 2 Chronicles 16:3, 2 Chronicles 21:3, 2 Chronicles 24:14, 2 Chronicles 25:24, 2 Chronicles 32:27, 2 Chronicles 36:3, Ezra 1:4, Ezra 1:6, Ezra 1:9, Ezra 1:10, Ezra 1:11, Ezra 2:69, Ezra 5:14, Ezra 6:5, Ezra 7:15, Ezra 7:16, Ezra 7:18, Ezra 8:25, Ezra 8:26, Ezra 8:27, Ezra 8:28, Ezra 8:30, Ezra 8:33, Nehemiah 3:8, Nehemiah 3:31, Nehemiah 3:32, Nehemiah 7:70, Nehemiah 7:71, Nehemiah 7:72, Esther 1:6, Esther 1:7, Esther 4:11, Esther 5:2, Esther 8:4, Esther 8:15, Job 3:15, Job 22:24, Job 23:10, Job 28:1, Job 28:6, Job 28:15, Job 28:16, Job 28:17, Job 28:19, Job 31:24, Job 37:22, Job 42:11, Psalms 19:10, Psalms 21:3, Psalms 45:9, Psalms 45:13, Psalms 68:13, Psalms 72:15, Psalms 105:37, Psalms 115:4, Psalms 119:72, Psalms 119:127, Psalms 135:15, Proverbs 3:14, Proverbs 8:10, Proverbs 8:19, Proverbs 11:22, Proverbs 16:16, Proverbs 17:3, Proverbs 20:15, Proverbs 22:1, Proverbs 25:11, Proverbs 25:12, Proverbs 27:21, Ecclesiastes 2:8, Ecclesiastes 12:6, Song of Solomon 1:11, Song of Solomon 3:10, Song of Solomon 5:11, Song of Solomon 5:14, Song of Solomon 5:15, Isaiah 2:7, Isaiah 2:20, Isaiah 13:12, Isaiah 13:17, Isaiah 14:4, Isaiah 30:22, Isaiah 31:7, Isaiah 39:2, Isaiah 40:19, Isaiah 41:7, Isaiah 46:6, Isaiah 60:6, Isaiah 60:9, Isaiah 60:17, Jeremiah 4:30, Jeremiah 10:4, Jeremiah 10:9, Jeremiah 10:14, Jeremiah 51:7, Jeremiah 51:17, Jeremiah 52:19, Lamentations 4:1, Lamentations 4:2, Ezekiel 7:19, Ezekiel 16:13, Ezekiel 16:17, Ezekiel 27:22, Ezekiel 28:4, Ezekiel 28:13, Ezekiel 38:13, Daniel 2:32, Daniel 2:35, Daniel 2:38, Daniel 2:45, Daniel 3:1, Daniel 3:5, Daniel 3:7, Daniel 3:10, Daniel 3:12, Daniel 3:14, Daniel 3:18, Daniel 5:2, Daniel 5:3, Daniel 5:4, Daniel 5:7, Daniel 5:16, Daniel 5:23, Daniel 5:29, Daniel 10:5, Daniel 11:8, Daniel 11:38, Daniel 11:43, Hosea 2:8, Hosea 8:4, Joel 3:5, Nahum 2:9, Habakkuk 2:19, Zephaniah 1:18, Haggai 2:8, Zechariah 4:2, Zechariah 4:12, Zechariah 6:11, Zechariah 9:3, Zechariah 13:9, Zechariah 14:14, Malachi 3:3, Matthew 2:11, Matthew 10:9, Matthew 23:16, Matthew 23:17, Acts 3:6, Acts 17:29, Acts 20:33, 1 Corinthians 3:12, 1 Timothy 2:9, 2 Timothy 2:20, Hebrews 9:4, James 2:2, James 5:3, 1 Peter 1:7, 1 Peter 1:18, 1 Peter 3:3, Revelation 1:12, Revelation 1:13, Revelation 1:20, Revelation 2:1, Revelation 3:18, Revelation 4:4, Revelation 5:8, Revelation 8:3, Revelation 9:7, Revelation 9:13, Revelation 9:20, Revelation 14:14, Revelation 15:6, Revelation 15:7, Revelation 17:4, Revelation 18:12, Revelation 18:16, Revelation 21:15, Revelation 21:18, Revelation 21:21
Source: John McClintock and James Strong, Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature.
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