Job 22:23-25 “If you return to the Almighty, you are built up. If you remove unrighteousness far from your tents, and lay your gold in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the wadis, then the Almighty shall be your gold and your silver, strength to you.”

The english translation for gold, in Hebrew is Beser H1220 – beṣer, which actually means Defense. The root word is basar H1219 – bāṣar, meaning fortify, fenced, defence, strong. The translation here for gold is not truly correct, and this is the only place in Scripture where it is used.

The word or name Ophir H211 – ‘ôp̄îr – in Hebrew just means dust. The original hebrew Scripture doesn’t say “gold from” Ophir.. it just talks about Ophir. However Ophir is mentioned about 13 times in Scripture, and many times it talks about Ophir, as Ophir was famous for it’s gold.

Also the reference to silver, has more to do with money. Silver has to do with your wealth.

So if we should re-translate these two verses, they would sound more like this:

• Verse 24 – “lay your strength down as dust, as the dust between stones in a valley.”
• Verse 25 – “Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence/strength, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.”

In previous chapters we looked the Hebrew words for gold, which were:

• Eliphaz name : Phaz/Paz H6337 – pāz, meaning pure or refined gold (Job 4-7, click here to read more)
• Gold in Hebrew is ZAHAB H2091 – zāhāḇ (1 Kings 6-7, click here to read more)

So how is gold compared to strength? How is gold strong?
Actually, gold is quite soft. It is slightly harder than a fingernail but not as hard as a coin or glass. Gold is very heavy – it weighs over nineteen times more than water and is almost twice as heavy as lead. Instead, gold’s strength rather would refer to spiritual purity. Its strength comes from withstanding heat, any heat! It will melt at 1064 degrees celcius, and it cannot be destroyed by heat. Gold is virtually indestructible. It will not corrode, rust or tarnish, and fire cannot destroy it. When gold melts, it doesn’t undergo a chemical change. It simply transitions from a solid to a liquid form, and it retains its properties and value. Once cooled, melted gold can be reshaped and used again. So even though gold is tough and resilient, withstanding anything thrown at it, heat or beating, it is still soft and malleable, retaining its ability to be shaped and extended without breaking.

When we are beaten down and go through the firestorms, it is a chance for the gold to be purified in us.  It shows what is in us.  Even if the gold remains soft, and even if it will melt, it will return to a shape that YHWH wants, and more purified – all the dust and nonsense burned away.