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Commentary Critical and Explanatory

Job 28:12

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

Can man discover the Divine Wisdom by which the world is governed, as he can the treasures hidden in the earth? Certainly not. Divine Wisdom is conceived as a person (Job 28:12) distinct from God (Job 28:23; also, in Proverbs 8:23; Proverbs 8:27). The Almighty Word, Jesus Christ, we know now is that Wisdom. The order of the world was originated and is maintained by the breathing forth (Spirit) of Wisdom, unfathomable and unpurchasable by man. In Job 28:28 the only aspect of it which relates to, and may be understood by, man is stated.

Understanding - insight into the plan of the divine government.

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See also Job 28:12 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 28:12. _BUT WHERE SHALL WISDOM BE FOUND?_] It is most evident that the terms _wisdom_ and _understanding_ are used here in a widely different sense from all those arts and sciences which ha...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    BUT WHERE SHALL WISDOM BE FOUND? - That is, the full understanding of the plans of God - for this is the point of inquiry. The object of Job is to show that it is not to be found in the most profound...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 28 _ 1. The treasures of the earth (Job 28:1)_ 2. The better treasures (Job 28:7) 3. God knoweth the way and the true wisdom (Job 28:23)...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    JOB 28. Here again we come to a critical question. It is difficult to fit this chapter into the argument, whether Job 27:7 is given to Job or to Zophar. It is a widely accepted conclusion of scholars...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The precious ores and costly stones though hidden have a place where they may be found, and man knows how to reach it and bring that which is hid to light, but where can Wisdom be found? and where is...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    BUT WHERE SHALL WISDOM BE FOUND?— Job continues to give further instances of the daring and yet successful attempts of mankind, to provide themselves with every necessary and conveniency of life; such...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    2. But where wisdom is, man cannot discover; only God knows. (Job 28:12-28) TEXT 28:12-28 12 BUT WHERE SHALL WISDOM BE FOUND? And where is the place of understanding? 13 Man knoweth not the price...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE MYSTERY OF DIVINE WISDOM In this famous chapter Job declares that Wisdom—that is, the principle of the divine government of the world—is a mystery not to be solved by man. Man's wisdom lies in fea...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    This man has many skills. But he is still a fool. He may discover gold and silver. He may become rich. But wisdom is better than gold or silver. If the man does not learn to be wise, that man is stupi...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    JOB, A SERVANT OF GOD Job _KEITH SIMONS_ Words in boxes (except for words in brackets) are from the Bible. This commentary has been through Advanced Checking. CHAPTER 28 JOB’S POEM ABOUT WISDOM...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    BUT WHERE SHALL WISDOM BE FOUND? — With magnificent effect comes in this question, after the gigantic achievements of man just recounted; notwithstanding his industry, science, and skill, he is altoge...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְֽ֭ הַ חָכְמָה מֵ אַ֣יִן תִּמָּצֵ֑א וְ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    XXIII. CHORAL INTERLUDE Job 28:1 THE controversy at length closed, the poet breaks into a chant of the quest of Wisdom. It can hardly be supposed to have been uttered or sung by Job. But if we may g...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE Job 28:1 A search for this pearl of great price has occupied men in every age. Job compares it with the search of the miner for the hidden treasures of the earth, Job 28:1. T...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    In a fine passage Job now discussed the question of wisdom. What was supremely lacking in his friends' dealing with him was wisdom to understand. As an introduction to the main statement of his argume...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    But where shall wisdom be found? (h) and where [is] the place of understanding? (h) Though God's power and wisdom may be understood in earthly things, yet his heavenly wisdom cannot be attained to....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Understanding, of supernatural things, which teaches us to love God, and to comprehend his counsels. This is very different from the human sagacity of which he has been speaking; and this is the gift...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (12) But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? This is a sweet verse, and a question involving in it everything important. What wisdom can it be supposed Job means? Not...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _A BRILLIANT CHAPTER_ ‘Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.… But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?’ etc. Job 28:1; Job...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 4 THROUGH 31. As to the friends of Job, they do not call for any extended remarks. They urge the doctrine that God's earthly government is a full measure and...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    BUT WHERE SHALL WISDOM BE FOUND?.... Though there is a vein for silver, a track where that lies, and is to be come at, and a place where gold is found, and where it may be refined, and parts of the ea...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    But where shall wisdom be found? and where [is] the place of understanding? Ver. 12. _But where shall wisdom be found?_] Here is now the other part of the antithesis, and the second part of the chapt...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _But where shall wisdom be found?_ I confess that man hath one kind of wisdom, and that in a great degree, namely, to discover the works of nature, and to perform the operations of art; but as for tha...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    God Alone The Possessor of True Wisdom. Over against man's foolish quest for vain and unstable riches Job places the wisdom of God, unattainable by the outward seeking and searching of men....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? True wisdom, the understanding of God, the knowledge of the revelation of God, is the highest good of man....

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    EARTH'S MEASURED TREASURES (vv.1-6) Job has spoken of the folly of wicked men. Now he shows that which stands in beautiful contrast to Chapter 27. The language here is magnificent, as Job considers...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    Yet in spite of man's technological marvels, man cannot dig into God's hidden or secret wisdom (Deuteronomy 29:29). In fact, for man to know anything about the ways of God, God must reveal it to man ...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    12-19 Job here speaks of wisdom and understanding, the knowing and enjoying of God and ourselves. Its worth is infinitely more than all the riches in this world. It is a gift of the Holy Ghost which c...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    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, a...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 28:12 where H370 wisdom H2451 found H4672 (H8735) place H4725 understanding H998 Job 28:20,...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Job 28:1 , JOB 28:12; JOB 28:20 This chapter falls naturally into three sections, the first two sections being terminated by this question, with a slight variety of statement: "Whence then cometh wisd...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Job 28:12 Every man has, down in the depths of his own being, a wisdom much greater than the wisdom of the life which he is living, or of the thoughts which he is already thinking. I. There is a cons...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Job's answer continued. The value of divine wisdom. CHARACTERS: God, Job, friends. CONCLUSION: To be truly religious is to be truly wise. If we know God, His wisdom will appear in the prac...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Job 28:2. _Brass is molten,_ melted out of ores of zinc, lapis calaminaris, light perforated ores, found on Mendip hills in Somerset, Derbyshire, and other places. Job 28:4. _The flood breaketh out fr...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _But where shall wisdom be found?_ THE SPECULATIVE DIFFICULTIES OF AN INQUIRING INTELLECT SOLVED BY THE HEART OF PRACTICAL PIETY Two things are prominently developed in this chapter--Man’s power and...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _The thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light._ THE RELIGIOUS USES AND LIMITATIONS OF SCIENCE I. The religious uses of science. “The thing that is hid man bringeth forth to light.” Some think th...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 28:12 BUT WHERE SHALL WISDOM BE FOUND? (Compare v. Job 28:20.) With all the negative statements in these verses, the answer is that true wisdom is unknown to m

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _JOB’S DESCANT ON TRUE WISDOM_ The place occupied by this chapter one peculiar to itself. Its connection with the preceding or succeeding portions of the book by no means obvious. Appears scarcely to...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JOB 28:1 The connection of this chapter with the preceding is somewhat obscure. Probably we are to regard Job as led to see, even while he is justifying God's ways with sinners (Job 27:8),...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now, Job said, turning now to a different vein of thought, he said, "Now, there are places where gold is discovered and silver is discovered, and iron and brass, men dig the shafts, they follow the ve...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 1:19; 1 Corinthians 1:20; 1 Kings 3:9; Colossians 2:3;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    That wisdom — Man hath one kind of wisdom, to discover the works of nature, and to perform the operations of art; but as for that sublime wisdom which consists in the knowledge of God and ourselves, n...

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