Job 28:13Man doesn't know its price; Neither is it found in the land of the living.
The setting
Ancient Near East. Job declares humanity's fundamental limitation in finding ultimate wisdom...
The emotion here: humbled by human limitations but not despairing
The original word
ʿēreḵ (עֵרֶךְ) — proper value or worth, like a price tag that no one can afford
Why it matters
The phrase 'land of the living' was common ancient Near Eastern terminology for earthly existence
Read with care
What most readers miss in Job 28:13
Job isn't being pessimistic — he's setting up that wisdom comes from beyond human reach
Common misconceptionPeople think Job is being negative about human intelligence, but he's actually preparing to reveal that true wisdom comes from God alone.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Job 28:13
Bible Genome reading
Job 28:13 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Job 28:13 comes from the book of Job, written during the Patriarchal period. These words are attributed to Job. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the poetry genre of biblical literature. Key themes include human limitation, wisdom's elusiveness. Notable phrases: man doesn't know its price; not found in land of living.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does Job 28:13 mean to you, today?
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