Job 28:10
in Job 28He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He cutteth out channels among the rocks; And his eye seeth every precious thing.
KJV
He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.
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This verse in Job 28
Commentary
9 notes on this verseHe cutteth out rivers among the rocks - He cuts canals, adits, etc., in the rocks, and drives levels under ground, in order to discover loads or veins of ore. These are often continued a great way under ground; and may be poetically compared to rivers, channels, or canals. His eye seeth every precious thing - He sinks those shafts, and drives those levels, in order to discover where the precious minerals lie, of which he is in pursuit.
This site's exposition
He hews out channels in the rocks
on Job 28:10-11
"He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light", and that line states the work of the whole passage. Every buried thing man can reach by labor is set against the one thing labor cannot reach, which verse 12 names.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XVIII · Written before 604.
proposed
He cutteth out streams in the rocks. And his eye hath seen every precious thing. But because those whom it empties of earthly thoughts, it fills with heavenly gifts, and those, whom it drains of interest below, it waters with streams from Above, it is directly added; He cutteth out streams in the rocks. i.e. in the hard hearts of the Gentiles he opened the rivers of preaching; as it is likewise spoken by the Prophet of watering the dryness of the Gentiles; He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into water springs.
Second is the fact that "waters cross through the middle of the mountains," (cf. Ps. 103:10) as though there were a way hewn for them by divine power through the rocks, and so he says, "He hollows out watercourses in the rocks," in the courses …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Seeth - Even those which no human art or industry was ever able to discover. That wisdom - Man hath one kind of wisdom, to discover the works of nature, and to perform the operations of art; but as for that sublime wisdom which consists in the knowledge of God and ourselves, no man can discover this, but by the special gift of God.
He cutteth out rivers among the rocks,....
Silver and gold are precious things with them, and they have them in their eye in all these pursuits. They fancy they see them glittering before their faces, and, in the prospect of laying hold of them, they make nothing of all these difficulties; for they make something of their toil at last: That which is hidden bringeth he forth to light,
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
He cuts channels to drain off the waters, which hinder his mining; and when the waters are gone, he he is able to see the precious things in the earth.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He cutteth out rivers among the rocks - That is, in his operations of mining, he cuts channels for the water to flow off through the rocks. This was done, as it is now, for the purpose of drawing off the water that accumulates in mines. His eye seeth every precious thing - Every valuable mineral or precious stone that lies imbedded in the rocks. It is evident from this, that mining operations were carried to a considerable extent in the time of Job. The art of thus penetrating the earth, and laying open its secret treasures, indicate an advanced stage of society - a stage much removed from barbarism.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
In the rocks, He split rivers He refers back to the beginning of his topic, that he said that everything has a source.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בַּ֭צּוּרוֹת | batzurot | in the rocks | H6697 → | 78 times |
| יְאֹרִ֣ים | yeorim | shafts | H2975 → | |
| בִּקֵּ֑עַ | bikea' | he splits open | H1234 → | 51 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יְ֝קָ֗ר | yekar | precious thing | H3366 → | |
| רָאֲתָ֥ה | raatah | it sees | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| עֵינֽוֹ׃ | eino | eye his | H5869 → | 887 times |
בַּ֭צּוּרוֹתin the rocks
batzurotH6697 →78 times
יְאֹרִ֣יםshafts
yeorimH2975 →
בִּקֵּ֑עַhe splits open
bikea'H1234 →51 times
וְכָל־and every
vekholH3605 →5413 times
יְ֝קָ֗רprecious thing
yekarH3366 →
רָאֲתָ֥הit sees
raatahH7200 →1300 times
עֵינֽוֹ׃eye his
einoH5869 →887 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 14:23There is profit in all labor, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
it leads to
- Proverbs 28:19
The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
- Proverbs 12:24
The hand of the diligent will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:10–12
For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.”
- Hebrews 6:10–11
For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.
- Ecclesiastes 5:3
As a dream comes through many cares, so the speech of a fool comes with many words.
- Proverbs 28:19
Through
Proverbs 24:4through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.
it leads to
- Proverbs 15:6
The house of the righteous has great treasure, but the income of the wicked is trouble.
- Proverbs 21:20
Precious treasures and oil are in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man consumes them.
- Proverbs 20:15
There is an abundance of gold and rubies, but lips of knowledge are a rare treasure.
- Proverbs 15:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About Job
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XVIII; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.