Job 28:22

22 Destruction^[a] and Death say, “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”

Job 28:22 in Other Translations

22 Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.

22 Abaddon and Death say, 'We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.'

22 Destruction and Death say, ‘We’ve heard only rumors of where wisdom can be found.’

22 If you search through the graveyard and question the dead, they say, 'We've only heard rumors of it.'

22 Destruction and Death say, We have heard a rumor thereof with our ears.

22 Decay and Death say, 'We've heard a rumor about it.'

22 Abaddon and Death say, "We have heard news of it with our ears."

22 Death and the Grave say, 'Only reports about it have reached our ears.'

Job 28:22 Meaning and Commentary

Job 28:22

Destruction and death say
Meaning the dead that are in the pit of destruction, the grave; not their dead bodies there, devoid of life and sense, and know not anything, but their souls; either the damned in hell, or the saints in heaven: the Targum is, the house of destruction, and the angel of death; or rather it regards such as are dead, who while alive had only a report of this wisdom; wherefore if their records and writings, or traditions handed down from them, are inquired into, the result of the information they will give concerning it will amount to no more than this:

we have heard the fame thereof with our ears;
it has been reported to us there is such wisdom, but what it is we know not; and this is all that we can say about it.

Job 28:22 In-Context

20 Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell?

21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds in the sky.

22 Destruction and Death say, “Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”

23 God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells,

24 for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.

Cross References

• 1. S Job 20:26; S Revelation 9:11; Job 26:6
• 2. Proverbs 8:32-36

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew "Abaddon"