Job 12: Job answers his friends about God's wisdom and power
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Job answers, telling his friends that he has understanding as well as they, and that he is a joke to his neighbor though he called on God and God answered. He says the tents of robbers prosper, tells them to ask the animals, the birds, the earth and the fish, and says that wisdom and might are with God. He then tells what God does: he breaks down, shuts up, holds back the waters, leads away counselors, judges, kings and priests, and makes nations great and destroys them.
Who is speaking?
Job speaks the whole chapter: verse 1 says he answered. He answers after Zophar's speech in chapter 11, and in verses 2 to 12 he says "you". In verse 9 he speaks of Yahweh's hand. From verse 13 he speaks about God as "he". God does not speak in this chapter, so nothing is in gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Then Job answered,
In plain English: Then Job answered,
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2“No doubt, but you are the people, and wisdom will die with you.
In plain English: "Truly you are the people, and wisdom will die with you.
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3But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yes, who doesn’t know such things as these?
In plain English: I also have understanding (the Hebrew says: a heart) like you. I am not falling short of you. Who does not know such things as these (the Hebrew says: with whom are there not things like these)?
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4I am like one who is a joke to his neighbor, I, who called on God, and he answered. The just, the blameless man is a joke.
In plain English: I am a joke to my neighbor (or: friend), I who called on God, and he answered me. The righteous, blameless man is a joke.
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5In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune. It is ready for them whose foot slips.
In plain English: In the thought of one at ease there is contempt for disaster. It is ready (or: a push) for those whose foot slips (the Hebrew words are short: see the note).
The Hebrew words: The verse is short and hard in the Hebrew. Word by word it reads "to disaster, contempt, in the thought of one at ease; a push for those whose foot slips".
What changes: The WEB says "it is ready" where the word-by-word meanings say "a push". The text does not say which is meant.
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6The tents of robbers prosper. Those who provoke God are secure, who carry their god in their hands.
In plain English: The tents of robbers are at peace. Those who provoke God are secure, those who bring God in their hand (the WEB says: who carry their god in their hands; or: those into whose hand God has brought it: see the note).
The Hebrew words: "God" in "provoke God" is El, and "God" in "their god" is Eloah, which the dictionary gives as "a deity or the Deity". The WEB writes "their god" with a small letter. Word by word the end of the verse reads "to those whom he has brought God in his hand".
What changes: The WEB reads that these people carry their god in their hands. The Hebrew can also be read as those into whose hand God has brought it. The text does not say which.
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7“But ask the animals now, and they will teach you; the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
In plain English: "But ask the animals, please, and they will teach you; the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
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8Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you. The fish of the sea will declare to you.
In plain English: Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you. The fish of the sea will recount it to you.
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9Who doesn’t know that in all these, Yahweh’s hand has done this,
In plain English: Who does not know that among all these, Yahweh's hand has done this,
The Hebrew word: "Yahweh" is in 23 verses of Job, and the WEB says "Yahweh" in all 23. In chapters 3 to 37 it is in this verse only.
Good to know: The WEB has the same words, "Yahweh's hand has done this", in .
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10in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?
In plain English: he in whose hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all the flesh of humankind?
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11Doesn’t the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?
In plain English: Does the ear not test words, as the palate tastes food for itself?
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12With aged men is wisdom, in length of days understanding.
In plain English: With aged men is wisdom, and in length of days, understanding.
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13“With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.
In plain English: "With God (the Hebrew says: with him) is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.
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14Behold, he breaks down, and it can’t be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
In plain English: Look, he tears down, and it will not be rebuilt. He shuts a man in, and it will not be opened.
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15Behold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth.
In plain English: Look, he holds back the waters, and they dry up. He sends them out, and they devastate (the WEB says: overturn) the earth.
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16With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his.
In plain English: With him are strength and sound wisdom. The one who goes astray and the one who leads astray are his.
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17He leads counselors away stripped. He makes judges fools.
In plain English: He leads counselors away barefoot (the WEB says: stripped), and makes judges look foolish.
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18He loosens the bond of kings. He binds their waist with a belt.
In plain English: He loosens the correction (the WEB says: the bond) of kings, and binds a loincloth on their loins.
The Hebrew word: "Bond" is musar, which the dictionary gives as "properly, chastisement; figuratively, reproof, warning or instruction; also restraint". It is in 50 verses of the Bible. The WEB says "bond" in 1 of them, this one, and "instruction" in 23, "correction" in 11 and "discipline" in 7.
What changes: With the usual meanings, the first half reads that God loosens the correction (or discipline) of kings. The WEB reads that he loosens their bond. The text does not say which.
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19He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.
In plain English: He leads priests away barefoot, and overturns the mighty (the Hebrew word means permanent, long established).
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20He removes the speech of those who are trusted, and takes away the understanding of the elders.
In plain English: He removes the lip (the WEB says: speech) of those who are trusted, and takes away the discernment of the elders.
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21He pours contempt on princes, and loosens the belt of the strong.
In plain English: He pours contempt on noble people, and loosens the belt of the strong.
Good to know: reads "He pours contempt on princes, and causes them to wander in a trackless waste." The first half is the same as this verse in the WEB, and the second half is like .
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22He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.
In plain English: He reveals deep things out of darkness, and brings the deep darkness (the Hebrew word is tsalmaveth, the shadow of death) out to the light.
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23He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.
In plain English: He makes the nations great, and he destroys them. He spreads the nations out, and he leads them (the WEB says: leads them captive).
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24He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
In plain English: He takes away the heart (the WEB says: understanding) of the leaders of the people of the earth, and makes them wander in a wasteland where there is no path.
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25They grope in the dark without light. He makes them stagger like a drunken man.
In plain English: They grope in the dark without light. He makes them stagger like a drunkard."
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