Job 28:8
Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it.
BSB
ASV
The proud beasts have not trodden it, Nor hath the fierce lion passed thereby.
KJV
The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
The children of the dealers have not trodden it, nor hath the lioness passed through it. In all the Latin copies we find the word 'Instructors' put down, but in the Greek we find 'traders,' whereby it may be inferred that in this passage the several copyists from being ignorant put 'instructors' instead of 'dealers.' For we call traders 'institores' on this account, that they are 'instant in plying work.'
Lion - Which rangeth all places for prey. The birds and beasts have often led men to such places as otherwise they should never have found out; but they could not lead them to these mines, the finding out of them is a special gift of God.
The lion’s whelps - The lion that ventures into the most dangerous places in pursuit of prey, has not dared to go where man has gone in pursuit of precious stones and gold. On the words used here to designate the lion, see Bochart Hieroz P. 1. Lib. iii. c. 1.
1834–1892
IN this chapter Job is speaking of the hidden treasures that are to be found deep down in the bowels of the earth. The keen eyes of the vultures, though they see their prey afar off, have never seen the gold, silver and other precious metals which lie in the dark places of the earth.
Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.
