But God
This phrase immediately sets the tone for the verse, emphasizing the sovereignty and omniscience of God. In the Hebrew text, the word for God here is "Elohim," a name that denotes power and majesty. It reminds us that while human understanding is limited, God’s knowledge is infinite. This is a recurring theme throughout the Book of Job, where human wisdom is contrasted with divine wisdom.

understands
The Hebrew word used here is "bin," which means to discern, perceive, or comprehend. This suggests a deep, intimate knowledge that goes beyond mere awareness. It implies that God not only knows the path of wisdom but fully comprehends its intricacies and purposes. This understanding is not just intellectual but also relational, as God is intimately involved with His creation.

its way
The "way" refers to the path or course of wisdom. In the context of Job 28, wisdom is portrayed as something elusive and precious, more valuable than gold or jewels. The Hebrew word "derek" is used here, which can mean a road, journey, or manner of life. This suggests that wisdom is not just a static concept but a dynamic journey or process. God alone knows the full course of wisdom, its beginning, and its end.

and He knows
The repetition of God’s knowledge emphasizes His complete and perfect understanding. The Hebrew word "yada" is used here, which means to know by experience or observation. This indicates that God’s knowledge is not abstract but experiential. He knows wisdom because He is the source of all wisdom.

its place
The "place" of wisdom is its dwelling or abode. In Hebrew, the word "maqom" is used, which can mean a physical location or a metaphorical space. This suggests that wisdom has a specific origin and destination, known only to God. It reinforces the idea that true wisdom is found in God alone and that He is the ultimate source and sustainer of all wisdom.

(23) God understandeth the way thereof.--God is the author of wisdom, and His fear is the beginning thereof; so with His infinite knowledge of the universe He cannot but be cognisant of the place and way thereof. It is to be observed that while the foundation of wisdom is said to be coeval with that of the world, the very existence of wisdom in relation to man implied the existence of evil, because except by departing from evil there could for man be no wisdom, though evil itself may undoubtedly involve and imply the deflection from a previously existing right. Wrong, for example, is what is wrung aside from the right. The two ideas which Job starts with are man's ignorance of the price and the place of wisdom. Neither he nor nature knows the place of it: neither all living, nor the deep, nor the sea; and as for its price, though man is prepared to give any high price for the costly stones and jewels of the earth, yet all that he has to give is not to be mentioned in comparison with the value of wisdom. Wisdom, however, is to be purchased by the poor, as we may infer from the language of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 55:1), or, at all events, that which ranks with wisdom; and in like manner Christ represented the kingdom of heaven as a pearl of great price, which would demand all that a man had to buy it, and yet he represented the poor as those especially to whom it was preached. It is true that the wisdom of which Job speaks (Job 28:28) is in no way connected with the Gospel of the kingdom; but yet, if the words of the wise are indeed given from one Shepherd, it is impossible not to recognise a central thought underlying all such words, if not in the separate minds of the wise at heart, in the original mind of the one Shepherd. So we can see that that which is true of wisdom as described by Job receives its illustration from that which is true of the Gospel of the kingdom and of the evangelical promises of Isaiah.

Verse 23. - God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. God only understands what true wisdom is. It is a part of his being, an essential element of his nature. He knows "the way" of it, i.e. how it works and manifests itself; and he knows "the place' of it, i.e. where it dwells, what limits it has, if any, and how far it is communicable to any beside himself. The highest knowledge is all hid in God (Colossians 2-3); and, except so far as God imparts it to him, man can know nothing of it.

Parallel Commentaries ...


But God
אֱ֭לֹהִים (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

understands
הֵבִ֣ין (hê·ḇîn)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 995: To separate mentally, understand

its way,
דַּרְכָּ֑הּ (dar·kāh)
Noun - common singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

and He
וְ֝ה֗וּא (wə·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

knows
יָדַ֥ע (yā·ḏa‘)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

its place.
מְקוֹמָֽהּ׃ (mə·qō·w·māh)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition


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OT Poetry: Job 28:23 God understands its way and he knows (Jb)