Job 28:11
He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
Original Language Analysis
נְהָר֣וֹת
the floods
H5104
נְהָר֣וֹת
the floods
Strong's:
H5104
Word #:
2 of 6
a stream (including the sea; expectation the nile, euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity
חִבֵּ֑שׁ
He bindeth
H2280
חִבֵּ֑שׁ
He bindeth
Strong's:
H2280
Word #:
3 of 6
to wrap firmly (especially a turban, compress, or saddle); figuratively, to stop, to rule
Historical Context
Underground water was mining's greatest challenge. Ancient miners developed dams, channels, and drainage systems to control flooding—engineering marvels demonstrating human ingenuity. The phrase "bring to light" had technical meaning: extracting ore from dark mines into daylight for processing. Job's audience would recognize this as humanity's peak achievement, making the poem's conclusion (wisdom comes through fearing God, not human effort) more striking.
Questions for Reflection
- How does human ability to 'bring hidden things to light' in science and technology create false confidence that we can illuminate spiritual truth independently?
- What does it mean that only God can bring wisdom 'to light' through revelation rather than discovery?
- How should recognizing our dependence on divine illumination affect how we approach Bible study and spiritual growth?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
He bindeth the floods from overflowing—miners dam underground water sources to prevent flooding. The Hebrew chabash (חָבַשׁ, "bindeth") means to bind up or restrain, while bekhi (בֶּכִי, "floods") refers to weeping or trickling water. And the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light uses ta'alumah (תַּעֲלֻמָה, "that which is hid"), meaning hidden or concealed things, and or (אוֹר, "light"), meaning light or illumination. Miners bring hidden treasures from darkness to light through technological mastery.
This verse presents the supreme irony: humans extract hidden things from the earth, bringing them to light, yet cannot bring wisdom to light (verse 21: "seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living"). The parallelism is exact—what miners do physically (reveal hidden treasures), they cannot do spiritually. Only God brings wisdom from concealment to revelation. This anticipates New Testament theology: "God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God" (2 Corinthians 4:6). Divine illumination, not human excavation, reveals truth.