Job 28:18 Meaning and Explanation
“No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Coral and pearls are not even worth mentioning beside wisdom, whose price is higher than rubies.
What Does Job 28:18 Mean?
Job sweeps aside still more treasures. Coral and pearls, prized from the sea, are not even worth bringing up in the same breath as wisdom. The price of wisdom rises above rubies and every glittering jewel people hoard.
There is almost a holy impatience in the verse, as if to say these costly things hardly deserve a hearing when wisdom is the subject. The poem keeps expanding its list, drawing in the treasures of land and sea alike, so that no possible rival is left standing. The lesson is steady and clear. Everything the world calls precious is genuinely valuable, yet all of it together cannot be weighed against the wisdom of God. Job invites the reader to let go of lesser longings and reach for the treasure that outlasts and outshines them all.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 28:18
What does Job 28:18 mean?
Coral and pearls are not even worth mentioning beside wisdom, whose price is higher than rubies.