Job 27 and 28

After reading chapter 27:

*Job continues talking to his friends. He continues to deny any wrong doing and insists he has a clear conscience. Then he goes on a rant about the fate of his enemies, may it be like the fate of the wicked. Verses 13-23 are a poetic description of the horrid things that will happen to the wicked and their descendents. It makes no sense to me, because in previous chapters Job has made a point that bad things don't always happen to the wicked. In fact they often prosper. Now he seems to be saying the same kinds of things his friends have said, the things they used as evidence against him.

After reading 28:

*Supposedly Job is still talking. However, this next passage has a very different feel to it. It's like something you might find in the book of Proverbs or Ecclesiastes,  and seems to haven nothing to do with Job's current situation. The theme starts with the hidden qualities of wisdom, using the extended metaphor of a mine. We are told of the toil of men who tunnel through rock and lay bare the roots of mountains to uncover the hidden treasures that cannot be seen from above. Silver, gold, copper, iron, and sapphires are brought to light, but where can wisdom be found?

*The next theme is the worth of wisdom and man's inability to understand its value because it is so rare. It can't be found in the land or the sea. Its price cannot be compared to gold, silver, onyx, sapphires, crystal, coral, jasper, rubies, and topaz.

* Verse 21 repeats verse 12 like a refrain, giving this passage a more poetic quality. Verse 22 repeats a sentiment from verse 7. They introduce another stanza. Now we are told even "Destruction (abaddon) and Death" have only heard rumors of wisdom. God, however, is the only one who knows where to find it, because he sees everything. He looked at wisdom and tested it, then he said, "the fear of The lord (Adonai) is wisdom. To shun evil is understanding."

*This is one of the times lord is translated from the word Adonai, not Yahweh.  Now I am officially confused. Apparently When Yahweh is translated LORD it is in all capital letters, when Adonai is translated Lord, just the first letter is capitalized. Adonai is not an official name of God it is a regal title that is applied to him. It is another plural used as a singular and originally meant "my lords." You can read more about it and the other supposed names of God here. I learned something new today.

*The unusual way this passage seems to digress from the surrounding text, leads me to wonder if it was a later insertion. I personally think it has beautiful imagery and is a nice change from all the moaning and whining, even if it isn't true. Wisdom comes from acquiring a wide base of knowledge and experience and applying it to become your best self and a teacher of others.