Job 28

Job · Chapter 28

Job 28:3

1Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.2Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.3He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.4The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.5As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.6The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.7There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen:8The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.9He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.10He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.11He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.12But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?13Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.14The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.15It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.16It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.17The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.18No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.19The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.20Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?21Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.22Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.23God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.24For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;25To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.26When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:27Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.28And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
3He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness.Man setteth an end to darkness, And searcheth out, to the furthest bound, The stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
an endקֵ֤ץ׀ketzH7093
end

קֵץ (qets) 1) end 1a) end, at the end of (of time) 1b) end (of space)

someone putsשָׂ֤םsamH7760HNo entry
to the darknessלַחֹ֗שֶׁךְla-CHO-shekhH2822
darkness

חֹ֫שֶׁךְ (cho.shekh) 1) darkness, obscurity 1a) darkness 1b) secret place

and to everyוּֽלְכָל־u-le-khol-H3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

outermost partתַּ֭כְלִיתTAKH-litH8503
limit

תַּכְלִית (takh.lit) 1) end, perfection, consummation, completion, completeness 1a) end 1b) completeness

heה֣וּאhu'H1931
he/she/it

הוּא (hu) pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article)

[is] searching forחוֹקֵ֑רcho-KERH2713
to search

חָקַר (cha.qar) 1) to search, search for, search out, examine, investigate 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to search (for) 1a2) to search through, explore 1a3) to examine thoroughly 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be searched out, be found out, be ascertained, be examined 1c) (Piel) to search out, seek out

[the] stone ofאֶ֖בֶן'E-venH0068G
stone

אֶ֫בֶן (e.ven) : stone 1) stone (large or small) 1a) common stone (in natural state) 1b) stone, as material 1b1) of tablets 1b2) marble, hewn stones 1c) precious stones, stones of fire 1d) stones containing metal (ore), tool for work or weapon 1e) weight 1f) plummet (stones of destruction) also made of metal 1g) stonelike objects, eg hailstones, stony heart, ice 1h) sacred object, as memorial Samuel set up to mark where God helped Israel to defeat the Philistines 1i) (simile) 1i1) sinking in water, motionlessness 1i2) strength, firmness, solidity 1i3) commonness 1j) (metaph) 1j1) petrified with terror …

gloomאֹ֣פֶל'O-felH0652
darkness

אֹ֫פֶל (o.phel) 1) darkness, gloom 2) spiritual unreceptivity, calamity (fig.)

and deep darknessוְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃ve-tzal-MA-vetH6757
shadow

צַלְמָ֫וֶת (tsal.ma.vet) 1) death-shadow, deep shadow, deep darkness, shadow of death 1a) death-shadow 1b) death-shadow, deep shadow, darkness 1c) death-shadow (of distress, extreme danger) (fig) 1d) death-shadow (of place of the dead) (fig)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.