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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Job 28:23-28

JOB—NOTE ON Job 28:23 Only God understands and knows wisdom and how it is acquired (v. Job 28:23). God gives wisdom, and it is defined in relation to him: the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom (v. Job 28:28; see Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 9:10), and to turn away from evil is understanding (see Proverbs 3:7; Proverbs 16:6).

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See also Job 28:23-28 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 28:23. _GOD UNDERSTANDETH THE WAY THEREOF_] It can only be taught by a revelation from himself. Instead of הבין _hebin,_ _understandeth_, six MSS. have הכין _hechin, disposed_ or _establish...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    GOD UNDERSTANDETH THE WAY THEREOF - These are doubtless the words of Job. The meaning is, that the reason of the divine dispensations could be known only to God himself. He had given no clew by which...

  • 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...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    WINDS. Hebrew. _ruach._ App-9....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _God understandeth the way thereof_ i. e. the way THERETO (ch. Job 24:18; Genesis 3:24). The word _God_stands emphatically first in the sentence, in opposition to "all living" (Job 28:21); _He_is in p...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Wisdom can nowhere be found either by man or by any creature (Job 28:21), only by the Creator. _God_knoweth the place of it and is in possession of it, for He is the maker and upholder of the universe...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    GOD UNDERSTANDETH THE WAY THEREOF— Job having observed, that the generations of men who had lived in former ages had said, concerning wisdom, _we have heard the fame thereof with our ears,_ adds, that...

  • 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...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _GOD UNDERSTANDETH THE WAY THEREOF, AND HE KNOWETH THE PLACE THEREOF._ God hath, and is Himself wisdom. So He alone "understandeth the way thereof, and knoweth the place thereof....

  • 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...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    See on 12-28. Since God is the creator of the universe, and knows even its most secret recesses, He must know where Wisdom is to be found. Not only so, but the very work of creation and the adjustment...

  • 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...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    You may think that it is impossible to learn such wisdom. But wisdom is God’s gift to people (James 1:5). God wants everyone to learn to be wise (Proverbs 1:5)....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    GOD UNDERSTANDETH THE WAY THEREOF. — God is the author of wisdom, and His fear is the beginning thereof; so with His infinite knowledge of the universe He cannot but be cognisant of the place and way...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    אֱ֭לֹהִים הֵבִ֣ין דַּרְכָּ֑הּ וְ֝ ה֗וּא יָדַ֥ע...

  • 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

    God understandeth the (n) way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. (n) He makes God the only author of this wisdom, and the giver of it....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    CHAPTER XXVIII....

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (20) В¶ Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? (21) Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. (22) Destruction and death say,...

  • 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

    GOD UNDERSTANDETH THE WAY THEREOF,.... And he only; not the way that men can come at the knowledge of wisdom, which at present appears to be past finding out; but rather the way which wisdom itself ta...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. Ver. 23. _God understandeth the way thereof_] The only wise God, who alone knows her price, knows her retreat. _Haec sunt inferni...

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

    _God understandeth the way thereof_ God alone knows and can make known the nature and properties, the rules and measures, the plans and designs, the operations and effects, of this wisdom which we inq...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    God understandeth the way thereof, He alone is familiar with true wisdom, AND HE KNOWETH THE PLACE THEREOF, He knows exactly where it may be found....

  • 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....

  • 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

    Only God knows, for He is omniscient, seeing, hearing and knowing all. "His looking 'to the ends of the earth' and His seeing 'everything under heavens', all in one immediate glance, contrast's sharpl...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    20-28 There is a two-fold wisdom; one hid in God, which is secret, and belongs not to us; the other made known by him, and revealed to man. One day's events, and one man's affairs, have such referenc...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    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...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 28:23 God H430 understands H995 (H8689) way H1870 knows H3045 (H8804) place H4725...

  • 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...

  • 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 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 1:30; Acts 15:18; Jude 1:25; Luke 10:21; Luke 10:22;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    God — God alone. The way — The methods which he takes in the management of all affairs, together with its grounds and ends in them. The place — Where it dwells, which is only in his own mind....

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