1.
And Job answered and said,
2.
No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
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"
(Romans 10:19).
3.
But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
3. not inferior—not vanquished
in argument and "wisdom" ().
such things as these—such
commonplace maxims as you so pompously adduce.
4.
I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.
4. The unfounded accusations of
Job's friends were a "mockery" of him. He alludes to
Zophar's word, "mockest" ().
neighbour, who calleth,
&c.—rather, "I who call upon God that he may
answer me favorably" [UMBREIT].
5.
He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.
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] (). "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.
The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.
6. Job shows that the matter of
fact opposes Zophar's theory (Job 11:14;
Job 11:19; Job 11:20)
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.
But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
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.
Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
8. speak to the earth—rather,
"the shrubs of the earth" [UMBREIT].
9.
Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?
10.
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
10. the soul—that is, the
animal life. Man, reasons Job, is subjected to the same laws as the
lower animals.
11.
Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?
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 12:12). 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.
With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
12. ancient—aged ().
13.
With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.
13. In contrast to, "with
the ancient is wisdom" (), Job quotes a saying of the ancients which suits his
argument, "with Him (God) is (the true) wisdom" (); 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.
Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
14. shutteth up— (). Job refers to Zophar's "shut up" ().
15.
Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
15. Probably alluding to the
flood.
16.
With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.
16. ().
17.
He leadeth counsellers away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.
18.
He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.
18. He looseth the bond of kings—He
looseth the authority of kings—the "bond" with which they
bind their subjects (Isaiah 45:1;
Genesis 14:4; Daniel 2:21).
a girdle—the cord,
with which they are bound as captives, instead of the royal "girdle"
they once wore (Isaiah 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 (Isaiah 22:21).
19.
He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.
19. princes—rather, "priests,"
as the Hebrew is rendered (). 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.
He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.
20. the trusty—rather, "those
secure in their eloquence"; for example, the speakers in the
gate (Isaiah 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 (Isaiah 3:3).
21.
He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.
21. 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.
He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
22. ().
23.
He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.
23. Isaiah 9:3;
Psalms 107:38; Psalms 107:39,
which Psalm quotes this chapter elsewhere. (See on Psalms 107:39).
straiteneth—literally,
"leadeth in," that is, "reduces."
24.
He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
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. Psalms 107:4; Psalms 107:40
quotes this passage.
25.
They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
25. Deuteronomy 28:29;
Psalms 107:27 again quote Job, but
in a different connection.