Job 28 Summary

Job 28 Summary

And that leads Job to crave wisdom. He wants to see reality as God sees it and understand God’s ways in his life.

And so, for 28 verses in chapter 28, Job is going to speak of this wisdom that he needs so badly right now.

To summarize chapter 28, Job observes three realities. First, mankind is able to find all sort of precious hidden treasures. But, second, no one is able to naturally find wisdom. And third, God alone gives the wisdom that we all so desperately need.

Job 28 Summary of Verses 1-11

Mankind can find all sorts of precious hidden treasures | Job 28:1-11

So, to begin, Job takes 11 verses describing all sorts of things that mankind is able to find in this earth – verses 1-11…

KJV Job 28:1 Surely there is a [vein/mine] for [the silver/silver],
and a place for gold [where they fine/to refine] it.

Job 28:2 Iron is taken [out of/from] the [earth/dust/ground],
and [brass/copper] is [molten/smelted] [out of the/from] [stone/rock].

Job 28:3 [He/Man] [setteth/puts] an end to darkness,
and searcheth out [all perfection/to the farthest limit/the farthest recesses]:

the [stones/rock/ore] [of darkness/in gloom],
and [the shadow of death/deep shadow/the deepest darkness].

Job 28:4 [The flood breaketh/He sinks a shaft] {i.e., someone breaks a channel down into the ground… } [out/far] from [the inhabitant/habitation/where people live];
 [even the waters forgotten of the foot/in places forgotten by travelers]:

they [are dried up/hang and swing to and fro/dangle and sway], {1x in OT…}
[they are gone away/far] from men. {or, men move back and forth far from mankind in the caves…}

Job 28:5 [As for the earth/The earth], [out of/from] [it/which] cometh [bread/food]:
and under it is [turned up/overturned] as it were [by…] fire.

Job 28:6 [The stones of it/Its rocks] are the [place/source] of sapphires:
and it [hath/contains] dust of gold.

Job 28:7 [There is a path/The path/A hidden path] which no [fowl/bird of prey] knoweth,
and which the [vulture’s/falcon’s] eye hath not seen:

Job 28:8 [The lion’s whelps/Proud beasts] have not [trodden/set foot on] it,
nor the fierce lion passed [by/over/along] it.

Job 28:9 {He/Mankind} putteth forth his hand upon the [rock/flint] [to work…];
he overturneth the mountains [by/at] the [roots/bases].

Job 28:10 He [cutteth/hews/has cut] out [rivers/channels] [among/through] the rocks;
and his eye [seeth/have spotted] every precious thing.

Job 28:11 He [bindeth/dams up/has searched] the [floods from overflowing/streams from flowing/sources of the rivers];
and [the thing that is hid/what was (is) hidden] bringeth he [forth to/out into the] light.

So, there’s all sorts of activities by mankind to discover the precious materials that are inside of the earth – and even the animals, along with most humans beings – don’t know about those activities.

Job 28 Summary of Verses 12-19

But mankind cannot find wisdom | Job 28:12-19

But what a contrast there is between finding hidden earthly treasures – and finding real wisdom. Job says that mankind is unable in-and-of-ourselves to find wisdom – verses 12-19…

Job 28:12 But where [shall/can] wisdom be found?
and where is the place of understanding?

Job 28:13 [Man/Mankind] knoweth not [the price thereof/its value/its place];
neither [is/can] it found in the land of the living. {i.e., naturally…}

Job 28:14 The [depth/deep] saith,
It is not [in/with] me:

and the sea saith,
 It is not with me.

Job 28:15 It cannot be [gotten/given] [for/in exchange for] [pure/fine…] gold,
neither [shall/can] silver be weighed for the price thereof.

Job 28:16 It cannot be [valued/measured out for purchase] with the gold of Ophir,
with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.

Job 28:17 The gold and the crystal cannot [equal/be compared with] it:
and the exchange of it shall not be for [jewels/articles/a vase] of fine gold.

Job 28:18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of [pearls/crystal/jasper]:
for the price of wisdom is above [rubies/pearls].

Job 28:19 The topaz of Ethiopia [shall/cannot] [not equal/be compared with] it,
neither shall it be [valued/purchased] with pure gold.

So, wisdom is infinitely more valuable – and more elusive – than any earthly treasure. So elusive and valuable is it – that mankind is utterly unable to find or obtain it naturally with our own resources.

Job 28 Summary of Verses 20-28

God alone has and can give access to wisdom | Job 28:20-28

So, how can anyone get this precious commodity? That’s what Job goes on to ask – and then answer.

It’s God who alone gives wisdom to mankind – he is the only true source of wisdom – verses 20-28 to end the chapter….

Job 28:20 [Whence/From where] then cometh wisdom?
and where is the place of understanding? {a refrain repeated from verse 12…}

Job 28:21 [Seeing/Thus/For] it [is hid/has been hidden] from the eyes of [all/every] living [creature…],
and [kept close/concealed] from the fowls of the air.

Job 28:22 [Destruction/Abaddon] and death say,
We have heard [the fame thereof/a report of it/a rumor about where it can be found] with our ears.

Job 28:23 {but here’s how to get it…} God understandeth the way [thereof/to it],
and he [alone…] knoweth the place thereof.

Job 28:24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth,
 and [seeth/observes] [everything…] under the [whole heaven/heavens];

Job 28:25 [To/When he] [make/imparted/made] [the weight/weight/the force] [for/to/of] the winds;
and he [weigheth/meted out/measured] the waters [by measure/with a gauge].

Job 28:26 When he [made a decree/set a limit/imposed a limit] for the rain,
and a [way/course/path] for the [lightning of the thunder/thunder bolt]:

Job 28:27 Then did he see [it/wisdom], and [declare/assessed the value of] it;
he [prepared/established] it, yea, and [searched it out/examined it closely].

Job 28:28 And unto [man/mankind] he said,

Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
and to [depart/turn away] from evil is understanding.

So, those guys back in chapter 27 – the wicked – they don’t have this wisdom and they never will. Even though God is telling them all to fear him and to turn from their evil, they are set in their ways and will die that way.

But Job is different. He hasn’t found wisdom by his own cleverness or natural resourcefulness. He says that he has been given wisdom by God. He does fear the Lord – he fears displeasing God. And he turns from evil and has been doing so for a long time.

And yet, that wisdom hasn’t seemed to help him very much. Because he seems to be receiving punishment from God in the form of suffering.