Ecclesiasticus 13:12

Nova Vulgata

Pretiosior erit vir auro, et homo mundo obryzo.

Parallel Translations

Clementine Latin Vulgate (1592)
Pretiosior erit vir auro, et homo mundo obrizo.

Jerome's Latin Vulgate (405)
Pretiosior erit vir auro,
et homo mundo obrizo.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Isaiah 13:15-18, Isaiah 4:1, Isaiah 24:6, Psalms 137:9

Reciprocal: Genesis 10:29 - Ophir Joshua 7:19 - give 1 Samuel 3:1 - the word 1 Kings 9:28 - Ophir 1 Chronicles 1:23 - Ophir Job 22:24 - Ophir Job 28:16 - the gold

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I will make a man more precious than fine gold,.... Which may denote either the scarcity of men in Babylon, through the slaughter made of them; so things that are scarce and rare are said to be precious, 1 Samuel 3:1 or the resolution of the Medes to spare none, though ever so much gold were offered to them, they being not to be bribed therewith, Isaiah 13:17 or that such should be the fear of men, that they would not be prevailed upon to take up arms to defend themselves or their king, whatever quantity of gold, even the best, was proposed unto them, a man was not to be got for money:

even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir; which designs the same thing in different words. The Targum gives another sense of the whole, paraphrasing it thus,

"I will love them that fear me more than gold, of which men glory; and those that keep the law more than the fine gold of Ophir;''

understanding it of the Israelites, that were in Babylon when it was taken, and who were precious and in high esteem with the Medes and Persians, more than gold, and whose lives they spared. Jarchi interprets it particularly of Daniel, and of the honour that was done him by Belshazzar, upon his reading and interpreting the writing on the wall, Daniel 5:29. This is interpreted by the Jews also of the King Messiah; for in an ancient writing g of theirs, where having mentioned this passage, it is added, this is the Messiah, that shall ascend and be more precious than all the children of the world, and all the children of the world shall worship and bow before him. Some take "Phaz", the word for fine gold, to be the name of a place from whence it came, and therefore was so called; and that the kingdom of Phez, in Africa, has its name from hence; and Ophir is taken to be Peru in America; though others place it in India; and the Arabic version renders it, "a man shall be more precious than a little stone that is" brought "from India"; and the Septuagint version is, "than a stone in", or "of sapphire".

g Zohar in Gen. fol. 71, 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I will make a man ... - I will so cut off and destroy the men of Babylon, that a single man to defend the city will be more rare and valuable than fine gold. The expression indicates that there would be a great slaughter of the people of Babylon.

Than fine gold - Pure, unalloyed gold. The word used here (פז pâz) is often distinguished from common gold Psalms 19:11; Psalms 119:127; Proverbs 8:19.

Than the golden wedge of Ophir - The word (כתם kethem) rendered ‘wedge’ means properly “gold;” yellow gold; what is hidden, precious, or hoarded; and is used only in poetry. It indicates nothing about the shape of the gold, as the word, wedge would seem to suppose. ‘Ophir was a country to which the vessels of Solomon traded, and which was particularly distinguished for producing gold; but respecting its particular situation, there has been much discussion. The ‘ships of Tarshish’ sailed from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea, and went to Ophir 1 Kings 9:26; 1Ki 10:22; 1 Kings 22:48. Three years were required for the voyage; and they returned freighted with gold, peacocks, apes, spices, ivory, and ebony (1 Kings 9:28; 1 Kings 10:11-12; compare 2 Chronicles 8:18). The gold of that country was more celebrated than that of any other country for its purity. Josephus supposes that it was in the East Indies; Bruce that it was in South Africa; Rosenmuller and others suppose that it was in Southern Arabia. It is probable that the situation of Ophir must ever remain a matter of conjecture. The Chaldee Paraphrase gives a different sense to this passage. ‘I will love those who fear me, more than gold in which people glory; and those who observe the law more than the tried gold of Ophir.’ (On the situation of Ophir the following works may be consulted: The “Pictorial Bible,” vol. ii. pp. 364-369; Martini Lipenii, “Dissert. de Ophir;” Joan. Christophori Wichmanshausen “Dissert. de Navig. Ophritica:” H. Relandi, “Dissert. de Ophir;” Ugolini, “Thes. Sac. Ant.” vol. viii.; and Forster “On Arabia.”)

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 13:12. I will make a man more precious than fine gold-wedge of Ophir.] The Medes and Persians will not be satisfied with the spoils of the Babylonians. They seek either to destroy or enslave them; and they will accept no ransom for any man-either for אנוש enosh, the poor man, or for אדם adam, the more honourable person. All must fall by the sword, or go into captivity together; for the Medes, (Isaiah 13:17,) regard not silver, and delight not in gold.