Question 1

What does "Pearl" mean in the King James Bible?

Accepted Answer

In the KJV, "Pearl" means "jewelry." The total transaction. The merchant did not add the pearl to his collection -- he sold everything else to get it. The kingdom of God was not an addition to a balanced life but the one thing worth liquidating everything else to obtain. The pearl demanded total, exclusive, all-consuming commitment.

Question 2

Why did the word "Pearl" disappear from modern English?

Accepted Answer

Greek margarites ('pearl/the most precious thing obtainable/what you would sell everything to possess') reduced to jewelry and fashion accessory. The all-or-nothing, sell-everything valuation was lost. The word was at peak usage around 1611 and declined by still used but jewelry-ized (~1800).

Question 3

What modern word replaced "Pearl"?

Accepted Answer

"Pearl" was replaced by: "gem" (though this decorative stone; the pearl of great price demanded total divestiture -- selling everything else); "jewel" (though this ornament; the pearl represented something so valuable that rational people would liquidate their entire life to obtain it); "precious thing" (though this vague; the pearl was specifically the one thing worth everything else combined).

What Does “Pearl” Mean in the Bible?

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