Job 28:8

8 1The proud beasts have not trodden it; 2the lion has not passed over it.

Job 28:8 Meaning and Commentary

Job 28:8

The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion
passed by it.
] Or "upon it" F5; such creatures that are exceeding fierce and cruel, hungry and voracious, eager after their prey, range here and there in pursuit of it, search every hole and corner, and rove in dens and caves of the earth; yet these never traversed such ways and paths the miners make to get out the wealth and riches of the earth. Wicked men are sometimes compared to lions, for their cruelty and oppression exercised on the saints, breathing out threatenings and slaughter against them, ( Psalms 57:4 ) ; and particularly tyrannical princes and persecutors, as the kings of Assyria and Babylon, and Nero the Roman emperor, ( Jeremiah 1:17 ) ( 2 Timothy 4:17 ) ; these never trod the way of holiness, nor walked in the path of truth, nor knew the wisdom of God in a mystery, nor the Lord of life and glory, and the way of life and salvation by him; which is a way the unclean walk not in, or persons of such a temper and disposition; see ( Isaiah 35:8 Isaiah 35:9 ) . The former clause may be rendered, as it is by some, "the children of pride" F6, and as it is in ( Job 41:34 ) , which is the only place besides this where it is used; and so the Septuagint version, "the children of proud men": and may be accommodated to self-righteous persons, who are proud boasters of themselves and of their works, and go about to establish their own righteousness, and despise and will not submit unto the righteousness of Christ; these tread not in nor walk upon the good old way, and the only way of life, righteousness, and salvation, by Christ.


FOOTNOTES:

F5 (wyle) "super eam", Schultens.
F6 (Uxv ynb) "filii superbiae", Montanus, Beza, Bolducius, Vatablus.

Job 28:8 In-Context

6 Its stones are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold.
7 "That path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon's eye has not seen it.
8 The proud beasts have not trodden it; the lion has not passed over it.
9 "Man puts his hand to the flinty rock and overturns mountains by the roots.
10 He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing.

Cross References 2

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.