Job 28 -- Old Testament -- Gospel Daily

Job

Chapter 28

Wisdom Cannot Be Found or Bought

Job describes the mining of silver and gold, the extraction of iron and brass from stone. Men search out precious things and set bounds to darkness, finding sapphires and dust of gold in the earth, yet there is a path to wisdom that no fowl knows and the vulture's eye has not seen. God breaks through the mountains, cuts rivers among rocks, and brings hidden things to light, but wisdom cannot be found in any land of the living. The depth says it is not within, the sea says it is not there, and it cannot be purchased with gold, silver, or precious stones of any kind. However, God understands the way of wisdom and knows its place, for He looks to the ends of the earth, weighs the winds and waters, and made decrees for rain and lightning. Therefore, God says to man: the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.

Human mining and seekingWisdom's hiddennessWisdom uncommodifiedGod's knowledge of wisdomFear of God is wisdom

¹Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.

²Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.

³He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.

⁴The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.

⁵As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.

⁶The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.

⁷There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen:

⁸The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

⁹He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.

¹⁰He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.

¹¹He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

¹²But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?

¹³Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

¹⁴The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.

¹⁵It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

¹⁶It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

¹⁷The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.

¹⁸No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.

¹⁹The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

²⁰Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

²¹Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.

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

²³God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.

²⁴For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;

²⁵To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.

²⁶When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:

²⁷Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

²⁸And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.