Job 28
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1“Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine. 2Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore. 3Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness. 4He breaks open a shaft away from where people live. They are forgotten by the foot. They hang far from men, they swing back and forth. 5As for the earth, out of it comes bread; Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire. 6Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold. 7That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon’s eye seen it. 8The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there. 9He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots. 10He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing. 11He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light. 12“But where shall wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding? 13Man doesn’t know its price; Neither is it found in the land of the living. 14The deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’ 15It can’t be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for its price. 16It can’t be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. 17Gold and glass can’t equal it, neither shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold. 18No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies. 19The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, Neither shall it be valued with pure gold. 20Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding? 21Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky. 22Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’ 23“God understands its way, and he knows its place. 24For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky. 25He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure. 26When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder; 27then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out. 28To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
World English Bible (public domain)
“"And he said to man, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'"”
Job 28:28
Summary
Job 28 is a poetic exploration of where wisdom can be found. The chapter begins with a description of human efforts to mine precious metals and stones from the earth, demonstrating human ingenuity and the lengths people will go to uncover hidden treasures. Despite these efforts, true wisdom cannot be found through human labor or bought with earthly wealth. The passage then shifts to contemplate the origin and nature of wisdom, acknowledging that it is hidden from all living creatures and inaccessible to the wisdom of the world. Ultimately, the text concludes that only God understands the way to wisdom, as He alone knows all aspects of creation. The chapter emphasizes that reverence for God and turning away from evil constitute true wisdom and understanding.
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Chapter outline
How Job 28 unfolds
Job 28:1–11 Human Endeavors to Find Treasure
The chapter opens with a description of humanity's mining efforts for valuable resources, illustrating human ingenuity in seeking hidden treasures.
Job 28:12–19 The Search for Wisdom
Job then shifts focus to wisdom, questioning where it can be found and asserting that it cannot be obtained through earthly means.
Job 28:20–21 The Inaccessibility of Wisdom
The text emphasizes that wisdom is hidden from all living creatures, underscoring its elusive nature and mankind's limitation in grasping it.
Job 28:22–27 Divine Knowledge of Wisdom
Destruction and Death acknowledge their ignorance of wisdom, yet God alone understands its way, revealing the divine insight into creation.
Job 28:28 Defining True Wisdom
The chapter concludes with God declaring that reverence for Him is the essence of wisdom, highlighting the moral imperative to turn from evil.
Key verses
Job 28:28Job 28:28 encapsulates the chapter's core message about the true nature of wisdom and understanding.
Main themes in Job 28
search for wisdom
The search for wisdom is a central theme in Job 28, particularly evident in verses 12-21. Throughout these verses, Job articulates the futility of human efforts to discover wisdom through material means, emphasizing its hidden nature. This theme underlines the broader movement of the chapter, which contrasts human understanding with divine knowledge.
human limitation
Human limitation surfaces prominently in verses 12-21, where Job emphasizes the inadequacy of human efforts to discover wisdom. Throughout the chapter, Job presents various forms of human endeavor, such as mining and exploration, to illustrate that despite these attempts, true wisdom eludes humanity. This acknowledgment of limitation not only highlights the constraints of human understanding but also invites reflection on the broader theme of human existence and the quest for knowledge within the narrative.
divine insight
Divine insight is revealed in verses 23-27, where Job acknowledges that only God understands the path to wisdom. The text emphasizes that God possesses comprehensive knowledge of creation and the natural order, which remains inaccessible to humans. This reinforces the theme that wisdom is divinely ordained, contrasting human efforts with God's omniscience.
reverence for God
Reverence for God is defined as true wisdom in verse 28, concluding the chapter's exploration of wisdom. The text posits that recognizing God's sovereignty and turning away from evil constitutes the foundation of understanding. This theme encapsulates the chapter's larger movement, which emphasizes moral and spiritual wisdom over material pursuits.
Cross-references
Passages that echo Job 28
- Proverbs 1Proverbs 1 connects through its emphasis on the fear of the Lord as the beginning of knowledge, aligning with Job's conclusion.
- Proverbs 3Proverbs 3 echoes the value of wisdom and the necessity of trusting in God's understanding, paralleling Job's insights.
- Proverbs 9Proverbs 9 develops the theme of wisdom's invitation, highlighting the moral dimensions that Job identifies.
- Psalm 111Psalm 111 connects by affirming that the fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom, similar to Job's message.
- Ecclesiastes 12Ecclesiastes 12 develops the theme of fearing God as a key to wisdom, resonating with Job's assertions.
- Proverbs 8Proverbs 8 echoes the portrayal of wisdom as personified and divine, complementing Job's exploration of wisdom's nature.
Study questions
Questions for studying Job 28
- What methods do humans use to extract precious metals in verses 1-2?
- How does Job describe the inaccessibility of wisdom in verses 12-21?
- What role does God play in the understanding of wisdom according to verses 23-24?
- What is the relationship between the fear of the Lord and wisdom in verse 28?
- How does the imagery of mining in verses 1-11 relate to the search for wisdom?
- What do Destruction and Death reveal about wisdom in verses 22-23?
- How might the conclusion in verse 28 challenge prevailing thoughts about wisdom?
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