Job 28 is the 28th chapter of the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The book is anonymous; most scholars believe it was written around 6th century BCE. This chapter records the speech of Job, which belongs to the Dialogue section of the book, comprising Job 3:1–31:40.
Text
The original text is written in Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 28 verses.
Textual witnesses
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).
There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BC; some extant ancient manuscripts of this version include Codex Vaticanus (B; B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: S; 4th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (A; A; 5th century).
Analysis
The structure of the book is as follows: The Prologue (chapters 1–2) The Dialogue (chapters 3–31) The Verdicts (32:1–42:6) The Epilogue (42:7–17)
Within the structure, chapter 28 is grouped into the Dialogue section with the following outline: Job's Self-Curse and Self-Lament (3:1–26) Round One (4:1–14:22) Round Two (15:1–21:34) Round Three (22:1–27:23) Eliphaz (22:1–30) Job (23:1–24:25) Bildad (25:1–6) Job (26:1–27:23) Interlude – A Poem on Wisdom (28:1–28) The Achievements of Humanity (28:1–12) Humans Cannot Buy Wisdom and Do Not Value It (28:13–20) God Knows the Way to Wisdom (28:21–27) The Fear of God and Wisdom (28:28) Job's Summing Up (29:1–31:40)
The Dialogue section is composed in the format of poetry with distinctive syntax and grammar. Comparing the three cycles of debate, the third (and final) round can be seen as 'incomplete', because there is no speech from Zophar and the speech by Bildad is very short (6 verses only), which may indicate as a symptom of disintegration of the friends' arguments. Job's final speech in the third cycle of debate mainly comprises chapters 26 to 27, but in the silence of his friends, Job continues his speech until chapter 31. Chapter 28 can be divided into three parts, separated by two refrains (verses 12, 20), and concluded by the final statement of "fear of the Lord" (verse 28): human searching cannot find wisdom (28:1-12) human wealth cannot purchase wisdom (28:13-20) God alone understands the way to wisdom (28:21-28). The refrains ask the question, "Where shall wisdom be found?" and the closing statement apparently gives the answer, "the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom."
The tone of Job 28 is calm, quite different from the 'turgid emotions of Job's speeches' both in the preceding (27) and in succeeding chapters (29-31), with a distinctive content as well. This leads to the debate whether Job is really the speaker of the whole chapter. This chapter may well be an interlude spoken by the narrator (or 'authorial comment') serving as a transition from the three rounds of dialogue (Job 3–27) to the three extended monologues by Job (Job 29–31), Elihu (Job 32–37), and God (Job 38–41).
Several factors have been listed to doubt that Job is not the speaker: The following chapter starts with "Job again took up his discourse" (29:1), as also similarly stated in 26:1, 27:1, but not in 28:1. The drastic change in literary genre and the irenic poetic tone of the chapter signal the unlikeliness to be a part of the debate, but more as an appropriate reflection by the author or editor at the time when the dialogue has broken down.
Although Zophar cover similar themes in Job 11:7–12 only few scholars regard this chapter as Zophar's 'missing third speech' due to, among others, the absence of accusation. Some scholars suggest that it was spoken by Elihu, or that it belongs after Job 42:6, whereas others propose to remove it as inauthentic.
The location of Job 28 within the structure of the whole book suggests that it is not an anticipation of the conclusion and theme of the book, so it cannot be "the high point of the book", because it still does not provide the answer for Job. This chapter serves the important literary function of preparing for what is to follow, that is, the possible conclusion of verse 28 is reframed by chapters 29–31, in which Job insists that the issues are not resolved, and finally leads to God's verdict.
The achievements of humanity (28:1–12)