the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Encyclopedias
Silver
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
or
It is likely that the ancient supply of silver came from the mountains of Asia Minor where it is still found in abundance associated with lead as argentiferous galena, and with copper sulfide. The Turkish government mines this silver on shares with the natives. The Sinaitic peninsula probably also furnished some silver. Later Phoenician ships brought quantities of it from Greece and Spain. The Arabian sources are doubtful (2 Chronicles 9:14 ). Although silver does not tarnish readily in the air, it does corrode badly in the limestone soil of Palestine and Syria. This probably partly accounts for the small number of objects of this metal found. On the site of the ancient jewelers' shops of Tyre the writer found objects of gold, bronze, lead, iron, but none of silver.
Figurative:
Silver to be as stones in Jerusalem (1 Kings 10:27 ) typified great abundance (compare Job 3:15; Job 22:25; Job 27:16; also Isaiah 60:17; Zechariah 9:3 ). The trying of men's hearts was compared to the refining of silver (Psalm 66:10; Isaiah 48:10 ). Yahweh's words were as pure as silver refined seven times (Psalm 12:6 ). The gaining of understanding is better than the gaining of silver (Proverbs 3:14; compare Proverbs 8:19; Proverbs 10:20; Proverbs 16:16; Proverbs 22:1; Proverbs 25:11 ). Silver become dross denoted deterioration (Isaiah 1:22; Jeremiah 6:30 ). Breast and arms of silver was interpreted by Daniel to mean the inferior kingdom to follow Nebuchadnezzar's (Daniel 2:32 , Daniel 2:39 ).
In the New Testament, reference should be made especially to Acts 19:24; James 5:3; Revelation 18:12 .
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Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Silver'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/isb/s/silver.html. 1915.
