Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned; the acquisition of wisdom is better than pearls, introducing less common precious materials to assert that all fall short, and explicitly declaring wisdom superior to the most prized materials. The dismissal of coral and crystal establishes that even materials of remarkable rarity prove inadequate to wisdom's value. The explicit assertion that wisdom exceeds pearls—traditionally the ultimate symbol of precious value—establishes a hierarchy in which wisdom crowns all material value. The verse moves beyond comparison to direct assertion of superiority.

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