Job 28:6-7

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 28:1-11

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 28:6

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 28:7

There is a path which no fowl knoweth ,.... A path made by miners to the gold, silver, brass, and iron ores; to the places where gems and precious stones lie; the way to which was never seen, and could never have been discovered by the most sharp-sighted fowl, as "the eagle" F4 עיט "ad id alludit aquiae Graecum vocabulum" αετος , Bochart. Hierozoic par. 1. l. 1. c. 9. col. 59. Broughton renders it "a kite". ; which some think is particularly intended; and the Greek word for an... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 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 ; (note). Dust of gold - Or rather, gold dust. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Job 28:7

There is a path which no fowl knoweth - The instinct of birds is most surprising. They traverse vast forests, etc., in search of food, at a great distance from the place which they have chosen for their general residence; and return in all weathers, never missing their track: they also find their own nest without ever mistaking another of the same kind for it. Birds of passage, also, after tarrying in a foreign clime for six or seven months, return to their original abode over kingdoms and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 28:1-28

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 27:8-23 ), 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... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 28:1-28

Job's first parable: 3. A discourse upon true wisdom. I. THE WISDOM UNDISCOVERABLE BY HUMAN GENIUS . Among the stupendous efforts of human industry and skill with which Job was acquainted, nothing was better fitted to impress the mind with a sense of man's illimitable daring, resistless might, and wonderful success in searching out all perfection (verse 3), and brining hidden things to light (vet, 11), than the operations of the miner. These, a knowledge of which may have been... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 28:6

The stones of it are the place of sapphires . Among the rocks and stones whereof the interior of the earth is mainly composed are found gems of inestinable value, for instance, sapphires. It is doubtful whether the Hebrew sapphire ( ספיר ) was the gem which bears that name among ourselves, or the lapis lazuli. In either case it was highly esteemed, and appeared in kings' crowns ( Ezekiel 28:13 ), and in the high priest's breastplate ( Exodus 28:18 ); Job notes its high value in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 28:7

There is a path which no fowl knoweth ; or, his is a path which no bird of prey knoweth (see the Revised Version). The miner's path through the bowels of the earth is intended. And which the vulture's eye hath not seen . The vulture is probably the most keen-sighted of birds, but it cannot even get a glimpse of the subterraneous path which the miner treads. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Job 28:6

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,... read more

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