Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Book of Job, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Suffering and Divine Justice
The Mystery of God
Human Wisdom vs. Divine Wisdom
Faith in Suffering
Summary
Analysis
Miners dig precious metals out of the depths of the earth, Job continues, far away from other people. Even though they unearth precious things, they cannot find wisdom and understanding. No mortal, in fact, knows the way to wisdom, and they can’t buy it with gold or silver. So where does it come from?
In the first part of his dialogue responding to his friends, Job focused on the universe’s hidden mysteries. Now, he builds on that theme by exploring the idea of wisdom itself as hidden. He uses the poetic image of wisdom as a precious substance hidden so deep that even miners can’t dig it up.
Themes
Only God knows where wisdom can be found. In fact, he sees everything under the heavens. He gave the wind its weight, portioned out the waters, and established the weather. God also said to humanity, “the fear of the Lord […] is wisdom.”
