Beneath The Lips Of Gold There Are Pearls Of Truth

*There’s gold! *But then *there are *a great number of pearls. *Yet *the splendor of the lips *contain more wisdom *than these. (MAST)

Proverbs 20:15 (NKJV)

15 There is gold and a multitude of rubies, But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

*[There’s gold!] literally, to be or to exist. But there is no verb here. This is simply a statement of fact. However, the verb, to look, is implied. The statement is pointing to a direct object. The reader is to presume to look at or behold that object which is self-existing within the statement. Gold is the object that exists within that statement. But the emphasis is on the object of gold. There is gold! It is undeniable. It is a fixed object! It is of one substance in comparison to the following statement. The exclamation is also implied. So, we can either put a period here or exclamation. Nevertheless, the emphasis is on the gold. But it is the gold that is a statement of fact. It is gold that we are to behold. It is gold that Solomon wants us to perceive. Even in the naked Hebrew, gold is the unmistakable object of substance that Solomon states as fact. The translator cannot get around this statement of fact. There is no synonymous term to substitute for this object. Every man with eyes to see can see it. Every man with fingers can touch it and hold it. Every man can find a way to observe this statement of fact scientifically. This statement of fact is given as a standard of weight that every man must honor. It is an unchangeable and undeniable truth. And the history of man has made this the standard of currency since his own existence. Every king before Christ has tried to shape it by his own image, except for Solomon. But as seen here, even Solomon agrees that it holds its own weight. Pearls cannot be fused together by their own substance; they must be drilled and threaded together by the addition of another substance. But not with gold! Gold is sure to hold its own weight and is sure to honor itself as one substance (Jn.3:11-13; 10:34-38; 17:11-22), but when gold and pearls are to be equated in value, it takes more than one pearl of substance to equal the value of the gold bar. Therefore they can never be equal in substance but only in the nature of their collected value, which balances them together by the thread of a common understanding, which also has the power to fuse or bond the two substances together. But their identity remains distinct. Each stone has its own size and weight, no matter how similar they are in appearance.

*[But then] literally, together with. But this Hebrew conjunction is usually silent or may have a combination of meanings depending on the context. It is clear Solomon is joining two statements of fact in comparison with each other. So Solomon is saying, there is one object, and then there are other objects. He is saying, “Look here, but now, look there.” There is this, and then there is that (Matt.24:23). Therefore, we are to note the (significant) difference between the objects (Col.1:15; 1Cor.15:22).

*[there are] literally, the conjunction joins the previous statement of fact to a new one. Therefore the starting point of the stem, which has no verb, is the self-existing statement of fact (there is). But the conjunction is not joining the objects; only the train-of-thought. He wants us to continue on the same track of thought but onto a new object. He is telling us to make a comparison. But there are more objects than the one substance of the previous object. So rather than, there is, it is translated, there are, in association with the new objects (2Cor.3:7-16). Again, a further implication implies the looking away from one object to looking at other objects (2Cor.3:17-18; Acts 3:4).

*[a great number of pearls] literally, many corals. I am not a history major, nor am I a language minor, so I cannot say dogmatically if these are rubies, which Strong’s suggests, but I can assure you that these were jewels or costly stones. I happen to favor pearls because the context calls for a comparable value (Gen.2:18; 1Cor.12:11-26). Gold has a splendor of its own, as does the pearl. But what would make gold more valuable than pearls in the sight of the human mind? Gold was pleasant to the eye, as was a pearl. Both would have been difficult to obtain. Gold must be mined, and the pearl must be searched for at sea or stumbled upon by chance at the beach. So it takes a great deal of labor to obtain them both. But what sets them apart, even more, is the weight of their substance. Gold has much more weight and holds together as one substance. It is more usable by man than many pearls with varying weights as with other stones or jewels. Pearls or stones can be polished or cut to look the same, but their weights can still vary. Gold can be fused into one substance and shaped to retain a standard weight and still hold its appearance of splendor. That’s the point Solomon is making when he says, “There’s gold! But then there are many pearls.” Do you see the effect he wants to cause in our minds as we behold these word pictures? One is superior to many others (2Cor.3:17). These are object lessons to carry our thought into a more excellent conclusion (1Cor.6:17). But what is the greater end?

*[Yet than these] Literally, the conjunction is silent, but it must be translated to make sense of the stem. There is no verb to aid our understanding of how the stem is to flow in thought, but because of the comparisons being made, it is a continuation of contrast for a climatic effect. So these words are added to understand the “train-of-thought” or to “keep your thoughts on track.” Therefore the conjunction joins the comparisons between each stem impartial to any verb. It’s like he is saying, “Now look again.” Even greater than these (that is, the costly stones) are what follows. And what follows are the lips of discernment that radiate the wisdom of God. Now, this comparison is like looking back to the gold standard. Look away from the many pearls back to the gold. Therefore, God's wisdom is to be held in higher esteem than what a man esteems to be most valuable to himself (Lk.16:14-17). So this conjunction is the turning point of emphasis on the more excellent object that should be a man’s greatest value in terms of what will most benefit his soul (Matt.16:26; Lk.9:25). That, of course, is the wisdom of God (Pr.4:7; 8:11; 9:10; 16:16; 17:24; 19:8).

*[the splendor of the lips] literally, a precious container or instrument. But it is genitive of human lips. So now Solomon is pointing to an even greater object of value, and particularly the lips of that object. It’s as if he is saying these lips are like gold because they contain discernment. The Hebrew adjective that describes these lips is the visual description of the gold, which represents honor and, more particularly (the weight) of that honor, the worth of that honor, or the place of that honor (2Cor.4:7). Therefore a man is to be valued by the weight of his lips (Pr.18:20; Isa.57:19; Heb.13:15). How much weight can his lips carry or “contain” like a vessel covered in gold in the house of the LORD (2Tim.2:20; Ex.37:16)? And what is hidden behind these lips of gold?

Pearly white teeth that chew on knowledge and discern good from evil (Gen.2:9,16-17). That’s the word picture that Solomon is painting for us here (Gen.3:1-7). So beneath the lips of gold are to be pearls of truth that string together and retain the weight of their value (Rom.1:22-25,28-32). Who doesn’t value their lips or their teeth (Eph.5:29)? But Solomon is making a statement of truth that is greater than the image of any created man (Mal.2:6-7; Isa.11:1-4; 2Cor.4:3-6; Col.1:15; Lk.11:31). He is making a spiritual statement that cannot be contained in the image of any man (Matt.16:17). These words spillover from the lips of splendor, the radiating power of God’s light (1Jn.1:5; Ps.23:5). These words are priceless and are worth more than the vessels, which cannot even contain them (Lk.6:38). These words have no limitation (Micah 2:7), and there is nothing created that can standardize them (Jn.6:63). These words have the highest honor because they determine what is true and false and what is good and evil (Heb.4:12-13). These words are spiritual, which are wisdom to us from above all things created (Jn.8:23). These words come down from the Author of life (James 3:17; Jn.1:14-18; Heb1:1-2).

*[contain more wisdom] literally, a vessel of understanding. But the Hebrew adjective suggests more than merely understanding; it is the skill or ability to understand. It is the power to know without doubting; the power to discern wisdom (James 1:5-8; Heb.5:13). And as the previous adjective described, honorable wisdom (1Tim.5:17). The wisdom that is far greater than the common reasoning in man (Php.4:7; 2Cor.4:17; Eph.3:20). In other words, this wisdom is higher than man (Num.12:2). This wisdom cannot originate from man (1Cor.14:36). The man is merely the container or vessel that depends on this honor (Rom.9:20-23). He is the instrument, but the wisdom is the source that makes the vessel honorable, as the gold enveloped the utensils of the tabernacle. It is the Spirit of the Word that covers the soul whom God uses to testify of this eternal wisdom. Wisdom is more than these created instruments combined. They can only be used as symbols or tools that communicate this wisdom, but this wisdom comes from outside these vessels. Wisdom must be placed or poured into these vessels, and often like the splendor of gold wrapped around these instruments; they sparkle the reflection of God’s nature (1Cor.6:17). But their value is not sealed through their own existence, or as in the case of humanity, having their own understanding (Gen.3:6). Rather their value is determined by their creator, and so it is with God (Gen.3:11). In wisdom, he created man to be a symbol (representation) of this honor and knowledge, but his value is not fixed by his self-honor (Gen.3:22-24). It is only sealed by the value God imputes to him (Lk.6:32-34; Gen.15:6).

Do you have lips that honor the wisdom of the LORD? Will your lips hold their weight on the day of accounting (Matt.24:51)? Are there pearls of truth still waiting to be revealed that are hidden behind the value you place on your own lips (Pr.22:13; Jer.20:9)? Do you know the truth but veil it with your silence (2Cor.5:12; Col.2:23; 2Tim.3:5)? These are things that every Christian will give an account for on the day of reward (Rom.2:17-24). You may literally have every pearly white in perfect form, but if it is only an appearance of godliness, your teeth and lips are sure to fail (Ps.73:26). God desires that you express your faith in Him and demonstrate the wisdom of the gospel, not just with a created image of yourself, which is your spiritual sacrifice (Rom.12:1), but with the Spirit of the Word, which is your life and peace in God’s image (Rom.8:6; 1Cor.1:30). Demonstrate that you know Him as His special light and treasure in the world (Matt.5:14; 1Pet.2:4-10). And Lord willing, as we shall see from our next proverb and application of the instruction to the spiritual lazy man, receive Christ’s person and work as the garment of his pledge to be wisdom, knowledge, and redemption for the standard of your salvation from the nakedness of Death and Hell.