Job 28 8

Job 28:8 kjv

The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

Job 28:8 nkjv

The proud lions have not trodden it, Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.

Job 28:8 niv

Proud beasts do not set foot on it, and no lion prowls there.

Job 28:8 esv

The proud beasts have not trodden it; the lion has not passed over it.

Job 28:8 nlt

No wild animal has walked upon these treasures;
no lion has ever set his paw there.

Job 28 verses

Job 28 8 Meaning

Job 28:8 describes how even the most formidable and proud creatures—beasts embodying strength, ferocity, and arrogance—are incapable of finding or traversing the hidden path to true wisdom. This verse emphasizes that divine wisdom is entirely inaccessible through earthly power, brute strength, or the untamed might of creation, highlighting its transcendent and profoundly mysterious nature that eludes the grasp of any mere creature or human endeavor.

Job 28 8 Context

Job chapter 28 stands as a magnificent poetic interlude in the midst of Job's struggle and his friends' arguments. It is a hymn that shifts focus from Job's personal suffering to the universal question of where true wisdom can be found. The preceding verses (Job 28:1-11) detail humanity's extraordinary ingenuity and success in extracting precious minerals from the earth's deepest, darkest places. Humans are skilled miners, venturing into realms unknown even to birds of prey or proud animals. This establishes a profound contrast: humans can conquer the physical earth to find hidden treasures, but true wisdom, a far more precious commodity, remains elusive and undiscoverable by any earthly means, power, or cleverness. Verse 8 specifically underlines this elusiveness by excluding even the most formidable wild creatures from accessing wisdom's path.

Job 28 8 Word analysis

• The proud beasts (בְּנֵי-שַׁחַץ - bĕnê-šaḥaṣ):
  • Word-level: Literally "sons of pride/haughtiness." This phrase is often used for formidable, majestic, and aggressive wild animals, especially carnivores, like lions, leopards, or other creatures embodying raw, untamed power and arrogance.
  • Significance: It signifies not just any animal, but those at the apex of the animal kingdom, characterized by their dominance, ferocity, and seemingly unchallenged authority within their domain. This contrasts their physical power with their inability to perceive true wisdom. It also subtly critiques human pride and strength, which similarly fail to grasp divine truths.
• do not tread it (לֹא הִדְרִיכָהוּ - lō' hidriḵāhū):
  • Word-level: From the root דָּרַךְ (dārakh), meaning "to tread, walk, step on, lead, pursue."
  • Significance: Implies that they do not walk on, traverse, or discover this path. It suggests an active inability to locate or progress along it, even with their strength and keen senses. The way to wisdom is not physically accessible.
• nor does (וְלֹא - wĕlō'):
  • Word-level: "And not" or "nor."
  • Significance: Introduces a parallel clause, emphasizing the point by offering a second, equally powerful, example.
• the fierce lion (שַׁחַל - shaḥal):
  • Word-level: Refers to a lion, particularly a young lion, emphasizing its prime strength, cunning, and ferocity. This term often appears in poetic contexts to highlight the lion's intimidating nature.
  • Significance: A specific and powerful exemplar of "proud beasts." Lions are symbolic of ultimate earthly strength, predation, and the apex of natural power. Its explicit mention reinforces the absolute inability of even the most powerful creature to access wisdom.
• pass over it (עָבַר עָלָיו - ‘āvar ‘ālāw):
  • Word-level: From עָבַר (‘āvar), meaning "to pass over, cross, go through."
  • Significance: This phrase reinforces the idea that the lion cannot simply traverse or bypass this path to wisdom. It is utterly beyond its reach or domain, whether by direct access or accidental encounter.

• "The proud beasts... nor does the fierce lion": These two phrases serve as a powerful parallelism, common in Hebrew poetry. They are two ways of expressing the pinnacle of untamed power, ferocity, and independence found in creation. The collective "proud beasts" sets the stage, and "the fierce lion" then provides a quintessential, specific example of this formidable creature. This dual imagery highlights the utter inability of any earthly force, no matter how potent, to enter the realm of divine wisdom. The choice of animals often symbolic of human rulers or adversaries (in other biblical texts) further suggests that no worldly might or dominion can penetrate this hidden sphere of wisdom. This contrast sets the stage for the profound truth that wisdom is of God alone.

Job 28 8 Bonus section

This verse stands in direct polemic against any notion that ultimate understanding or wisdom can be attained through mere physical strength, natural instinct, or aggressive ambition. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, certain powerful animals like lions were revered or seen as emblems of kingly power or divine might. By stating that even these cannot tread the path of wisdom, Job critiques human tendencies to rely on or glorify worldly power and self-reliance as avenues to profound truth. The chapter shifts the inquiry from the 'why' of suffering to the 'where' of wisdom, suggesting that understanding profound truths, including those about suffering, comes only through a source beyond the reach of the created order and its inherent strengths or vices like pride.

Job 28 8 Commentary

Job 28:8 serves as a poetic declaration of the profound inaccessibility of true wisdom by natural means. Following the impressive display of human ingenuity in mining, the verse states that even the most powerful, proud, and untamed creatures—beasts embodying physical prowess and unbridled force—cannot discover or traverse the path to wisdom. This implicitly extends to humanity, whose strength, intellect, and ambition are equally limited in their capacity to find this ultimate truth. The "proud beasts" and "fierce lion" are not merely animals; they symbolize the pinnacle of earthly power, representing the limits of creation's strength and instinct when confronting divine mystery. True wisdom is not an object to be excavated or a path to be conquered by force; it transcends the material world and its most dominant inhabitants. This verse beautifully emphasizes the divine source and exclusive revelation of wisdom. For instance, just as a lion, despite its strength, cannot build a house or write a book, neither can the most powerful earthly entity grasp divine wisdom by its own innate capabilities.