1 And Job H347 answered H6030 and said, H559
2 No doubt H551 but ye are the people, H5971 and wisdom H2451 shall die H4191 with you.
3 But H1571 I have understanding H3824 as well as you; I am not inferior H5307 to you: yea, who knoweth not such things H3644 as these?
4 I am as one mocked H7814 of his neighbour, H7453 who calleth H7121 upon God, H433 and he answereth H6030 him: the just H6662 upright H8549 man is laughed to scorn. H7814
5 He that is ready H3559 to slip H4571 with his feet H7272 is as a lamp H3940 despised H937 in the thought H6248 of him that is at ease. H7600
6 The tabernacles H168 of robbers H7703 prosper, H7951 and they that provoke H7264 God H410 are secure; H987 into whose hand H3027 God H433 bringeth H935 abundantly.
7 But H199 ask H7592 now the beasts, H929 and they shall teach H3384 thee; and the fowls H5775 of the air, H8064 and they shall tell H5046 thee:
8 Or speak H7878 to the earth, H776 and it shall teach H3384 thee: and the fishes H1709 of the sea H3220 shall declare H5608 unto thee.
9 Who knoweth H3045 not in all these that the hand H3027 of the LORD H3068 hath wrought H6213 this?
10 In whose hand H3027 is the soul H5315 of every living thing, H2416 and the breath H7307 of all mankind. H376 H1320
11 Doth not the ear H241 try H974 words? H4405 and the mouth H2441 taste H2938 his meat? H400
12 With the ancient H3453 is wisdom; H2451 and in length H753 of days H3117 understanding. H8394
13 With him is wisdom H2451 and strength, H1369 he hath counsel H6098 and understanding. H8394
14 Behold, he breaketh down, H2040 and it cannot be built again: H1129 he shutteth up H5462 a man, H376 and there can be no opening. H6605
15 Behold, he withholdeth H6113 the waters, H4325 and they dry up: H3001 also he sendeth them out, H7971 and they overturn H2015 the earth. H776
16 With him is strength H5797 and wisdom: H8454 the deceived H7683 and the deceiver H7686 are his.
17 He leadeth H3212 counsellors H3289 away spoiled, H7758 and maketh the judges H8199 fools. H1984
18 He looseth H6605 the bond H4148 of kings, H4428 and girdeth H631 their loins H4975 with a girdle. H232
19 He leadeth H3212 princes H3548 away spoiled, H7758 and overthroweth H5557 the mighty. H386
20 He removeth away H5493 the speech H8193 of the trusty, H539 and taketh away H3947 the understanding H2940 of the aged. H2205
21 He poureth H8210 contempt H937 upon princes, H5081 and weakeneth H7503 the strength H4206 of the mighty. H650
22 He discovereth H1540 deep things H6013 out of darkness, H2822 and bringeth out H3318 to light H216 the shadow of death. H6757
23 He increaseth H7679 the nations, H1471 and destroyeth H6 them: he enlargeth H7849 the nations, H1471 and straiteneth H5148 them again.
24 He taketh away H5493 the heart H3820 of the chief H7218 of the people H5971 of the earth, H776 and causeth them to wander H8582 in a wilderness H8414 where there is no way. H1870
25 They grope H4959 in the dark H2822 without light, H216 and he maketh them to stagger H8582 like a drunken H7910 man.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 12
Commentary on Job 12 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 12
FIRST SERIES.
Job 12:1-14:22. Job's Reply to Zophar
2. wisdom shall die with you—Ironical, as if all the wisdom in the world was concentrated in them and would expire when they expired. Wisdom makes "a people:" a foolish nation is "not a people" (Ro 10:19).
3. not inferior—not vanquished in argument and "wisdom" (Job 13:2).
such things as these—such commonplace maxims as you so pompously adduce.
4. The unfounded accusations of Job's friends were a "mockery" of him. He alludes to Zophar's word, "mockest" (Job 11:3).
neighbour, who calleth, &c.—rather, "I who call upon God that he may answer me favorably" [Umbreit].
5. Rather, "a torch" (lamp) is an object of contempt in the thoughts of him who rests securely (is at ease), though it was prepared for the falterings of the feet [Umbreit] (Pr 25:19). "Thoughts" and "feet" are in contrast; also rests "securely," and "falterings." The wanderer, arrived at his night-quarters, contemptuously throws aside the torch which had guided his uncertain steps through the darkness. As the torch is to the wanderer, so Job to his friends. Once they gladly used his aid in their need; now they in prosperity mock him in his need.
6. Job shows that the matter of fact opposes Zophar's theory (Job 11:14, 19, 20) that wickedness causes insecurity in men's "tabernacles." On the contrary, they who rob the "tabernacles" ("dwellings") of others "prosper securely" in their own.
into whose hand, &c.—rather, "who make a god of their own hand," that is, who regard their might as their only ruling principle [Umbreit].
7, 8. Beasts, birds, fishes, and plants, reasons Job, teach that the violent live the most securely (Job 12:6). The vulture lives more securely than the dove, the lion than the ox, the shark than the dolphin, the rose than the thorn which tears it.
8. speak to the earth—rather, "the shrubs of the earth" [Umbreit].
9. In all these cases, says Job, the agency must be referred to Jehovah, though they may seem to man to imply imperfection (Job 12:6; 9:24). This is the only undisputed passage of the poetical part in which the name "Jehovah" occurs; in the historical parts it occurs frequently.
10. the soul—that is, the animal life. Man, reasons Job, is subjected to the same laws as the lower animals.
11. As the mouth by tasting meats selects what pleases it, so the ear tries the words of others and retains what is convincing. Each chooses according to his taste. The connection with Job 12:12 is in reference to Bildad's appeal to the "ancients" (Job 8:8). You are right in appealing to them, since "with them was wisdom," &c. But you select such proverbs of theirs as suit your views; so I may borrow from the same such as suit mine.
12. ancient—aged (Job 15:10).
13. In contrast to, "with the ancient is wisdom" (Job 12:12), Job quotes a saying of the ancients which suits his argument, "with Him (God) is (the true) wisdom" (Pr 8:14); and by that "wisdom and strength" "He breaketh down," &c., as an absolute Sovereign, not allowing man to penetrate His mysteries; man's part is to bow to His unchangeable decrees (Job 1:21). The Mohammedan saying is, "if God will, and how God will."
14. shutteth up—(Isa 22:22). Job refers to Zophar's "shut up" (Job 11:10).
15. Probably alluding to the flood.
16. (Eze 14:9).
18. He looseth the bond of kings—He looseth the authority of kings—the "bond" with which they bind their subjects (Isa 45:1; Ge 14:4; Da 2:21).
a girdle—the cord, with which they are bound as captives, instead of the royal "girdle" they once wore (Isa 22:21), and the bond they once bound others with. So "gird"—put on one the bonds of a prisoner instead of the ordinary girdle (Joh 21:18).
19. princes—rather, "priests," as the Hebrew is rendered (Ps 99:6). Even the sacred ministers of religion are not exempt from reverses and captivity.
the mighty—rather, "the firm-rooted in power"; the Arabic root expresses ever-flowing water [Umbreit].
20. the trusty—rather, "those secure in their eloquence"; for example, the speakers in the gate (Isa 3:3) [Beza].
understanding—literally, "taste," that is, insight or spiritual discernment, which experience gives the aged. The same Hebrew word is applied to Daniel's wisdom in interpretation (Da 2:14).
21. Ps 107:40 quotes, in its first clause, this verse and, in its second, Job 12:24.
weakeneth the strength—literally, "looseth the girdle"; Orientals wear flowing garments; when active strength is to be put forth, they gird up their garments with a girdle. Hence here—"He destroyeth their power" in the eyes of the people.
22. (Da 2:22).
23. Isa 9:3; Ps 107:38, 39, which Psalm quotes this chapter elsewhere. (See on Job 12:21).
straiteneth—literally, "leadeth in," that is, "reduces."
24. heart—intelligence.
wander in a wilderness—figurative; not referring to any actual fact. This cannot be quoted to prove Job lived after Israel's wanderings in the desert. Ps 107:4, 40 quotes this passage.
25. De 28:29; Ps 107:27 again quote Job, but in a different connection.