Job 28:21

Job 28:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
• New International Version (NIV)It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds in the sky.
• English Standard Version (ESV)It is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the air.
• New King James Version (NKJV)It is hidden from the eyes of all living, And concealed from the birds of the air.

Context of Job 28:21

19The topaz of Ethiopia cannot compare with it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold. 20From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all the living And concealed from the birds of the heavens. 22Abaddon (the place of destruction) and Death say, ‘We have [only] heard a report of it with our ears.’ 23“God understands the way [to wisdom] And He knows its place [for wisdom is with God alone].

Job 28:21 word by word

וְֽ֭נֶעֶלְמָה מֵעֵינֵ֣י כָל־חָ֑י וּמֵע֖וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם נִסְתָּֽרָה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Seeing it is hidעָלַם‛âlam · to concealH5956
• from the eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• of all livingחַיchay · aliveH2416
• and kept closeסָתַרsâthar · to hideH5641
• from the fowlsעוֹף‛ôph · birdH5775
• of the airשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064

Cross-references for Job 28:21

• Psalms 49:3My mouth will speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.
• Matthew 11:25At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [I openly and joyfully acknowledge Your great wisdom], that You have hidden these things [these spiritual truths] from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants [to new believers, to those seeking God’s will and purpose].
• Matthew 13:17I assure you and most solemnly say to you, many prophets and righteous men [who were honorable and in right standing with God] longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
• 1 Corinthians 2:7but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom once hidden [from man, but now revealed to us by God, that wisdom] which God predestined before the ages to our glory [to lift us into the glory of His presence].
• Colossians 2:3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge [regarding the word and purposes of God].
• Job 28:7The path [deep within] no bird of prey knows, And the falcon’s eye has not caught sight of it.

Commentaries on Job 28:21

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21It is hid from the eyes of all living - That is, of all people, and of all animals. Man has not found it by the most sagacious of all his discoveries, and the keenest vision of beasts and fowls has not traced it out. And kept close - Hebrew “concealed.” From the fowls of the air - Compare the notes at Job 28:7. Umbreit remarks, on this passage, that there is attributed to the fowls in Oriental countries a deep knowledge, and an extraordinary gift of…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-28Verses 20-28 There is a two-fold wisdom; one hid in God, which is secret, and belongs not to us; the other made known by him, and revealed to man. One day's events, and one man's affairs, have such reference to, and so hang one upon another, that He only, to whom all is open, and who sees the whole at one view, can rightly judge of every part. But the knowledge of God's revealed will is within our reach, and will do us good. Let man look upon this as his…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-28This section is an isolated speech. There is no speaker listed, so it might continue from earlier words. Some see it as a creative summary by the author of Job. It emphasizes the limits of human wisdom and sets the stage for the Lord's speeches.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. None can tell whence or where, seeing it, &c. fowls--The gift of divination was assigned by the heathen especially to birds. Their rapid flight heavenwards and keen sight originated the superstition. Job may allude to it. Not even the boasted divination of birds has an insight into it (Ec 10:20). But it may merely mean, as in Job 28:7, It escapes the eye of the most keen-sighted bird.Read the comment

Topics related to Job 28:21

• Ignorance
• Readings, Select
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Bind
• Decree
• Equal
• Fain
• Fine
• Wisdom
• Baruch, Book of
• Close
• Ethics
• Eunice

Commentaries on Job 28

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings