Job 28

Job 28:1

28:1-11 This lovely chapter is built around the question voiced in both verses 12 and 20: But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?Man shows great skill and perseverance in digging for precious metals and jewels. Here in the first section of the chapter human cleverness (seen in mining) has been unable to find wisdom. In verses 13-19 human riches are incapable of buying wisdom, and in verses 21-28 God alone is seen as the giver of wisdom. The description of mining in ancient times is very fascinating, but contains some difficulties for translators. Verse 4 is especially hard: nearly every English version has a different understanding of the text here. Andersen comments that “it is hard to believe that they all had the same Hebrew text in front of them.” Unlike Bildad, who calls man “a maggot,” Job admits man’s cleverness in mining: Man’s remarkable success as a miner shows how clever and intelligent he is; but, for all that, he has failed completely to unearth wisdom. 28:12-19 The path of wisdom is not found so easily. It cannot be discovered in the land or the sea, it cannot be purchased, nor can an adequate price be placed on it, because its price . . . is above rubies and topaz, and cannot be valued in pure gold. 28:20-28 Wisdom and understanding are hidden from the eyes of all living creatures. Destruction and Death have only heard . . . about them. The same God who designed the patterns of nature is the source of wisdom, because He . . . declared and prepared it. To fear Him is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding. This chapter seems to imply that we should submit to God’s providential dealings even if we don’t always understand them.