Job 12:1
_AND JOB ANSWERED AND SAID,_ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND JOB ANSWERED AND SAID,_ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_NO DOUBT BUT YE ARE THE PEOPLE, AND WISDOM SHALL DIE WITH YOU._ 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 are "not a people" (Romans 10:19).... [ Continue Reading ]
_BUT I HAVE UNDERSTANDING AS WELL AS YOU; I AM NOT INFERIOR TO YOU: YEA, WHO KNOWETH NOT SUCH THINGS AS THESE?_ Not inferior - not vanquished in argument and "wisdom" (Job 13:2). SUCH THINGS AS THESE - such commonplace maxims as you so pompously adduce.... [ Continue Reading ]
_I AM AS ONE MOCKED OF HIS NEIGHBOUR, WHO CALLETH UPON GOD, AND HE ANSWERETH HIM: THE JUST UPRIGHT MAN IS LAUGHED TO SCORN._ Mocked. The unfounded accusations of Job's friends were a 'mockery' of him. He alludes to Zophar's words, "when thou mockes" (Job 11:3). I AM AS ONE MOCKED OF HIS NEIGHBOUR... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE THAT IS READY TO SLIP WITH HIS FEET IS AS A LAMP DESPISED IN THE THOUGHT OF HIM THAT IS AT EASE._ Lamp - a torch. "Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint" (Proverbs 25:19). 'Thoughts and 'feet' are in contrast: also rests 'securely' an... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE TABERNACLES OF ROBBERS PROSPER, AND THEY THAT PROVOKE GOD ARE SECURE; INTO WHOSE HAND GOD BRINGETH ABUNDANTLY._ The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure. Job shows that the matter of fact opposes Zophar's theory (Job 11:14; Job 11:19), that wickedness causes 'in... [ Continue Reading ]
_BUT ASK NOW THE BEASTS, AND THEY SHALL TEACH THEE; AND THE FOWLS OF THE AIR, AND THEY SHALL TELL THEE:_ Ask now the beasts ... and the fowls ... and the fish. Beasts birds, fish, and plants, reasons Job, teach that the violent live the most securely (Job 12:6). The vulture lives more securely than... [ Continue Reading ]
_WHO KNOWETH NOT IN ALL THESE THAT THE HAND OF THE LORD HATH WROUGHT THIS?_ Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? In all these cases, says Job, the agency must be referred to Yahweh ("the Lord," English version), though they may seem to man to imply imperfection... [ Continue Reading ]
_IN WHOSE HAND IS THE SOUL OF EVERY LIVING THING, AND THE BREATH OF ALL MANKIND._ In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. The soul - i:e., the animal life. Man, reasons Job, is subjected to the same laws as the lower animals.... [ Continue Reading ]
_DOTH NOT THE EAR TRY WORDS? AND THE MOUTH TASTE HIS MEAT?_ Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat? As the mouth by tasting meats selects what pleases it, so the ear tries the words of others, and retains in the mind and memory what is convincing and pleasing. Each chooses accordi... [ Continue Reading ]
_WITH THE ANCIENT IS WISDOM; AND IN LENGTH OF DAYS UNDERSTANDING._ With the ancient is wisdom - "the ancient," the aged (Job 15:10).... [ Continue Reading ]
_WITH HIM IS WISDOM AND STRENGTH, HE HATH COUNSEL AND UNDERSTANDING._ In contrast "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;" "Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength... [ Continue Reading ]
_BEHOLD, HE BREAKETH DOWN, AND IT CANNOT BE BUILT AGAIN: HE SHUTTETH UP A MAN, AND THERE CAN BE NO OPENING._ Shutteth up. "He shall open, and none shall shut; and He shall shut, and none shall open" (Isaiah 22:22). Job refers to Zophar's "shut up" (Job 11:10). The image is from the pits often used... [ Continue Reading ]
_BEHOLD, HE WITHHOLDETH THE WATERS, AND THEY DRY UP: ALSO HE SENDETH THEM OUT, AND THEY OVERTURN THE EARTH._ Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth. Probably alluding to the flood.... [ Continue Reading ]
_WITH HIM IS STRENGTH AND WISDOM: THE DECEIVED AND THE DECEIVER ARE HIS._ The deceived and the deceiver are his. "If the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet" (Ezekiel 14:9). Job means, since God has In His Almighty power all alike, the successful d... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE LEADETH COUNSELLORS AWAY SPOILED, AND MAKETH THE JUDGES FOOLS._ Spoiled - х_ SHOWLAAL_ (H7758)] stripped of the upper garment and barefoot, as captives (Isaiah 20:4). (Maurer.)... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE LOOSETH THE BOND OF KINGS, AND GIRDETH THEIR LOINS WITH A GIRDLE._ He looseth the bond of kings - He looseth the authority of kings-the "bond" with which they bind their subjects: "I will loose the loins of kings" (Isaiah 45:1); "He changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and set... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE LEADETH PRINCES AWAY SPOILED, AND OVERTHROWETH THE MIGHTY._ Princes - rather, priests, as the Hebrew is rendered, Psalms 99:6 (Umbreit). Even the sacred ministers of religion are not exempt from reverses and captivity. [The idea of _ KOHEEN_ (H3548) is that of a mediating priest.] But in Job's... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE REMOVETH AWAY THE SPEECH OF THE TRUSTY, AND TAKETH AWAY THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE AGED._ He removeth away the speech of the trusty - the approved, those of approved eloquence-`those secure in their eloquence:' ex. gr., the speakers in the gate (Isaiah 3:3). (Beza.) UNDERSTANDING - literally, '... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE POURETH CONTEMPT UPON PRINCES, AND WEAKENETH THE STRENGTH OF THE MIGHTY._ He poureth contempt upon princes. Psalms 107:40 quotes, in its first clause, this verse, and in its second the 24th verse of the chapter. WEAKENETH THE STRENGTH - literally, 'looseth the girdle:' Orientals wear flowing... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE DISCOVERETH DEEP THINGS OUT OF DARKNESS, AND BRINGETH OUT TO LIGHT THE SHADOW OF DEATH._ He discovereth deep things out of darkness. "He revealeth the deep and secret things" (Daniel 2:22).... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE INCREASETH THE NATIONS, AND DESTROYETH THEM: HE ENLARGETH THE NATIONS, AND STRAITENETH THEM AGAIN._ He increaseth the nations. "Thou hast multiplied the nation," etc., (Isaiah 9:3; Psalms 107:38, which Psalm quotes this chapter elsewhere). (See the remark of Job 12:21). STRAITENETH - literally... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ He taketh away the heart - intelligence. WANDER IN A WILDERNESS - figurative; not referring to any actual fact. This cannot be quoted to prove Job lived after Isra... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEY GROPE IN THE DARK WITHOUT LIGHT, AND HE MAKETH THEM TO STAGGER LIKE A DRUNKEN MAN._ They grope in the dark without light. "Thou shalt grope at, noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness" (Deuteronomy 28:29). Psalms 107:27. again quotes Job, but in a different connection. Remarks: (1) How man... [ Continue Reading ]