Job 28:8

“The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.] Or “upon it” f970; such creatures that are exceeding fierce and cruel, hungry and voracious, eager after their prey, range here and there in pursuit of it, search every hole and corner, and rove in dens and caves of the earth; yet these never traversed such ways and paths the miners make to get out the wealth and riches of the earth. Wicked men are sometimes compared to lions, for their cruelty and oppression exercised on the saints, breathing out threatenings and slaughter against them, (<195704>Psalm 57:4); and particularly tyrannical princes and persecutors, as the kings of Assyria and Babylon, and Nero the Roman…”

“lion's whelps--literally, "the sons of pride," that is, the fiercest beasts. passed--The Hebrew implies the proud gait of the lion. The miner ventures where not even the fierce lion dares to go in pursuit of his prey.”

“The lion’s whelps - The lion that ventures into the most dangerous places in pursuit of prey, has not dared to go where man has gone in pursuit of precious stones and gold. On the words used here to designate the lion, see Bochart Hieroz P. 1. Lib. iii. c. 1. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Lion - Which rangeth all places for prey. The birds and beasts have often led men to such places as otherwise they should never have found out; but they could not lead them to these mines, the finding out of them is a special gift of God. Job 28:9”