Job 28:20
New International Version
Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell?

New Living Translation
“But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding?

English Standard Version
“From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?

Berean Standard Bible
From where, then, does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?

King James Bible
Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

New King James Version
“From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?

New American Standard Bible
“Where then does wisdom come from? And where is this place of understanding?

NASB 1995
“Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding?

NASB 1977
“Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding?

Legacy Standard Bible
Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding?

Amplified Bible
“From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?

Christian Standard Bible
Where then does wisdom come from, and where is understanding located?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Where then does wisdom come from, and where is understanding located?

American Standard Version
Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?

Contemporary English Version
Where then is wisdom?

English Revised Version
Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Where does wisdom come from? Where does understanding live?

Good News Translation
Where, then, is the source of wisdom? Where can we learn to understand?

International Standard Version
"From where, then, does wisdom originate? Where does understanding live?

Majority Standard Bible
From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell?

NET Bible
"But wisdom--where does it come from? Where is the place of understanding?

New Heart English Bible
From where then comes wisdom? Where is the place of understanding?

Webster's Bible Translation
Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

World English Bible
Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the wisdom—from where does it come? And where [is] this, the place of understanding?

Young's Literal Translation
And the wisdom -- whence doth it come? And where is this, the place of understanding?

Smith's Literal Translation
And from whence shall wisdom come? and where this place of understanding?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

Catholic Public Domain Version
So then, where does wisdom begin, and where is the place of understanding?

New American Bible
As for wisdom, where does she come from? Where is the place of understanding?

New Revised Standard Version
“Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Whence then comes wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
From where comes wisdom, and what is the place of understanding?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Whence then is wisdom found? and of what kind is the place of understanding?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Where Can Wisdom Be Found?
19Topaz from Cush cannot compare to it, nor can it be valued in pure gold. 20From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell? 21It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air.…

Cross References
Proverbs 2:4-6
if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure, / then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God. / For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

James 1:5
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Proverbs 8:1-11
Does not wisdom call out, and understanding raise her voice? / On the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads she takes her stand. / Beside the gates to the city, at the entrances she cries out: ...

1 Corinthians 1:24
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Proverbs 3:13-18
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who acquires understanding, / for she is more profitable than silver, and her gain is better than fine gold. / She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire compares with her. ...

Colossians 2:2-3
that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, / in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Ecclesiastes 7:24
What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?

Romans 11:33
O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!

Proverbs 4:7
Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.

Isaiah 55:8-9
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. / “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Matthew 13:44-46
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field. / Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. / When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it.

Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

1 Corinthians 2:6-7
Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. / No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began.

Daniel 2:20-22
and declared: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. / He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. / He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.

Ephesians 1:17-18
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him. / I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,


Treasury of Scripture

From where then comes wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?

See on

Job 28:12
But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?

Proverbs 2:6
For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

Ecclesiastes 7:23,24
All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me…

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Dwell Resting-Place Understanding Whence Wisdom
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Dwell Resting-Place Understanding Whence Wisdom
Job 28
1. There is a knowledge of natural things
12. But wisdom is an excellent gift of God














From where then
This phrase initiates a profound inquiry into the origins of wisdom. In the Hebrew text, the word "from where" is "מֵאַיִן" (me'ayin), which conveys a sense of searching or seeking out a source. This reflects the human quest for understanding that transcends mere knowledge. Historically, this question echoes the ancient Near Eastern pursuit of wisdom, a theme prevalent in wisdom literature, where sages sought to understand the divine order of the universe.

does wisdom come
The Hebrew word for wisdom is "חָכְמָה" (chokmah), which encompasses not only knowledge but also the skillful application of that knowledge in life. In the biblical context, wisdom is often associated with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10), suggesting that true wisdom is divinely sourced and not merely a human achievement. This phrase challenges the reader to consider the divine origin of wisdom, contrasting it with human limitations.

and where does understanding dwell
The term "understanding" is translated from the Hebrew "בִּינָה" (binah), which implies discernment and insight. The word "dwell" is "מָקוֹם" (maqom), indicating a place or abode. This suggests that understanding is not just a transient concept but has a stable, enduring presence. In the scriptural context, understanding is often linked with the ability to perceive the deeper truths of God's creation and purposes. The rhetorical question posed here invites reflection on the nature of true understanding as something that resides beyond human reach, in the realm of the divine.

Verse 20. - Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? This is a repetition of ver. 12, with a mere variant of the verb in the first line. Job's elaborate inquiry of vers. 14-19 having thresh no light on the subject, the original question recurs - Where does wisdom come from?

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
From where
מֵאַ֣יִן (mê·’a·yin)
Preposition-m | Adverb
Strong's 370: Whence?

then does wisdom
וְֽ֭הַחָכְמָה (wə·ha·ḥā·ḵə·māh)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2451: Wisdom

come,
תָּב֑וֹא (tā·ḇō·w)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

and where
וְאֵ֥י (wə·’ê)
Conjunctive waw | Interrogative
Strong's 335: Where?, how?

does understanding
בִּינָֽה׃ (bî·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 998: An understanding

dwell?
מְק֣וֹם (mə·qō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition


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OT Poetry: Job 28:20 Whence then comes wisdom? Where (Jb)
Job 28:19
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