Job 28:6

_THE STONES OF IT ARE THE PLACE OF SAPPHIRES: AND IT HATH DUST OF GOLD._ Sapphires are found in alluvial soil near rocks and embedded in gneiss. The ancients distinguished two kinds: (1) The real, of transparent blue; (2) That improperly so called, opaque, with gold spots - i:e., lapis lazuli. To the latter, looking like gold dust, Umbreit refers 'dust of gold.' The English version is better, 'The stones of the earth are etc., and the clods of it х_ `APROWT_ (H6083)] (Vulgate) are gold:' the parallel clauses are thus neater....

1-11 Job maintained that the dispensations of Providence were regulated by the highest wisdom. To confirm this, he showed of what a great deal of knowledge and wealth men may make themselves masters. The caverns of the earth may be discovered, but not the counsels of Heaven. Go to the miners, thou sluggard in religion, consider their ways, and be wise. Let their courage and diligence in seeking the wealth that perishes, 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 men 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?...

Verse Job 28:6. _THE STONES - THE PLACE OF SAPPHIRES_] In the language of mineralogists, the gangue, matrix, or bed in which the sapphire is found. For a description of this stone, see on Job 28:16. _DUST OF GOLD_] Or rather, _gold dust_....

THE STONES OF IT ARE THE PLACE - Among the stones of the earth sapphires are found. “The situation of the sapphire is in alluvial soil, in the vicinity of rocks, belonging to the secondary floetz trap formation, and imbedded in gneiss.” Jameson. “The sapphire occurs in considerable abundance in the granitic alluvion of Matura and Saffragam, in Ceylon.” Davy. SAPPHIRES - Compare the note at Isaiah 54:11. The sapphire is a precious stone, usually of a blue color, though it is sometimes yellow, red, violet. green, or white. In hardness it is inferior to the diamond only: “In unroll’d tufts, flowers purpled, blue and white, Like sapphire, pearl, in rich embroidery.”...

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), how many and how great are the difficulties in the way of forming a single consistent theory of the Divine action, which shall be applicable to all cases. Hence he comes to the conclusion that God is incomprehensible by man and inscrutable; and that it is only given to man to know him sufficiently for his practical guidance. To impress this on his hearers is his main object (verses 12-28); and, to impress it the more, he introduces it by a sharp contrast. Wonderful as is man's cleverness and ingenuity in respect of earthly things and physical phenomena (verses 1-11), with respect to h

THE STONES OF IT [ARE] THE PLACE OF SAPPHIRES,.... In some parts of the earth its stones are a quarry of sapphires, put here for all precious stones: this is a most excellent precious stone, of a sky colour, with golden specks, and was one of the stones in the breast plate of the high priest; and by which are represented the pavement under the feet of the God of Israel, the throne of Christ, his bowels and affections for his people, the comeliness of them, and the glory of his church in the latter day, Exodus 24:10; AND IT HATH DUST OF GOLD; some parts of the earth abound with the dust of gold; its dust is gold, or it hath gold as plenty as dust; though some think this refers to the sapphire in the preceding clause, which, as Pliny says d, has "pulvis aureus", dust of gold, in it, and shines and sparkles with golden points, or specks; and so say other writers e; but the wo

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) Job 28:1. This part of the monologue of Job does not seem to have much relation, if any, to the controversial matter of the previous Chapter s. He speaks first of the treasures of the earth, the riches which man seeks after, but which do not last, and are so often man's undoing. Job shows that he had a good knowledge of mining operations. He knows of veins of silver and how gold is refined. Iron is taken out of the earth and copper molten out of stone. Then he describes how the miner with

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 that the chapter is an independent poem on Wisdom (a very fine one) which has somehow found its way into the text of the Book of Job. In its present form it opens with the word For, marking a connexion with something that has gone before; so that the beginning appears to be lost. Duhm has suggested that since the word whence cometh wisdom (or where shall wisdom be found) and where is the place of understanding? occur as a refrain in the poem, it probably also began with them. The poem has a parallel in Proverbs 8. JOB 28:1. THE FIRST STROPHE. (Where shall wisdom be found?) For silver, gold, iron, and copper c

Description of mining operations. _he setteth_ To prevent ambiguity it is better to translate, MAN setteth, or, MEN SET. The phrase "setteth an end to darkness" hardly refers to the light shed by the miner's lamp; the expression is more general, meaning that men penetrate into what is dark and deep in the earth as if it were light and above ground as the next clause explains. _searcheth out all perfection_ Rather, SEARCHETH OUT TO THE VERY END, or, utmost limit, THE STONES OF DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, that is, the darkest recesses in the bowels of the earth. The word, very _end_or utmost _limit_is that occurring, ch. Job 26:10 (see notes) and ch. Job 11:7. On "shadow of death" see on ch....

C. SOURCE OF TRUE WISDOM (Job 28:1-28) 1. Man finds hidden treasures of the earth, as in mining. (Job 28:1-11) TEXT 28:1-11 1 SURELY THERE IS A MINE FOR SILVER, And a place for gold which they refine. 2 Iron is taken out of the earth, And copper is molten out of the stone. 3 _Man_ setteth an end to darkness, And searcheth out, to the farthest bound, The stones of obscurity and of thick darkness. 4 He breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn; They are forgotten of the foot; They hang afar from men, they swing to and fro. 5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread; And underneath it is turned up as it were by fire. 6 The stones thereof are the place of sapphires, And it hath dust of gold. 7 That path