Job 28 · Verse 12

Job 28:12

But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?
Job 28:12, King James Version

Job 28:12 in other translations

BSBBut where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell?
WEB“But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding?
ASVBut where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
YLTAnd the wisdom--whence is it found? And where is this, the place of understanding?
DARBYBut wisdom, where shall it be found? and where is the place of understanding?
BBEBut where may wisdom be seen? and where is the resting-place of knowledge?
WebsterBut where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?

What does Job 28:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. Can man discover the Divine Wisdom by which the world is governed, as he can the treasures hidden in the earth? Certainly not. Divine Wisdom is conceived as a person (Job 28:12-27) distinct from God (Job 28:23; also in Pr 8:23, 27). The Almighty Word, Jesus Christ, we know now, is that Wisdom. The order of the world was originated and is maintained by the breathing forth (Spirit) of Wisdom, unfathomable and unpurchasable by man. In Job 28:28, the only aspect of it, which relates to, and may be understood by, man, is stated. understanding--insight into the plan of the divine government.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 But where shall wisdom be found? - It is most evident that the terms wisdom and understanding are used here in a widely different sense from all those arts and sciences which have their relation to man in his animal and social state, and from all that reason and intellect by which man is distinguished from all other animals. Now as these terms חכמה chochmah, wisdom, and בינה binah, understanding or discernment, are often applied in the sacred writings in their common acceptations, we must have recourse to what Job says of them, to know their meaning in this place. In Job 28:28, he says, The fear of the Lord is Wisdom, and to depart from evil is Understanding. We know that the fear of the Lord is often taken for the whole of that religious reverence and holy obedience which God prescribes to man in his word, and which man owes to his Maker. Hence the Septuagint render חכמה chochmah, wisdom, by θεοσεβια, Divine worship; and as to a departure from evil, that is necessarily implied in a religious life, but it is here properly distinguished, that no man might suppose that a right faith, and a proper performance of the rites of religious worship, is the whole of religion. No. They must not only worship God in the letter, but also in the spirit; they must not only have the form, but also the power of godliness: and this will lead them to worship God in spirit and truth, to walk in his testimonies, and abstain from every appearance of evil; hence they will be truly happy: so that wisdom is another word for happiness. Now these are things which man by study and searching could never find out; they are not of an earthly origin. The spirit of a man, human understanding, may know the things of a man - those which concern him in his animal and social state: but the Spirit of God alone knows the things of God; and therefore Wisdom - all true religion - must come by Divine revelation, which is the mode of its attainment. Wisdom finds out the thing, and understanding uses and applies the means; and then the great end is obtained.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 28:12-19
Job here speaks of wisdom and understanding, the knowing and enjoying of God and ourselves. Its worth is infinitely more than all the riches in this world. It is a gift of the Holy Ghost which cannot be bought with money. Let that which is most precious in God's account, be so in ours. Job asks after it as one that truly desired to find it, and despaired of finding it any where but in God; any way but by Divine revelation. (Job 28:20-28)

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Job 28:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְֽ֭הַחָכְמָהVe.ha.cha.khe.mahand <the> wisdomH2451
מֵאַ֣יִןme.'A.yinfrom where?H370
תִּמָּצֵ֑אti.ma.Tze'will it be foundH4672
וְאֵ֥יve.'Eiand where?H335
זֶ֝הzehthisH2088
מְק֣וֹםme.Kom[is the] place ofH4725
בִּינָֽה\׃bi.NahunderstandingH998

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Job 28:12

  • Proverbs 2:4-6

    If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

  • Job 28:20

    Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

  • James 1:5

    If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

  • Proverbs 3:19

    The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

  • Colossians 2:3

    In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

  • 1 Corinthians 1:19-20

    For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

  • James 1:17

    Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

  • Job 28:28

    And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

  • Ecclesiastes 7:23-25

    All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

  • Psalms 51:6

    Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

  • 1 Kings 3:9

    Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
20,28; 1Ki 3:9; Ps 51:6; Pr 2:4-6; 3:19; Ec 7:23-25; 1Co 1:19,20
Col 2:3; Jas 1:5,17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Job 28:11

    He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

  • Job 28:12

    But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?

  • Job 28:13

    Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

Read all of Job 28

Job 28:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Empero ¿dónde se hallará la sabiduría? ¿y dónde está el lugar de la prudencia?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Mais la sagesse, où la trouvera-t-on? et où est le lieu de l’intelligence?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Aber die Weisheit, wo wird sie erlangt? und welches ist die Stätte des Verstandes?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Sapientia vero ubi invenitur? et quis est locus intelligentiæ?