Lexical Summary betser: Ore, precious metal, fortress Original Word: בֶּצֶרּ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance gold defense From batsar; strictly a clipping, i.e. Gold (as dug out) -- gold defence. see HEBREW batsar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom batsar Definition precious ore, an ingot NASB Translation gold (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [בֶּ֫צֶר] noun [masculine] precious ore (A&W105 Thes), > gold, ring-gold HoffmZA 1887, 48 f. Hiob 70 (A W Thes ore as that broken off; Hoffm compare Arabic  ring, Hebrew בָּצְרָה enclosure, Talmud בטרא finger-measure, etc.; a √ II. בצר must then be assumed, =  ) — בָּצֶ֑ר Job 22:24 ("" אוֺפִיר q. v.); בְּצָרֶיךָ Job 22:25 ("" כֶּסֶף) possibly also בִּצְרֵי כֶּסֶף Psalm 68:31 for ᵑ0 ׳בְּרַצֵּיכֿ, compare Checritical note NeJBL, 1891, 151. Topical Lexicon Literal and Figurative Sense בֶּצֶר (beṯser) denotes precious metal in its raw state—ore that later becomes refined gold. Both occurrences are confined to Job 22, where the term stands parallel to “gold of Ophir,” the legendary standard of purity and value. The literal sense points to tangible wealth; the figurative sense elevates the discussion to spiritual riches, contrasting fleeting earthly treasure with enduring fellowship with the Almighty. Context in Job 22 Eliphaz exhorts Job: “and consign your gold to the dust, the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines, then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you” (Job 22:24-25). His argument is that relinquishing material security in humble repentance will pave the way for God Himself to become Job’s true treasure. The rare word בֶּצֶר intensifies the image: even the most coveted ore must be cast aside if it hinders full reliance on the Lord. Historical and Cultural Insights 1. Mining and trade. Ancient Near-Eastern societies extracted gold from wadis and quartz veins; Ophir’s gold was imported by Solomon (1 Kings 9:28), symbolizing unparalleled quality. By invoking בֶּצֶר, Eliphaz references a commodity familiar to an audience whose wealth often lay literally beneath their feet. Theological Significance • Divine sufficiency. Job 22 anticipates the biblical theme that God Himself is the believer’s inheritance (Psalm 16:5; Lamentations 3:24). Application for Ministry and Christian Life 1. Stewardship. Wealth in its raw or refined form must remain subordinate to devotion to Christ (Proverbs 3:9; 1 Timothy 6:17-19). Related Themes in Scripture • Treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20). By appearing only twice, בֶּצֶר serves as a concentrated reminder: even the finest earthly resources pale beside the surpassing worth of knowing the living God. Forms and Transliterations בְּצָרֶ֑יךָ בָּ֑צֶר בצר בצריך bā·ṣer bāṣer Batzer bə·ṣā·re·ḵā bəṣāreḵā betzaReichaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 22:24 HEB: עָפָ֥ר בָּ֑צֶר וּבְצ֖וּר נְחָלִ֣ים NAS: And place [your] gold in the dust, KJV: Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, INT: the dust gold the stones of the brooks Job 22:25 2 Occurrences |
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