330 SCRIPTURE NATURAL HlSTO&YV 



PEARLS. 



THESE substances, which are found in a testaceous fish, resem- 

 bling an oyster, though esteemed of the number of gems by our 

 jewellers, and highly valued, proceed only from a distemper in the 

 creature that produces them, analagous to the bezoars, and other 

 stony concretions in several animals of other kinds. 



Pearls are only once mentioned in our version of the Old Testa- 

 ment (Job xxviii, 18), and the propriety of introducing them in this 

 place has been much and justly contested. The Hebrew word in 

 the text is gebish, which in some passages is used for hail (Ezek. 

 xiii. 11, 13 ; xxxviii. 22), and when applied to precious stones seems 

 most likely to denote the crystal ; and so it has been understood by 

 the LXX. 



But as pearls are so commonly spoken of in the New Testament, 

 it has been thought strange that they should not at all appear in the 

 prophetic writings. The learned Bochart has accordingly main- 

 tained that there are Hebrew words in the Old Testament which 

 unquestionably denote pearls, although unnoticed by all the trans- 

 lators. That the word btdolah (Gen. ii. 12) signifies the pearl, he 

 thinks is evident, because the country of Havilah abounds with 

 these substances more than any other place in the world ; and be- 

 cause the manna (Numb, x'u 7), is compared to bedolah, in conse- 

 quence of its roundness and whiteness. The word dar in Esth. i. 

 6, is also thought to denote pearl, as it is called in the Arabic; be- 

 sides that the Hebrew word properly denotes something round. 

 But whatever degree of credit these conjectures may seem to de- 

 serve, there is little doubt that the word peninim, in Job xxviii. 18, 

 Prov. viii. 11, and several other places, rendered rubies in our bi- 

 ble, does really signify penrls. Hence, as Bochart has observed, 

 the words pinna, pinninos, lithos, pinnikon, are retained in Greek 

 and Latin, either for the pearl-oyster, or for the pearl itself. 



Aquila renders the word in Job, by things to be looked at, con- 

 spicuous, illustrious, plainly referring to the meaning of the verb 

 peneh ; and it is shown by Bochart, that pearls were estimated at a 

 very high rate, not only by the Jews, but by the Romans, and even 

 by the Medes, Persians, and Indians. 



In Matt. vii. 6, our Lord cautions his disciples not to 'cast their 

 pearls before swine,' in conformity with a common mode of speak- 

 ing among the Rabbins, who called the precepts of wisdom ' pearls.' 

 Thus, also, in Matt. xiii. 46, the gospel is compared to 'a pearl of 

 great price.' 



