Because the speech in this chapter is more soliloquy than dialogue some scholars have concluded that someone other than Job spoke it: Zophar, Bildad, or God. One writer argued for its being a speech by none of the characters, but a composition by the story-teller in which he expressed his own point of view.113The subject matter, however, is in harmony with what Job had said previously (cf. 9:10-11; 12:13; 17:10; 23:8-10; 26:14). For this reason it seems to me that Job probably spoke these words.
"Chapter 28, a wisdom hymn, may be a kind of interlude which marks the transition between the two major parts of the poetic body--the previous dialogue between Job and his friends, and the forth-coming long discourses by Job (chaps. 29-31), Elihu (chaps. 32-37), and God (chaps. 38-41) which are almost monologues."114
In this chapter Job summarized his stance before God. Rather than being in rebellion against God, as his friends accused, Job claimed that he feared God and sought to depart from evil (v. 28). He continued to follow the instruction he had received while growing up, namely, that people should trust and obey God because He governs the world in infinite wisdom.115The fact that Job believed God was unjust in his case did not mean he had abandoned faith in God completely.
"The internal structure of chapter 28 is as follows:
Introduction (vv. 1-2): All treasure has a source
I. First stanza (vv. 3-11): The discovery of treasure
Refrain and response (vv. 12-14): Wisdom is elusive
II. Second stanza (vv. 15-19): Wisdom as treasure
Refrain and response (vv. 20-22): Wisdom is elusive
III. Third stanza (vv. 23-27): God and wisdom
Conclusion (v. 28): The source of wisdom"116
The point of Job's soliloquy is this. People have been extremely clever and industrious in exploring, discovering, and extracting earth's richest physical resources. Nonetheless they have not been able to do so with what is even more essential to their welfare, namely, wisdom. The reason for this is that wisdom does not lie hidden in the earth but in the person of God. The key to obtaining that wisdom is orienting oneself properly toward God.
Verse 5b probably means that mining produces a mixture of rubble just as a fire does.117The essence of wisdom is to fear (treat with reverential trust) the Lord (Master) and to depart from evil (v. 28). We know this only by supernatural revelation ("to man He said"). We can never plumb the depths of God's wisdom. However, we can experience wisdom partially as we adore and obey God making Him, rather than self, the center of our lives and allowing Him to regulate our lives.
In this speech Job demonstrated that his understanding of wisdom was greater than that of his three friends. It was a rebuke of their shortsighted wisdom.118In chapter 28 Job gave evidence that he did fear God. In chapter 29 he proceeded to give evidence that he also turned away from evil. Consequently 28:28 is a hinge and connecting link. It is also "one of the great climactic moments in the Book."119
Job gave a soliloquy before his dialogue with his three friends began (ch. 3). Now he concluded that dialogue with another soliloquy (chs. 29-31). In this one, Job longed for his past state of blessedness (ch. 29), lamented his present misery (ch. 30), and reaffirmed his innocence (ch. 31). His whole discourse is a kind of concluding summary of his case, and he delivered it as if he were in court. He made no reference to his three companions.
