King James Version
Job 28
28 verses with commentary
Job's Hymn to Wisdom: Where Can Wisdom Be Found?
Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it. vein: or, mine
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KJV Study Commentary
Job's wisdom poem opens: "Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it." The Hebrew <em>motsa</em> (מוֹצָא, "vein") means a going out or source. The verb <em>zaqaq</em> (זָקַק, "fine") means to refine or purify. Job describes human ingenuity in mining precious metals—humanity can locate hidden resources and extract them through technological skill. This establishe...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
**XXVIII.**
(1) **Surely there is a vein for the silver.**—In this chapter Job draws out a magnificent contrast between human skill and ingenuity and Divine wisdom. The difficulty to the ordinary reader is in not perceiving that the person spoken of in Job 28:3 is *man, *and not God. Man possesses and exercises this mastery over nature, but yet is ignorant of wisdom unless God bestows it on him. T...
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**12. not cut down--**Before it has ripened for the scythe, it withers more suddenly than any herb, having no self-sustaining power, once that the moisture is gone, which other herbs do not need in the same degree. So ruin seizes on the godless in the zenith of prosperity, more suddenly than on others who appear less firmly seated in their possessions [Umbreit] (Psa 112:10).
Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone. earth: or, dust
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Iron is taken out of the earth</strong> (בַּרְזֶל מֵעָפָר יֻקָּח)—Job begins his great wisdom poem (chapter 28) by describing human mining technology. <em>Barzel</em> (iron) represents advanced metallurgy in the ancient world. The verb <em>yuqqach</em> (is taken) in passive voice suggests extraction requires effort—iron doesn't present itself but must be mined from <em>aphar</em> (dust/ear...
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**13. paths--**so "ways" (Pr 1:19).
**all that forget God--**the distinguishing trait of the godless (Psa 9:17; 50:22).
He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>He setteth an end to darkness</strong> (קֵץ שָׂם לַחֹשֶׁךְ)—The verb <em>sam</em> (sets, appoints) with <em>qets</em> (end, boundary) shows human determination conquering natural obstacles. <em>Choshek</em> (darkness) represents the earth's underground depths where light never reaches. Miners bring artificial light into absolute darkness, extending human dominion into realms naturally host...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **He setteth** **an end to darkness.**—May be read thus, Man setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out to the furthest bound the stones of darkness and the shadow of death.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14. cut off--**so Gesenius; or, to accord with the metaphor of the spider's "house," "The confidence (on which he builds) shall be laid in ruins" (Is 59:5, 6).
The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant</strong> (פָּרַץ נַחַל מֵעִם־גָּר)—This difficult verse describes underground water bursting forth where miners work. The verb <em>parats</em> (to break out, burst forth) with <em>nachal</em> (stream, wadi, torrent) depicts sudden flooding in mine shafts. <em>Me'im-gar</em> (from with the sojourner/inhabitant) may refer to water breaking into inha...
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(4*)* **The flood breaketh out . . .** is very uncertain. We may render, *Man breaketh open a shaft where none sojourneth; they are forgotten where none passeth by: i.e., *the labourers in these deserted places, they hang afar from the haunts of men, they flit to and fro. Or it may be, *The flood breaketh out from the inhabitants, even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are ...
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**15. he shall hold it fast--**implying his eager grasp, when the storm of trial comes: as the spider "holds fast" by its web; but with this difference: the light spider is sustained by that on which it rests; the godless is not by the thin web on which he rests. The expression, "Hold fast," properly applies to the spider holding his web, but is transferred to the man. Hypocrisy, like the spider's...
Read full commentary →As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.
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<strong>As for the earth, out of it cometh bread</strong>—the surface produces sustenance through agriculture. Yet <strong>under it is turned up as it were fire</strong> (Hebrew <em>tahath</em>, תַּחַת, "beneath"). This stark contrast between earth's peaceful surface and violent subterranean mining operations introduces Job's theme: wisdom is harder to obtain than extracting gems from deep mines. ...
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(5) **As for the earth . . .**—While the ploughman and the reaper till and gather the fruits of the earth on its surface, the miner far below maintains perpetual fires, as also does the volcanic mountain, with its fields and vineyards luxuriant and fertile on its sides.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**16. before the sun--**that is, he (the godless) is green only before the sun rises; but he cannot bear its heat, and withers. So succulent plants like the gourd (Jon 4:7, 8). But the widespreading in the garden does not quite accord with this. Better, "in sunshine"; the sun representing the smiling fortune of the hypocrite, during which he wondrously progresses [Umbreit]. The image is that of we...
Read full commentary →The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold. dust: or, gold ore
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The stones of it are the place of sapphires</strong>—the Hebrew <em>sappir</em> (סַפִּיר) likely refers to lapis lazuli, highly prized in antiquity, not modern sapphire. <strong>And it hath dust of gold</strong> (<em>aphar zahav</em>, עֲפַר זָהָב)—even common earth in certain locations contains gold particles. Job describes geological treasure: precious stones and gold dust extracted from ...
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(6) **The stones of it are the place of sapphires.**—So ingenious is man that he discovereth a place of which the stones are sapphires and the very dust gold, and a path that no bird of prey knoweth, and which the falcon’s eye hath not seen.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17. seeth the place of stones--**Hebrew, "the house of stones"; that is, the wall surrounding the garden. The parasite plant, in creeping towards and over the wall--the utmost bound of the garden--is said figuratively to "see" or regard it.
There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen:
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen</strong>—Job describes the secret underground mining passages hidden from even the keenest-eyed birds. The Hebrew <em>ayit</em> (עַיִט) refers to birds of prey, particularly vultures known for extraordinary vision. The verb <em>yada</em> (יָדַע, "knoweth") means intimate knowledge through experience, while <em...
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18. If He (God) tear him away (properly, "to tear away rapidly and violently") from his place, "then it [the place personified] shall deny him" (Psa 103:16). The very soil is ashamed of the weeds lying withered on its surface, as though it never had been connected with them. So, when the godless falls from prosperity, his nearest friends disown him.
The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it</strong>—even the most powerful and wide-ranging beasts haven't discovered the miner's hidden path. Hebrew <em>shachal</em> (שַׁחַל, "lion's whelps") refers to young lions, while <em>layish</em> (לַיִשׁ, "fierce lion") denotes a mature, powerful lion. The verb <em>darak</em> (דָּרַךְ, "trodden") means to walk or march,...
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19. Bitter irony. The hypocrite boasts of joy. This then is his "joy" at the last.
**and out of the earth--**others immediately, who take the place of the man thus punished; not godly men (Mt 3:9). For the place of the weeds is among stones, where the gardener wishes no plants. But, ungodly; a fresh crop of weeds always springs up in the place of those torn up: there is no end of hypocrites on e...
Read full commentary →He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots. rock: or, flint
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>He putteth forth his hand upon the rock</strong>—the miner attacks the hardest geological formations. Hebrew <em>challamish</em> (חַלָּמִישׁ) refers to flint, the hardest stone known to ancient people. <strong>He overturneth the mountains by the roots</strong> uses <em>haphak</em> (הָפַךְ, "overturneth"), meaning to transform or revolutionize, and <em>shoresh</em> (שֹׁרֶשׁ, "roots"), sugge...
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(9) **He putteth forth his hand upon the rock.**—The process described is that of tunnelling and excavating, and that of making canals and lining them with stone; and in the course of such works many precious things would be discovered. The canals and cisterns were made so accurately that they retained the water, and did not even weep or trickle.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
20. Bildad regards Job as a righteous man, who has fallen into sin.
**God will not cast away a perfect man--**(or godly man, such as Job was), if he will only repent. Those alone who persevere in sin God will not help (Hebrew, "take by the hand," Psa 73:23; Is 41:13; 42:6) when fallen.
He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>He cutteth out rivers among the rocks</strong>—miners channel water through tunnels for ore processing and transport. The Hebrew <em>yeor</em> (יְאֹר, "rivers") often refers to the Nile but here means artificial channels. <strong>And his eye seeth every precious thing</strong> uses <em>yaqar</em> (יְקָר, "precious"), meaning costly or valuable. The miner's trained eye discerns valuable ore...
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**21. Till--**literally, "to the point that"; God's blessing on thee, when repentant, will go on increasing to the point that, or until, &c.
He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light. overflowing: Heb. weeping
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>He bindeth the floods from overflowing</strong>—miners dam underground water sources to prevent flooding. The Hebrew <em>chabash</em> (חָבַשׁ, "bindeth") means to bind up or restrain, while <em>bekhi</em> (בֶּכִי, "floods") refers to weeping or trickling water. <strong>And the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light</strong> uses <em>ta'alumah</em> (תַּעֲלֻמָה, "that which is hid"), m...
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22. The haters of Job are the wicked. They shall be clothed with shame (Jr 3:25; Psa 35:26; 109:29), at the failure of their hope that Job would utterly perish, and because they, instead of him, come to naught.
But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?
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KJV Study Commentary
Job's rhetorical question: 'But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?' This acknowledges that wisdom's location remains mysterious despite human technological achievement (mining, etc.). True wisdom transcends human discovery.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **But where shall wisdom be found?**—With magnificent effect comes in this question, after the gigantic achievements of man just recounted; notwithstanding his industry, science, and skill, he is altogether ignorant of true wisdom. Neither his knowledge nor his wealth can make him master of that; nor can he find it where he discovers so many other secret and precious things.
Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Man knoweth not the price thereof</strong>—after describing mining's achievements (verses 1-11), Job pivots: "But where shall wisdom be found?" (verse 12). Verse 13 continues: humanity doesn't know wisdom's <em>erek</em> (עֵרֶךְ, "price"), meaning value, worth, or proper estimation. <strong>Neither is it found in the land of the living</strong> uses <em>erets chayim</em> (אֶרֶץ חַיִּים), l...
Read full commentary →The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.
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KJV Study Commentary
Personified elements speak: "The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me." The noun <em>tehom</em> (תְּהוֹם, "depth") refers to the primordial deep, the abyss. The noun <em>yam</em> (יָם, "sea") represents the ocean. Job personifies creation confessing wisdom's absence. Despite containing treasures and mysteries, the deepest places cannot yield wisdom. This poetic device...
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CHAPTER 9
FIRST SERIES.
Job 9:1-35. Reply of Job to Bildad.
**2. I know it is so of a truth--**that God does not "pervert justice" (Job 8:3). But (even though I be sure of being in the right) how can a mere man assert his right--(be just) with God. The Gospel answers (Ro 3:26).
It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It: Heb. Fine gold shall not be given for it
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof</strong>—wisdom is not a market commodity. The Hebrew <em>cugar</em> (סְגַר, "gotten") in some manuscripts, or <em>natan</em> (נָתַן, "given") in others, emphasizes exchange impossibility. <em>Shaqal</em> (שָׁקַל, "weighed") refers to the ancient practice of weighing precious metals for payment. Job asserts...
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**3. If he--**God
**will contend with him--**literally, "deign to enter into judgment."
**he cannot answer, &c.--**He (man) would not dare, even if he had a thousand answers in readiness to one question of God's, to utter one of them, from awe of His Majesty.
It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.</strong> This verse continues Job's magnificent poem on wisdom (Job 28), declaring wisdom's incomparable value. The Hebrew verb <em>salah</em> (סָלָה, "valued") means to weigh, measure, or compare—wisdom cannot be measured against even the most precious materials.<br><br><strong>The gold of Ophir</strong> ...
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**4. wise in heart--**in understanding!--and mighty in power! God confounds the ablest arguer by His wisdom, and the mightiest by His power.
**hardened himself--**or his neck (Pr 29:1); that is, defied God. To prosper, one must fall in with God's arrangements of providence and grace.
The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. jewels: or, vessels of
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The gold and the crystal cannot equal it</strong>—even combining multiple precious materials doesn't match wisdom's value. Hebrew <em>zekukith</em> (זְכוּכִית, "crystal") likely refers to glass, rare and valuable in antiquity, or possibly rock crystal (quartz). <strong>And the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold</strong> uses <em>temurah</em> (תְּמוּרָה, "exchange"), meanin...
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(17) **The exchange of **it.—Or, according to some, *the attraction of it. *The remainder of this chapter calls for little remark: its unrivalled sublimity is patent, and comment is superfluous. There is a general resemblance between this chapter and Proverbs 8, and both seem to imply a knowledge of the Mosaic narrative of creation.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. and they know not--**Hebrew for "suddenly, unexpectedly, before they are aware of it" (Psa 35:8); "at unawares"; Hebrew, which "he knoweth not of" (Joe 2:14; Pr 5:6).
No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. coral: or, Ramoth
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls</strong>—even naming these precious items in comparison to wisdom is inappropriate. Hebrew <em>ramoth</em> (רָאמוֹת, "coral") refers to red coral, highly prized for jewelry. <em>Gabish</em> (גָּבִישׁ, "pearls") may refer to crystal or pearls. <strong>For the price of wisdom is above rubies</strong> uses <em>meshek</em> (מֶשֶׁךְ, "price"), mea...
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6. The earth is regarded, poetically, as resting on pillars, which tremble in an earthquake (Psa 75:3; Is 24:20). The literal truth as to the earth is given (Job 26:7).
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it</strong>—even the most exotic and valuable gem fails to match wisdom. Hebrew <em>pitdah</em> (פִּטְדָה, "topaz") refers to a yellow or green precious stone, possibly chrysolite or peridot. Ethiopia (<em>Kush</em>, כּוּשׁ) was famous for producing the finest specimens. <strong>Neither shall it be valued with pure gold</strong> uses <em>shalah</em> (ש...
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7. The sun, at His command, does not rise; namely, in an eclipse, or the darkness that accompanies earthquakes (Job 9:6).
**sealeth up the stars--**that is, totally covers as one would seal up a room, that its contents may not be seen.
Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
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KJV Study Commentary
Job repeats: 'Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding, seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living?' The repetition (from v. 12) emphasizes wisdom's hiddenness from all creatures. No earthly investigation can discover ultimate understanding.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8. spreadeth out--**(Is 40:22; Psa 104:2). But throughout it is not so much God's creating, as His governing, power over nature that is set forth. A storm seems a struggle between Nature and her Lord! Better, therefore, "Who boweth the heavens alone," without help of any other. God descends from the bowed-down heaven to the earth (Psa 18:9). The storm, wherein the clouds descend, suggests this i...
Read full commentary →Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. air: or, heaven
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.</strong> Job declares wisdom's universal hiddenness from all created beings. The verb <em>alam</em> (עָלַם, "hid") means to conceal or hide completely—wisdom remains inaccessible to natural observation or human searching. <strong>From the eyes of all living</strong> (מֵעֵינֵי כָל־חָי, <em>me-einei kol-c...
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**9. maketh--**rather, from the Arabic, "covereth up." This accords better with the context, which describes His boundless power as controller rather than as creator [Umbreit].
**Arcturus--**the great bear, which always revolves about the pole, and never sets. The Chaldeans and Arabs, early named the stars and grouped them in constellations; often travelling and tending flocks by night, they wou...
Read full commentary →Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears</strong>—In Job's poetic quest for wisdom, even the cosmic forces of <em>Abaddon</em> (אֲבַדּוֹן, destruction/the place of ruin) and <em>Mawet</em> (מָוֶת, death) are personified as witnesses to wisdom's elusiveness. These terms represent the furthest reaches of existence—the realm beyond human life. Yet even they conf...
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(22) **Destruction and death say.**—That destruction and death should have heard the fame of wisdom is natural, as it consists in departing from the evil which leads to their abode.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
10. Repeated from Eliphaz (Job 5:9).
God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
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KJV Study Commentary
After describing wisdom's hiddenness, Job declares: "God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof." The verb <em>bin</em> (בִּין, "understandeth") means to discern or perceive deeply. The verb <em>yada</em> (יָדַע, "knoweth") denotes intimate, experiential knowledge. Job affirms divine epistemological privilege—God alone possesses comprehensive understanding of wisdom's natu...
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(23) **God understandeth the way thereof.**—God is the author of wisdom, and His fear is the beginning thereof; so with His infinite knowledge of the universe He cannot but be cognisant of the place and way thereof. It is to be observed that while the foundation of wisdom is said to be coeval with that of the world, the very existence of wisdom in relation to man implied the existence of evil, bec...
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**11. I see him not: he passeth on--**The image is that of a howling wind (Is 21:1). Like it when it bursts invisibly upon man, so God is felt in the awful effects of His wrath, but is not seen (Joh 3:8). Therefore, reasons Job, it is impossible to contend with Him.
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven</strong>—This verse transitions from wisdom's hiddenness to God's omniscience. The Hebrew <em>ra'ah</em> (רָאָה, to see/perceive) appears twice, emphasizing God's comprehensive vision. <em>Qetseh ha'aretz</em> (קְצֵה־הָאָרֶץ, ends of the earth) denotes the furthest geographical extremities, while <em>tachat kol-hasha...
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12. If "He taketh away," as in my case all that was dear to me, still a mortal cannot call Him to account. He only takes His own. He is an absolute King (Ec 8:4; Da 4:35).
To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure</strong>—God's wisdom manifests in creation's precise calibration. <em>La'asot la-ruach mishqal</em> (לַעֲשׂוֹת לָרוּחַ מִשְׁקָל, to make for the wind weight/measure) personifies wind as something weighed with exact proportions. The paradox is intentional—wind seems weightless and uncontrollable, yet God assigned it sp...
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**13. If God--**rather, "God will not withdraw His anger," that is, so long as a mortal obstinately resists [Umbreit].
**the proud helpers--**The arrogant, who would help one contending with the Almighty, are of no avail against Him.
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder</strong>—Divine legislation extends to meteorological phenomena. <em>Ba'asoto la-matar choq</em> (בַּעֲשֹׂתוֹ לַמָּטָר חֹק, when He made for the rain a decree/statute) uses <em>choq</em> (חֹק), the term for binding law or statute—the same word describing God's moral law. Rain doesn't fall capriciously but accord...
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**14. How much less shall I? &c.--**who am weak, seeing that the mighty have to stoop before Him. Choose words (use a well-chosen speech, in order to reason) with Him.
Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. declare: or, number it
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out</strong>—After describing creation's precise ordering (vv. 24-26), this climactic verse reveals God's relationship with wisdom itself. Four verbs describe divine interaction with <em>chokmah</em> (חָכְמָה, wisdom): <em>ra'ah</em> (רָאָה, He saw it), <em>saphar</em> (סָפַר, declared/recounted it), <em>kun</em> (כּו...
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(27) The terms employed with reference to the Lord’s knowledge of wisdom are remarkable. They are: (1) seeing, or intuition; (2) declaring or numbering, ratiocination; (3) preparing or establishing, determination; (4) searching out, or investigation. Each of these actions implies the operation of mind, and is so far opposed to the fatality of an impersonal law or the fixed necessity of an inevitab...
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15. (Job 10:15). Though I were conscious of no sin, yet I would not dare to say so, but leave it to His judgment and mercy to justify me (1Co 4:4).
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.</strong> This verse concludes Job's magnificent poem on wisdom (chapter 28), which explores where wisdom can be found. After describing humanity's impressive ability to mine precious metals from the earth (28:1-11) and declaring that wisdom's value surpasses all treasures (28:12-19...
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(28) **And unto man he said.**—No one can for a moment suppose that this is an historical statement, or is to be treated as being one; but it is nevertheless profoundly and universally true. It is the wisdom of man as man to fear the Lord and to depart from evil; and this is God’s primary revelation to man, which virtually underlies and is involved in all others. When we are told, as we are elsewh...
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**16-17. would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice--**who breaketh me (as a tree stripped of its leaves) with a tempest.