The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it; it cannot be valued even in pure gold, invoking the topaz of Ethiopia—a stone so rare and precious it was legendary for its value—to assert that even this supreme material worth cannot equal wisdom. The specification of Ethiopia emphasizes the remoteness and rarity of the topaz, suggesting that the most difficult-to-obtain materials still fall short. The assertion that it cannot be valued even in pure gold suggests that quantity of gold cannot compensate for inability to purchase the qualitatively different good that is wisdom. The verse establishes wisdom as belonging to a fundamentally different order of value.

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