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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Now Abram [was] very wealthy in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
And to Sarah he said, "Look, I have given a thousand [pieces of] silver to your brother. It [shall be] {an exoneration}. {You are vindicated before all who are with you}."
Then Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver {at the merchants' current rate}.
And you will make forty silver bases under the twenty frames, [with] two bases under the one frame for its two {pegs} and two bases under the {next} frame for its two {pegs}.
And you will put it on four acacia pillars overlaid with gold [with] their gold hooks on four silver bases.
three thousand talents of gold from 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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Now Abram [was] very wealthy in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
"My lord, hear me. A [piece of] land [worth] four hundred shekels of silver--what [is] that between me and you? Bury your dead." Then Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver {at the merchants' current rate}.
And you will make forty silver bases under the twenty frames, [with] two bases under the one frame for its two {pegs} and two bases under the {next} frame for its two {pegs}.
"All the pillars of the courtyard all around will be banded [with] silver, [and] their hooks [will be] silver, and their bases [will be] bronze.
His offering [was] one plate of silver--its weight was one hundred and thirty shekels--[and] one silver bowl [weighing] seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, {both of them} filled [with] finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering;
He presented [as] his offering one silver plate--its weight one hundred and thirty [shekels]--[and] one silver bowl for drinking wine [weighing] seventy shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, {both of them} filled [with] finely milled flour mixed with oil as a grain offering.
"Make yourself two silver trumpets; make them [of] hammered-work. {You will use them} for calling the community and for breaking 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.)
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Abimelech took sheep and cattle and male slaves and female slaves, and he gave [them] to Abraham. And he returned Sarah his wife to him. And Abimelech said, "Here [is] my land before you; settle {where it pleases you}." read more. And to Sarah he said, "Look, I have given a thousand [pieces of] silver to your brother. It [shall be] {an exoneration}. {You are vindicated before all who are with you}."
Then Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver {at the merchants' current rate}.
And the servant brought out silver jewelry and gold jewelry, and garments, and he gave [them] to Rebekah. And he gave precious gifts to her brother and to her mother.
And my cup--the cup of silver--you shall put into the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and the money for his grain. And he did according to the word of Joseph that he had commanded.
And you will make forty silver bases under the twenty frames, [with] two bases under the one frame for its two {pegs} and two bases under the {next} frame for its two {pegs}.
And its twenty pillars and their twenty bases [will be] bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands [will be] silver.
and the bases for the pillars [were] bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands [were] silver, and the overlay of their tops [was] silver, and all the pillars of the courtyard [were] banded [with] silver.
"Make yourself two silver trumpets; make them [of] hammered-work. {You will use them} for calling the community and for breaking the camp.
The {Israelites} took captive the women of Midian and their children, and they plundered all their domestic animals and all their livestock and all their wealth.
So we brought the offering of Yahweh, what each man found, objects of gold, bangles, bracelets, rings, earrings, and female ornaments, to make atonement for ourselves {before} Yahweh." Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, all objects of work. read more. All the gold of the contribution that they raised up to Yahweh, from the commanders of the thousands and the commanders of the hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels. The men of battle plundered each for himself. So Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the commanders of the thousands and hundreds, and they brought it to the tent of the assembly as a memorial for the {Israelites} before Yahweh.
And Gideon said to them, "{Let me make a request of you}, that each of you give to me an ornamental ring from his plunder." (They [had] ornamental rings of gold, because they [were] Ishmaelites.) They said, "We will gladly give [them]," and they spread out a garment, and everyone threw there an ornamental ring of his plunder. read more. The weight of the ornamental rings of gold that he requested [was] one thousand seven hundred [shekels of] gold, apart from the crescents, pendants, and purple garments that [were] on the kings of Midian, and apart from the pendants that [were] on the necks of their camels.
And the weight of the golden lampstands and the golden lamps, {the weight of each lampstand and each lamp}, [and] the silver according to the weight of a lampstand and its lamp, according to the use of {each lampstand}, and the weight of gold for the tables of the arranged [bread], {each table}, and silver for the tables of silver, read more. and pure gold [for] the three-pronged meat forks, and the bowls and the pitchers, and for the golden bowls, by weight for {each bowl}, and for the silver bowls, by weight for {each bowl},
besides the gold and silver the traders and merchants brought, and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought.
For the ships of the king went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram. Once {every three years} the ships of Tarshish came carrying gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
"Indeed, there is a mine for silver and a place {for gold to be refined}.
And you will defile the plating of your silver idols and the covering of your gold image. You will scatter them like contaminated things; you will say to it, "Filth!"
A craftsman pours out the idol, and a {goldsmith} overlays it with gold, and [he] smelts chains of silver.
Silver beaten from Tarshish is brought, and gold from Uphaz, the work of [the] craftsman and [the] hands of the goldsmith. Blue and purple [are] their clothing, all of them [are] the work of skillful people.
And now they sin again, and they make for themselves a molten idol, idols from their silver metal according to their understanding, all of them the work of skilled craftsmen. To these they say, "Sacrifice!" People are kissing bull calves.
Woe to [him who] says to the wood, 'Wake up!' [And] to a lifeless stone, 'Arise!' Can he teach? Look, it is covered [with] gold and silver, and there is no breath within it.
He will sit [as] a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the children of Levi, and he will refine them like gold and like silver, and they will present to Yahweh offerings in righteousness.
For someone {named} Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver replicas of the temple of Artemis, was bringing no little business to 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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Now Abram [was] very wealthy in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
Then Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver {at the merchants' current rate}.
And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, "{When you take a census of} the {Israelites} to count them, they will each give the ransom of his life for Yahweh when counting them, and a plague will not be among them when counting them. read more. This they will give, {everyone who is counted}, the half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, [which is] twenty gerahs per shekel. The half shekel [is] a contribution for Yahweh. {Everyone who is counted} from {twenty years old} and above will give the contribution of Yahweh. The rich will not give more, and the poor will not give less than the half shekel to give the contribution of Yahweh to make atonement for their lives. And you will take the atonement money from the {Israelites} and give it to the service of the tent of assembly, and it will be as a memorial for the {Israelites} before Yahweh to make atonement for your lives."
And he made forty silver bases under the twenty frames, [with] two bases under the one frame for its two {pegs} and two bases under the {next} frame for its two {pegs}. And for the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, he made twenty frames read more. and their forty silver bases, [with] two bases under the one frame and two bases under the {next} frame. And for the rear of the tabernacle {on the west} he made six frames. And he made two frames for the tabernacle corners at the rear. And they were double at the bottom, and they were completely together on its top to the one ring; he did likewise for the two of them, for the two corners. And there were eight frames and their sixteen silver bases, two bases, two bases under the one frame. And he made five bars of acacia wood for the frames on the one side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames on the second side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames at the rear {on the west}. And he made the middle bar to run in the midst of the frames from end to end. And he overlaid the frames with gold, and he made their rings of gold [as] {holders} for the bars, and he overlaid the bars with gold. And he made the curtain of blue and purple and crimson [yarns] and finely twisted linen, [the] work of a craftsman; he made it [with] cherubim. And he made for it four acacia pillars, and he overlaid them with gold, [with] their gold hooks, and he cast for them four silver bases.
[with] their twenty pillars and their twenty bases of bronze [and with] the hooks of the pillars and their bands of silver. And for the north side [the hangings were] one hundred cubits [with] their twenty pillars and their twenty bases of bronze [and with] the hooks of the pillars and their bands of silver. read more. And for the {west} side fifty cubits [of] hangings [with] their ten pillars and their ten bases [and with] the hooks of the pillars and their bands of silver. And for the eastward side, toward sunrise, fifty cubits; fifteen cubits of hangings [were] to the shoulder, [with] their three pillars and their three bases, and for the second shoulder {on each side} of the gate of the courtyard [were] fifteen cubits of hangings, [with] their three pillars and their three bases. All the hangings of the courtyard all around [were] finely twisted linen, and the bases for the pillars [were] bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands [were] silver, and the overlay of their tops [was] silver, and all the pillars of the courtyard [were] banded [with] silver.
And the silver recorded from the community [was] a hundred talents and a thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. [It was] a bekah for the individual, the half shekel according to the sanctuary shekel, for {everyone who was counted}, from {twenty years old} and above, for six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. read more. And it was one hundred talents of the silver to cast the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the curtain--one hundred bases for one hundred talents of silver, a talent for [each] base. And [from] the thousand seven hundred and seventy-five [shekels] he made hooks for the pillars, and he overlaid their tops, and he made bands [for] them.
All of the drinking vessels of King Solomon [were] gold, and all the vessels for the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver; [it was] not considered as something valuable in the days of Solomon.
Then Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and he took the treasures out of the house of Yahweh and the treasures out of the king's house. He took everything. He also took the small shields of gold that Solomon had made.
"Indeed, there is a mine for silver and a place {for gold to be refined}.
The words of Yahweh [are] pure words [like] silver refined in the crucible on the ground, refined seven times.
Remove the dross from silver, and it will become a vessel for the smith.
Before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is broken; and the jar at the foundation is broken, and the wheel at the cistern is broken.
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
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And the servant brought out silver jewelry and gold jewelry, and garments, and he gave [them] to Rebekah. And he gave precious gifts to her brother and to her mother.
You will not make alongside me gods of silver, and gods of gold you will not make for yourselves.
besides the gold and silver the traders and merchants brought, and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought.
For the ships of the king went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram. Once {every three years} the ships of Tarshish came carrying gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
{They are called} rejected silver, For Yahweh has rejected them."
Silver beaten from Tarshish is brought, and gold from Uphaz, the work of [the] craftsman and [the] hands of the goldsmith. Blue and purple [are] their clothing, all of them [are] the work of skillful people.
" 'Tarshish [was] your trader; from [the] abundance of all of [their] wealth, with silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your merchandise.
And now they sin again, and they make for themselves a molten idol, idols from their silver metal according to their understanding, all of them the work of skilled craftsmen. To these they say, "Sacrifice!" People are kissing bull calves.
For someone {named} Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver replicas of the temple of Artemis, was bringing no little business to 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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And as for Seth, he also fathered a son, and he called his name Enosh. At that time he began to call on the name of Yahweh.
And to Sarah he said, "Look, I have given a thousand [pieces of] silver to your brother. It [shall be] {an exoneration}. {You are vindicated before all who are with you}."
And Sarah died in Kiriath Arba; that [is] Hebron, in the land of Canaan.
"My lord, hear me. A [piece of] land [worth] four hundred shekels of silver--what [is] that between me and you? Bury your dead."
And Peter looked intently at him, together with John, [and] said, "Look at us!"
I have desired no one's silver or gold or clothing!
but as the one who called you [is] holy, [you] yourselves be holy in all [your] conduct,