Job 28 · Verse 9

Job 28:9

He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.

Job 28:9, King James Version

Job 28:9 in other translations

BSB	The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base.
WEB	He puts his hand on the flinty rock, and he overturns the mountains by the roots.
ASV	He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock; He overturneth the mountains by the roots.
YLT	Against the flint he sent forth his hand, He overturned from the root mountains.
DARBY	Man putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock, he overturneth the mountains by the root.
BBE	Man puts out his hand on the hard rock, overturning mountains by the roots.
Webster	He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.

What does Job 28:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

9. rock--flint. He puts forth his hand to cleave the hardest rock. by the roots--from their foundations, by undermining them.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 9 He putteth forth his hand upon the rock, - Still there appears to be a reference to mining. Man puts his hand upon the rock, he breaks that to pieces, in order to extract the metals which it contains. He overturneth the mountains - He excavates, undermines, or digs them away, when in search of the metals contained in them: this is not only poetically, but literally, the case in many instances.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 28:1-11

Job maintained that the dispensations of Providence were regulated by the highest wisdom. To confirm this, he showed of what a great deal of knowledge and wealth men may make themselves masters. The caverns of the earth may be discovered, but not the counsels of Heaven. Go to the miners, thou sluggard in religion, consider their ways, and be wise. Let their courage and diligence in seeking the wealth that perishes…

Read the full comment on Job 28:1-11 →

Job 28:9 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.

בַּֽ֭חַלָּמִישׁBa.cha.la.mishon the flintH2496

שָׁלַ֣חsha.Lachhe stretches outH7971

יָד֑וֹya.Dohand hisH3027

הָפַ֖ךְha.Fakhhe overturnsH2015

מִשֹּׁ֣רֶשׁmi.Sho.reshfrom [the] rootH8328

הָרִֽים\׃ha.RimmountainsH2022

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

Cross references for Job 28:9

Nahum 1:4-6
He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

rock. or, flint. he overturneth.
Na 1:4-6

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

Context

Job 28:8
The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
Job 28:9
He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
Job 28:10
He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.

Read all of Job 28

Job 28:9 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	En el pedernal puso su mano, y trastornó los montes de raíz.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	L’homme porte sa main sur le roc dur, il renverse les montagnes depuis la racine;
German Elberfelder 1871	Er legt seine Hand an das harte Gestein, wühlt die Berge um von der Wurzel aus.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Ad silicem extendit manum suam: subvertit a radicibus montes.