Job 28:12-13

No Price Can Buy Wisdom

28:12 “But wisdom – where can it be found?

Where is the place of understanding?

28:13 Mankind does not know its place; ¹ 

it cannot be found in the land of the living.

Job 28:20-24

God Alone Has Wisdom

28:20 “But wisdom – where does it come from? ² 

Where is the place of understanding?

28:21 For ³  it has been hidden

from the eyes of every living creature,

and from the birds of the sky it has been concealed.

28:22 Destruction ⁴  and Death say,

‘With our ears we have heard a rumor about where it can be found.’ ⁵ 

28:23 God understands the way to it,

and he alone knows its place.

28:24 For he looks to the ends of the earth

and observes everything under the heavens.

[28:13]  ¹ tc The LXX has “its way, apparently reading דַּרְכָה (darkhah) in place of עֶרְכָּהּ (’erkah, “place”). This is adopted by most modern commentators. But R. Gordis (Job, 308) shows that this change is not necessary, for עֶרֶךְ (’erekh) in the Bible means “order; row; disposition,” and here “place.” An alternate meaning would be “worth” (NIV, ESV).

[28:20]  ² tn The refrain is repeated, except now the verb is תָּבוֹא (tavo’, “come”).

[28:21]  ³ tn The vav on the verb is unexpressed in the LXX. It should not be overlooked, for it introduces a subordinate clause of condition (R. Gordis, Job, 310).

[28:22]  ⁴ tn Heb “Abaddon.”

[28:22]  ⁵ tn Heb “heard a report of it,” which means a report of its location, thus “where it can be found.”