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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 28:1–11. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here Job shows, 1. What a great way the wit of man may go in diving into the depths of nature and seizing the riches of it, what a great deal of knowledge and wealth men may, by their ingenious and industrious searches, make themselves masters of. But does it therefore follow that men may, by their wit, comprehend the reasons why some wicked people prosper and others are punished, why some good people prosper and others are afflicted? No, by no means. The caverns of the earth may be discovered, but not the counsels of heaven. 2. What a great deal of care and pains worldly men take to get riches. He had observed concerning the wicked man (Job 27:16) that he heaped up silver as the dust; now here he shows whence that silver came which he was so fond of and how it was obtained, to show what little reason wicked rich men have to be proud of their wealth and pomp. Observe here,
I.The wealth of this world is hidden in the earth.
Thence the silver and the gold, which afterwards they refine, are fetched, Job 28:1. There they lay mixed with a great deal of dirt and dross, like a worthless thing, of no more account than common earth; and abundance of them will so lie neglected, till the earth and all the works therein shall be burnt up. Holy Mr. Herbert, in his poem called Avarice, takes notice of this, to shame men out of the love of money: -
Money, thou bane of bliss, thou source of woe,
Whence com'st thou, that thou art so fresh and fine?
I know thy parentage is base and low;
Man found thee poor and dirty in a mine.
Surely thou didst so little contribute
To this great kingdom which thou now hast got
That he was fain, when thou wast destitute,
To dig thee out of thy dark cave and grot.
Man calleth thee his wealth, who made thee rich,
And while he digs out thee falls in the ditch.
Iron and brass, less costly but more serviceable metals, are taken out of the earth (Job 28:2), and are there found in great abundance, which abates their price indeed, but is a great kindness to man, who could much better be without gold than without iron. Nay, out of the earth comes bread, that is, bread-corn, the necessary support of life, Job 28:5. Thence man's maintenance is fetched, to remind him of his own original; he is of the earth, and is hastening to the earth. Under it is turned up as it were fire, precious stones, that sparkle as fire - brimstone, that is apt to take fire - coal, that is proper to feed fire. As we have our food, so we have our fuel, out of the earth. There the sapphires and other gems are, and thence gold-dust is digged up;, Job 28:6. The wisdom of the Creator has placed these things, 1. Out of our sight, to teach us not to set our eyes upon them, Pro 23:5. 2. Under our feet, to teach us not to lay them in our bosoms, nor to set our hearts upon them, but to trample upon them with a holy contempt. See how full the earth is of God's riches (Psa 104:24) and infer thence, not only how great a God he is whose the earth is and the fulness thereof (Psa 24:1), but how full heaven must needs be of God's riches, which is the city of the great King, in comparison with which this earth is a poor country.
II.The wealth that is hidden in the earth cannot be obtained but with a great deal of difficulty.
1.It is hard to be found out: there is but here and there a vein for the silver, Job 28:1. The precious stones, though bright themselves, yet, because buried in obscurity and out of sight, are called stones of darkness and the shadow of death. Men may search long before they light on them.
2.When found out it is hard to be fetched out. Men's wits must be set on work to contrive ways and means to get this hidden treasure into their hands. They must with their lamps set an end to darkness; and if one expedient miscarry, one method fail, they must try another, till they have searched out all perfection, and turned every stone to effect it, Job 28:3. They must grapple with subterraneous waters (Job 28:4, Job 28:10, Job 28:11), and force their way through rocks which are, as it were, the roots of the mountains, Job 28:9. Now God has made the getting of gold, and silver, and precious stones, so difficult,
(1.)For the exciting and engaging of industry. Dii laboribus omnia vendunt - Labour is the price which the gods affix to all things. If valuable things were too easily obtained men would never learn to take pains. But the difficulty of gaining the riches of this earth may suggest to us what violence the kingdom of heaven suffers.
(2.)For the checking and restraining of pomp and luxury. What is for necessity is had with a little labour from the surface of the earth; but what is for ornament must be dug with a great deal of pains out of the bowels of it. To be fed is cheap, but to be fine is chargeable.
III.Though the subterraneous wealth is thus hard to obtain, yet men will have it.
He that loves silver is not satisfied with silver, and yet is not satisfied without it; but those that have much must needs have more. See here,
1.What inventions men have to get this wealth. They search out all perfection, Job 28:3. They have arts and engines to dry up the waters, and carry them off, when they break in upon them in their mines and threaten to drown the work, Job 28:4. They have pumps, and pipes, and canals, to clear their way, and, obstacles being removed, they tread the path which no fowl knoweth (Job 28:7, Job 28:8), unseen by the vulture's eye, which is piercing and quick-sighted, and untrodden by the lion's whelps, which traverse all the paths of the wilderness.
2.What pains men take, and what vast charge they are at, to get this wealth. They work their way through the rocks and undermine the mountains, Job 28:10.
3.What hazards they run. Those that dig in the mines have their lives in their hands; for they are obliged to bind the floods from overflowing (Job 28:11), and are continually in danger of being suffocated by damps or crushed or buried alive by the fall of the earth upon them. See how foolish man adds to his own burden. He is sentenced to eat bread in the sweat of his face; but, as if that were not enough, he will get gold and silver at the peril of his life, though the more is gotten the less valuable it is. In Solomon's time silver was as stones. But,
4.Observe what it is that carries men through all this toil and peril: Their eye sees every precious thing, Job 28:10. Silver and gold are precious things with them, and they have them in their eye in all these pursuits. They fancy they see them glittering before their faces, and, in the prospect of laying hold of them, they make nothing of all these difficulties; for they make something of their toil at last: That which is hidden bringeth he forth to light, Job 28:11. What was hidden under ground is laid upon the bank; the metal that was hidden in the ore is refined from its dross and brought forth pure out of the furnace; and then he thinks his pains well bestowed. Go to the miners then, thou sluggard in religion; consider their ways, and be wise. Let their courage, diligence, and constancy in seeking the wealth that perisheth shame us out of slothfulness and faint-heartedness in labouring for the true riches. How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! How much easier and safer! Yet gold is sought for, but grace neglected. Will the hopes of precious things out of the earth (so they call them, though really they are paltry and perishing) be such a spur to industry, and shall not the certain prospect of truly precious things in heaven be much more so?
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
He means that if God has established an order in the realities of nature, he did even more with regard to human realities. Indeed, he foresees and takes care of events, and nothing comes from him at random. Or, on the other hand, [he means] that the whole of realities is quite visible but the plans of God are invisible; in fact, silver and copper have a place, whereas nobody has ever known the “place” of wisdom. But God only knows wisdom, and he has said to mortals that “piety is wisdom,” and knowledge means to do good.“He has set a place for darkness,” he says; he was right in saying “a place,” because darkness knows how to give way and fade away [before the daylight]. Who drives this obscurity away? From where does such beautiful order in such a situation come? Then he discusses his power, and then his wisdom in order to persuade us that he does not want to call God to account. Why darkness, he says? Do we really know anything at all? God can do anything. He does everything with wisdom.
46. He hath Himself ‘set a time to the darkness,’ i.e. bounds to the wicked, where they should cease to be wicked. Whence it is said to them by the Apostle; Ye-were sometimes darkness, but 1l0W are ye light in the Lord. Like as to the other disciples as well the same great teacher saith, The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore put off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly as in the day. Hence also in the Song of Songs on the coming of the Church it is said, Who is she that cometh forth as the morning in rising?
For fitly is the Church described by being compared with ‘the morning,’ in that, by the knowledge of the faith she is changed from the darkness of sins to be in the bright light of righteousness. By the term of ‘all and every one,’ he would have both the Elect and the damned to be comprehended. For God both in doing and ordering what is good, yet not doing what is bad, but what by the wicked is done Himself so regulating that the things should not come forth irregularly, ‘vieweth the end of all and every one,’ and bears all things patiently, and beholds the goal of the Elect, how that from evil they are changed to good. He sees, too, the end of the damned, how that for bad practice they are dragged to a punishment worthy of them. He saw the end of Saul when persecuting, wherein prostrated on the earth he should say, Lora, what wilt Thou have me to do? He saw the end of the seeming-obedient disciple, that for the guilty deed he had committed he should tie his throat with a noose, and both punish himself when guilty of sin, and by thus punishing, betray himself the worse. He saw the Ninevites transgressing, but beheld the end of the transgressing in the repentance of the reformed. He saw likewise Sodom transgressing, but He beheld the end of the burning of lust in the fire of hell. He saw the end of the Gentile world, how that whilst occupied by the darkness of iniquities, it should be one day brightened with the light of faith. He also saw the end of Judaea, how that from that light of faith, which it held, it should blind itself with the darkness of hardened unbelief.
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Summary
Job 28:3 is a profound declaration embedded within a poetic hymn to wisdom, contrasting humanity's remarkable ability to extract earthly treasures with God's exclusive dominion over the deepest, most hidden, and perilous realms. It asserts that "He" (God) alone possesses the ultimate power to illuminate and comprehend the profound mysteries of existence, including the "stones of darkness" and the "shadow of death," thereby setting the stage for the chapter's central argument that true wisdom is divine, inaccessible to human ingenuity, and known only to God.
Context
Literary Context
Job 28 stands as a unique, self-contained poetic interlude within the larger dialogue between Job and his friends. It shifts the focus from their arguments about suffering and divine justice to a magnificent meditation on wisdom. Verses Job 28:1-2 describe humanity's impressive feats in mining, digging deep into the earth to find precious metals and stones, piercing through dark and unknown places. Verse 3 then introduces a stark contrast, pivoting from human capability to divine omnipotence. The "He" of verse 3 is implicitly God, or the ultimate source of wisdom, who not only permits human exploration but fundamentally "setteth an end to darkness," demonstrating His absolute sovereignty over all hidden realms. This verse thus serves as a crucial bridge, highlighting the limits of human enterprise in contrast to the boundless knowledge and power of the Creator, preparing the reader for the chapter's conclusion that true wisdom is found only with God, not in the earth's hidden treasures or human understanding (Job 28:12-28).
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, mining was a dangerous and arduous undertaking, often involving deep shafts and tunnels dug by hand, illuminated by flickering lamps. The "stones of darkness" would have been understood as valuable minerals found in the deepest, most inaccessible veins of the earth. The concept of "darkness" (Hebrew: choshek) was not merely the absence of light but often carried connotations of chaos, ignorance, danger, and the unknown, frequently associated with the underworld or the realm of death. The phrase "shadow of death" (Hebrew: tsalmaveth) was a powerful poetic expression for the deepest gloom, extreme peril, or the very threshold of the grave. The cultural value placed on wisdom was immense, seen as essential for successful living and governance. However, this chapter challenges the conventional understanding that wisdom could be acquired through human effort or found in material wealth, asserting that it transcends all human endeavors and is uniquely divine.
Key Themes
Job 28:3 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the book of Job and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it underscores Divine Omniscience and Sovereignty, emphasizing God's unparalleled ability to penetrate and comprehend all things, even those hidden in the deepest obscurity. His capacity to "setteth an end to darkness" implies His power to reveal, overcome, and control what is concealed or unknown to humanity, extending His knowledge to the very "stones of darkness" and the "shadow of death." Secondly, it highlights the Limits of Human Wisdom and Endeavor compared to the boundless nature of divine wisdom. While humans can physically explore the earth's depths for material gain, they cannot "search out all perfection" in the spiritual or existential sense. This sets up the chapter's core argument that true wisdom is not found in human ingenuity or earthly treasures, but is a divine attribute, known only to God (Proverbs 2:6). Finally, the verse speaks to God's Conquest of Darkness and Mastery Over Death's Realm, portraying Him as the ultimate authority over all forms of obscurity, danger, and even the grave itself. This theme resonates with other biblical passages that speak of God's presence and power even in dire circumstances, such as Psalm 139:11-12.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
A primitive root meaning "to put." It is used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically. In this context, it denotes God's active placement, appointment, or determination of an end or limit to darkness, implying His sovereign control and authority over it.
Contracted from a root meaning "to cut off," this word signifies an extremity, limit, or completion. When God "setteth an end to darkness," it means He establishes its boundary, bringing it to a halt or revealing its ultimate extent, signifying His power to overcome or define the limits of obscurity.
From a root meaning "to be dark," this word refers literally to darkness, but figuratively encompasses misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, and wickedness. In Job 28:3, it represents not only the literal gloom of the earth's depths but also the profound mysteries, dangers, and spiritual obscurities that are beyond human comprehension.
A primitive root meaning "to penetrate" or "to examine intimately." This word implies a thorough, exhaustive investigation, leaving no aspect unknown. When applied to God, it signifies His perfect and comprehensive knowledge, His ability to probe and understand everything to its deepest core.
From a root meaning "to complete," this word denotes completion or an extremity. When God "searcheth out all perfection," it means He explores and understands everything to its absolute limit or ultimate extent, signifying His comprehensive and absolute knowledge of all things, leaving no mystery unsolved.
From the root meaning "to build," this refers to a stone. In the context of Job 28, it refers to the valuable minerals and gems found deep within the earth.
From a root meaning "to be dark," this word specifically refers to dusk, darkness, or obscurity. In this verse, "stones of darkness" refers to the literal unlit, deep places where precious stones are found, emphasizing the hidden and inaccessible nature of these treasures to human effort alone.
A compound word formed from "shade" and "death." It signifies the deepest gloom, extreme peril, or the very threshold of the grave. Its inclusion here underscores the absolute reach of God's knowledge and power, extending even to the most terrifying, inaccessible, and life-threatening places imaginable, implying His dominion over life and death.
Verse Breakdown
"He setteth an end to darkness"
This clause declares God's absolute control and authority over all forms of darkness—literal, metaphorical, and spiritual. It implies that God defines the boundaries of darkness, illuminating what is hidden, overcoming obscurity, and bringing order to chaos. This is not merely about dispelling physical gloom but about His sovereign power to reveal mysteries and conquer the realms of ignorance and spiritual death.
"and searcheth out all perfection"
This phrase emphasizes the exhaustive and comprehensive nature of God's knowledge. He explores and understands everything to its absolute limit or ultimate extent. Unlike human miners who seek specific treasures, God's "searching out" is a complete and perfect comprehension of all things, leaving no aspect unknown or unexamined, reaching the very "perfection" or ultimate reality of every hidden thing.
"the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death"
These two phrases serve as concrete examples or manifestations of the "darkness" and "perfection" that God masters. "The stones of darkness" refers to the valuable minerals found deep within the earth's darkest, most hidden veins, symbolizing hidden treasures or profound mysteries. "The shadow of death" represents the most perilous and terrifying realms, the very threshold of the grave or ultimate despair. By connecting these to God's actions, the verse asserts His supreme knowledge and power over all that is hidden, dangerous, and seemingly beyond human reach.
Literary Devices
Job 28:3 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its profound theological message. Metaphor is central, with "darkness," "stones of darkness," and "shadow of death" serving as powerful metaphors for hiddenness, mystery, danger, and the ultimate limits of human understanding and existence. These are not merely literal descriptions but symbolic representations of the profound depths of the earth and the human condition. Juxtaposition is evident in the implicit contrast between human mining efforts (described in preceding verses) and God's unparalleled ability to "search out all perfection" and "set an end to darkness." This highlights the vast chasm between human ingenuity and divine omnipotence. The phrase "shadow of death" is a vivid poetic compound (a specific type of imagery), creating a powerful and evocative picture of extreme peril and the unknown, emphasizing the terrifying aspects of the realms God controls. The verse also uses hyperbole to emphasize the extent of God's knowledge, suggesting that He searches out all perfection, implying an exhaustive and limitless understanding beyond human grasp.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 28:3 offers a profound theological statement on the nature of God's omniscience and omnipotence. It asserts that God is not merely aware of what is visible but penetrates the deepest, most obscure, and perilous realms of existence. His ability to "setteth an end to darkness" signifies His ultimate control over chaos, ignorance, and the unknown, bringing light and order where none can exist by human effort. His "searching out all perfection" speaks to a comprehensive, exhaustive knowledge that reaches the ultimate limits of all things, whether material or spiritual. This verse reminds us that no aspect of creation, no hidden truth, and no realm of danger, including the very "shadow of death," is beyond His understanding or dominion. It underscores that true wisdom and ultimate security are found only in Him, as He alone holds the keys to the profound mysteries of life and death.
Reflection and Application
Job 28:3 offers profound comfort and a challenging perspective for contemporary life. In a world often shrouded in uncertainty, fear, and the "darkness" of complex problems, this verse reminds us that there is a God who sees, knows, and has dominion over all. No personal struggle, no hidden sin, no deep-seated fear, and no seemingly insurmountable obstacle is truly hidden from His gaze or beyond His power. He is the one who can "setteth an end to darkness," bringing light to our most obscure circumstances and revealing truth where we perceive only confusion. This truth invites us to trust in His comprehensive knowledge and sovereign control, even when our own understanding fails or when we walk through the "shadow of death" in our lives. It encourages a posture of humility, recognizing the limits of human wisdom and calling us to seek the ultimate source of knowledge and light in God alone.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who is "He" in Job 28:3?
While not explicitly named in this verse, the "He" refers to God. The entire chapter, Job 28, is a hymn to wisdom, and its conclusion (Job 28:23-28) explicitly states that "God understands the way to it, and He knows its place." The contrast between human limitations in mining and God's boundless knowledge throughout the chapter strongly identifies "He" as the omniscient and omnipotent Creator, the ultimate source and possessor of true wisdom.
What are "the stones of darkness"?
"The stones of darkness" refers to precious metals and gems found deep within the earth's hidden, unlit veins. In the preceding verses (Job 28:1-2), Job describes human miners digging deep into the earth to extract silver, gold, and sapphires. Thus, "stones of darkness" are literal valuable minerals found in the deepest, most obscure parts of the earth. Metaphorically, they represent hidden treasures, profound mysteries, or valuable truths that are inaccessible to human effort alone, but fully known and controlled by God.
What is the significance of "the shadow of death" in this context?
"The shadow of death" (Hebrew: tsalmaveth) is a powerful poetic expression signifying the deepest gloom, extreme peril, or the very threshold of the grave. In Job 28:3, its inclusion underscores the absolute reach of God's knowledge and power. It means that God's dominion extends not only to the hidden physical depths of the earth but also to the most terrifying, dangerous, and seemingly inaccessible realms of existence, including the ultimate frontier of death itself. It emphasizes that no place or state of being is beyond God's sovereign knowledge and control.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job 28:3, with its declaration of God's ultimate dominion over darkness, hidden perfection, and even the shadow of death, finds its profoundest fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the very Wisdom of God, through whom all things were created and in whom "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). Christ is the Light of the world, who "setteth an end to darkness" not merely in a physical sense, but by dispelling spiritual ignorance and breaking the power of sin and death. His incarnation brought divine wisdom into human experience, revealing the "perfection" of God's plan for salvation. Furthermore, Jesus directly confronted and conquered the "shadow of death" through His own crucifixion and resurrection. He entered the realm of death, not as a victim, but as a victor, thereby destroying him who has the power of death, that is, the devil and delivering those who were held in lifelong slavery by fear of death. Thus, the divine power and knowledge over all hidden things and the ultimate conquest of death, hinted at in Job 28:3, are fully realized in Christ, who is the ultimate revelation of God's wisdom and sovereign power.