18 He looseth H6605 the bond H4148 of kings, H4428 and girdeth H631 their loins H4975 with a girdle. H232
O LORD, H3068 truly H577 I am thy servant; H5650 I am thy servant, H5650 and the son H1121 of thine handmaid: H519 thou hast loosed H6605 my bonds. H4147
And he changeth H8133 the times H5732 and the seasons: H2166 he removeth H5709 kings, H4430 and setteth up H6966 kings: H4430 he giveth H3052 wisdom H2452 unto the wise, H2445 and knowledge H4486 to them that know H3046 understanding: H999
Wherefore the LORD H3068 brought H935 upon them the captains of H8269 the host of H6635 the king H4428 of Assyria, H804 which took H3920 Manasseh H4519 among the thorns, H2336 and bound him H631 with fetters, H5178 and carried H3212 him to Babylon. H894 And when he was in affliction, H6887 he besought H2470 the LORD H3068 his God, H430 and humbled H3665 himself greatly H3966 before H6440 the God H430 of his fathers, H1 And prayed H6419 unto him: and he was intreated H6279 of him, and heard H8085 his supplication, H8467 and brought him again H7725 to Jerusalem H3389 into his kingdom. H4438 Then Manasseh H4519 knew H3045 that the LORD H3068 he was God. H430 Now after this H310 he built H1129 a wall H2346 without H2435 the city H5892 of David, H1732 on the west side H4628 of Gihon, H1521 in the valley, H5158 even to the entering in H935 at the fish H1709 gate, H8179 and compassed H5437 about Ophel, H6077 and raised it up H1361 a very great height, H3966 and put H7760 captains H8269 of war H2428 in all the fenced H1219 cities H5892 of Judah. H3063
And it came to pass in the seven H7651 and thirtieth H7970 year H8141 of the captivity H1546 of Jehoiachin H3078 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 in the twelfth H8147 H6240 month, H2320 in the five H2568 and twentieth H6242 day of the month, H2320 that Evilmerodach H192 king H4428 of Babylon H894 in the first year H8141 of his reign H4438 lifted up H5375 the head H7218 of Jehoiachin H3078 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 and brought him forth H3318 out of prison, H1004 H3628 And spake H1696 kindly H2896 unto him, and set H5414 his throne H3678 above H4605 the throne H3678 of the kings H4428 that were with him in Babylon, H894 And changed H8138 his prison H3608 garments: H899 and he did continually H8548 eat H398 bread H3899 before H6440 him all the days H3117 of his life. H2416 And for his diet, H737 there was a continual H8548 diet H737 given H5414 him of the king H4428 of Babylon, H894 every H3117 day H3117 a portion H1697 until the day H3117 of his death, H4194 all the days H3117 of his life. H2416
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.