Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.
The verse is poetry in the inspired book of Job, written before the Exodus, with Job as a real character. It stands in chapters 3-31, the discussions between Job and his three friends on the cause and purpose of human suffering, and must be studied as part of the whole book rather than isolated, best read in the Revised Version as a better translation than the Common Version. The word for vein is better understood as mine, so the verse poetically states that silver has a mine and gold has a place where people find it. It is not distinguishing ancient gold from silver in method of occurrence, since gold was often found in pockets or placers. The verse describes the places where people obtain silver and gold and where gold is refined.
It illustrates that valuable things have their proper places of discovery. It belongs to Job's praise of wisdom, presenting God's wisdom which His children learn by walking in reverent fear of Him. These earthly resources that humans can locate and search out stand in contrast to wisdom, which cannot be found or obtained by wealth and cannot be bought with precious metals.
Together with the following verses through verse 11, it pictures mining as careful, persistent work in which miners search dark, hidden depths until what is precious is brought to light. The mining image applies to Bible study, in which readers should follow each subject through the different books and gather what God has said about it, with the Spirit helping and guiding the search into the deep things of God.
The verse shows that knowledge of God is an infinite mine with rich golden ore beneath the surface. Human intellect can be measured and human books can be mastered, but God cannot be discovered by the highest, deepest, broadest flight of imagination, and only a faint glimpse of divine glory and of the infinitude of knowledge and wisdom has yet been seen. Only the surface of the mine has been worked, so the shaft must be sunk deeper and deeper to gain glorious treasure that rewards the one who digs, and through correct faith divine knowledge becomes human knowledge. Searching the Scriptures in the Spirit of Christ, as a little child in full submission to Christ, brings reward and truth, and obedience opens understanding of the plan of God's government and opens the treasures of grace and glory of the heavenly world for exploration. Exploring the mines of truth ennobles people and makes the mystery of redemption, the incarnation of Christ, and His atoning sacrifice better understood and more highly appreciated rather than vague in the mind.
The verse is poetry in the inspired book of Job, written before the Exodus, with Job as a real character. It stands in chapters 3-31, the discussions between Job and his three friends on the cause and purpose of human suffering, and must be studied as part of the whole book rather than isolated, best read in the Revised Version as a better translation than the Common Version. The word for vein is better understood as mine, so the verse poetically states that silver has a mine and gold has a place where people find it. It is not distinguishing ancient gold from silver in method of occurrence, since gold was often found in pockets or placers. The verse describes the places where people obtain silver and gold and where gold is refined.
It illustrates that valuable things have their proper places of discovery. It belongs to Job's praise of wisdom, presenting God's wisdom which His children learn by walking in reverent fear of Him. These earthly resources that humans can locate and search out stand in contrast to wisdom, which cannot be found or obtained by wealth and cannot be bought with precious metals.
Together with the following verses through verse 11, it pictures mining as careful, persistent work in which miners search dark, hidden depths until what is precious is brought to light. The mining image applies to Bible study, in which readers should follow each subject through the different books and gather what God has said about it, with the Spirit helping and guiding the search into the deep things of God.
The verse shows that knowledge of God is an infinite mine with rich golden ore beneath the surface. Human intellect can be measured and human books can be mastered, but God cannot be discovered by the highest, deepest, broadest flight of imagination, and only a faint glimpse of divine glory and of the infinitude of knowledge and wisdom has yet been seen. Only the surface of the mine has been worked, so the shaft must be sunk deeper and deeper to gain glorious treasure that rewards the one who digs, and through correct faith divine knowledge becomes human knowledge. Searching the Scriptures in the Spirit of Christ, as a little child in full submission to Christ, brings reward and truth, and obedience opens understanding of the plan of God's government and opens the treasures of grace and glory of the heavenly world for exploration. Exploring the mines of truth ennobles people and makes the mystery of redemption, the incarnation of Christ, and His atoning sacrifice better understood and more highly appreciated rather than vague in the mind.