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Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

IntroIndex©

PEARL

Gem formed within the shell of certain mollusks. The word appears only once in the OT (Jb 28:18). However, some think that the reference to a reddish stone in Lamentations 4:7 may be to the pink pearl found in the Red Sea. By the NT period, the pearl was a prized piece of feminine jewelry (1 Tm 2:9), an item of trade (Mt 13:45-46; Rv 18:12-16), and an object of high price. Being familiar objects, pearls were frequently used by Jesus in his illustrations. A fine pearl was an object of such great value that a man might sell all his accumulated wealth to purchase it (Mt 13:45-46). A pearl (used figuratively for the word of the Lord) would not be given to those who, like pigs, had no appreciation for its value (7:6).

See also Stones, Precious.