Reference: Silver
American
One of the precious metals and the one most commonly used as coin among all nations. It is first mentioned in Scripture in the history of Abraham, Ge 13:2; 20:16; 23:16, and was used in constricting the tabernacle, Ex 26:19,32, and afterwards the temple, 1Ch 29:4. In employing it as a medium of trade, the ancient Hebrews weighed it out, instead of having coins. In the times of the New Testament there were coins. See SHEKEL, and MONEY.
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And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that were with thee and with everyone: thus she was reproved.
Then Abraham hearkened unto Ephron, and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.
And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards, two sockets under one board for its two tenons and two sockets under another board for its two tenons.
and thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of cedar covered with gold; their capitals shall be of gold upon four sockets of silver.
three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses;
Easton
used for a great variety of purposes, as may be judged from the frequent references to it in Scripture. It first appears in commerce in Ge 13:2; 23:15-16. It was largely employed for making vessels for the sanctuary in the wilderness (Ex 26:19; 27:17; Nu 7:13,19; 10:2). There is no record of its having been found in Syria or Palestine. It was brought in large quantities by foreign merchants from abroad, from Spain and India and other countries probably.
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And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that between me and thee? bury therefore thy dead. Then Abraham hearkened unto Ephron, and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.
And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards, two sockets under one board for its two tenons and two sockets under another board for its two tenons.
All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their capitals shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass.
And his offering was one silver charger, the weight thereof was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them were full of fine flour mingled with oil for a present;
He offered for his offering one silver charger, the weight thereof was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a present;
Make thee two trumpets of silver; of beaten work shalt thou make them that thou may use them for the convocation of the congregation and for the moving of the camp.
Fausets
Hebrew keceph, Greek arguros. The only one of the four metals, gold, silver, brass, and iron, not mentioned until after the deluge. Abraham paid Ephron for the cave of Machpelah "400 shekels of silver, current money with the merchant" (Ge 23:16). By this time it had become a recognized standard of value and medium of exchange. It probably was not coined, but bars of silver were probably formed in conventional shapes and marked with some sign to note their weight. The thousand ("pieces" is not in the Hebrew) of silver given by Abimelech to Abraham probably indicate the value of the "sheep and oxen," etc., which he gave (Ge 20:14-16). (See MONEY.) Silver was brought to Solomon in lavish abundance from Arabia and Tarshish (in plates like the Cingalese sacred writing tablets). 2Ch 9:14,21; 1Ki 10:21-27. Idols were generally wood inside, plated over with silver (Jer 10:9; Isa 30:22; 40:19; Ho 13:2; Hab 2:19).
It was used for women's ornaments, Ge 24:53; cups, Ge 44:2; sockets and chapiters of the pillars of the tabernacle, Ex 26:19; 27:10; 38:17; the two trumpets, Nu 10:2; the temple candlesticks, etc., 1Ch 28:15-17; the model shrines of Diana, Ac 19:24. There being mines ("vein") of silver and "dust of gold" is accurately noted in Job 28:1 (See METALS.) The Lord, with perfect wisdom and love, leaves His people in affliction till, their dross being purified, He sees them reflecting His holy image; just as a "refiner of silver" sits watching the melting silver until he sees his own image reflected, when he knows the silver has been long enough in the furnace and withdraws it (Mal 3:3). (See MINES; LEAD.) Captain Burton's discovery of silver and gold and other metals in great abundance in the land of Midian, as well as the remains of ancient mine workings, remarkably confirms the Scripture account of Midian's wealth in the metals (Nu 31:9,22,50-54; Jg 8:24-26). A forger would never have ascribed this kind of wealth to a nomadic people. (See MIDIAN; PARAN.)
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Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen and menslaves and womenslaves and gave them unto Abraham and restored him Sarah his wife. And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee; dwell where it pleases thee. read more. And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that were with thee and with everyone: thus she was reproved.
Then Abraham hearkened unto Ephron, and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.
And the slave brought forth vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.
and put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, with the money of his wheat. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards, two sockets under one board for its two tenons and two sockets under another board for its two tenons.
and its twenty pillars and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the capitals of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.
And the sockets for the pillars were of brass, the capitals of the pillars and their fillets of silver and the coverings of their heads of silver; likewise all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.
Make thee two trumpets of silver; of beaten work shalt thou make them that thou may use them for the convocation of the congregation and for the moving of the camp.
And the sons of Israel took all the women of Midian captives and their little ones and took the spoil of all their beasts and all their flocks and all their goods.
We have therefore brought an offering for the LORD, each man of what he has found, of vessels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to reconcile our souls before the LORD. And Moses and Eleazar, the priest, took the gold from them, all wrought vessels. read more. And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the LORD, of the captains of thousands and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels. (For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.) And Moses and Eleazar, the priest, took the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the tabernacle of the testimony, for a memorial of the sons of Israel before the LORD.
And Gideon said unto them, I desire to make a request of you that ye each one would give me the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings because they were Ishmaelites.) And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and each one cast therein the earrings of his prey. read more. And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, without the ornaments and collars and purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian and without the chains that were about their camels' necks.
Gold by weight for the lampstands of gold, and for their lamps of gold, by weight for every lampstand, and for its lamps; and for the lampstands of silver by weight, both for the lampstand and also for its lamps, according to the service of each lampstand. And by weight he gave gold for the tables of showbread, for each table; and, likewise, silver for the tables of silver. read more. Also pure gold for the fleshhooks and the bowls and the cups, and for the golden covers he gave gold by weight for every basin; and likewise silver by weight for every basin of silver;
besides that which the traders and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon.
For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the slaves of Hiram, and every three years the ships came from Tarshish bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
Surely there is a mine for the silver, and a place for gold where they refine it.
Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver and the protection of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Go away from here.
The workman prepares the graven image, and the goldsmith spreads it over with gold and casts silver chains.
Silver spread into plates shall be brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, shall the workman work and the hands of the founder: they shall dress them in blue and purple: they are all the work of cunning men.
And now they sin more and more, and of their silver they have made molten images according to their own intelligence, idols, all of it the work of the craftsmen; they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.
Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise! Can it ever teach? Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all within it.
And he shall sit to refine and to purify the silver: for he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen,
Hastings
Morish
This was a source of wealth from early days. Abraham was rich in silver, Ge 13:2; but with Solomon gold was so plentiful that silver was 'nothing accounted of.' 1Ki 10:21. The silver and gold which he had amassed were, alas, afterwards carried away to enrich their enemies because of the sins of Israel. 2Ch 12:9. Silver was also the common specie of commerce, 'pieces of silver' being weighed long before money was coined. Ge 23:16. Silver was used for the sockets, hooks, etc., in the tabernacle, the money paid for the redemption of the Israelites being applied to this purpose. Ex 30:11-16; 38:25-28. The house of God is founded on redemption. Ex 36:24-36; 38:10-17.
Silver is found in the earth (Job 28:1), and before it can be compared to 'the words of the Lord' it must be purified seven times. Ps 12:6; Pr 25:4.
THE SILVER CORD in Ec 12:6 seems to refer to 'the thread of life,' which is loosed, or removed, when death ensues.
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And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
Then Abraham hearkened unto Ephron, and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.
And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, When thou takest the number of the sons of Israel after the sum of them, each one shall give a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou dost number them, that there be no mortality in them because of numbering them. read more. This shall be given by every one that passes among those that are numbered: half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs); a half shekel shall be the offering to the LORD. Anyone that passes among those that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give the offering unto the LORD. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give the offering unto the LORD to make reconciliation for your souls. And thou shalt take the reconciliation money of the sons of Israel and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the testimony, and it shall be a memorial unto the sons of Israel before the LORD to reconcile your souls.
He also made the forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards: two sockets under one board for its two tenons and two sockets under another board for its two tenons. And for the other side of the tabernacle, on the side of the Aquilon, he made twenty boards, read more. with their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. And for the westward side of the tabernacle he made six boards. And he made two boards for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides, which were coupled beneath and likewise coupled together above to a ring; thus he did to both of them in both the corners. There were, therefore, eight boards; and their sockets were sixteen sockets of silver, under every board two sockets. And he also made bars of cedar wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the westward side. And he made the middle bar to pass through the boards from the one end to the other. And he covered the boards with gold and made their rings of gold for the bars to pass through and covered the bars with gold also. Likewise he made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet and fine twined linen, which he made with cherubim of cunning work. And for it he made four pillars of cedar and covered them with gold; their capitals were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.
their pillars were twenty with their twenty brasen sockets; the capitals of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. And for the side of the Aquilon, the hangings were one hundred cubits, their pillars twenty with their twenty sockets of brass, the capitals of the pillars and their fillets of silver. read more. On the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten and their sockets ten, the capitals of the pillars and their fillets of silver, and for the east side eastward fifty cubits the hangings of the one side fifteen cubits, their pillars three, and their sockets three; and for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits, their pillars three and their sockets three. All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen. And the sockets for the pillars were of brass, the capitals of the pillars and their fillets of silver and the coverings of their heads of silver; likewise all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.
And the silver of those that were numbered of the congregation was one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary: A half per head, that is, half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, which were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. read more. And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil: one hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket. And of the thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels he made the capitals for the pillars and covered their heads and filleted them.
And all King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and likewise all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; there was no silver, for in the days of Solomon it was not esteemed.
So Shishak, king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house; he took it all; he also carried away the shields of gold which Solomon had made.
Surely there is a mine for the silver, and a place for gold where they refine it.
The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Take away the dross from the silver, and a vessel shall come forth for the finer.
before the silver chain is broken, and the golden bowl is broken, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel is broken at the cistern;
Smith
Silver.
In very early times silver was used for ornaments,
and for vessels of various kinds. Images for idolatrous worship were made of silver or overlaid with it,
; Habb 2:19 Bar. 6:39, and the manufacture of silver shrines for Diana was a trade in Ephesus.
But its chief use was as a medium of exchange, and throughout the Old Testament we find "silver" used for money, like the French argent. Silver was brought to Solomon from Arabia,
and from Tarshish,
which supplied the markets of Tyre.
From Tarshish it came int he form of plates,
like those on which the sacred books of the Singhalese are written to this day. Spain appears to have been the chief source whence silver was obtained by the ancients. Possibly the hills of Palestine may have afforded some supply of this metal. Silvers mixed with alloy is referred to in
and a finer kind, either purer in itself or more thoroughly purified, is mentioned in
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And the slave brought forth vessels of silver and vessels of gold and raiment and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.
Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
besides that which the traders and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon.
For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the slaves of Hiram, and every three years the ships came from Tarshish bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
Reprobate silver shall men call them because the LORD has rejected them.
Silver spread into plates shall be brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, shall the workman work and the hands of the founder: they shall dress them in blue and purple: they are all the work of cunning men.
Tarshish was thy market by reason of the multitude of all thy riches in silver, iron, tin, and lead; they traded in thy fairs.
And now they sin more and more, and of their silver they have made molten images according to their own intelligence, idols, all of it the work of the craftsmen; they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.
For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen,
Watsons
SILVER, ????, Ge 20:16; ????????, 1Pe 1:15; Ac 3:4; 20:33; a well known metal, of a white shining colour; next in value to gold. It does not appear to have been in use before the deluge; at least Moses says nothing of it; he speaks only of the metals brass and iron, Ge 4:26. But in Abraham's time it was become common, and traffic was carried on with it, Ge 23:2,15. Yet it was not then coined, but was only in bars or ingots; and in commerce was always weighed.
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And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos. Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD.
And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that were with thee and with everyone: thus she was reproved.
And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that between me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.
And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel.
but as he who has called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;