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Job Chapter 12

Old Testament Wisdom/Poetry 25 Verses

What is Job 12 about?

The suffering of a righteous man and the profound questions it raises about God's justice, sovereignty, and human understanding. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.

Text — American Standard Version (1901)

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
1Then Job answered and said,
2No doubt but ye are the people, And wisdom shall die with you.
3But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: Yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
4I am as one that is a laughing-stock to his neighbor, I who called upon God, and he answered: The just, the perfect man is a laughing-stock.
5In the thought of him that is at ease there is contempt for misfortune; It is ready for them whose foot slippeth.
6The tents of robbers prosper, And they that provoke God are secure; Into whose hand God bringeth [abundantly].
7But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell thee:
8Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
9Who knoweth not in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this,
10In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?
11Doth not the ear try words, Even as the palate tasteth its food?
12With aged men is wisdom, And in length of days understanding.
13With [God] is wisdom and might; He hath counsel and understanding.
14Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again; He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
15Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; Again, he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
16With him is strength and wisdom; The deceived and the deceiver are his.
17He leadeth counsellors away stripped, And judges maketh he fools.
18He looseth the bond of kings, And he bindeth their loins with a girdle.
19He leadeth priests away stripped, And overthroweth the mighty.
20He removeth the speech of the trusty, And taketh away the understanding of the elders.
21He poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the belt of the strong.
22He uncovereth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
23He increaseth the nations, and he destroyeth them: He enlargeth the nations, and he leadeth them captive.
24He taketh away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, And causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
25They grope in the dark without light; And he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
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What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · on verse 1
“And Job answered and said.] In reply to Zophar, and in defence of himself; what is recorded in this and the two following chapters.”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“JOB'S REPLY TO ZOPHAR (Job 12:1-14:22) 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" (Rom 10:19).”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 2
“No doubt but ye are the people - That is, the only wise people. You have engrossed all the wisdom of the world, and all else are to be regarded as fools. This is evidently the language of severe sarcasm; and it shows a spirit fretted and chafed by their reproaches. Job felt contempt for their reasoning. and meant to intimate that their maxims, on which they placed so much reliance, were common-place, and such as every one was familar with. And wisdom shall die with you - This is ironical, but it is language such as is common perhaps every where. “The people of the East,” says Roberts, “take great pleasure in…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · on verse 2
“Ye - You have engrossed all the reason of mankind; and each of you has as much wisdom as an whole people put together. All the wisdom which is in the world, lives in you, and will be utterly lost when you die. When wise and good men die, it is a comfort to think that wisdom and goodness do not die with them: it is folly to think, that there will be a great, irreparable loss of us when we are gone, since God has the residue of the spirit, and can raise up others more fit to do his work. Job 12:3”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
“12:1–14:22 In his longest speech thus far, Job addresses not only Zophar’s remarks but the entire first round of speeches.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 2
“ye are the people: Job 6:24, Job 6:25, Job 8:8-10, Job 11:2, Job 11:6, Job 11:12, Job 15:2, Job 17:4, Job 20:3, Job 32:7-13; Pro 28:11; Isa 5:21; Co1 4:10, Co1 6:5 Job 12:3”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · on verse 1
“1 The Job began, and said: 2 Truly then ye are the people, And wisdom shall die with you! 3 I also have a heart as well as you; I do not stand behind you; And to whom should not such things be known? The admission, which is strengthened by כּי אמנם, truly then (distinct from אמנם כּי, for truly, Job 36:4, similar to כּי הנּה, behold indeed, Psa 128:4), is intended as irony: ye are not merely single individuals, but the people = race of men (עם, as Isa 40:7; Isa 42:5), so that all human understanding is confined to you, and there is none other to be found; and when once you die, it will seem to have died out. The…”
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