Job 28:5

[As for] the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.

As for the earth {H776}, out of it cometh {H3318} bread {H3899}: and under it is turned up {H2015} as it were fire {H784}.

"While the earth is [peacefully] yielding bread, underneath, it is being convulsed as if by fire;

Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire.

As for the earth, out of it cometh bread; And underneath it is turned up as it were by fire.

Job 28:5 (KJV) offers a poetic observation on the earth's dual nature as both a source of sustenance and a repository of hidden, valuable resources. It highlights humanity's ability to extract necessities and treasures from the ground, setting a profound stage for the chapter's overarching theme: the elusive nature of true wisdom.

Context

Chapter 28 of Job is a magnificent poetic interlude, distinct from the dialogues between Job and his friends. It serves as a hymn to wisdom, contrasting humanity's remarkable ability to mine the earth's deepest secrets for precious metals and stones with its inability to discover true wisdom through similar efforts. This verse, Job 28:5, is part of a detailed description (Job 28:1-11) of human ingenuity in mining—how man delves into the dark and discovers veins of silver, gold, and iron, and how "the earth" yields both life-sustaining food and fiery materials.

Key Themes

  • Divine Provision and Sustenance: The phrase "out of it cometh bread" underscores the earth's fundamental role in sustaining life. It is a testament to God's design that the very ground we walk on provides the essential elements for food, echoing themes of divine care and provision found throughout Scripture (Psalm 104:14). This highlights the earth's capacity to provide for humanity's most basic needs.
  • Human Ingenuity and Resourcefulness: The second part, "and under it is turned up as it were fire," points to humanity's skill in extracting valuable resources. This imagery likely refers to metals and minerals (like gold, silver, copper, iron mentioned in Job 28:2) that are dug from the earth and often refined by fire, or perhaps coal, which serves as fuel for fire, or even precious stones that sparkle with a fiery brilliance. It speaks to the human capacity for discovery and labor in harnessing the earth's hidden treasures.
  • The Precursor to Wisdom's Elusiveness: While describing impressive human feats, this verse subtly prepares the reader for the chapter's main point: despite all this earthly exploration and discovery, wisdom remains hidden from human sight and cannot be purchased with any earthly treasure. It highlights the limits of human understanding apart from God (Job 28:12).

Linguistic Insights

The imagery of "fire" in the second clause is significant. While not explicitly a specific Hebrew word with multiple meanings, its application here is metaphorical. It vividly describes the appearance of certain ores or refined metals, or the intense heat required to process them. The phrase "turned up as it were fire" evokes the glint of valuable minerals or the combustible nature of resources like coal, all extracted from below the earth's surface. This poetic language emphasizes the profound and often dangerous work of mining.

Practical Application

This verse, within its broader context, invites us to reflect on several truths:

  1. Gratitude for Provision: We are reminded to appreciate God's consistent provision through the natural world, from daily bread to the raw materials that fuel our civilization. This fosters a sense of dependence on and gratitude towards the Creator.
  2. Humility in Discovery: Despite our incredible technological advancements and ability to unearth hidden treasures, there are deeper mysteries and truths that remain beyond human grasp or purchase, especially true wisdom. Our earthly achievements, though impressive, are finite.
  3. Seeking Divine Wisdom: The ultimate lesson of Job 28 is that true wisdom originates with God alone (Job 28:23). This verse prompts us to look beyond earthly pursuits and seek wisdom from its divine source through prayer and study of His Word (James 1:5).
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Isaiah 28:25

    When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?

  • Isaiah 28:29

    This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, [which] is wonderful in counsel, [and] excellent in working.

  • Psalms 104:14

    He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;

  • Psalms 104:15

    And wine [that] maketh glad the heart of man, [and] oil to make [his] face to shine, and bread [which] strengtheneth man's heart.

  • Ezekiel 28:13

    Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone [was] thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

  • Ezekiel 28:14

    Thou [art] the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee [so]: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

  • Genesis 1:29

    ¶ And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

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