Old Testament Commentary - Job 28

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 28 Wealth comes out of the earth—Wisdom cannot be purchased—The fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.
1 SURELY there is a ^avein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it. 2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone. 3 He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.		1^a OR mine
4 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men. 5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire. 6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.
7 There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen: 8 The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
9 He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots. 10 He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing. 11 ^aHe bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.		11^a HEB He restricts the rivers and streams
12 But where shall ^awisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? 13 Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.		12^a TG God, Wisdom of
14 The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. 15 It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. 16 It cannot be valued with the ^agold of ^bOphir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. 17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.		16^a Isa. 13:12 ^b 1 Kings 9:28
18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above ^arubies. 19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.		18^a Prov. 8:11 (10-11); Prov. 20:15
20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? 21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. 22 Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. 24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; 25 To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.
26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: 27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. 28 And unto man he said, Behold, the ^afear of the Lord, that is ^bwisdom^a; and to depart from evil is ^cunderstanding^b.	28^a the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom To live in the fear of the Lord is to love God with all one's heart, might, mind and strength and to have no other gods before him. Only when God comes first and foremost and all else is secondary, then there is wisdom to be found—that wisdom of righteousness, the way of truth and light, the way of God is it. Place all the wisdom, learning and understanding of man secondary and in subjection unto it, then only is there wisdom to be had and from God it is given. Reverence and honor give him who is over all things and knows all, past, present and future. Walk in his ways and according to his principles and precepts. This is wisdom. 28^b to depart from evil is understanding The way of the natural man is as an enemy of God. To place the things of the earth before God is vanity and not understanding. For understanding is to forsake the ways of man, depart from the evil thereof. And this line upon line and precept upon precept. This is pure intelligence and the glory of God. And to that level and degree of such intelligence, that understanding, we are able to rise to in this life, so much more the advantage in the life to come on that path which does have its end of purpose in and of God, that immortality and eternal life of man.	28^a TG Reverence ^b TG God, the Standard of Righteousness; TG Wisdom ^c TG Understanding