More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
11. "The judgments of the Lord are true, justified together." The judgments of Him, who "judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son," are justified in truth unchangeably. For neither in His threatenings nor His promises doth God deceive any man, nor can any withdraw either from the ungodly His punishment, or from the godly His reward. "To be desired more than gold, and much precious stone" (ver. 10). Whether it be "gold and stone itself much," or "much precious," or "much to be desired;" still, the judgments of God are to be desired more than the pomp of this world; by desire of which it is brought to pass that the judgments of God are not desired, but feared, or despised, or not believed. But if any be himself gold and precious stone, that he may not be consumed by fire, but received into the treasury of God, more than himself does he desire the judgments of God, whose will he preferreth to his own. "And sweeter than honey and the honey comb." And whether one be even...
Stones. So St. Jerome renders the Hebrew. Protestants, "than gold; yea, than much fine gold. "Paz (Haydock) denotes the finest gold of Uphan, or of the Phison; which is probably the river Phasis, Genesis ii. 11. (Calmet)
Yet many explain this word of the topaz or chrysolite, which is of a golden colour. The Vulgate expresses topaz, (Psalm cxviii. 127.) where the Septuagint have, "a precious stone. "
Honeycomb, as the English and German versions have it, though the Hebrew signify, "the dropping of the honeycombs "which is the most excellent honey. (Berthier)
This interpretation is inserted in the Protestant margin, and answers to St. Jerome's favum redundantem. Nothing can be more delicious, or more magnificent. (Haydock)
