Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold [where] they fine [it]. Ver. 1. _Surely there is a vein for the silver_] For there is a vein, &c., so Tremellius readeth it. But here is no reason rendered of God's heavy judgments on the wicked, last discoursed of; but the unsearchablenes... [ Continue Reading ]
Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass [is] molten [out of] the stone. Ver. 2. _Iron is taken out of the earth_] That is, out of the irony vein, which is said to be a drossy kind of earth, not sufficiently digested and hardened to make a stone. Of the generation of these inferior metals, see Pli... [ Continue Reading ]
He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death. Ver. 3. _He setteth an end to darkness_] _i.e._ He (viz. the miner) brings light down into the dark entrails of the earth, and fetches out those metals that had long lain hid there, and... [ Continue Reading ]
The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; [even the waters] forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men. Ver. 4. _The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant_] Broughton rendereth it, from the spring. Others, _Erumpit fluvius iuxta accolam,_ A river breaketh out near to t... [ Continue Reading ]
Job 28:5 [As for] the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire. Ver. 5. _As for the earth, out of it cometh bread_] That is, grain. Alma Tellus, plentifully yieldeth those precious fruits of hers, as they are called, James 5:11, _Fertilis et ferax_ (Vatab.). These fr... [ Continue Reading ]
The stones of it [are] the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold. Ver. 6. _The stones of it are the place of sapphires_] Which are excellent stones, and, therefore, here joined with gold, _Quod punctis aureis collucant,_ because they shine with golden sparklings. Exodus 24:10, the Sanhedrim... [ Continue Reading ]
Job 28:7 [There is] a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen: Ver. 7. _There is a path which no fowl knoweth_] That is, say some, those places where this gold lieth are so barren, as they bring forth nothing else but gold, nothing for fowls to feed upon, no, not disce... [ Continue Reading ]
The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it. Ver. 8. The lion's whelps have not trodden it] Heb. The children of pride, _see _ Job 41:34 that is, saith Vatablus, _belluae truces et immanes,_ fierce and cruel creatures, which yet pass through mountains and valleys and vas... [ Continue Reading ]
He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots. Ver. 9. _He putteth forth his hand upon the rock_] "He," that is, mortal man, the miner, Job 28:4 (not God, as Mercer would have it), "putteth forth his hand"; _sc._ to dig down these rocks, that he may come at that... [ Continue Reading ]
He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing. Ver. 10. _He cutteth out rivers among the rocks_] _i.e._ By cleaving hardest rocks, he draws in store of water to wash the inward parts of the earth, that he may see what gold lieth hidden there; as also, to wash and pur... [ Continue Reading ]
He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and [the thing that is] hid bringeth he forth to light. Ver. 11. _He bindeth the floods from overflowing_] Heb. From weeping; that is (by an elegant metaphor), from distilling and dropping, as those underground waters use to do; but the miner bindeth them; th... [ Continue Reading ]
But where shall wisdom be found? and where [is] the place of understanding? Ver. 12. _But where shall wisdom be found?_] Here is now the other part of the antithesis, and the second part of the chapter, which is not as hard as the former was. Wisdom is either natural or spiritual, 1 Corinthians 2:1... [ Continue Reading ]
Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. Ver. 13. _Man kaoweth not the price thereof_] Or, the order thereof, in what manner and method God proceedeth; no, though in other things he knew as much as Homer did, of whom one saith that he was πανσοφος, και παντα... [ Continue Reading ]
The depth saith, It [is] not in me: and the sea saith, [It is] not with me. Ver. 14. _The depth saith, It is not in me_] It is not to be had above ground, may some say; but what, underground? Not there either, saith Job; for the abyss saith, that is, if it could speak, it would surely say, "It is n... [ Continue Reading ]
It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed [for] the price thereof. Ver. 15. _It cannot be gotten for gold_] _Non emitur, nec aestimatur,_ it is not purchased or procured with money, as other learning may (_en precium et praestantiam sapientiae_). "With a great sum obtained I thi... [ Continue Reading ]
It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. Ver. 16. _It cannot be valued_] Heb. Thrown on the ground, as wares were wont to be, and are yet, when they are set to sale, and to be prized or valued. _ With the gold of Ophir_] The word here rendered gold is not... [ Continue Reading ]
The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it [shall not be for] jewels of fine gold. Ver. 17. _The gold and the crystal cannot equal it_] For crystal some read diamond, others adamant. It hath its name from its purity and transparency. Junius rendereth it therefore _nitidissima... [ Continue Reading ]
No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom [is] above rubies. Ver. 18. _No mention shall be made of coral_] No talk of coral or carbuncle, of pearl, or any other the rarest and richest jewels in all the world. We read of Cleopatra, that vying with Antony in luxury, she... [ Continue Reading ]
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. Ver. 19. _The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it_] Of the Topaz, see Plin. lib. 86, cap. 8. It seemeth to have the lustre of gold and purity of crystal, and those agreeable mixtures of colours which make the purp... [ Continue Reading ]
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, the fountain of wisdom, Job 28:23. To seek her elsewhere is but laborious loss of time; witness the... [ Continue Reading ]
Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. Ver. 21. _Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living_] As hath been before set forth, Job 28:13. They that see most into it see but in part, and must needs say, that the greatest part of their knowledge is the... [ Continue Reading ]
Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears. Ver. 22. _Destruction and death say, &c._] That is, the dead in the grave, and damned in hell, as some gloss it. Others, man in his corrupt estate, though a child of death, yet capable of salvation; and the wisdom of God hath... [ Continue Reading ]
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 et morris verba,_ saith Brentius; those are the words of hell and of death. But we may better take t... [ Continue Reading ]
For he looketh to the ends of the earth, [and] seeth under the whole heaven; Ver. 24. _For he looketh to the ends of the earth_] He is ολοφθαλμος, all eye (Basil); so that together and at once he beholdeth all things in the whole course of nature, and under the whole of heaven. "His eyes behold, hi... [ Continue Reading ]
To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. Ver. 25. _To make the weight for the winds_] He ordereth wind and water, rain and thunder, _Pondere, mensura, numero, tacit omnia,_ - therefore wisdom is with him. The winds he weigheth in a balance; then when they seem to blo... [ Continue Reading ]
When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: Ver. 26. _When he made a decree for the rain_] And hence it is that it raineth upon one city, and not upon another, Amos 4:7. _See Trapp on "_ Amo 4:7 _"_ The rise of rain out of vapours drawn up from the earth by the h... [ Continue Reading ]
Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. Ver. 27. _Then did he see it, and declare it, &c._] Or, Then doth he see it, and number it, &c., _sc._ When he ordereth winds, waters, and other creatures, he hath wisdom ready _et in numerate,_ as we say; as well known a... [ Continue Reading ]
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom; and to depart from evil [is] understanding. Ver. 28. _But unto man he said, &c._] _q.d._ Let him not curiously pry into God's secrets, nor rashly censure others (as you have done me), but, out of a reverential fear of God, eschew... [ Continue Reading ]