Job 28 The power and wisdom of God in his works of nature, Job 28:1–11. A knowledge and wisdom answering this is not found in man, nor to be bought or acquired, Job 28:12–21. Death and destruction make their report of it, Job 28:22. It is only in God, Job 28:23–27.

There is a vein for the silver; where it is hid by God, and found and fetched out by the art and industry of man. The connexion of this chapter with the former is difficult, and diversly apprehended; but this may seem to be the fairest account of it: Job having in the last chapter discoursed of…

Iron is taken out of the earth; being made of earth, concocted by the heat of the sun into that hardness, and by miners digged out of the earth. Brass; or, copper.

He; either, 1. Man, the miner; or, 2. God, of whose works of nature he here speaks; or, 3. God as the chief author and director, and man as God’s instrument in the work.

This verse speaks either, 1. Of another great and remarkable work of God, whereby in some places either new rivers break forth, or old rivers break in upon the inhabitants, and drive them away; and in other places rivers or other waters are dried up, or derived into other channels or grounds, by…

Out of it; out of the upper parts of the earth. Bread; bread-corn, or other food for man’s use. Under it; either, 1. Under the same earth, which either at the same time yields bread out of its upper, and fire out of its lower parts; or at several times; that earth which once was fruitful becoming,…

The place of sapphires, i.e. of precious stones; the sapphire, as one of the most eminent, being put for all the rest. In some parts of the earth the sapphires are mixed with stones, and cut out of them and polished. Of this stone, see Ex. 24:10, Song 5:14, Lam. 4:7, Ezek. 1:26. It hath, i.e.

A path, to wit, in the dark depths and bowels of the earth. The vulture; whose eye is very quick and strong, and which searcheth all places for its prey, but cannot reach to these places, which yet the wisdom of man by the direction of God’s providence findeth out.

The lion’s whelps, Heb. the sons of pride; a fit name for lions, which are lofty and stately creatures, despising both men and all other beasts that oppose them. The fierce lion; which rangeth all places for prey, and findeth out the deepest dens and caves of the earth.

This and the two next verses are meant either, 1. Of other eminent and considerable works of God, who sometimes overturneth rocks, and produceth new rivers in unlikely places. Or rather, 2.

He maketh channels among the rocks to convey away that water which was breaking in upon him, and if not thus diverted, would have spoiled his work; of which See Poole “Job 28:4”.

He restraineth the floods, and as it were bindeth them to their good behaviour, that they may not overflow the mine; and those metals which did lie hid in the secret parts of the earth, he discovers to himself and others.

Wisdom, Heb. that wisdom; for here is an article which seems to be emphatical. The sense is, I confess that man hath one kind of wisdom in a great measure, to wit, to discover the works of nature, and to perform the operations of art; but as for that sublime and eminent wisdom, which consists in…

Man knoweth neither where to purchase it, nor how much it is worth, nor what to offer in exchange for it. In the land of the living; amongst mortal men that live upon earth, but only amongst those blessed spirits that dwell above.

The depth, to wit, of the earth, because the sea here follows as a differing place. This is a very common figure, whereby speech is ascribed to dumb and senseless creatures.

For gold; the choicest gold laid up in treasures, as the word signifies. Weighed, to wit, in the balance; for in those times money was paid by weight, not by tale. See Gen. 23:16, Jer. 23:9–10.

The gold of Ophir was the best sort of gold. See Poole “1 Kings 9:28”, See Poole “Job 22:24”. Onyx, or sardonyx. See Poole “Ex. 28:20”.

The crystal; or, amber, which in those parts was of very great price; or, the diamond. The Hebrew word is not elsewhere used, and it hath in it the signification of purity, or clearness, or brightness.

No mention shall be made; they are of no value, nor worthy to be named the same day with this, nor fit to be mentioned as a price or recompence wherewith to purchase this. The price; or, the attraction, or acquisition; or rather, the extraction, or drawing forth.

The topaz; of which see Ex. 28:17, Ex. 39:10. Of Ethiopia, or, of Arabia; for Cush signifies both Ethiopia and Arabia; and the topaz was found in the Red Sea, which lay between both, and so might be ascribed to either.

Where this precious treasure lies, and whence a man may fetch it.

Of all living; of all men that live upon the earth. From the fowls of the air: though they fly high, and can see far and well, yet they cannot discern this: men of the most raised understandings cannot discover it.

Destruction and death; either, 1. Men that are dead, and thereby freed from the encumbrance of their bodies, which depress their minds, and have more raised thoughts than men that live here. Or, 2.

God, i.e. God alone; as appears by the denial of it to all other things. The way thereof; either the way how it is to be obtained; or rather, the methods or courses which it takes in the management of all affairs in the world, together with its grounds and ends in them.

He, and he only, knows it, because his providence, and that only, is infinite and universal, reaching to all places, and times, and things, past, present, and to come; whereas the most acute and knowing men have narrow understandings, and see but very few things and small parcels of the works of…

To make the weight for the winds; which of themselves are most light, and without any weight, and inconstant, and such as no creature can order or govern them: but God manageth them all by weight, appointing to every wind that blows its season, its proportion, its bounds and limits, when, and…

When he made; which was either from eternity, or at the first creation, when he settled that course and order which should afterwards be continued. Or, when he maketh: but our translation seems best to suit with the then in the next verse, where the sense is completed.

Then; either from eternity, when he decreed what he would do, or when he first created them. Did he see it, i.e. wisdom, which is the subject matter of the present discourse.

And; or rather, but; for this is added by way of opposition, to show that man’s wisdom doth not lie in a curious inquiry into, or in an exact knowledge of, the secret paths of God’s counsel and providence: but in things of another and of a lower nature.