Job 12:20

“He removeth away the speech of the trusty, etc.] 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…”

“the trusty--rather, "those secure in their eloquence"; for example, the speakers in the gate (Isa 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 (Dan 2:14).”

“He removeth away the speech of the trusty - Margin, “lip of the faithful.” “He takes away the lip,” that is, he takes away the power of giving safe counsel or good advice. The “trusty” or “faithful” here refer to those of age and experience, and on whose counsel men are accustomed to rely. The meaning here is, that their most sagacious anticipations are disappointed, their wisest schemes are foiled. They fail-in their calculations of the coarse of events, and the arrangements of Providence are such that they could not anticipate what was to occur. The understanding of the aged - To whom the young were accustomed to look up with deference and respect. The meaning here is, that they who were…”

“The speech - By taking away or restraining the gift of utterance from them. Or, by taking away their understanding which should direct their speech. Trusty - Of those wise and experienced counsellors, that were trusted by the greatest princes. Job 12:22”

“the speech of the trusty: Heb. the lip of the faithful, Pro 10:21, Pro 12:19, Pro 12:22 taketh: Job 12:24, Job 17:4, Job 32:9, Job 39:17; Isa 3:1-3 Job 12:21”