Isaiah 13:12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. I have heard that one of the diamond fields of South Africa was discovered on this wise. A traveller one day entered the valley and drew near to a settler's door, at which a boy was amusing himself by throwing stones. One of the stones fell at the stranger's feet, who picked it up and was in the act of laughingly returning it, when something flashed from it which stopped his hand and made his heart beat fast. It was a diamond. The child was playing with it as a common stone; the peasant's foot had spurned it; the cart wheel had crushed it; till the man who knew saw it and recognised its value. Was it not the same careless treatment the soul was receiving when Jesus arrived in the world and discovered it? A harlot's soul, sunk in the mud and filth of iniquity! why, a Pharisee would not stain his fingers to find it. A child's soul! the scribes used to discuss in their schools whether or not a child had a soul at all. (J. Stalker, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.WEB: I will make people more rare than fine gold, even a person than the pure gold of Ophir. |
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