Job 28

Where Can Wisdom Be Found?

1 “Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.

2 Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore.

3 Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.

4 Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways.

5 Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.

6 Its rocks are the source of sapphires, containing flecks of gold.

7 No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it.

8 Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.

9 The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.

10 He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.

11 He stops up ^[a] the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.

12 But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?

13 No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.

14 The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’

15 It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.

16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.

17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare to it, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it.

18 Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.

19 Topaz from Cush ^[b] cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold.

20 From where, then, does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?

21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.

22 Abaddon ^[c] and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’

23 But God understands its way, and He knows its place.

24 For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.

25 When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,

26 when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt,

27 then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out.

28 And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

Job 28 Commentary

Chapter 28

Concerning wordly wealth. (1-11) Wisdom is of inestimable value. (12-19) Wisdom is the gift of God. (20-28)

Verses 1-11 Job maintained that the dispensations of Providence were regulated by the highest wisdom. To confirm this, he showed of what a great deal of knowledge and wealth men may make themselves masters. The caverns of the earth may be discovered, but not the counsels of Heaven. Go to the miners, thou sluggard in religion, consider their ways, and be wise. Let their courage and diligence in seeking the wealth that perishes, shame us out of slothfulness and faint-heartedness in labouring for the true riches. How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! How much easier, and safer! Yet gold is sought for, but grace neglected. Will the hopes of precious things out of the earth, so men call them, though really they are paltry and perishing, be such a spur to industry, and shall not the certain prospect of truly precious things in heaven be much more so?

Verses 12-19 Job here speaks of wisdom and understanding, the knowing and enjoying of God and ourselves. Its worth is infinitely more than all the riches in this world. It is a gift of the Holy Ghost which cannot be bought with money. Let that which is most precious in God's account, be so in ours. Job asks after it as one that truly desired to find it, and despaired of finding it any where but in God; any way but by Divine revelation.

Verses 20-28 There is a two-fold wisdom; one hid in God, which is secret, and belongs not to us; the other made known by him, and revealed to man. One day's events, and one man's affairs, have such reference to, and so hang one upon another, that He only, to whom all is open, and who sees the whole at one view, can rightly judge of every part. But the knowledge of God's revealed will is within our reach, and will do us good. Let man look upon this as his wisdom, To fear the Lord, and to depart from evil. Let him learn that, and he is learned enough. Where is this wisdom to be found? The treasures of it are hid in Christ, revealed by the word, received by faith, through the Holy Ghost. It will not feed pride or vanity, or amuse our vain curiosity. It teaches and encourages sinners to fear the Lord, and to depart from evil, in the exercise of repentance and faith, without desiring to solve all difficulties about the events of this life.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew; LXX and Vulgate He searches
• [b]. That is, the upper Nile region
• [c]. Abaddon means Destruction.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 28

The design of this chapter is either to show the folly of such who are very diligent in their search and pursuit after earthly things, and neglect an inquiry after that which is infinitely more valuable, true wisdom; or rather to observe, that though things the most secret, and which are hidden in the bowels of the earth, may be investigated and discovered by the sagacity and diligence of men, yet wisdom cannot, especially the wisdom of God in his providences, which are past finding out; and particularly in what concerns the prosperity of the wicked, and the afflictions of the righteous; the reason of which men should be content to be ignorant of for the present, and be studious to possess that wisdom which is attainable, and be thankful for it, if they have it; which lies in the fear of the Lord, and a departure from evil, with which this chapter concludes. It begins with setting forth the sagacity of men in searching and finding out useful metals, and other things the earth produces; the difficulty, fatigue, and labour, that attend such a search, and the dangers they are exposed unto in it, Job 28:1-11; then it declares the unsearchableness of wisdom, its superior excellency to things the most valuable, and that it is not to be found by sea or land, or among any of the creatures, Job 28:12-22; and that God only knows its way and place, who has sought it out, prepared and declared it, Job 28:23-27; and that which he has thought fit to make known of it, and is most for his glory and the good of men, is, that it is to fear God, and depart from evil, Job 28:28.