Job Chapter 28
From The Open Bible Project
28:1 "Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine.
- (a) His purpose is to declare that man may attain in this world to various secrets of nature, but man is never able to comprehend the wisdom of God.
28:2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.
28:3 Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.
- (b) There is nothing but it is compassed within certain limits, and has an end, but God's wisdom.
28:4 He 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.
- (c) Meaning, him that dwells by it.
28:5 As for the earth, out of it comes bread; Underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.
- (e) That is, come and underneath is brimstone or coal, which easily conceives fire.
28:6 Sapphires come from its rocks. It has dust of gold.
- (f) He alludes to the mines and secrets of nature, which are under the earth, into which neither souls nor beasts can enter.
28:7 That path no bird of prey knows, neither has the falcon's eye seen it.
28:8 The proud animals have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed by there.
28:9 He puts forth his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
- (g) After he has declared the wisdom of God in the secrets of nature he describes his power.
28:10 He cuts out channels among the rocks. His eye sees every precious thing.
28:11 He binds the streams that they don't trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings forth to light.
28:12 "But where shall wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
- (h) Though God�s power and wisdom may be understood in earthly things, yet his heavenly wisdom cannot be attained to.
28:13 Man doesn't know its price; Neither is it found in the land of the living.
- (i) It is too high a thing for man to attain to in this world.
28:14 The deep says, 'It isn't in me.' The sea says, 'It isn't with me.'
28:15 It can't be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for its price.
- (k) It can neither be bought for gold nor precious stones, but is only the gift of God.
28:16 It can't be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the [12] sapphire [See Job Footnotes 12].
28:17 Gold and glass can't equal it, neither shall it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
28:18 No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal. Yes, the price of wisdom is above rubies.
- (l) Which was thought to be a king of precious stone.
28:19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, Neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
28:20 Whence then comes wisdom? Where is the place of understanding?
28:21 Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.
- (m) Meaning that there is no natural means by which man can attain heavenly wisdom: which he means by the souls, that fly high.
28:22 Destruction and Death say, 'We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.'
28:23 "God understands its way, and he knows its place.
- (n) He makes God the only author of this wisdom, and the giver of it.
28:24 For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.
28:25 He establishes the force of the wind. Yes, he measures out the waters by measure.
28:26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder;
28:27 then he saw it, and declared it. He established it, yes, and searched it out.
28:28 To man he said, 'Behold, the fear of the [13] Lord [See Job Footnotes 13], that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.'"
- (o) He declares that man has as much of this heavenly wisdom as he shows by fearing God and departing from evil.
