Observations Natural and Moral, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Of the diverſe names that gold hath in the Scripture.
1 Kings 9.28. And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold.
FIrſt gold is called Zahabb, which is common to all ſorts of gold, 2 King. 5.5.foreign
The ſecond name which it hath, it is called, foreignaurum ophir, Iob. 22.24. torrentes ophir: not that ophir ſignified gold, but the floods out of which the gold was gathered were called ophir, not this ophir from whence Salomon brought his gold afterward, but a river neere the Land of Vz.
The third name, that it hath, foreign molleſcere.it is called Aurum Paz from the roote Pazaz which ſignifieth to make ſoft, but afterward it was called aurum ophaz and muphaz, Iere. 10. from the places from whence it was taken. Iob ſpeaketh of topheth as an appellative, foreignand yet it was turned afterwards into a proper name of a place of torment; ſo anrum paz, at the firſt might be an appellative, but afterward became a proper name: ſo Carmel at the firſt, was a proper name, but afterwards it was changed into an appellative name, for any fertile place. So Paradiſe was firſt a proper name, but afterward became appellative, Ecceſ. 2.5. I made me Paradiſes: ſo Tarſhiſh pro oceano: ſo Ezek. 17.4. He cropt off the top of his young twigges and carried it to Canaan, that is, to Babylon the land of merchandiſe: ſee Prov. 31.24.foreign
The fourth epither is [charutz] foſsile, which is rather a name of the art, than a name ſignifying the eſſence of the gold, as obryſum fignifieth rather the Art about the fining of the gold, than the ſubſtance of the gold, Iob. 41.22. Pſal. 67.14. and Salomon alludeth to this ſort of gold, Alluſion. Pron. 8. chuſe my doctrine as pure gold, foreignſeparate from all baſe and vile things.
The fift epithete is chethem, it is that ſort of gold which is engraven curiouſly, and when it hath Ophir or Ophaz joyned with it, then they ſignifie the matter, and it ſignifieth the forme: 1 King. 10.25. And they brought every man his preſent, veſſels of ſilver and veſſels of gold, which were veſſels of great price, not onelyonly for the ſubſtance, but alſo for curious workemanſhip.
The ſixt epithete is ſegor, foreignas ye would ſay, includens, the gold which is elaboratly wrought and cunningly ſet within ſilver, Prou. 15.11. Apples of gold put in ſilver, cut like networke, and requireth great skill in this art to ſet it right, foreignthe Hebrewes call it [muſgor] incluſor, and therefore 2 King. 24.24. The King of Babylon cariea away with him all the tradſemenand Incluſores, noting them as ſpeciall cunning men.
The laſt epithete is Parva…, foreignand it is called 2 Chron. 3.7. the gold of Parvana, from the place from whence it was brought.
All theſe names the Scriptures give to gold, The Scriptures give diverſe names to gold, to note the excellencie of it.to note the excellencie and diverſitie of it, but in that viſion of Daniel, where he ſaw an image whoſe head was of gold, the gold is not ſet downe there to ſignifie the moſt excellent monarchie, but the mettals are ſet downe there, to fignifie their hardneſſe; the gold the ſofteſt, the ſilver harder, In Nabuchad…ezzars viſion, the mettals are ſet downe to ſignifie the hardneſſe of the monarchies, and not their excellencie.the braſſe more hard, and the yron hardeſt of all; we muſt not then make the compariſon, from the gliſtering of the gold to expreſſe the floriſhing eſtate of the Babilonian Empire, or that the ſilver ſignified the glorious eſtate of the Medes, but onelyonly the hardneſſe of the mettall is marked here, the gold being ductile and plicable, ſignified that they ſhould not have ſo hard entertainement under the Babilonians as under the Perſians.
Secondly, Why the Babylonian Empire called glod:the head of gold ſignified the Babylonian Empire, as Daniel expoundeth it to Nebuchadnezzer, Dan 2.38. Thou art this head of gold; Why the Perſian Empire called ſilver.the Babylonian Empire is called gold, becauſe the Babylonians ſpoyled all the treaſures of the Temple; the Perſians are called ſilver becauſe they ſpoyled the Babylonians, yet they got not ſo great a treaſure as the Babylonians got: Why the Grecians called braſſe.the Grecians are called braſſe, they ſpoyled the Perſians, yet got not ſo great a treaſure as the Perſians got: the Romans are called yron and clay, Why the Romans called Iron.for before they overthrew the Grecians they wore rings of yron upon their ſingers, and their treaſure was but yron: but when the Vandals, Gothes and Hunues ſpoyled Rome, they got but onelyonly clay.
The concluſion of this is, Concluſion. although the gold have many excellent epithetes in the Scripture, yet the Prophet Habakuk calleth it [gnabhtit] denſum lutum, Hab. 2.6. foreign denſum lutum.To teach us not to ſet our affections upon it or deſire it, for when men have loaded themſelves with it, it is but thicke clay.