Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust - Margin, or, “on the dust.” Dr. Good renders this, “Thou shalt then count thy treasure as dust” - implying that he would have much of it. Noyes, “Cast to the dust thy gold” - implying that he would throw his gold away as of no account, and put his dependence on God alone. Kim-chi, and, after him, Grotius, suppose that it means, “Thy gold thou shalt regard no more than dust, and gold of Ophir no more than the stones of the brook; God shall be to thee better than gold and silver.” The editor of the Pictorial Bible supposes that there is here a distinct reference to the sources from which gold was for merly obtained, as being washed down among the stones of the brooks. The word rendered “gold” here בצר betser is from בצר bâtsar - to cut off, Psalms 76:12, and was properly applied to the ore of precious metals in the rude state, as cut or dug out of mines.
Hence, it properly refers to the metals in their crude state, and before they were subjected to the fire. Then it comes to mean precious metals, and is parallel with gold of Ophir in the other hemistich. The word occurs only in the following places; Job 22:24; Job 36:19, where it is rendered “gold,” and Job 22:25, where it is rendered “defense.” The literal translation here would be, “Cast to the dust the precious metals; on the stones of the brooks (the gold of) Ophir.” The Vulgate renders it, “He shall give for earth flint, and for flint golden torrents.” The Septuagint, “Thou shalt be placed on a mount in a rock, and as a rock of the torrent of Ophir.” Chaldaen: “And thou shalt place upon the dust thy strong tower תקיף כרך, and as a rock of the torrents the gold of Ophir.” The word here is probably synonymous with “precious treasure,” whether consisting in gold or silver; and the idea is, that he should cast to the dust all that treasure, or regard it as valueless; that he should cease to make it an object of solicitude to gain it, and “then” the Almighty would be to him a treasure of more value than gold. According to this, the idea is, not that he would be recompensed with gold and silver as the consequence of returning to God, but that God would afford him more happiness than he had found in the wealth which he had sought, and on which Eliphaz supposed his heart had been set. He regarded Job as covetous of property, as mourning over that which he had lost, and he entreats him now to cease to grieve on account of that, and to come and put his trust in God.
And the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks - Or, rather, “Cast the gold of Ophir to the stones of the valley, or let it remain in its native valley among the stones of the brook, as of no more value than they are.” There is, probably, allusion here to the fact, that gold was then commonly found in such places, as it is often now. It was washed down by mountain torrents, and lodged among the stones of the valley, and was thence collected, and the sand being washed out, the gold remained. Ophir is uniformly mentioned in the Scriptures as a place abounding in gold, and as well known; see 1 Kings 9:28; 2 Chronicles 8:18; 2Ch 9:10; 1 Kings 10:11; 1 Kings 22:48; 1 Chronicles 29:4. Much perplexity has been felt in reference to its situation, and the difficulty has not been entirely removed. In regard to the opinions which have been held on the point, the reader may consult the notes at Isaiah 13:12, the note in the Pictorial Bible on 2 Chronicles 20:36, and the Dissertation of Martin Lipenius “de Ophir,” in Ugolin’s Thesaur. Sacr. Ant. Tom. vii. pp. 262-387; also, the Dissertation of John C. Wichmanshausen, “de navigatione Ophiritica,” and Reland’s Dissertation “de Ophir” in the same volume. From the mention of this place at a period so early as the time of Job, it is reasonable to suppose that it was not a very remote region, as there is no evidence that voyages were made then to distant countries, or that the knowledge of geography was very extensive. The presumption would be, that it was in the vicinity of Arabia.