| Back to Home Page | Back
to Book Index |
Job Chapter
Twelve
New King James Version (NKJV)
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; 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; 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; 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; 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.
Job 12:1 Then
Job answered and said:
YLT
1And Job answereth and
saith: --
And Job answered and said. In reply to Zophar, and
in defence of himself; what is recorded in this and the two following chapters.
Job 12:2 2 “No doubt you are
the people, And wisdom will die with you!
YLT
2Truly -- ye [are] the
people, And with you doth wisdom die.
No doubt but ye are the people,.... Which is
said not seriously, meaning that they were but of the common people, that are
generally ignorant, and have but little knowledge, at least of things sublime,
especially in matters of religion; wherefore, though they took upon them to be
his teachers and dictators to him, and censors of him, they were not above the
rank, but in the class of people of low and mean understandings; see John 7:49; this
sense indeed agrees with what is after said, "who knoweth not such things
as these?" but since Job compares himself with them, and asserts he is not
inferior to them, it supposes them to have a degree of knowledge and
understanding of things somewhat above the common people; wherefore these words
are to be taken ironically, exposing their vanity and self-conceit: "ye
are the people"; the only, and all the people in the world of importance
and consequence for good sense and wisdom; the only wise and knowing folk, the
men of reason and understanding; all the rest are but fools and asses, or like
the wild ass's colt, as Zophar had said, and which Job took as pointing to him;
so the word in the Arabic languageF3Golii Lex. Ar. Col. 1743. Vid.
Lud. Capell. in loc. signifies the more excellent and better sort of people;
or, ye are the only people of God, his covenant people, his servants; that are
made acquainted with the secrets of wisdom, as none else are:
and wisdom shall die with you; you have all the wisdom
of the world, and when you die it will be all gone; there will be none left in
the world: thus he represents them as monopolizers and engrossers of wisdom and
knowledge, full of it in their conceit, allowing none to have any share with
them: and by all this he not only upbraids them with their vanity and
self-conceit, but puts them in mind, that, as wise as they were, they must die;
and that, though their wisdom with respect to them, or any use they could make
of it in the grave, where there is none, would die too; or that their wisdom
was but the wisdom of the world, which comes to nought; yet there would be wisdom
still in the world, and that which is true, which God makes known to men, even
the wisdom of God in a mystery, the wisdom hid in himself; and who has the
residue of the Spirit and his gifts to instruct men in it, and qualify them to
be teachers of others; by which means, though men, even the best of men, die,
yet the word of God, the means of true wisdom and knowledge, will always abide.
Job 12:3 3 But I have understanding
as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Indeed, who does not know
such things as these?
YLT
3I also have a heart like
you, I am not fallen more than you, And with whom is there not like these?
But I have understanding as well as you,.... A natural
understanding, or an understanding of natural things, which distinguishes a man
from a brute; and a spiritual understanding, an understanding enlightened by
the spirit of God, which is naturally dark as to divine things; but he had an
understanding given him, to know himself, his state and condition by nature; to
know God, his love and grace to men, and, as his covenant God, to know Christ
his living Redeemer, who should stand on the earth in the latter day, both to
be his Redeemer and his Judge; to know his interest in him, and in the
blessings of grace and glory by him: or, "I have an heart as well as
you"F4גם לי
לבב כמוכם "etiam mihi
cor sicut vobis", Pagninus, Montanus, Mercerus, Schmidt, Michaelis,
Schultens; so Broughton. ; a wise and an understanding one; a new heart, and a
right spirit; an heart to fear and serve the Lord, a sincere and upright one,
and devoid of hypocrisy and deceit; and as good an one as theirs:
I am not inferior unto you: he was indeed as to
estate and substance, being now reduced; though he had been, in that sense, the
greatest man in all the east; but in wisdom and knowledge, in gifts and grace:
thus a modest man, when oppressed and insulted by the speeches of overbearing
men, may be obliged and see it necessary to say some things of himself, in his
own vindication, which he otherwise would not; see 2 Corinthians 11:15;
or, "I am not falling before you"; or "by you"F5לא נפל אנכי
מכם "non cadens ego a vobis", Montanus,
Vatablus, Bolducius, Beza, Mercerus, Michaelis; "prae vobis", Schmidt.
; as one intimidated, conquered, and yielding; I stand my ground, and will not
gave way or submit to you, or allow you to have the superiority of me: or,
"I am falling no more than you"; they took him for an apostate
from God, and the fear of him, and the true religion he had professed, which
Job denies; he held fast his integrity; and though he was fallen into
calamities and afflictions, he was not fallen from God; from his fear of him,
faith in him, and love and obedience to him; he was a holy, good man, a
persevering saint; and though he had slips and falls in common with good men,
yet fell not finally and totally, or was an apostate from the faith:
yea, who knoweth not such things as these? or,
"with whom are not as these"F6ואת
מי אין כמו
אלה "et cum quo non sicut haec?" Pagninus,
Montanus, Bolducius, Mercerus; and to the same sense Junius & Tremellius,
Piscator, Cocceius, Schultens. ? the things you have been discoursing of, which
you would fain have pass for the secrets of wisdom, deep and mysterious things,
hid from vulgar eyes, which none have and know but yourselves, are common
things, what everyone is possessed of, and understands as well as you; that
there is a God that has made the world, and governs it; that he himself is
unsearchable, infinite and incomprehensible; a sovereign Being that does
according to his will and pleasure, and sees and knows all things, and does all
things well and wisely, and according to the counsel of his will: though some
think Job has reference not to what Zophar had been discoursing concerning the
infinity and wisdom of God, but to the thing or things in dispute between them,
or to the assertions of his friends; that it is always well with good men, and
ill with bad men, or that wicked men only are punished and afflicted, and
particularly what Zophar concluded his speech with, Job 11:20. Now
these were vulgar notions, which the common people had taken up, and were
vulgar errors, as he proves in the following verses, by giving instances of
good men, being afflicted, and of bad men being in prosperity.
Job 12:4 4 “I am one mocked by his
friends, Who called on God, and He answered him, The just and blameless who
is ridiculed.
YLT
4A laughter to his friend I
am: `He calleth to God, and He answereth him,' A laughter [is] the perfect
righteous one.
I am as one mocked of his neighbour,.... That is,
according to Sephorno, if I knew not, or denied those things you have been
speaking of concerning God, his immensity, sovereignty, and wisdom, I should be
derided by all my friends and acquaintance; but rather the sense is, Job
instances in himself as a proof that good men are afflicted by God in this
life; he was once in a very prosperous condition, when he was caressed by all,
but now was fallen into such low and miserable circumstances as to be the scorn
and contempt of his friends and neighbours; and even his being mocked was no
small part of his afflictions; to endure cruel mockings has been the common lot
of good men in all ages, and is reckoned one part of their distresses and
sufferings for righteousness sake, Hebrews 11:36; and
to be mocked by a neighbour, or a "friend"F7לרעהו "amico suo", Pagninus, Mercerus, Junius
& Tremellius, Piscator; so Broughton. , as it may be rendered, greatly
aggravates the affliction, see Psalm 55:12; which
was Job's case; his friends that came to comfort him mocked at him, at least so
he understood them, and interpreted what they said unto him, see Job 16:20; and what
made it still the heavier to bear, he was mocked by such a neighbour or friend,
who calleth upon God, and he answereth him; he was mocked
at not by profane men only, but by a professor of religion, ong swept away with
the flood, were cast into hell, where they have lain ever since, and will lie
unto the judgment of the great day; between the place of the damned, and of the
happy, in Abraham's bosom, is a great gulf, that there is no passing from one
to the other, which is the immutable and unalterable decree of God, which has
fixed the everlasting states of men, Luke 16:26.
F18 על איש "super virum",
Montanus, Mercerus, Bolducius;_super viro", Schmidt, Michaelis. Job 12:15.
Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up,.... Or
"lays a restraint in" or "on the waters"F19;
either in the ocean, as he did at the creation, when he gathered the waters
that were upon the face of the earth into one place, and restrained them there,
even in the decreed place he broke up for them, called the sea, and set bars
and doors to keep them within bounds, whereby the places they left became dry
and the dry land appeared called earth; and even such a man does not do good
without sinning; only the man Christ Jesus is righteous in such sense; but then
all that are made righteous, by the imputation of his righteousness to them,
are perfectly justified from all things, and are become the spirits of just men
made perfect and complete in him: the character here designs such who are
really righteous, truly gracious, are upright in heart, sincere souls, who have
the truth of grace in them, and walk uprightly; these become a prey, a laughing
stock to wicked men, as Noah, Lot, and others, before the times of Job, had
been, which he may have respect unto.
Job 12:5 5 A lamp[a] is
despised in the thought of one who is at ease; It is made ready for
those whose feet slip.
YLT
5A torch -- despised in the
thoughts of the secure Is prepared for those sliding with the feet.
He that is ready to slip with his feet,.... Not into
sin, though this is often the case of good men, but into calamities and
afflictions; and Job means himself, and every just upright man in the like
circumstances: or he that is "prepared" or "destined" to be
among them, that "totter" and stagger in their "feet"F9נכון למועדי רגל
"destinatus vacillantibus pede", Schmidt; so Michaelis. ; that cannot
stand upon their feet, but fall to the ground; which may describe man in
declining and distressing circumstances; or that is appointed to be the
laughing stock of such as are unstable in the word and ways of God; double
minded men, hypocrites, and formal professors, that totter and stagger at everything
they meet with disagreeable to the flesh: with such, a poor afflicted saint is
laughed to scorn; he
is as a lamp
despised in the thought of him that is at ease; who are in affluent
circumstances, enjoy great prosperity, live in plenty, and are not in trouble
as others; their hearts are at ease: now with such, poor good men are had in
great contempt; they are despised at heart, in the thoughts of such persons, if
they do not in words express it; they are like a lamp just going out, which is
neglected, and looked upon as useless; or like a torch burnt to the end, when
it is thrown away; and thus it is with men, while the lamp of prosperity burns
clear and bright, they are valued and had in esteem, but when their lamp
becomes dim, and is almost, or quite extinguished, they are despised, see Psalm 123:3; some
apply this to Christ, who was a lamp or light, a great one, but despised of
men, and even as a light; they loved darkness rather than light; and especially
by the Pharisees, who were at ease, settled on their lees, that trusted in
themselves that they were righteous, and despised others; and this is true of
Gospel ministers, though bright and burning lights, and even of every good man,
in whom the true light of grace, and of the Gospel, shines, and especially when
under afflictive circumstances. Some, instead of a "lamp despised",
read, "for" or "because of calamity despised"F11לפיד בוז "ad calamitatem
contumelia", Cocceius; "ad infortunium vilis habetur",
Gussetius, p. 674. ; so Aben Ezra, which conveys the same sense, that an
afflicted man is despised for his affliction; and this being the case of good
men confutes the notion of Job's friends, that it always goes well with such;
and their other notion of its going ill with bad men is refuted in Job 12:6.
Job 12:6 6 The tents of robbers
prosper, And those who provoke God are secure—In what God provides by His hand.
YLT
6At peace are the tents of
spoilers, And those provoking God have confidence, He into whose hand God hath
brought.
The tabernacles of robbers prosper,.... Such as the
Chaldeans and Sabeans, who had robbed Job of his substance, and filled their
houses with the spoils of others, and lived in the greatest fulness and
prosperity, and whom he might have in his view; and the like is what has been
since observed by good men, and has been a trial and temptation to them, not
knowing well how to reconcile this to the justice and wisdom of God in
providence, yet so it is, a fact that cannot be denied, see Psalm 73:2;
and they that provoke God are secure; all sin is
abominable to God, contrary to his nature, will, and law, and so provoking; yet
there are some sins that are more provoking than others, as idolatry,
blasphemy, murder, theft, robbery, rapine, and oppression, and the like, as
well as attended with more aggravating circumstances; and yet many who are
guilty of such enormous crimes, and God provoking iniquities, are
"secure", live in the greatest tranquillity and safety, free from the
incursions, invasions, and insults of others: "their houses", as Job
elsewhere says, "are safe from fear", Job 21:9;
into whose hand God bringeth abundantly; an abundance
of the good things of this world, who have as much or more than heart can wish;
whose belly is filled with hid treasure, whose grounds and fields bring forth
plentifully, that they have no room to bestow their fruits; this, as it is an
aggravation of their sin in provoking the God of their mercies, who is so
liberal and bountiful to them, so it is the more full and express for the point
in hand Job is confuting. Some, as Aben Ezra and Ben Gersom, understand this of
idol makers and idol worshippers, and render the words, "who makes a god
with his hand", or "carries a god in his hand"F12הביא אלוה בידו
"quique deum portant vel portat in manu sua", Tigurine
version, Munster; so Bolducius, De Dieu, Schultens. , and worships it; which
others interpret of his doing what he will with God, having him, as it were, in
his hand, or reckoning his hands his god, and thinks to do what he pleasesF13Schmidt,
&c. .
Job 12:7 7 “But now ask the beasts,
and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
YLT
7And yet, ask, I pray thee,
[One of] the beasts, and it doth shew thee, And a fowl of the heavens, And it
doth declare to thee.
But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee,.... And so
the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea, in this and Job 12:8; from
those instructions may be learned, of instances taken, and examples given,
which may illustrate and confirm the same things that had been treated of:
either what had been just now confuted, that it is always well with good men,
and ill with bad men; the reverse of which had been affirmed and proved, that
good men are afflicted, and wicked men prosper; something like to which may be
seen in the creatures, and learned of them; thus those creatures that are the
most harmless and innocent, and most useful and beneficial, are a prey to
others, as sheep and lambs to lions, wolves, and bears, while they range about
forests, fields, and plains, fearless and unmolested; and doves and turtles to
hawks and vultures; and the lesser fish to the greater, by whom they are
devoured, see Habakkuk 1:13; and
moreover, these creatures which are most useful and profitable, or are for
pleasure and delight, fall more to the share of wicked men than good men; when
droves of cattle and flocks of sheep are observed, and the question is put, to
whom do they belong? the answer for the most part must be given, to such and
such wicked men; and if the gold and silver, and other valuable things the
earth produces, should be inquired about whose they are, it must be said, that
they are, generally speaking, the property of the men of the world, the profane
part of it; or if the fowls of the air, and fishes of the sea, could speak,
when asked the question, whose food they commonly were? the answer would be, of
the carnal, sensual, and voluptuous men: or rather this may refer to what Job
first takes notice of in this answer of his, that his friends represented what
they said as uncommon things, deep mysteries, and out of the reach of the
vulgar, and which did not fall under common observation; whereas Job suggests
he was as well acquainted with them as they were, yea, they were such that
almost everybody knew; nay, they might be learnt from the creatures, to which
Job here sends them for instruction; the beasts, birds, and fishes, all
proclaim that they did not make themselves, nor did their fellow creatures, but
some first cause, who is God: that they are sustained, supported, and provided
for by him, and are governed, directed, and disposed of as he pleases, and so
furnishes out documents of his sovereignty, wisdom, power, and providence:
and the fowls of the air, and they will tell thee: the same
things; that God made them, and that they are dependent on him, and are fed and
cared for by him, see Matthew 6:26.
Job 12:8 8 Or speak to the earth, and
it will teach you; And the fish of the sea will explain to you.
YLT
8Or talk to the earth, and
it sheweth thee, And fishes of the sea recount to thee:
Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee,.... Or ask
"a sprig of the earth"F14שיח לארץ "virgultum terrae", Pagninus, Schmidt; so
Drusius and Michaelis. , any shrub, or tree, or whatsoever grows out of it, and
they will all unite in this doctrine, that they are raised and preserved by the
power of God, and are so many instances of his wisdom, power, and goodness:
and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee; as mute as
they are, they will proclaim this truth, that God is the mighty Maker and wise
Disposer of them.
Job 12:9 9 Who among all these does
not know That the hand of the Lord has done this,
YLT
9`Who hath not known in all
these, That the hand of Jehovah hath done this?
Who knoweth not in all these,.... Or "by" or
"from all these"F15בכל אלה "ex omnibus istis", Junius & Tremellius,
Piscator, Schmidt, Schultens, Michaelis; "per omnia haec", Cocceius;
so Broughton. creatures; what man is there so stupid and senseless, that does
not discern, or cannot learn, even from irrational creatures, the above things,
even what Zophar had discoursed concerning God and his perfections, his power,
wisdom and providence? for, by the things that are made, the invisible things
of God are clearly seen and understood, even his eternal power and Godhead, Romans 1:20;
particularly it may be known by these, and who is it that does not know
thereby,
that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? made this
visible world, and all things in it, to which Job then pointed as it were with
his finger, meaning the heavens, earth, and sea, and all that in them are,
which were all created by him: hence he is called the Former and Maker of all
things; and which are all the works of his hand, that is, of his power, which
is meant by his hand, that being the instrument of action. This is the only
place where the word "Jehovah" is used in this book by the
disputants.
Job 12:10 10 In whose hand is
the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?
YLT
10In whose hand [is] the
breath of every living thing, And the spirit of all flesh of man.'
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing,.... Of every
animal, of every brute creature, as distinct from man, in the next clause: the
life of everyone of them is from him, and it is continued by him as long as he
pleases, nor can it be taken away without his leave; two sparrows, which are
not worth more than a farthing, not one of them falls to the ground, or dies
without the knowledge and will of God, Matthew 10:29; of
the soul or spirit of beasts, see Ecclesiastes 3:21;
and the breath of all mankind; the breath of man is
originally from God, he at first breathed into man the breath of life; and
though this is in his nostrils, which makes him of little account, yet it would
not continue there long, was it not in the hand, and under the care and
providence of God; the breath of a king, as well as the heart of a king, is in
the hand of the Lord: the breath of that great monarch Belshazzar, king of
Babylon, was in the hand of God, Daniel 5:23; and so
is the breath of every peasant; and as when he takes away the breath of other
creatures, they die and return to the dust; such is the case of man when God
takes away his breath; all our times are in his hand, to be born, to live and
die, all is at his dispose: or "the spirit of all the flesh of men"F16רוח כל בשר
איש "spiritus omnis carnis viri?" Pagninus,
Montanus, Schmidt, Schultens, Michaelis. , or of all men's flesh; his rational
soul, as distinguished from his flesh or body, this is from God, supported in
its being by him, and ever will be, being immortal, and will never die.
Job 12:11 11 Does not the ear test
words And the mouth taste its food?
YLT
11Doth not the ear try words?
And the palate taste food for itself?
Doth not the ear try words?.... Articulate sounds;
and the mind by them judges whether what is expressed and designed by them is
right or wrong, true or false, to be received or rejected; so such that have
spiritual ears to hear, try the words of God and men, the wholesome words of
Christ, and those of false teachers, which eat as a canker; and by their
spiritual judgment can distinguish between the one and the other, discern those
that differ, and approve those that are excellent, by bringing them to the
standard of the word, the balance of the sanctuary, the Scriptures of truth:
and the mouth taste his meat? and judge of it, whether
good or bad, or savoury or unsavoury, and so receive or reject it: thus such
who have their taste changed, and relish spiritual things, can distinguish
between the meat that perishes, and that which endures to everlasting life,
even Christ, whose flesh is meat indeed; and those that have tasted that the Lord
is gracious, and to whose taste the fruits of Christ and the doctrines of grace
are sweet; these will desire the sincere milk of the word, and that strong meat
in it, which belongs to discerning and experienced souls; and will feed by
faith upon the pure word of the Gospel, and mix it with it, and reject all
others. Job by this would signify, that the things his friends had been
discoursing of, and which they thought were such deep and wonderful things,
were as easy to be searched and found out, tried and judged of, as sounds by
the ear, or food by the taste; and it may be also that hereby he suggests, that
his doctrine, if it was impartially examined and tried by proper judges, it
would appear as plain as anything tried by the ear, or tasted by the mouth.
Some think that Job intends by this, that from the senses of hearing and
tasting in men might be inferred the omniscience of God, his knowledge of all
things, and his quick discernment of men, and their actions, since "he
that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall not he
see?" Psalm 94:9. Some
versions read the whole, "doth not the ear try words, as the mouth tastes
his meat"F17Vatablus, Drusius, Junius et Tremellius, Piscator,
Mercerus, Cocceius, Schultens; so Broughton. ? as in Job 34:3. Saadiah
Gaon connects these words "as the ear tries words", &c. with Job 12:12, "so
with the ancient is wisdom".
Job 12:12 12 Wisdom is with aged
men, And with length of days, understanding.
YLT
12With the very aged [is]
wisdom, And [with] length of days understanding.
With the ancient is wisdom,.... Meaning not himself,
who was not very ancient; though some think Eliphaz so understood him; hence
those words of his, in Job 15:9; rather,
as others, Job tacitly wishes that some ancient man, with whom wisdom was,
would undertake to examine the affair between him and his friends, and judge of
it, and decide the point; or, as others, he has respect to Bildad's advice to
search the fathers, and learn their sentiments, and be determined by them; to
which he replies, that though it will be allowed that wisdom is with them, for
the most part, yet their judgment of things is no further to be regarded than
as it agrees with the wisdom of God, and the revelation he has made of his
will; though it seems best of all to consider these words as an adage or
proverbial sentence generally agreed to, that it often is, as it might be
expected it should, though it is not always, that men well advanced in years
are wise; that as they have lived long in the world, they have learned much by
observation and experience, and have attained to a considerable share of wisdom
and knowledge in things, natural, civil, and religious:
and in length of days is understanding; the
understandings of men are improved and enriched, and well stored with useful
science, having had the opportunity of much reading, hearing, and conversation;
by this Job would suggest, that if his friends had more knowledge of hidden and
recondite things, beyond common people, which yet they had not, it was not so
wonderful, since they were aged men, and had lived long in the world; or rather
it may be that this is mentioned, to observe that from hence, seeing it is so
among men, that ancient men have, or it may be expected they should have, a
considerable share of wisdom and understanding; it may be most easily and
strongly concluded, that God, who is the Ancient of days, has the most perfect
and consummate wisdom and knowledge, which is asserted in Job 12:13.
Job 12:13 13 “With Him are
wisdom and strength, He has counsel and understanding.
YLT
13With Him [are] wisdom and
might, To him [are] counsel and understanding.
With him is wisdom and strength,.... Not with
the ancient and long lived man, but with God, who has made the whole universe,
and in whose hand and at whose dispose all creatures are, Job 12:9; with him
wisdom is originally, essentially, and inderivatively, as the fountain and
fulness of it; he is the only and all wise God; his wisdom is displayed in making
the world, and all things in it, in the beautiful manner they are set, and in
their subserviency to each other; in all the dispensations of his providence,
having all a "bathos", a depth of wisdom and knowledge in them, being
all according to the counsel of his will; and in the work of redemption and
salvation by Christ, in which he has abounded in all wisdom and prudence; in
finding out and appointing a Redeemer, mighty and strong, equal to the work; in
contriving and bringing it about, in such a manner as to glorify all his
perfections; hence the Gospel, which is the publication of this grace, is
called the wisdom of God: and with him is wisdom to communicate to his people,
to direct them how to behave under every providence, in every station of life,
in the church, and in the world, see James 1:5; and he
has "strength", which he has shown in making the world out of
nothing, in upholding it, and all things in it in being, in executing his
designs, decrees, and purposes, in fulfilling his promises, and in supporting
and strengthening his people, under all their trials and exercises, to
withstand every enemy, and perform every duty; ancient men, though they may increase
in wisdom, they decline in strength, but God has both, in infinite perfection:
he hath counsel and understanding; his decrees and
purposes, wisely formed within himself, are his counsels of old, and which are
truly and punctually performed in time; his plan of peace, reconciliation, and
salvation by Christ, may, with propriety, be called the counsel of peace
between them both; and the Gospel, and the various doctrines of it, are the
whole counsel of God, and so are the ordinances of it; and besides these, by
which he counsels and advises his people, he has counsel with him, and which he
gives unto them by his spirit, for which they bless his name; and so even did
Christ as man and Mediator, Psalm 16:7; he has
counsel to give, and does give in things temporal, relating to the common
affairs of life, and in things concerning the good and welfare of immortal
souls; all which comes from him who is "wonderful in counsel, and
excellent in working", Isaiah 28:29; and
he has an "understanding" that is infinite and unsearchable; he has
an understanding of himself, his nature, perfections, and persons of all his
creatures, and of all things past, present, and to come; the same things are
said of Christ, the wisdom of God, Proverbs 8:14. Job,
having observed these things of God, passes on to discourse most admirably and
excellently of the power and wisdom of God in various instances, especially in
the dispensations of his providence, by which he appears to have known the
secrets of wisdom, and not so ignorant as represented by Zophar.
Job 12:14 14 If He breaks a thing
down, it cannot be rebuilt; If He imprisons a man, there can be no
release.
YLT
14Lo, He breaketh down, and
it is not built up, He shutteth against a man, And it is not opened.
Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again,.... Which
some restrain to the tower of Babel; but though the builders of it were obliged
to desist from building, it does not appear that it was broken down, but seems
to have continued many ages after: others more probably refer it to the
destruction of Sodom, as Sephorno, which was an utter destruction, a perpetual
desolation, and that city never was rebuilt to this day; and the same may be
observed of many other cities that have had their foundations razed up, and
have never been rebuilt, Thebes, Tyre, &c. and as will be the case of Rome,
or the great city of Babylon, when once destroyed; yea, this has been true of
kingdoms and states, such as Jeremiah was to root out, pull down, and destroy;
that is, by prophesying of their destruction, as the Ammonites, Moabites,
Edomites, and others, whose names and nations are no more, see Jeremiah 1:10; and
the four monarchies broken down and destroyed, and made as the chaff of the
summer threshing floor, by the kingdom of Christ, Daniel 2:35; and
may be exemplified in particular persons and families; in Job and his family,
the Lord broke him with breach upon breach; he broke him in his estate and
substance; he broke down the hedge about him, and exposed him to thieves and
robbers that plundered him of his substance; he broke down his family, that had
been so largely and happily built up, by taking away his children by death; and
he broke his constitution by diseases, afflictions, and sorrows, to which Job
may have here respect, when he at this time never expected to have his losses
in his substance, and in his family, and in his health, repaired, as they were;
nor could it have been done without the will and pleasure of God; and
oftentimes, when such breaches are made, there is no reparation; a man's
wealth, and health, and family, are never built up again:
he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening; if he shut up
a man in a prison, there is no opening the doors of it to let out unless he
pleases; whether it be the prison of sin, in which all are concluded, in the fetters
and with the cords of which they are held, and will continue, unless those
shackles are broken off by powerful and efficacious grace, and the Lord
proclaims liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that
are bound, and gives it; or whether it be the prison of the law, in which
sinners are shut up, and held as condemned malefactors; there is no deliverance
from it but by Christ, who has redeemed his people from the curse and
condemnation of it; and by his Spirit, as a spirit of adoption, who delivers
them from the bondage of it, and makes them free indeed; or whether it be the
prison of afflictions, straits, and difficulties in life, with which even good
men are surrounded, being bound in fetters, and holden in cords of affliction;
there is no opening for them, or getting out of them, unless the Lord breaks
their bands asunder, and brings them out of darkness and distress, as out of
prison houses, and so opens and makes a way for their escape; or whether he
shuts them up, and they are so straitened in their souls that they cannot come
forth in the free exercise of grace, and discharge of duty, as it was with
Heman, when he said, "I am shut up, and I cannot come forth", Psalm 88:8; and as
it was with David, when he prayed, "bring my soul out of prison, that I
may praise thy name", Psalm 142:7; there
is no opening for them till the spirit of the Lord opens their hearts and their
graces, and brings them forth into exercise; and "where he is there is
liberty", 2 Corinthians 3:17;
or if he shuts up a man in the grave, as the Targum paraphrases it, brings him
to the house appointed for all living, and locks him up in it; there can be no
opening for him till the resurrection morn, when Christ, who has the keys of
hell and death, will unlock the graves, and the dead shall come forth, as
Lazarus did at his call, John 11:43, or if
"he shuts upon a man"F18על איש "super virum", Montanus, Mercerus, Bolducius;
"super viro", Schmidt, Michaelis. , as the words may be rendered;
shuts the gates of heaven upon a man, as the door into the marriage chamber of
the Lamb will be shut upon and against the foolish virgins, as well as profane
sinners, there can be no opening, cry as long as they will; see Matthew 25:10; and
as God shut the door of Eden, or the earthly paradise, against Adam, when he
drove him out, Genesis 3:23, to
which Sephorno refers this passage; or if the Lord shuts up a man in hell,
there is no opening, no way of escape from thence. We read of "spirits in
prison", 1 Peter 3:19, which
is to be understood not of the limbus or purgatory of the Papists, but of hell;
and these "spirits" are the disobedient in the times of Noah, who
dying, or being swept away with the flood, were cast into hell, where they have
lain ever since, and will lie unto the judgment of the great day; between the
place of the damned, and of the happy, in Abraham's bosom, is a great gulf,
that there is no passing from one to the other, which is the immutable and
unalterable decree of God, which has fixed the everlasting states of men, Luke 16:26.
Job 12:15 15 If He withholds the
waters, they dry up; If He sends them out, they overwhelm the earth.
YLT
15Lo, He keepeth in the
waters, and they are dried up, And he sendeth them forth, And they overturn the
land.
Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up,.... Or
"lays a restraint in" or "on the waters"F19יעצר במים "detinebit in
aquis", Montanus, Bolducius; "si contineat, vel cohibeat, q. d.
imperium exerceat in aquas", Michaelis. ; either in the ocean, as he did
at the creation, when he gathered the waters that were upon the face of the
earth into one place, and restrained them there, even in the decreed place he
broke up for them, called the sea, and set bars and doors to keep them within
bounds, whereby the places they left became dry and the dry land appeared
called earth; and so at the time of the flood, when the waters which covered
the earth and drowned the world were called off again, the face of it was dry,
and so it remains, the waters of the great ocean being restrained from
overflowing it; and also when God rebukes the see, and smites the waves of it,
or withholds the ebbing and flowing of the tides brooks and rivers of water dry
up; see Nahum 1:4; or else
this may be understood of God's withholding and restraining the waters in the
clouds, and not suffering them to let down rain on the earth; when not only
brooks dry up, as the brook Cherith did, where Elijah abode for sometime, but
the fruits of the earth, trees, plants, and herbs dry up, wither and die; see 1 Kings 17:7; and
this is an emblem in a spiritual sense of God's withholding the word and
ordinances, the waters of the sanctuary the means of grace, and of
fruitfulness; which when he does, the consequence of it is barrenness and
unfruitfulness in kingdoms, cities, towns, families, sad particular persons; and
of his withholding the communications of his grace, often compared to water in
Scripture, even from his people; the effect of which is, that they are in,
withering circumstances, the things that revive seem ready to die, though they
shall not; love waxes cold, faith is ready to fail, and hope and strength seem
perishing from the Lord:
also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth; as at the
time of the flood, when the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the
windows of heaven were opened, and such vast quantities of water issued out as
overflowed the whole world, by which it was overturned; and as the Apostle
Peter says, "perished", 2 Peter 3:5; though
this is also true of inundations that may have been since, which though not
universal as that, yet so far as they have reached have overturned all in their
way, and carried off the fruits of the earth, the habitations of men, and men
themselves; whole countries, cities and towns, have been carried away by the
waters of the sea, or sunk into it, particularly all that space. Where now is
the Atlantic sea, as PlinyF20Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 90, 92. , from
Plato, relates. It is well when the grace of God flows, and overflows, and
superabounds abounding sin, and overpowers and overcomes carnal, earthly, and
sensual lusts, and reigns where sin did, and teaches to deny ungodliness and
worldly lusts, and to mortify the members on the earth.
Job 12:16 16 With Him are
strength and prudence. The deceived and the deceiver are His.
YLT
16With Him [are] strength and
wisdom, His the deceived and deceiver.
With him is strength and wisdom,.... Which is
repeated from Job 12:13; though
different words are used but expressive of the same things; of the greatest
strength might, and power of God, as the above instances show and of his most
consummate, solid and substantial wisdom, as appears by what follows:
the deceived and the deceiver are his: the wisdom,
knowledge, sagacity and penetration into affairs, which the one has not, and
the other has are from him; he withholds them from the one, who are simple and
void of understanding, and so are easily imposed upon and deceived, and he
given them to others, who make as ill use of them, deceive their fellow
creatures some are deceivers in civil things, in the business and affairs of
life, who circumvent, trick, cheat, and defraud their neighbours in buying and
selling, using deceitful weights and measures, and by many other artful
methods; others are deceivers in religious affairs, such are false teachers,
deceitful workers, that lie in wait deceive; their intention into deceive, they
do it knowingly, and on purpose; they walk in craftiness, and handle the word
of God deceitfully; there were many of these in the times of the apostles that
had then entered into the world, but never more than now; the great impostor
and deceiver of all is. Satan, to whom Jarchi restrains the words, who beguiled
Eve, and indeed deceives the whole world, Revelation 12:9.
Multitudes are deceived by him, as well as by, his emissaries, false teachers,
and by their own hearts lusts; and even God's elect themselves, while in a
state of unregeneracy, bear this character of "deceived, serving divers
lusts and pleasures", Titus 3:3. Now
these are "his", the Lord's; which Mr. Broughton interprets,
"from him", "by him", and "for him"; the wit,
wisdom, subtlety, and sagacity of deceivers, are from him; gifts of nature, in
themselves good, bestowed on them by him; the ill use they make of it is from
themselves, and owing to the vitiosity of their nature; nay, it is not only by
his permission, but according to his ordination and will, that there are such
persons in the world: in some cases they appear not only to have leave or
permission, but an order to seduce, as to the, lying spirit sent forth to
seduce Ahab, 1 Kings 22:20; yea,
the princes of Noph being deceived, and they seducing Egypt, it is ascribed to
the Lord's mingling a perverse spirit in the midst thereof, Isaiah 19:13; nay,
when a prophet is deceived, God himself is said to deceive that prophet, Ezekiel 14:9; so
much is there of the permissive and efficacious will of God in this matter; not
that he is the author of error and deceit, or infuses these into men, only the
orderer, disposer, and, overruler of these things to some purposes orb is; he
has power over them, and counterworks them, when he pleases; he can and does
restrain them, and stops them, that they shall proceed no further, than he
wills; false teachers would, if possible, deceive the very elect, Matthew 24:24, but
they cannot, and the reason is, God hinders them; Satan can go on no longer
deceiving the world than it is the pleasure of God; a notorious instance of,
hindering and, restraining him may be seen in Revelation 20:3;
and all the deceptions that are suffered to be among men they are all, wisely
ordered, and overruled to good purposes, so as to issue well; the deception of
our first parents was suffered and willed, that the grace of God might be
displayed in the salvation of, men; errors and heresies are and must be for the
trial and discovery of sound believers that they which are approved might be
manifest; and men that like not to retain God in their knowledge reject both
the light of nature and revelation, are left in righteous judgment to a
reprobate mind, to give heed to seducing spirits, and are given up to strong
delusions to believe a lie, that they might be damned, see 1 Corinthians 11:19,
Romans 1:28. Now
all this shows the infinite and consummate wisdom of God; it is brought to
prove, not only that he "knows" deceivers, and all their arts and
tricks, through which men are deceived by them, as Aben Ezra interprets it, and
so the Vulgate Latin version renders it; but he is the fountain of all that
wisdom and knowledge in them, superior to others, which they abuse, nor can
they use it without his leave; and he can and does counterwork them, and
restrains them as he pleases, and makes all to work for and issue in his own
glory.
Job 12:17 17 He leads counselors away
plundered, And makes fools of the judges.
YLT
17Causing counsellors to go
away a spoil, And judges He maketh foolish.
He leadeth counsellors away spoiled,.... Such who have the
greatest share of knowledge and wisdom in civil things, and are capable of
giving advice to others, and are very useful in commonwealths, in cities,
towns, and neighbourhoods; wherefore it is a judgment on a people when such are
removed, Isaiah 3:3; these
God can spoil at once of all their wisdom and knowledge, and render them unfit
to give advice and counsel to others; or he can confound their schemes,
disappoint their devices, carry their counsel headlong, and make it of none
effect, and so spoil them of their ends and views, and of their fame, credit,
and reputation:
and maketh the judges fools; men of great parts,
abilities, and capacities, whereby they are qualified to sit upon the bench,
preside in courts of judicature, and judge in all matters of controversy that
come before them; and it is a happiness to a country to have such persons, as
it is a judgment to have them removed, see Isaiah 3:2; yet God
can take away the wisdom of such men, deprive them of their natural abilities,
and so infatuate them, that they shall not be able to understand a cause, but
pass a foolish sentence, to their own shame and disgrace, as well as to the
injury of others; see Isaiah 40:23.
Job 12:18 18 He loosens the bonds of
kings, And binds their waist with a belt.
YLT
18The bands of kings He hath
opened, And He bindeth a girdle on their loins.
He looseth the bonds of kings,.... Not with which they
themselves may be bound, being taken prisoners, or being so before made kings,
and brought from thence to reign, as in Ecclesiastes 4:14;
but that which they bind on their subjects, a yoke of bondage, tyranny, and
oppression; so that to loose their bond is to loose their subjects from it, and
free them from their arbitrary and despotic power, and from the burdens they
lay upon them: unless rather it should be understood of loosing their
waistbands, as an emblem of their government, ungirding them, or unkinging
them, stripping them of their royal power and authority, called a "loosing
of their loins", Isaiah 45:1; and
this power God has over such great personages, as to set up kings, and remove
them at his pleasure, Daniel 2:21; which
shows that strength and power, as well as wisdom, are with him; this may
respect Chedorlaomer casting off the yoke of Nimrod, and the kings of Canaan
casting off the yoke of Chedorlaomer, and being loosed from it, Genesis 14:1;
and girdeth their loins with a girdle; not with a
royal waistband, as an ensign of government; see Isaiah 11:5; which
he looses, and strips them of, but another instead of that; he girds them with
the girdle of a servant or traveller; the allusion being to the custom in those
eastern countries, where they wore long garments, for servants to gird them up,
when they waited on their masters, or when men went long journeys, see Luke 17:7; and so
may signify that kings sometimes become servants, or go into captivity, and
there be used as such, as they sometimes are; the Vulgate Latin version is,
"he girds their reins with a rope".
Job 12:19 19 He leads princes[b] away
plundered, And overthrows the mighty.
YLT
19Causing ministers to go
away a spoil And strong ones He overthroweth.
He leadeth princes away spoiled,.... Of their principalities
and dominions, of their wealth and riches, and of their honour and glory; or
"priests"F21כהנים
"sacerdotes", V. L. Montanus, Tigurine version, Bolducius, Cocceius,
Schmidt, Schultens. , as some choose to render the word, against whom God has
indignation for their sins, and leads them into captivity with others; so the
Septuagint version, "he leads the priests captives"; for no office,
ever so sacred, can protect wicked men, see Lamentations 2:6;
and from these sometimes the law perishes, and they are spoiled of their wisdom
and knowledge, and made unfit to instruct the people, and so of their credit
and reputation among them. Sephorno interprets it of the priests spoiled of
their prophesying, they prophesying false things to kings:
and overthroweth the mighty; the mighty angels from
heaven when they sinned, and mighty men on earth, kings and princes, whom he
puts down from their seats of majesty and grandeur. Sephorno interprets this of
kings, whose ways are perverted, by being led by false prophets, as Ahab was.
SomeF23Schmidt, Michaelis, Schultens. understand this of
ecclesiastical men, mighty in word and doctrine, well grounded in theology, yet
their wisdom being taken away from them, they turn aside into wicked paths,
practices, and principles, and fall from their steadfastness in truth and
holiness.
Job 12:20 20 He deprives the trusted
ones of speech, And takes away the discernment of the elders.
YLT
20Turning aside the lip of
the stedfast, And the reason of the aged He taketh away.
He removeth away the speech of the trusty,.... Speech is
proper to mankind, and a benefit unto them, whereby they can converse together,
and communicate their minds to each other; this is the gift of God, he gives to
men in common the faculty of speaking; to some the tongue of the learned to
speak various tongues, either in an ordinary or in an extraordinary manner; and
he that gives can take away; he that made man's mouth or lip can make it
speechless, as he does at death; when he takes away man's breath, he takes away
his speech; the state of the dead is a state of silence; and sometimes he does
it while living, by striking dumb, as he did Zechariah the father of John the
Baptist; and even without so doing, as in the builders of Babel, he took away
the speech they had, and gave them another; and sometimes he suffers not men to
speak what they would, but what is contrary to their inclinations and desires,
as in Balaam, who would willingly have cursed Israel, but could not. Now that
God should take away by any means the speech of liars, and faithless persons,
as Ananias and Sapphira, by striking them dead, Acts 5:1; and of
false teachers, deceivers, and bold blasphemers of God, and of his Son, and of
the blessed Spirit, whose mouths ought to be stopped, is no wonder; but it
seems strange that he should remove the speech of "trusty" or
"faithful"F24לנאמנים
"veracibus", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Schultens;
"fidis", Mercerus, Piscator; "fidelibus", Bolducius. men,
that speak the truth, and are to be credited and believed; and as the preceding
words are understood of ecclesiastic persons, these may be continued concerning
them; and the character agrees with ministers of the word, who are in trusted
with the rich treasure of it; that is put in earthen vessels, and committed to
the trust of faithful men; who appear to be such when they speak the word
faithfully, declare the whole counsel of God, and keep back nothing profitable
to men; when they speak plainly, without ambiguity, and sincerely, without
mixing or adulterating it; and are faithful as to God, who has appointed them,
and put them into the ministry, so to the souls of men under their care: now
God sometimes takes away the speech of these, not by changing their voice, or
ordering them, instead of the gracious promises of the Gospel, to deliver out
the menaces and threatenings of the law; but either by commanding them to be
dumb and silent, and speak no more to an incorrigible and rebellious people; as
Ezekiel was bid to prophesy no more to the house of Israel, and the apostles to
preach no more to the Jews; or by suffering them to be silenced by the edicts
of wicked princes, and their violent persecutions of them, so that the teachers
of men are removed into corners, and not to be seen or heard; and also by
death, when their faces are no more seen, and their speech no more heard. Some,
both Jewish and Christian interpreters, derive the word here used from the root
נאם, "to speak", and render it
"speakers" or "orators"F25"Dicendi
peritis", Beza; eloquentibus, Junius & Tremellius; so Kimchi, Ramban,
Ben Gersom, Ben Melech, Sephorno. ; so Mr. Broughton translates the words,
"he bereaveth the orators of lip"; he takes away their eloquence from
them, deprives them of their speaking well, and strips them of their natural
and acquired abilities, by which they have become good speakers; and such who
use their talents well in this way are beneficial to a commonwealth, and it is
a loss when they are removed, or their speech removed from them, see Isaiah 3:3;
and taketh away the understanding of the aged; or
"elders"F26זקנים
"seniorum", Cocceius, Michaelis; "senatorum", Schultens. ,
as Mr. Broughton, either in age or office; elders in age, with whom
understanding, reason, judgment, counsel, and wisdom, by all which the word is
interpreted, may be thought to be, and it is expected they should, and
oftentimes are, though not always; yet all this God can take away, and does
when he pleases, and they become like children in understanding; through the
infirmities of old age their memories fail them, their reason is impaired, their
understanding and judgment are weakened, and they become unfit to give advice
themselves, and are easily imposed on, and drawn aside by others, as may be
observed in Solomon, the wisest of men, when he was grown old. This is to be
understood of the natural understanding in things natural and civil, but not of
the spiritual understanding, which is never taken away, but rather increased in
old age; the true light of grace shines more and more unto the perfect day; it
is a gift of God without repentance, which he never revokes and removes: it may
intend the natural "taste"F1טעם
"gustum", Drusius, Schultens. , as the word may be rendered; this is
often and generally taken away from the aged, as in old Barzillai, who could
not taste what he ate and drank, as to distinguish and relish it, 2 Samuel 19:35; but
not the spiritual taste, of the Lord as gracious, of the good word of God, and
the fruits of divine grace; the taste and savour of which remain with the
people of God in old age; or this may design men in office, either civil
magistrates, called senators, the elders of the people, judges, and
counsellors, who instead of being taught more wisdom, which their offices
require, sometimes become infatuated, their understanding of civil things is
taken away from them, their wise counsels become brutish, and they like
children; or ecclesiastic persons, elders of churches, who, having talents for
public usefulness, either neglect them, or make an ill use of them, and
therefore are taken away from them; their right arm is dried up, and their
right eye darkened, Matthew 25:28.
Job 12:21 21 He pours contempt on
princes, And disarms the mighty.
YLT
21Pouring contempt upon
princes, And the girdle of the mighty He made feeble.
He poureth contempt upon princes,.... Not on good princes,
such as rule in righteousness, and decree judgment and govern their subjects
according to good laws, in a mild and gentle manner, and answer to their name
of free, liberal, beneficent and munificent. These, as there is an honour due
unto them, it is the will of God they should have it; much less are princes, in
a figurative sense, meant, good men, the children of God, who are born of him
the King of kings, and so princes in all the earth; but, in a literal sense,
bad princes, that oppress their subjects, and rule them with rigour, and
persecute good men; such as rose up against Christ, as Herod and Pontius
Pilate; persecutors of the saints, as the Roman emperors, and the antichristian
princes in the papacy; these God sometimes brings into contempt with their
subjects, deposes them from their government, reduces them to a mean, abject,
and servile state; or they die a shameful death, as Herod was eaten with worms,
and many of the Heathen emperors died miserable deaths; and the vials of God's
wrath will be poured out upon all the antichristian states, and their princes:
pouring denotes the abundance of shame they are put to, as if they were clothed
and covered with it, it being plentifully poured out like water, or as water
was poured upon them, which is sometimes done by way of contempt, see Psalm 107:40;
and weakeneth the strength of the mighty; the strength
of men, hale and robust, by sending one disease or another upon them, which
takes it away from them; or by "the mighty" are meant men in power
and authority; kings, as the Targum paraphrases it, mighty monarchs, whose
strength lies in their wealth and riches, in their fortresses and powerful
armies; all which God can deprive them of in an instant, and make them as weak
as other men. Some render it, "and looseneth the girdle of the
mighty"F2ומזיח אפיקים
רפה "et zonam potentium laxat", Tigurine
version, Piscator, Beza, Schmidt; so Jarchi, Ben Gersom, Bar Tzemach, & Ben
Melech. , the same as loosening the loins of kings, Isaiah 14:1;
ungirding them, and taking away their power and authority from them, rendering
them unfit for business, or unable to keep their posts and defend their
kingdom.
Job 12:22 22 He uncovers deep things
out of darkness, And brings the shadow of death to light.
YLT
22Removing deep things out of
darkness, And He bringeth out to light death-shade.
He discovereth deep things out of darkness,.... The deep
things of God, his own deep things which lie in his heart, wrapped up in
darkness impenetrable to creatures, and which could never be known unless he
had discovered them; such as the thoughts of his heart, which are very deep, Psalm 92:5; the
deep things of God, which the Spirit of God only knows, searches, and reveals, 1 Corinthians 2:10;
even his thoughts of peace, and good things for his people, which are many and
precious, are known to himself, and made known to them, or otherwise must have
remained in darkness, and out of their reach, being as high as the heavens are
from the earth; the decrees and purposes of God, which he hath purposed in
himself, are deep things in his own breast, and lie concealed in darkness
there, until discovered by the accomplishment of them; such as his decrees of
election in Christ, redemption by him, and the effectual calling by his grace;
all which are revealed and made known by the execution of them: the love of God
to his people, which lay hid in his heart from everlasting; this is discovered
by the gift and mission of his Son; in the regeneration and quickening of his
people, and of which he makes still larger discoveries to them in the course of
their lives: likewise the mysteries of the Gospel, unknown to natural men, even
the wise and prudent, only known to such to whom it is given to know them, to
whom they are revealed by the Father of Christ, and by the Spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of
Christ; respecting the persons in the Godhead, the grace of each person, the
incarnation of Christ, the union of the two natures in him, redemption and
justification by him, regeneration by the Spirit of God, union to Christ, and
communion with him, and conformity to him in soul and body, now and hereafter:
likewise the secrets of his providence, in which there is a great depth of his
wisdom and knowledge, and is in great obscurity; his path is in the great
waters, and his footsteps are not known; his judgments are unsearchable, and
his ways past finding out, but before long they will be made manifest, and lie
open to view. There are also the deep things of others, which he discovers, as
the depth of sin in the deceitful heart of man, which none knows as himself;
and which lie hid there until they are discovered in the light of the divine
Spirit, who convinces of them, enlightens the understanding to behold those
swarms of lusts and corruptions it never discerned before; and then a man comes
to see and know the plague of his own heart, he was before a stranger to; also
the depths of Satan, his deep laid schemes, his wiles and stratagems, to draw into
sin, and so to ruin; these are unknown to natural men, but saints are made
acquainted with them, so that they are not altogether ignorant of his devices, Revelation 2:24;
likewise the secret plots, counsels, and combinations of wicked men, which they
lay deep, and seek to hide from the Lord, being formed in the dark; but he sees
and knows them, discovers and confounds them: to which may be added all the wicked
actions of men done in the dark, but cannot be hid from God, with whom the
darkness and the light are both alike; and who, sooner or later, brings them to
light, even the hidden things of darkness, and makes manifest the counsels of
the heart, as he will do more especially at the day of judgment, to which every
secret thing will be brought:
and bringeth but to light the shadow of death; not only life
and immortality, as by the Gospel, but death, and the shadow of it, even deadly
darkness, the grossest of darkness; such who are darkness itself he makes
light, and out of the darkness in them commands light to shine, as in the first
creation; to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, he causes a
great light to arise, the light of the Gospel, and the light of grace, yea,
Christ himself, the light of the world; he calls and brings them out of it into
marvellous light, out of the dark dungeon and prison of sin and unbelief, to the
enjoyment of spiritual light and life here, and to everlasting light and glory
hereafter.
Job 12:23 23 He makes nations great,
and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and guides them.
YLT
23Magnifying the nations, and
He destroyeth them, Spreading out the nations, and He quieteth them.
He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them,.... As he did
before the flood, when the earth was tilled, and all over peopled with them,
but at the flood he destroyed them at once. Sephorno interprets it of the seven
nations in the land of Canaan, which were increased in it, and destroyed, to
make way for the Israelites to inhabit it; and this has since been verified in
other kingdoms, large and populous, and brought to destruction, particularly in
the four monarchies, Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman, and will be in
the antichristian states and nations of the world:
he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again; or
"stretcheth" or "spreadeth out the nations"F3שטח "extendit", Tigurine version, Drusius, Mercerus;
"expandit", Beza, Junius & Tremellus, Piscator, Schmidt;
"expandens", Schultens. , as he did all over the earth before the
deluge, and then most remarkably straitened them, when they were reduced to so
small a number as to be contained in a single ark: "or leads them"F4וינחם "et ducit eas", Pagninus, Montanus,
Mercerus, Cocceius, Schmidt. ; that is, "governs them", as Mr.
Broughton renders the word, rules and overrules them, as large as they are; or
leads them into captivity, as some Jewish writersF5Kimchi, Ben
Melech, Bar Tzemach. , as the Israelites; though they have been enlarged, and
became numerous, as it was promised they should, yet have been led into
captivity, first the ten tribes by the Assyrians, and then the two tribes by
the Chaldeans; the Targum is, "he spreadeth out a net for the nations, and
leadeth them", that is, into it, so that they are taken in it, see Ezekiel 12:13.
Job 12:24 24 He takes away the understanding[c] of the
chiefs of the people of the earth, And makes them wander in a pathless
wilderness.
YLT
24Turning aside the heart Of the
heads of the people of the land, And he causeth them to wander In vacancy -- no
way!
He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth,.... The
people of the earth are the common people; the "chief" or
"heads"F6ראשי
"capitum", Montanus, Cocceius, Schmidt, Michaelis, Schultens. of
them, as it may be rendered, are kings, princes and generals of armies; whose
"hearts" may be said to be "taken away" when they are
dispirited, and deprived both of courage and conduct; have neither valour nor
wisdom, neither fortitude of mind, nor military skill to defend themselves and
their people against their enemies. Sephorno interprets this of Sihon and Og,
whose spirits the Lord hardened, and made their hearts obstinate to war with
Israel, Deuteronomy 2:30;
but it may be better understood of the Israelites, and the heads of them, when
they were discomfited by the Amalekites, quickly after their coming out of
Egypt, see Numbers 14:45;
about which time Job lived: and the rather, since it follows,
and caused them to wander in a wilderness where there is no
way: no track, no beaten path to follow, to be a guide to them, and
direct their way; in such a wilderness the Israelites wandered near forty
years, see Psalm 107:40.
Job 12:25 25 They grope in the dark
without light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.
YLT
25They feel darkness, and not
light, He causeth them to wander as a drunkard.
They grope in the dark without light,.... Like
blind men, as the men of Sodom, when they were struck with blindness; or
"they grope", or "feel the dark, and not light"F7ימששו חשך ולא
אור "palpant tenebras et non lucem",
Vatablus, Mercerus, Drusius, Schultens. , as the Targum; as the Egyptian, did
when such gross darkness was upon them as might be felt:
and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man; that has lost
his sight, his senses, and his feet, and knows not where he is, which way to
go, nor how to keep on his legs, but reels to and fro, and is at the utmost
loss what to do; all this is said of the heads or chief of the people, in
consequence of their hearts being taken away, and so left destitute of wisdom
and strength.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)