Job 12

1 Soothly Job answered, and said,

2 And ye therefore be (the) men alone, and wisdom dwell with you? (And so ye be the only people, with whom wisdom dwelleth?)

3 And to me is an heart, as and to you (But I also have understanding, like you do), and I am not lower than ye; for who knoweth not these things, which ye know?

4 He that is scorned of his friend, as I am, shall inwardly call (upon) God, and God shall hear him; for the simpleness of a just man is scorned (for the innocence, or the integrity, of the righteous is scorned).

5 And a lamp is despised at the thoughts of rich men, the which lamp is made ready to a time ordained. (And he who is about to slip, or unwittingly fall, is despised in the thoughts of the rich, or the successful.)

6 The tabernacles of robbers be plenteous, either full of goods; and boldly they stir God to wrath, when he hath given all things into their hands.

7 No wonder (Do not wonder about it), (but) ask thou [the] beasts, and they shall teach thee; and ask thou [the] birds of the air, and they shall show to thee.

8 Speak to the earth, and it shall answer thee; and the fishes of the sea shall tell those things.

9 Who knoweth not that the hand of the Lord made all these things?

10 In whose hand the soul is of each living thing, and the spirit of each flesh of man. (In whose hand is the soul of each living thing, and the breath of all mankind.)

11 Whether the ear deemeth not words, and the cheeks of the eater deem (the) savour, or the taste of meat? (Whether the ear judgeth not the words, like the tongue of the eater judgeth the savour, or the taste, of the food?)

12 Wisdom is in eld men, and prudence is in much time.

13 Wisdom and strength is with God; he hath counsel and understanding.

14 If he destroyeth, there is no man that buildeth; if he shutteth in a man, there is none that openeth. (If he destroyeth, there is no one who buildeth up again; if he shutteth someone in, there is no one who can release him.)

15 If he holdeth together (the) waters, all things shall be made dry; and if he sendeth out those waters, they shall destroy the earth.

16 Strength and wisdom is with God; he knoweth both him that deceiveth and him that is deceived.

17 And he bringeth counsellors into a fond end, and judges into wondering, either astonishing. (And he bringeth counsellors to a foolish end, and judges to madness.)

18 He unbindeth the girdle of kings, and girdeth their reins with a cord.

19 He leadeth their priests without glory, and he deceiveth the principal men;

20 and he changeth the lips of soothfast men, and taketh away the doctrine of eld men.

21 He sheddeth out despising on princes, and relieveth them, that were oppressed. (He heapeth scorn upon leaders, and weakeneth oppressors.)

22 He showeth deep things from (out of the) darknesses; and he bringeth forth into (the) light the shadow of death.

23 He multiplieth folks, and he loseth them; and he restoreth them, when they be destroyed, into whole number. (He multiplieth nations, and then he destroyeth them; and then after that they be destroyed, he restoreth them whole again.)

24 He changeth the heart of [the] princes of the people of [the] earth; and deceiveth them, that they go in vain out of the way (so that they go in vain where there is no way).

25 They shall grope, as in darknesses, and not in light; and he shall make them to err as drunken men (and he shall make them to wander about like drunken men).

Job 12 Commentary

Chapter 12

Job reproves his friends. (1-5) The wicked often prosper.(6-11) Job speaks of the wisdom and power of God. (12-25)

Verses 1-5 Job upbraids his friends with the good opinion they had of their own wisdom compared with his. We are apt to call reproofs reproaches, and to think ourselves mocked when advised and admonished; this is our folly; yet here was colour for this charge. He suspected the true cause of their conduct to be, that they despised him who was fallen into poverty. It is the way of the world. Even the just, upright man, if he comes under a cloud, is looked upon with contempt.

Verses 6-11 Job appeals to facts. The most audacious robbers, oppressors, and impious wretches, often prosper. Yet this is not by fortune or chance; the Lord orders these things. Worldly prosperity is of small value in his sight: he has better things for his children. Job resolves all into the absolute proprietorship which God has in all the creatures. He demands from his friends liberty to judge of what they had said; he appeals to any fair judgment.

Verses 12-25 This is a noble discourse of Job concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of His own will, which none can resist. It were well if wise and good men, who differ about lesser things, would see how it is for their honour and comfort, and the good of others, to dwell most upon the great things in which they agree. Here are no complaints, or reflections. He gives many instances of God's powerful management of the children of men, overruling all their counsels, and overcoming all their oppositions. Having all strength and wisdom, God knows how to make use, even of those who are foolish and bad; otherwise there is so little wisdom and so little honesty in the world, that all had been in confusion and ruin long ago. These important truths were suited to convince the disputants that they were out of their depth in attempting to assign the Lord's reasons for afflicting Job; his ways are unsearchable, and his judgments past finding out. Let us remark what beautiful illustrations there are in the word of God, confirming his sovereignty, and wisdom in that sovereignty: but the highest and infinitely the most important is, that the Lord Jesus was crucified by the malice of the Jews; and who but the Lord could have known that this one event was the salvation of the world?

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 12

In this and the two following chapter Job makes answer to Zophar's discourse in the former; who having represented him as an ignorant man, he resents it, and begins his defence with a biting sarcasm on him and his friends, as being self-conceited, and having an high opinion of their own wisdom, as if none had any but themselves, Job 12:1,2; and puts in his claim for a share with them, as being not at all inferior to them, Job 12:3; and then refutes their notions, that it always goes well with good men, and ill with bad men; whereas the reverse is the truth, Job 12:4-6; and which they might learn from the brute creatures; or he sends them to them, to observe to them, that the best things they had knowledge of concerning God and his providence, and of his wisdom therein, were common notions that everyone had, and might be learned from beasts, birds, and fishes; particularly, that all things in the whole universe are made by God, and sustained by him, and are under his direction, and at his disposal, Job 12:7-10; and such things might as easily be searched, examined, and judged of, as sounds are tried by the ear, and food by the mouth, Job 12:11; and seeing it is usual among men, at least it may be expected that men in years should have a considerable share of wisdom and knowledge, it might be strongly inferred from thence, without any difficulty, that the most perfect and consummate wisdom was in God, Job 12:12,13; whence he passes on to discourse most admirably and excellently of the wisdom and power of God in the dispensations of his providence, in a variety of instances; which shows his knowledge of his perfections, ways, and works, was not inferior to that of his friends, Job 12:14-25.