Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 5. The earth, out of it cometh bread ] Or the earth, hnmm mimmennah, from itself, by its own vegetative power, it sends out bread, or the corn of which bread is made.
And under it is turned up as it were fire. ] It seems as if this referred to some combustible fossil, similar to our stone coal, which was dug up out of the earth in some places of Arabia. The Chaldee gives a translation, conformable to a very ancient opinion, which supposed the center of the earth to be a vast fire, and the place called hell. "The earth from which food proceeds, and under which is gehenna, whose cold snow is converted into the likeness of fire; and the garden of Eden, which is the place whose stones are sapphires," &c. The Vulgate has, "The land from which bread has been produced has been destroyed by fire." If this be the meaning of the original, there is probably an allusion to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; and the seventh and eighth verses may be supposed to refer to that catastrophe, there being no place left tangible or visible where those cities once stood: neither fowl nor beast could discern a path there, the whole land being covered with the lake Asphaltites.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-11 - Job maintained that the dispensations of Providence were regulated by the highest wisdom. To confirm this, he showed of what a great deal of knowledge and wealth men may make themselves masters. The caverns of the earth may be discovered, but not the counsels of Heaven. God to the miners, thou sluggard in religion, consider their ways, and be wise Let their courage and diligence in seeking the wealth that perishes shame us out of slothfulness and faint-heartedness in labouring for the true riches. How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! How muc easier, and safer! Yet gold is sought for, but grace neglected. Wil the hopes of precious things out of the earth, so men call them, thoug really they are paltry and perishing, be such a spur to industry, an shall not the certain prospect of truly precious things in heaven be much more so?
Original Hebrew ארץ776 ממנה4480 יצא3318 לחם3899 ותחתיה8478 נהפך2015 כמו3644 אשׁ׃784
