Job 28:10 (KJV)

What does Job 28:10 mean?

Job 28:10 describes someone carving out channels for water through solid rock and being able to see every valuable thing hidden within. The verse paints a picture of human skill and effort in uncovering hidden treasures from the earth.

In the book of Job, Job is speaking to his friends about the search for wisdom. Here, he uses the image of miners cutting through rock and discovering precious things to show how people go to great lengths to find valuable materials. The verse highlights both the determination and the ability of humans to reveal what is hidden deep in the earth.

The Hebrew behind Job 28:10

• "out" (בָּקַע, baqa‘): This word means to split or break open. It emphasizes the force and effort involved in making channels through hard rock, showing the intensity of the search.
• "rivers" (יְאֹר, ye’or): Although often translated as "rivers," this word can also mean channels or streams. In this context, it refers to man-made channels dug through rock, not natural rivers.
• "rocks" (סֶלַע, sela‘): This word means a large, solid rock or cliff. It underscores the difficulty of the task—digging through something very hard and unyielding.
• "eye" (עַיִן, ‘ayin): This word simply means "eye," but here it suggests careful searching or inspection, as the miner’s eye looks for precious things.
• "seeth" (רָאָה, ra’ah): This word means to see or perceive. The verse suggests not just casual looking, but actively finding or discovering.
• "thing" (יְקָר, yeqar): This word means something valuable or precious. It refers to the treasures hidden in the earth that are revealed by the miner’s work.

Why Job 28:10 matters

• Job 28:10 helps clear up that the verse is not about natural rivers, but about the hard work people do to uncover hidden resources, using images of mining and searching.
• The verse emphasizes the lengths to which humans will go to find valuable things, setting up a contrast in the chapter between human effort and the difficulty of finding true wisdom.
• This image connects to the larger passage, where Job is reflecting on the search for wisdom as even more challenging and mysterious than finding gold or jewels in the earth.