Job 28:13

“Man knoweth not the price thereof, etc.] The worth and value of it, what price to set upon it, or offer and give for it; nor does he know where to find an equivalent to it, or what is a valuable consideration for it: as for the wisdom of God in his dealings with men, if a man was to give all the substance of his house to know the secret reasons of them, it would utterly be condemned; yea, if he had all the riches in the world in his possession, and would offer them on that consideration, he would not be able to attain the knowledge of them: or “the order thereof” f978; the order of divine Providence, the wise disposal of thing, and the reasons thereof. In the first sense it is applicable to…”

“Man can fix no price upon it, as it is nowhere to be found in man's abode (Isa 38:11). Job implies both its valuable worth, and the impossibility of buying it at any price.”

“Man knoweth not the price thereof - The word rendered “price” (ערך ‛êrek) means properly that which is set in a pile or row, or which is arranged in order. Here it means preparation, equipment - that is, anything put in order, or ready, Judges 17:10. It is also used in the sense of estimation or valuation, Leviticus 5:15, Leviticus 5:18. The word “price” here, however, seems to form no proper answer to the question in the previous verse, as the question is, “where” wisdom is to be found, not what is its “value.” Many expositors have, therefore, introduced a different idea in their interpretation. Dr. Good renders it, “Man knoweth not its source.” Prof. Lee, “Man knoweth not its equal.”…”

“Found - Among men upon earth, but only among those blessed spirits that dwell above. Job 28:14”

“28:13 Wisdom does not originate among the living. God is the source of true wisdom (28:23-28).”

“knoweth: Job 28:15-19; Psa 19:10, Psa 119:72; Pro 3:14, Pro 3:15, Pro 8:11, Pro 8:18, Pro 8:19, Pro 16:16, Pro 23:23; Ecc 8:16, Ecc 8:17 in the land: Job 28:21, Job 28:22; Psa 52:5; Isa 38:11, Isa 53:8 Job 28:14”

“13 A mortal knoweth not its price, And it is not found in the land of the living. 14 The abyss saith: It is not in me, And the sea saith: It is not with me. 15 Pure gold cannot be given for it, And silver cannot be weighed as its price; 16 And it is not outweighed with fine gold of Ophir, With the precious onyx and the sapphire. It is self-evident that wisdom is found nowhere directly present and within a limited space, as at the bottom of the sea, and cannot be obtained by a direct exchange by means of earthly treasures. It is, moreover, not this self-evident fact that is denied here; but the meaning is, that even if a man should search in every direction through the land of the living,…”