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Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’
Job 28:22 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
  • BSB Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’
  • NKJV Destruction and Death say, ‘We have heard a report about it with our ears.’
  • NASB “Abaddon and Death say, ‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’
  • NLT Destruction and Death say, ‘We’ve heard only rumors of where wisdom can be found.’

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Even Destruction and Death admit they have only heard a rumor of wisdom.

Overview

Job personifies Abaddon (Destruction) and Death, the realm of the dead, as having only secondhand knowledge of wisdom. Not even the grave, which receives all the living, possesses it. The verse completes the survey of creation, showing that wisdom is found in no earthly or underworldly place, but in God alone (verse 23).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 3

  • Job 26:6Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering.
  • Ps 83:10–12who perished at Endor, who became as dung for the earth.
  • Job 28:14The deep says, ‘It isn’t in me.’ The sea says, ‘It isn’t with me.’

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Job videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Job 28:22YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JobMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.

How Job 28:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.