28 And He saith to man: -- `Lo, fear of the Lord, that `is' wisdom, And to turn from evil `is' understanding.'
Fear of Jehovah `is' a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
The beginning of wisdom `is' fear of Jehovah, Good understanding have all doing them, His praise `is' standing for ever!
and ye have kept and done `them' (for it `is' your wisdom and your understanding) before the eyes of the peoples who hear all these statutes, and they have said, Only, a people wise and understanding `is' this great nation.
The end of the whole matter let us hear: -- `Fear God, and keep His commands, for this `is' the whole of man.
Who `is' wise and intelligent among you? let him shew out of the good behaviour his works in meekness of wisdom, and if bitter zeal ye have, and rivalry in your heart, glory not, nor lie against the truth; this wisdom is not descending from above, but earthly, physical, demon-like, for where zeal and rivalry `are', there is insurrection and every evil matter; and the wisdom from above, first, indeed, is pure, then peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of kindness and good fruits, uncontentious, and unhypocritical: --
`The things hidden `are' to Jehovah our God, and the things revealed `are' to us and to our sons -- to the age, to do all the words of this law.
Turn aside from evil and do good, Seek peace and pursue it.
`Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice `is' unto the sons of men. Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,
While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world. In His preparing the heavens I `am' there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep, In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep, In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth, Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight -- day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times, Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights `are' with the sons of men. And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.
The law of the wise `is' a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.
A highway of the upright `is', `Turn from evil,' Whoso is preserving his soul is watching his way.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Job 28
Commentary on Job 28 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 28
The strain of this chapter is very unlike the rest of this book. Job forgets his sores, and all his sorrows, and talks like a philosopher or a virtuoso. Here is a great deal both of natural and moral philosophy in this discourse; but the question is, How does it come in here? Doubtless it was not merely for an amusement, or diversion from the controversy; though, if it had been only so, perhaps it would not have been much amiss. When disputes grow hot, better lose the question than lose our temper. But this is pertinent and to the business in hand. Job and his friends had been discoursing about the dispensations of Providence towards the wicked and the righteous. Job had shown that some wicked men live and die in prosperity, while others are presently and openly arrested by the judgments of God. But, if any ask the reason why some are punished in this world and not others, they must be told it is a question that cannot be answered. The knowledge of the reasons of state in God's government of the world is kept from us, and we must neither pretend to it nor reach after it. Zophar had wished that God would show Job the "secrets of wisdom' (ch. 11:6). No, says Job, "secret things belong not to us, but things revealed,' Deu. 29:29. And here he shows,
Job 28:1-11
Here Job shows,
Job 28:12-19
Job, having spoken of the wealth of the world, which men put such a value upon and take so much pains for, here comes to speak of another more valuable jewel, and that is, wisdom and understanding, the knowing and enjoying of God and ourselves. Those that found out all those ways and means to enrich themselves thought themselves very wise; but Job will not own theirs to be wisdom. He supposes them to gain their point, and to bring to light what they sought for (v. 11), and yet asks, "Where is wisdom? for it is not here.' This their way is their folly. We must therefore seek it somewhere else, and it will be found nowhere but in the principles and practices of religion. There is more true knowledge, satisfaction, and happiness, in sound divinity, which shows us the way to the joys of heaven, than in natural philosophy or mathematics, which help us to find a way into the bowels of the earth. Two things cannot be found out concerning this wisdom:-
Job 28:20-28
The question which Job had asked (v. 12) he asks again here; for it is too worthy, too weighty, to be let fall, until we speed in the enquiry. Concerning this we must seek till we find, till we get some satisfactory account of it. By a diligent prosecution of this enquiry he brings it, at length, to this issue, that there is a twofold wisdom, one hidden in God, which is secret and belongs not to us, the other made known by him and revealed to man, which belongs to us and to our children.