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Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

Job 28:20

Whence then cometh wisdom? - This question is now repeated from Job 28:12, in order to give it greater emphasis. It is designed to fix the attention on the inquiry as one which found no solution in the discoveries of science, and whose solution was hidden from the most penetrating human intellect.

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See also Job 28:20 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 28:20. _WHENCE THEN COMETH WISDOM?_] Nearly the same words as in Job 28:12, where see the note....

  • 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 preceding verses indicated that Wisdom cannot be acquired by man though he should bid for it the most precious things that he possesses, in other words that it is unattainable; these verses state...

  • 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...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _WHENCE THEN COMETH WISDOM? AND WHERE IS THE PLACE OF UNDERSTANDING?_ Job 28:12 repeated with great force....

  • 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

    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

    Topaz (verse 19) may be beautiful. But it is not useful. God and silver (verse 15) are valuable. But money cannot teach us how to trust God. So wisdom is better than all these things. But wisdom is no...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְֽ֭ הַ חָכְמָה מֵ אַ֣יִן תָּבֹ֑וא 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...

  • 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

    WHENCE THEN COMETH WISDOM? AND WHERE [IS] THE PLACE OF UNDERSTANDING?] The same questions as in Job 28:12; repeated to set forth the superior excellency of wisdom, and to carry on the discourse, and l...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Whence then cometh wisdom? and where [is] the place of understanding? Ver. 20. _Whence then cometh wisdom? &c._] _See Trapp on "_ Job 28:12 _"_ _q.d._ Nowhere surely is she to be found but with God,...

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

    _Whence then cometh wisdom_, &c. By what means, then, shall we get this precious treasure of wisdom, of which we are so desirous? Who can show us where it lies, that we may go and search for it? By a...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Whence, then, cometh wisdom, and where is the place of understanding? The same question is propounded again in order to drive home the truth about to be stated....

  • 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

    This is almost. repeat of verse 12. How does one gain or find such wisdom then?...

  • 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

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

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 28:20 where H370 wisdom H2451 come H935 (H8799) place H4725 understanding H998...

  • 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

    _Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living._ MYSTERY AND DOGMA It is the dogmatism of science that stands in the way of the much-needed reconciliation, even more than the dogmatism of theology. No...

  • 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 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 2:6; Ecclesiastes 7:23; Ecclesiastes 7:24; James 1:17;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Whence, &c. — By a diligent inquiry, we find at length, that there is a twofold wisdom; one hid in God, which belongs not to us, the other revealed to man, which belongs to us and to our children....

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