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Selected Verse: Job 28:13 - Strong Concordance
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
Job 28:13 |
Strong Concordance |
Man [0582] knoweth [03045] not the price [06187] thereof; neither is it found [04672] in the land [0776] of the living [02416]. |
|
King James |
Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
Man can fix no price upon it, as it is nowhere to be found in man's abode (Isa 38:11). Job implies both its valuable worth, and the impossibility of buying it at any price. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Man knoweth not the price thereof - The word rendered "price" (ערך ‛êrek) means properly that which is set in a pile or row, or which is arranged in order. Here it means preparation, equipment - that is, anything put in order, or ready, Jdg 17:10. It is also used in the sense of estimation or valuation, Lev 5:15, Lev 5:18. The word "price" here, however, seems to form no proper answer to the question in the previous verse, as the question is, "where" wisdom is to be found, not what is its "value." Many expositors have, therefore, introduced a different idea in their interpretation. Dr. Good renders it, "Man knoweth not its source." Prof. Lee, "Man knoweth not its equal." Herder, "Man knoweth not the seat thereof." Coverdale, "No man can tell how worthy a thing she is." The Septuagint renders it, "Man knoweth not - όδὸν άυτῆς hodon autēs - her way." But the word used here is not employed to denote a "place" or "way," and the true interpretation doubtless is, that Job does not confine himself to a strict answer of the question proposed in Job 28:12, but goes on to say that man could not buy it; he could neither find it, nor had he the means of purchasing it with all the wealth of which he was the owner.
Neither is it found in the land of the living - That is, it is not found among human beings. We must look to a higher source than man for true wisdom; compare Isa 38:11; Isa 53:8. |
Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
13 A mortal knoweth not its price,
And it is not found in the land of the living.
14 The abyss saith: It is not in me,
And the sea saith: It is not with me.
15 Pure gold cannot be given for it,
And silver cannot be weighed as its price;
16 And it is not outweighed with fine gold of Ophir,
With the precious onyx and the sapphire.
It is self-evident that wisdom is found nowhere directly present and within a limited space, as at the bottom of the sea, and cannot be obtained by a direct exchange by means of earthly treasures. It is, moreover, not this self-evident fact that is denied here; but the meaning is, that even if a man should search in every direction through the land of the living, i.e., (as e.g., Psa 52:7) the world - if he should search through the תּהום, i.e., the subterranean waters that feed the visible waters (vid., Gen. 39:25) - if he should search through the sea, the largest bounded expanse of this water that wells up from beneath - yea, even if he would offer all riches and precious things to put himself in possession of the means and instruments for the acquirement of wisdom, - wisdom, i.e., the profoundest perception of the nature of things, would still be beyond him, and unattainable. ערך, Job 28:13, an equivalent (from ערך, to range beside, to place at the side of), interchanges with מחיר (from מחר, cogn. מהר, מכר, mercari). סגור is זהב סגוּר, Kg1 6:20 and freq., which hardly signifies gold shut up = carefully preserved, rather: closed = compressed, unmixed; Targ. דּהב סנין, aurum colatum (purgatum). Ewald compares Arab. sajara, to seethe, heat; therefore: heated, gained by smelting. On the other hand, כּתם from כתם, Arab. ktm, occulere, seems originally to denote that which is precious, then precious gold in particular, lxx χρυσίῳ Ωφείρ, Cod. Vat. and Cod. Sinaiticus, Σωφίρ (Egyptized by prefixing the Egyptian sa, part, district, side, whence e.g., sa-rees, the upper country, and sa-heet, the lower country, therefore = sa-ofir, land of Ophir). שׁהם is translated here by the lxx ὄνυξ (elsewhere σαρδόνυξ or σάρδιος), of which Pliny, h. n. xxxvii. 6, 24, appealing to Sudeines, says, in gemma esse candorem unguis humanii similitudinem; wherefore Knobel, Rdiger, and others, compare the Arab. sâhim, which, however, does not signify pale, but lean, and parched by the heat, with which, in hot countries at least, not pallor, but, on the contrary, a dark brown-black colour, is identified (Fl.). Arab. musahham, striped (Mich.), would be more appropriate, since the onyx is marked through by white veins; but this is a denom. from sahm, a dart, prop. darted, and is therefore wide of the mark. On the etymology of ספּיר, vid., Jesurun, p. 61. Nevertheless both שׁהם and ספּיר are perhaps foreign names, as the name of the emerald (vid., ib. p. 108), which is Indian (Sanskr. marakata, or even marakta); and, on the other hand, it is called in hieroglyph (determined by the stone) uot, the green stone (in Coptic p. auannēse, the green colour) (Lauth).
The transcendent excellence of wisdom above the most precious earthly treasures, which the author of the introduction to the book of Proverbs briefly describes, Job 3:14, is now drawn out in detail. |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
Found - Among men upon earth, but only among those blessed spirits that dwell above. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Man knoweth not the price thereof - It is of infinite value; and is the only science which concerns both worlds. Without it, the wisest man is but a beast; with it, the simplest man is next to an angel.
Neither is it found in the land of the living - The world by wisdom, its wisdom, never knew God. True religion came by Divine revelation: that alone gives the true notion of God, his attributes, ways, designs, judgments, providences, etc., whence man came, what is his duty, his nature, and his end. Literature, science, arts, etc., etc., can only avail man for the present life, nor can they contribute to his true happiness, unless tempered and directed by genuine religion. |
11 I said [0559], I shall not see [07200] the LORD [03050], even the LORD [03050], in the land [0776] of the living [02416]: I shall behold [05027] man [0120] no more with the inhabitants [03427] of the world [02309].
8 He was taken [03947] from prison [06115] and from judgment [04941]: and who shall declare [07878] his generation [01755]? for he was cut off [01504] out of the land [0776] of the living [02416]: for the transgression [06588] of my people [05971] was he stricken [05061].
11 I said [0559], I shall not see [07200] the LORD [03050], even the LORD [03050], in the land [0776] of the living [02416]: I shall behold [05027] man [0120] no more with the inhabitants [03427] of the world [02309].
12 But where [0370] shall wisdom [02451] be found [04672]? and where is the place [04725] of understanding [0998]?
18 And he shall bring [0935] a ram [0352] without blemish [08549] out of the flock [06629], with thy estimation [06187], for a trespass offering [0817], unto the priest [03548]: and the priest [03548] shall make an atonement [03722] for him concerning his ignorance [07684] wherein he erred [07683] and wist [03045] it not, and it shall be forgiven [05545] him.
15 If a soul [05315] commit [04603] a trespass [04604], and sin [02398] through ignorance [07684], in the holy things [06944] of the LORD [03068]; then he shall bring [0935] for his trespass [0817] unto the LORD [03068] a ram [0352] without blemish [08549] out of the flocks [06629], with thy estimation [06187] by shekels [08255] of silver [03701], after the shekel [08255] of the sanctuary [06944], for a trespass offering [0817]:
10 And Micah [04318] said [0559] unto him, Dwell [03427] with me, and be unto me a father [01] and a priest [03548], and I will give [05414] thee ten [06235] shekels of silver [03701] by the year [03117], and a suit [06187] of apparel [0899], and thy victuals [04241]. So the Levite [03881] went in [03212].
14 With kings [04428] and counsellors [03289] of the earth [0776], which built [01129] desolate places [02723] for themselves;
20 And the oracle [01687] in the forepart [06440] was twenty [06242] cubits [0520] in length [0753], and twenty [06242] cubits [0520] in breadth [07341], and twenty [06242] cubits [0520] in the height [06967] thereof: and he overlaid [06823] it with pure [05462] gold [02091]; and so covered [06823] the altar [04196] which was of cedar [0730].
13 Man [0582] knoweth [03045] not the price [06187] thereof; neither is it found [04672] in the land [0776] of the living [02416].
7 Lo, this is the man [01397] that made [07760] not God [0430] his strength [04581]; but trusted [0982] in the abundance [07230] of his riches [06239], and strengthened [05810] himself in his wickedness [01942].