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Commentary on Job 28 verses 20–28
The question which Job had asked (Job 28:12) he asks again here; for it is too worthy, too weighty, to be let fall, until we speed in the enquiry. Concerning this we must seek till we find, till we get some satisfactory account of it. By a diligent prosecution of this enquiry he brings it, at length, to this issue, that there is a twofold wisdom, one hidden in God, which is secret and belongs not to us, the other made known by him and revealed to man, which belongs to us and to our children.
I. The knowledge of God's secret will, the will of his providence, is out of our reach, and what God has reserved to himself. It belongs to the Lord our God. To know the particulars of what God will do hereafter, and the reasons of what he is doing now, is the knowledge Job first speaks of.
1.This knowledge is hidden from us. It is high, we cannot attain unto it (Job 28:21, Job 28:22): It is hid from the eyes of all living, even of philosophers, politicians, and saints; it is kept close from the fowls of the air; though they fly high and in the open firmament of heaven, though they seem somewhat nearer that upper world where the source of this wisdom is, though their eyes behold afar off (Job 39:29), yet they cannot penetrate into the counsels of God. No, man is wiser than the fowls of heaven, and yet comes short of this wisdom. Even those who, in their speculations, soar highest, and think themselves, like the fowls of the air, above the heads of other people, yet cannot pretend to this knowledge. Job and his friends had been arguing about the methods and reasons of the dispensations of Providence in the government of the world. "What fools are we" (says Job) "to fight in the dark thus, to dispute about that which we do not understand!" The line and plummet of human reason can never fathom the abyss of the divine counsels. Who can undertake to give the rationale of Providence, or account for the maxims, measure, and methods of God's government, those arcana imperii - cabinet counsels of divine wisdom? Let us then be content not to know the future events of the Providence until time discover them (Act 1:7) and not to know the secret reasons of Providence until eternity discover them. God is now a God that hideth himself (Isa 45:15); clouds and darkness are round about him. Though this wisdom be hidden from all living, yet destruction and death say, We have heard the fame of it. Though they cannot give an account of themselves (for there is no wisdom, nor device, nor knowledge at all in the grave, much less this), yet there is a world on the other side death and the grave, on which those dark regions border, and to which we must pass through them, and there we shall see clearly what we are now in the dark about. "Have a little patience," says Death to the inquisitive soul: "I will fetch thee shortly to a place where even this wisdom will be found." When the mystery of God shall be finished it will be laid open, and we shall know as we are known; when the veil of flesh is rent, and the interposing clouds are scattered, we shall know what God does, though we know not now, Joh 13:7.
2.This knowledge is hidden in God, as the apostle speaks, Eph 3:9. Known unto God are all his works, though they are not known to us, Act 15:18. There are good reasons for what he does, though we cannot assign them (Job 28:23): God understands the way thereof. Men sometimes do they know not what, but God never does. Men do what they did not design to do; new occurrences put them upon new counsels, and oblige them to take new measures. But God does all according to the purpose which he purposed in himself, and which he never alters. Men sometimes do that which they cannot give a good reason for, but in every will of God there is a counsel: he knows both what he does and why he does it, the whole series of events and the order and place of every occurrence. This knowledge he has in perfection, but keeps to himself. Two reasons are here given why God must needs understand his own way, and he only: -
(1.)Because all events are now directed by an all-seeing and almighty Providence, Job 28:24, Job 28:25. He that governs the world is, [1.] Omniscient; for he looks to the ends of the earth, both in place and time; distant ages, distant regions, are under his view. We do not understand our own way, much less can we understand God's way, because we are short-sighted. How little do we know of what is doing in the world, much less of what will be done? But the eyes of the Lord are in every place; nay, they run to and fro through the earth. Nothing is, or can be, hidden from him; and therefore the reasons why some wicked people prosper remarkably and others are remarkably punished in this world, which are secret to us, are known to him. One day's events, and one man's affairs, have such a reference to, and such a dependence upon, another's, that he only to whom all events and all affairs are naked and open, and who sees the whole at one entire and certain view, is a competent Judge of every part. [2.] He is omnipotent. He can do every thing, and is very exact in all he does. For proof of this Job mentions the winds and waters, Job 28:25. What is lighter than the wind? Yet God hath ways of poising it. He knows how to make the weight for the winds, which he brings out of his treasuries (Psa 135:7), keeping a very particular account of what he draws out, as men do of what they pay out of their treasuries, not at random, as men bring out their trash. Nothing sensible is to us more unaccountable than the wind. We hear the sound of it, yet cannot tell whence it comes, nor whither it goes; but God gives it out by weight, wisely ordering both from what point it shall blow and with what strength. The waters of the sea, and the rain-waters, he both weighs and measures, allotting the proportion of every tide and every shower. A great and constant communication there is between clouds and seas, the waters above the firmament and those under it. Vapours go up, rains come down, air is condensed into water, water rarefied into air; but the great God keeps an exact account of all the stock with which this trade is carried on for the public benefit and sees that none of it be lost. Now if, in these things, Providence be so exact, much more in dispensing frowns and favours, rewards and punishments, to the children of men, according to the rules of equity.
(2.)Because all events were from eternity designed and determined by an infallible prescience and immutable decree, Job 28:26, Job 28:27. When he settled the course of nature he foreordained all the operations of his government. [1.] He settled the course of nature. Job mentions particularly a decree for the rain and a way for the thunder and lightening. The general manner and method, and the particular uses and tendencies, of these strange performances, both their causes and their effects, were appointed by the divine purpose; hence God is said to prepare lightnings for the rain, Psa 135:7; Jer 10:13. [2.] When he did that he laid all the measures of his providence, and drew an exact scheme of the whole work from first to last. Then, from eternity, did he see in himself, and declare to himself, the plan of his proceedings. Then he prepared it, fixed it, and established it, set every thing in readiness for all his works, so that, when any thing was to be done, nothing was to seek, nor could any thing unforeseen occur, to put it either out of its method or out of its time; for all was ordered as exactly as if he had studied it and searched it out, so that, whatever he does, nothing can be put to it nor taken from it, and therefore it shall be for ever, Ecc 3:14. Some make Job to speak of wisdom here as a person, and translate it, Then he saw her and showed her, etc., and then it is parallel with that of Solomon concerning the essential wisdom of the Father, the eternal Word, Pro 8:22, etc. Before the earth was, then was I by him, Joh 1:1, Joh 1:2.
II. The knowledge of God's revealed will, the will of his precept, and this is within our reach; it is level to our capacity, and will do us good (Job 28:28): Unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord that is wisdom. Let it not be said that when God concealed his counsels from man, and forbade him that tree of knowledge, it was because he grudged him any thing that would contribute to his real bliss and satisfaction; no, he let him know as much as he was concerned to know in order to his duty and happiness; he shall be entrusted with as much of his sovereign mind as is needful and fit for a subject, but he must not think himself fit to be a privy-counsellor. He said to Adam (so some), to the first man, in the day in which he was created; he told him plainly it was not for him to amuse himself with over-curious searches into the mysteries of creation, nor to pretend to solve all the phenomena of nature; he would find it neither possible nor profitable to do so. No less wisdom (says archbishop Tillotson) than that which made the world can thoroughly understand the philosophy of it. But let him look upon this as his wisdom, to fear the Lord and to depart from evil; let him learn that, and he is learned enough; let this knowledge serve his turn. When God forbade man the tree of knowledge he allowed him the tree of life, and this is that tree, Pro 3:18. We cannot attain true wisdom but by divine revelation. The Lord giveth wisdom, Pro 2:6. Now the matter of that is not found in the secrets of nature or providence, but in the rules for our own practice. Unto man he said, not, "Go up to heaven, to fetch happiness thence;" or, "Go down to the deep, to draw it up thence." No, the word is nigh thee, Deu 30:14. He hath shown thee, O man! not what is great, but what is good, not what the Lord thy God designs to do with thee, but what he requires of thee, Mic 6:8. Unto you, O men! I call, Pro 8:4. Lord, what is man that he should be thus minded, thus visited! Behold, mark, take notice of this; he that has ears let him hear what the God of heaven says to the children of men: The fear of the Lord, that is the wisdom. Here is, 1. The description of true religion, pure religion, and undefiled; it is to fear the Lord and depart from evil, which agrees with God's character of Job, Job 1:1. The fear of the Lord is the spring and summary of all religion. There is a slavish fear of God, springing from hard thoughts of him, which is contrary to religion, Mat 25:24. There is a selfish fear of God springing from dreadful thoughts of him, which may be a good step towards religion, Act 9:5. But there is a filial fear of God, springing from great and high thoughts of him, which is the life and soul of all religion. And, wherever this reigns in the heart, it will appear by a constant care to depart from evil, Pro 16:6. This is essential to religion. We must first cease to do evil, or we shall never learn to do well. Virtus est vitium fugere - Even in our flight from vice some virtue lies. 2. The commendation of religion: it is wisdom and understanding. To be truly religious is to be truly wise. As the wisdom of God appears in the institution of religion, so the wisdom of man appears in the institution of religion, so the wisdom of man appears in the practice and observance of it. It is understanding, for it is the best knowledge of truth; it is wisdom, for it is the best management of our affairs. Nothing more surely guides our way and gains our end than being religious.
Nothing has more value than that art, nothing is more powerful than that wisdom. “The fear of the Lord, that is the beginning of wisdom, and all those who practice it have good understanding.” That is the greatest of all goods. Supreme wisdom is to worship God, not to take trouble to make useless notices, and especially to enquire about events. Do not believe that you may find a different wisdom.
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SUMMARY
Job 28:27 serves as the profound climax of a poetic interlude dedicated to the nature of true wisdom, contrasting humanity's remarkable but limited ability to extract material wealth from the earth with the unsearchable value of divine wisdom. This verse unequivocally declares God's unique and exclusive relationship with wisdom, asserting that He alone fully comprehends, establishes, and intimately knows it. It positions God as wisdom's sole possessor and ultimate source, a truth entirely inaccessible through human endeavor or discovery.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Chapter 28 functions as a magnificent, self-contained hymn to wisdom, strategically placed within the ongoing dialogue between Job and his friends. It provides a dramatic shift in focus from the immediate suffering of Job and the debates concerning divine justice to the transcendent nature of wisdom itself. The chapter meticulously builds its argument: Job 28:1-11 details humanity's ingenious efforts to mine precious metals, highlighting human capability in the physical realm. Job 28:12-22 then pivots dramatically, posing the rhetorical question of where wisdom can be found and emphatically stating that it cannot be bought with any earthly treasure or discovered in any earthly domain. This sets the stage for the revelation that only God knows wisdom's path. Job 28:23-26 further underscore God's comprehensive knowledge of all creation—from the depths of the earth to the expanse of the heavens, the weight of the wind, and the measure of the waters—thereby preparing the reader for the ultimate declaration in the verse under consideration, which states God's direct and exhaustive relationship with wisdom itself. The chapter then concludes in Job 28:28, defining true wisdom for humanity as the fear of the Lord and departure from evil.
Historical & Cultural Context: The Book of Job is a masterpiece of ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature, a genre prevalent in cultures like Egypt and Mesopotamia. These texts often explored life's profound questions, the nature of suffering, and the pursuit of knowledge and virtue. In this cultural milieu, "wisdom" (Hebrew: ḥokhmah) was not merely intellectual acumen but a practical skill for living well, understanding the world, and discerning divine order. It encompassed moral insight, practical prudence, and a deep understanding of the cosmos. Unlike other wisdom traditions that might suggest wisdom could be attained through human observation or tradition, Job 28, and particularly Job 28:27, makes a radical claim: ultimate wisdom is not a human discovery but a divine revelation and possession. This challenges the common humanistic striving for self-sufficiency in understanding life's deepest mysteries, placing the source of all true wisdom firmly in the hands of the Creator, a concept deeply rooted in Israelite theology, as seen in passages like Proverbs 1:7.
Key Themes: Job 28 as a whole, and Job 28:27 in particular, powerfully articulate several core theological themes. Foremost is the transcendence and exclusivity of divine wisdom. The chapter meticulously contrasts humanity's impressive but finite grasp of the physical world with God's infinite, inherent, and comprehensive knowledge of wisdom. This wisdom is not something God "finds" or "discovers" but something He inherently possesses, establishes, and fully comprehends. Secondly, the verse emphasizes God's sovereign ordering of creation through wisdom. The preceding verses, such as Job 28:25-26, link God's wisdom directly to His meticulous design and governance of the natural world, suggesting that divine wisdom is not an abstract concept but is intrinsically woven into the very fabric, laws, and operations of the universe He created. This reinforces the idea that true understanding of the cosmos ultimately points back to the Creator's wise design, a truth echoed throughout the biblical narrative, from the creation account in Genesis 1 to the wisdom literature of Proverbs.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 28:27, though concise, employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound theological message. The most prominent is Anthropomorphism, where human actions and attributes ("see," "declare," "prepared," "searched it out") are ascribed to God. This device makes God's relationship with the abstract concept of wisdom more relatable and comprehensible to human readers, emphasizing the active, deliberate, and exhaustive nature of His knowledge, rather than a passive or incomplete understanding. The verse also utilizes Parallelism through its series of verbs, each building upon the last to create a cumulative effect of God's complete mastery over wisdom. The progression from "see" (comprehension) to "declare" (ordering/articulation) to "prepared" (establishment) and finally "searched it out" (exhaustive knowledge) forms a powerful rhetorical climax, underscoring the totality of God's interaction with wisdom. Furthermore, the entire chapter, culminating in this verse, functions as a Hymn to Wisdom, elevating wisdom to a divine attribute and demonstrating its inaccessibility to human effort, thereby setting the stage for the revelation of God's unique possession of it. This makes the verse a Climax of the chapter's central argument, providing the definitive answer to the question posed at the beginning of the interlude: "Where then does wisdom come from?" (Job 28:20).
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 28:27 stands as a cornerstone in biblical theology, asserting God's exclusive ownership and comprehensive understanding of wisdom. This profound truth underscores that true wisdom is not a human construct or discovery but a divine attribute, inherent in God's very nature and foundational to His creative and redemptive acts. It challenges human autonomy in the pursuit of ultimate knowledge, redirecting our gaze from self-reliance to divine revelation. This verse establishes that wisdom is not merely an intellectual capacity but an ordering principle, meticulously established and known by God, which governs the cosmos and provides the framework for all true understanding. It implies that any genuine wisdom accessible to humanity must ultimately derive from this divine source, shaping our approach to knowledge with humility and dependence on God's revealed truth.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 28:27 offers a profound call to humility and a reorientation of our pursuit of wisdom. In a world that often prizes human ingenuity, intellectual prowess, and the accumulation of knowledge, this verse reminds us that ultimate wisdom—the kind that truly orders life, brings peace, and provides lasting understanding—resides solely with God. Our most diligent efforts to "mine" truth from the world, while valuable in their own sphere, will always fall short of grasping the divine wisdom that undergirds all existence. Therefore, true wisdom for humanity is not found in discovering it ourselves, but in receiving it from its divine source. This necessitates a posture of dependence, acknowledging God's sovereignty and seeking His revealed truth. It compels us to recognize that the "fear of the Lord," as articulated in Job 28:28, is not a fearful dread but a reverent submission to the One who alone comprehends and establishes all wisdom. This reverence leads to obedience and a life aligned with His divine principles, which are graciously unveiled in His Word.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "it" refer to in Job 28:27?
Answer: In Job 28:27, the pronoun "it" unequivocally refers to "wisdom," which is the central theme and subject of the entire chapter. The chapter begins by exploring where wisdom can be found, contrasting it with precious earthly treasures that humanity can mine and acquire. It repeatedly states that wisdom's value is beyond any earthly price and its location is hidden from all living creatures and even the realm of the dead. Therefore, when Job 28:27 declares that God "saw it, and declared it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out," it is affirming that God alone possesses, comprehends, and establishes this ultimate, transcendent wisdom that humanity cannot discover on its own.
Why does the verse say God "searched it out" if He is omniscient and already knows everything?
Answer: The phrase "searched it out" (Hebrew: châqar) when applied to God is an example of anthropomorphism, attributing a human action or characteristic to God to help us understand a divine truth. For humans, châqar implies investigation, exploration, or discovery, a process of learning something new. However, for an omniscient God, who knows all things perfectly and inherently, it does not imply a process of discovery or a lack of prior knowledge. Instead, when used in reference to God, "searched it out" emphasizes the absolute thoroughness, depth, and exhaustiveness of His knowledge concerning wisdom. It means that God's understanding of wisdom is utterly complete, penetrating to its deepest mysteries, leaving no aspect unknown or uncomprehended by Him. It underscores that His wisdom is not superficial but profoundly intricate and perfectly understood by Him alone, reinforcing the idea that His "judgments are unsearchable and his ways past finding out" (Romans 11:33).
How does Job 28:27 relate to the overall message of the Book of Job?
Answer: Job 28:27 is a pivotal verse that provides the climactic answer to the central question of the Book of Job's wisdom interlude: Where can true wisdom be found? Throughout the preceding dialogues, Job and his friends have grappled with the problem of suffering and divine justice, often appealing to human understanding and traditional wisdom. Chapter 28, culminating in this verse, shifts the perspective by asserting that ultimate wisdom is not accessible through human reason or experience alone; it belongs exclusively to God. This sets the stage for God's eventual appearance in Job 38-41, where He demonstrates His unchallengeable wisdom and power through His creation, rather than providing a direct explanation for Job's suffering. The verse thus prepares the reader for the humbling realization that human understanding is limited and that true wisdom lies in reverent submission to God's incomprehensible sovereignty, as echoed in Job 28:28: "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding."
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 28:27, in its declaration of God's exclusive and comprehensive possession of wisdom, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament often personifies wisdom as a divine attribute present with God at creation, as seen in Proverbs 8:22-31, the New Testament reveals that this divine wisdom is not merely an abstract concept but is fully embodied in the Son of God. Paul explicitly states that Christ "is the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24), and that "in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). Just as Job 28:27 asserts that God "saw," "declared," "prepared," and "searched out" wisdom, so too is Christ the perfect expression and embodiment of that divine wisdom. He is the Word through whom all things were made (John 1:1-3), the very blueprint and active agent of creation, reflecting the wisdom that God established from eternity. Therefore, the human quest for wisdom, so eloquently depicted as futile apart from God in Job 28, culminates in an encounter with Jesus, for to know Him is to know the very wisdom of God made manifest, providing not only understanding but also redemption and life.