King James Version
Job 12
25 verses with commentary
Job's Reply: I Am Not Inferior to You
And Job answered and said,
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Job answered and said,</strong><br><br>This brief formula introduces Job's response to Zophar's harsh accusations (Job 11), but its simplicity belies the emotional and theological weight of what follows. The Hebrew phrase <em>vaya'an Iyyov vayomar</em> ("And Job answered and said") appears repeatedly in Job's dialogues, marking transitions between friends' speeches and Job's replies. T...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
**XII.**
(1) **And Job answered and said.**—Each of the friends has now supplied his quota, and Job proceeds to reply to the third, showing that he is far more conversant with the wisdom and majesty of God than they are themselves, though in their own esteem they alone are wise.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 12
Chapter Outline
The priests and Levites that returned.(1-26)
The dedication of the wall.(27-43)
The officers of the temple settled.(44-47)
**Verses 1-26**
It is a debt we owe to faithful ministers, to remember our guides, who have spoken to us the word of God. It is good to know what our godly predecessors were, that we may learn what we should be.
No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Job responds with biting sarcasm: 'No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.' The Hebrew literally reads 'Truly you are the people'—Job mocks his friends' assumption that they possess exclusive wisdom. The phrase 'wisdom shall die with you' suggests they think themselves the repository of all understanding. Job's sarcasm reveals his frustration with their self-righteous certai...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Ne 13:15-31. The Violation of the Sabbath.
**15-22. In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the sabbath--**The cessation of the temple services had been necessarily followed by a public profanation of the Sabbath, and this had gone so far that labor was carried on in the fields, and fish brought to the markets on the sacred day. Nehemiah took the decisive step of ordering the c...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 12
Chapter Outline
The priests and Levites that returned.(1-26)
The dedication of the wall.(27-43)
The officers of the temple settled.(44-47)
**Verses 1-26**
It is a debt we owe to faithful ministers, to remember our guides, who have spoken to us the word of God. It is good to know what our godly predecessors were, that we may learn what we should be.
But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these? understanding: Heb. an heart I am: Heb. I fall not lower than you who: Heb. with whom are not such as these?
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Job's sarcastic response 'But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you' reveals frustration with the friends' condescension. The phrase 'who knoweth not such things as these?' mocks their conventional wisdom as obvious platitudes offering no comfort.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Ne 13:15-31. The Violation of the Sabbath.
**15-22. In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the sabbath--**The cessation of the temple services had been necessarily followed by a public profanation of the Sabbath, and this had gone so far that labor was carried on in the fields, and fish brought to the markets on the sacred day. Nehemiah took the decisive step of ordering the c...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 12
Chapter Outline
The priests and Levites that returned.(1-26)
The dedication of the wall.(27-43)
The officers of the temple settled.(44-47)
**Verses 1-26**
It is a debt we owe to faithful ministers, to remember our guides, who have spoken to us the word of God. It is good to know what our godly predecessors were, that we may learn what we should be.
I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Job laments 'I am as one mocked of his neighbour' - the righteous become objects of ridicule. The phrase 'the just upright man is laughed to scorn' captures the world's incomprehension of innocent suffering. This anticipates Christ's mockery at the cross (Matthew 27:39-44).
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **I am as one mocked of his neighbour.**—The laughing-stock of his companion—he who called on God, and He answered him. This is either the character Job claims for himself, or it is the supposed taunt of his friends—the righteous and the perfect a laughing-stock, or, the righteous and the perfect might be a laughing-stock. Ridicule is no test of truth or of merit.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Ne 13:15-31. The Violation of the Sabbath.
**15-22. In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the sabbath--**The cessation of the temple services had been necessarily followed by a public profanation of the Sabbath, and this had gone so far that labor was carried on in the fields, and fish brought to the markets on the sacred day. Nehemiah took the decisive step of ordering the c...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 12
Chapter Outline
The priests and Levites that returned.(1-26)
The dedication of the wall.(27-43)
The officers of the temple settled.(44-47)
**Verses 1-26**
It is a debt we owe to faithful ministers, to remember our guides, who have spoken to us the word of God. It is good to know what our godly predecessors were, that we may learn what we should be.
He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Job responds to Zophar's harsh accusations with biting irony: 'He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.' The Hebrew לַפִּיד (lappid, 'lamp/torch') refers to something meant to give light but here treated with contempt (בּוּז, buz). Job identifies the cruel dynamic: those 'at ease' (שַׁאֲנָן, sha'anan—secure, careless) despise those who suf...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **Is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.**—This rendering conveys no sense. The meaning is either that the lamp or torch prepared for feet tottering and uncertain in the darkness is disregarded and rejected by those who are at ease, and need no such aid; in which case one does not see very clearly why Job compares himself to such a torch: or, more probably, there is conte...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Ne 13:15-31. The Violation of the Sabbath.
**15-22. In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the sabbath--**The cessation of the temple services had been necessarily followed by a public profanation of the Sabbath, and this had gone so far that labor was carried on in the fields, and fish brought to the markets on the sacred day. Nehemiah took the decisive step of ordering the c...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 12
Chapter Outline
The priests and Levites that returned.(1-26)
The dedication of the wall.(27-43)
The officers of the temple settled.(44-47)
**Verses 1-26**
It is a debt we owe to faithful ministers, to remember our guides, who have spoken to us the word of God. It is good to know what our godly predecessors were, that we may learn what we should be.
The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The tabernacles of robbers prosper</strong> (יִשְׁלָיוּ אֹהָלִים לְשֹׁדְדִים, yishlayu ohalim l'shoddim)—Job's response to Zophar challenges the friends' simplistic retribution theology. The verb 'prosper' (shalah, שָׁלָה) means to be at ease, secure, or tranquil. 'Robbers' (shoddim, שֹׁדְדִים) are violent plunderers, those who destroy and pillage. Job observes that the wicked aren't merel...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.**—Some understand these words, *to him that bringeth his god in his hand *(comp. Habakkuk 1:11; Habakkuk 1:16); but the other seems more in accordance with the usage. (Comp., *e.g., *Proverbs 3:27, &c.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Ne 13:15-31. The Violation of the Sabbath.
**15-22. In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the sabbath--**The cessation of the temple services had been necessarily followed by a public profanation of the Sabbath, and this had gone so far that labor was carried on in the fields, and fish brought to the markets on the sacred day. Nehemiah took the decisive step of ordering the c...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-11**
Job appeals to facts. The most audacious robbers, oppressors, and impious wretches, often prosper. Yet this is not by fortune or chance; the Lord orders these things. Worldly prosperity is of small value in his sight: he has better things for his children. Job resolves all into the absolute proprietorship which God has in all the creatures. He demands from his friends liberty t...
Read full commentary →But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
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KJV Study Commentary
Job appeals to observable nature: 'But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee.' The imperatives 'ask' (שְׁאַל, she'al) and 'tell' (יַגֶּד, yaged—declare, inform) invite empirical observation. Job is building toward a point: nature reveals that God's sovereignty doesn't operate according to simple moral causation. The innocent suffer; the w...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Ne 13:15-31. The Violation of the Sabbath.
**15-22. In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the sabbath--**The cessation of the temple services had been necessarily followed by a public profanation of the Sabbath, and this had gone so far that labor was carried on in the fields, and fish brought to the markets on the sacred day. Nehemiah took the decisive step of ordering the c...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-11**
Job appeals to facts. The most audacious robbers, oppressors, and impious wretches, often prosper. Yet this is not by fortune or chance; the Lord orders these things. Worldly prosperity is of small value in his sight: he has better things for his children. Job resolves all into the absolute proprietorship which God has in all the creatures. He demands from his friends liberty t...
Read full commentary →Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee</strong>—Job responds to his friends' pompous claims of wisdom by appealing to creation's universal testimony. <em>Siach la-aretz</em> (שִׂיחַ לָאָרֶץ, speak to the earth) uses <em>siach</em> (שִׂיחַ), meaning to meditate, speak, or commune with. The earth isn't merely observed but dialogued w...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Ne 13:15-31. The Violation of the Sabbath.
**15-22. In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the sabbath--**The cessation of the temple services had been necessarily followed by a public profanation of the Sabbath, and this had gone so far that labor was carried on in the fields, and fish brought to the markets on the sacred day. Nehemiah took the decisive step of ordering the c...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-11**
Job appeals to facts. The most audacious robbers, oppressors, and impious wretches, often prosper. Yet this is not by fortune or chance; the Lord orders these things. Worldly prosperity is of small value in his sight: he has better things for his children. Job resolves all into the absolute proprietorship which God has in all the creatures. He demands from his friends liberty t...
Read full commentary →Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
'Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?' Job affirms divine sovereignty—God's 'hand' (יַד, yad) 'wrought' (עָשְׂתָה, astah—made, did) everything. This echoes Genesis 1 and Psalm 104. Job never questions God's sovereignty or creative power; he questions the friends' interpretation of how sovereignty operates. The name 'LORD' (יְהוָה, YHWH) emphasizes covenant fait...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?**—This is the only place in the dialogue parts of Job in which the sacred name of Jehovah is found, and Job’s very use of the word in such a context is the clearest evidence of the superior knowledge that he claims. No one of his friends makes use of the name; but Job uses it here, and shows thereby his knowledge of th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Ne 13:15-31. The Violation of the Sabbath.
**15-22. In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the sabbath--**The cessation of the temple services had been necessarily followed by a public profanation of the Sabbath, and this had gone so far that labor was carried on in the fields, and fish brought to the markets on the sacred day. Nehemiah took the decisive step of ordering the c...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-11**
Job appeals to facts. The most audacious robbers, oppressors, and impious wretches, often prosper. Yet this is not by fortune or chance; the Lord orders these things. Worldly prosperity is of small value in his sight: he has better things for his children. Job resolves all into the absolute proprietorship which God has in all the creatures. He demands from his friends liberty t...
Read full commentary →In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind . soul: or, life all: Heb. all flesh of man
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KJV Study Commentary
Job affirms 'In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind' - acknowledging God's absolute sovereignty over life and death. Even in complaint, Job maintains orthodox theology. This combination of lament and orthodoxy models faith that questions circumstances without denying truth.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-11**
Job appeals to facts. The most audacious robbers, oppressors, and impious wretches, often prosper. Yet this is not by fortune or chance; the Lord orders these things. Worldly prosperity is of small value in his sight: he has better things for his children. Job resolves all into the absolute proprietorship which God has in all the creatures. He demands from his friends liberty t...
Read full commentary →Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat? mouth: Heb. palate
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KJV Study Commentary
'Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?' Job uses two physical analogies: ears discerning words as mouths taste food. The verb 'try' (בָּחַן, bachan—test, examine, prove) suggests careful evaluation. Just as the palate distinguishes flavors, rational minds should evaluate arguments. Job appeals to his friends' discernment—they should test his words rather than dismiss them. This...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **Doth not the ear try words?**—Bildad had appealed to the wisdom of authority and tradition, but Job reminds him that it is given to the wise man not to accept everything he has received, but to discriminate. He allows that wisdom is the prerogative of age, but reminds him that the Ancient of Days must needs be wise indeed.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**24. could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people--**a mongrel dialect imbibed from their mothers, together with foreign principles and habits.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-11**
Job appeals to facts. The most audacious robbers, oppressors, and impious wretches, often prosper. Yet this is not by fortune or chance; the Lord orders these things. Worldly prosperity is of small value in his sight: he has better things for his children. Job resolves all into the absolute proprietorship which God has in all the creatures. He demands from his friends liberty t...
Read full commentary →With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding</strong>—This verse requires careful reading of context. Job appears to quote conventional wisdom—<em>Beyshishim chokmah</em> (בִּישִׁישִׁים חָכְמָה, with the aged is wisdom)—that his friends represent. <em>Yshishim</em> (יְשִׁישִׁים) means gray-haired elders, those venerable with age. <em>Ve'orekh yamim tevunah</em> (וְאֹרֶךְ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**25. cursed them--**that is, pronounced on them an anathema which entailed excommunication.
**smote ... and plucked off their hair--**To cut off the hair of offenders seems to be a punishment rather disgraceful than severe; yet it is supposed that pain was added to disgrace, and that they tore off the hair with violence as if they were plucking a bird alive.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-25**
This is a noble discourse of Job concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of His own will, which none can resist. It were well if wise and good men, who differ about lesser things, would see how it is for their honour and comfort, and the good of others, to dwell most upon the great thing...
Read full commentary →Wisdom Belongs to God Alone
With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding. With: that is, With God
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KJV Study Commentary
Job declares: 'With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.' The phrase 'with him' (immo, עִמּוֹ) attributes wisdom exclusively to God. Chokmah (חָכְמָה, wisdom), gevurah (גְבוּרָה, strength), etsah (עֵצָה, counsel), and tevunah (תְּבוּנָה, understanding) comprehensively describe divine attributes. Job affirms God's perfect wisdom while implicitly critiquing his friends—true...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-25**
This is a noble discourse of Job concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of His own will, which none can resist. It were well if wise and good men, who differ about lesser things, would see how it is for their honour and comfort, and the good of others, to dwell most upon the great thing...
Read full commentary →Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening. up: Heb. upon
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KJV Study Commentary
Job describes God's absolute power: 'Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.' This recognition of divine sovereignty that can seem arbitrary and destructive leads Job toward submission, though not yet acceptance.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **Behold, he breaketh down . . .**—God has equal power over the moral and physical world.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-25**
This is a noble discourse of Job concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of His own will, which none can resist. It were well if wise and good men, who differ about lesser things, would see how it is for their honour and comfort, and the good of others, to dwell most upon the great thing...
Read full commentary →Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth</strong>—Job declares God's absolute sovereignty over water—both drought and flood. <em>Hen ya'tsor ba-mayim ve-yivashu</em> (הֵן יַעְצֹר בַּמַּיִם וְיִיבָשׁוּ, behold, He restrains the waters and they dry up) uses <em>atsar</em> (עָצַר), to restrain, withhold, or shut up. When God wit...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-25**
This is a noble discourse of Job concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of His own will, which none can resist. It were well if wise and good men, who differ about lesser things, would see how it is for their honour and comfort, and the good of others, to dwell most upon the great thing...
Read full commentary →With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.
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KJV Study Commentary
'With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.' Job affirms God possesses both 'strength' (עֹז, oz—might, power) and 'wisdom' (תּוּשִׁיָּה, tushiyyah—sound wisdom, abiding success). But shockingly, both 'deceived' (שֹׁגֵג, shogeg—erring one) and 'deceiver' (מַשְׁגֶּה, mashgeh—one causing error) belong to God—are under His sovereignty. This isn't affirming moral equivalenc...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-25**
This is a noble discourse of Job concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of His own will, which none can resist. It were well if wise and good men, who differ about lesser things, would see how it is for their honour and comfort, and the good of others, to dwell most upon the great thing...
Read full commentary →He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.
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KJV Study Commentary
God leads counselors stripped of wisdom and makes judges fools. The imagery of 'counselors' led away 'spoiled' (or 'barefoot,' signifying captivity) demonstrates God's sovereignty over human institutions. He can overthrow the wise and powerful, exposing their foolishness. This Reformed emphasis on God's meticulous providence shows that no human authority operates independently of divine control.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-25**
This is a noble discourse of Job concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of His own will, which none can resist. It were well if wise and good men, who differ about lesser things, would see how it is for their honour and comfort, and the good of others, to dwell most upon the great thing...
Read full commentary →He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.
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KJV Study Commentary
God removes the authority of kings ('looseth the bond of kings') and binds them with chains around their waists as captives. This continues Job's theme of divine sovereignty over human rulers. The imagery reverses the typical scene—kings who bound others are themselves bound by God's decree. Reformed theology emphasizes God's authority even over kings and kingdoms, fulfilling Daniel's declaration ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **He looseth the bond of kings.**—He looseth the confederacy of kings, by which they bind themselves together, and girdeth them to fight against each other. Some understand it of the girdle of servitude in contrast to the girdle of state.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-25**
This is a noble discourse of Job concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of His own will, which none can resist. It were well if wise and good men, who differ about lesser things, would see how it is for their honour and comfort, and the good of others, to dwell most upon the great thing...
Read full commentary →He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.
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KJV Study Commentary
God leads priests away as prisoners and overthrows the mighty. The Hebrew 'kohen' (priest) represented sacred authority, while 'ethan' (mighty/established ones) denoted those with long-standing power. Job asserts that even religious and entrenched authorities fall under God's sovereign judgment. This anticipates God's rebuke of Job's friends—religious professionals who misrepresented divine truth—...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **He leadeth princes.**—Some understand *priests *rather than *princes. *The word appears to be used in both senses; here the parallelism seems to suit *princes *better. The latter part of this chapter seems to re-echo the sentiments of Eliphaz in Job 5:11-16; but, instead of giving them the optimist direction he had sketched, he confesses that his own position is rather one of blank despair....
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-25**
This is a noble discourse of Job concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of His own will, which none can resist. It were well if wise and good men, who differ about lesser things, would see how it is for their honour and comfort, and the good of others, to dwell most upon the great thing...
Read full commentary →He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged. speech: Heb. lip of the faithful
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KJV Study Commentary
God removes speech from the trusted and takes away understanding from the aged. The Hebrew 'aman' (trusted/reliable ones) and 'zaqen' (elders) represented society's most authoritative voices. Job argues that God can and does remove discernment even from those whom society trusts most. This cuts against the friends' confidence in traditional wisdom—age and reputation don't guarantee truth when God ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-25**
This is a noble discourse of Job concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of His own will, which none can resist. It were well if wise and good men, who differ about lesser things, would see how it is for their honour and comfort, and the good of others, to dwell most upon the great thing...
Read full commentary →He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty. weakeneth: or, looseth the girdle of the strong
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KJV Study Commentary
God pours contempt on princes and loosens the belt of the strong. The verb 'shaphak' (pour) suggests abundant, overflowing contempt—not reluctant judgment but decisive humiliation of the proud. The loosened belt again signifies loss of authority and strength. Job's theology affirms God's active role in humbling the exalted, a theme that runs through Scripture from Hannah's prayer (1 Samuel 2) to M...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
THE BOOK OF ESTHER
Commentary by Robert Jamieson
CHAPTER 1 Es 1:1-22. Ahasuerus Makes Royal Feasts.
**1. Ahasuerus--**It is now generally agreed among learned men that the Ahasuerus mentioned in this episode is the Xerxes who figures in Grecian history.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-25**
This is a noble discourse of Job concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of His own will, which none can resist. It were well if wise and good men, who differ about lesser things, would see how it is for their honour and comfort, and the good of others, to dwell most upon the great thing...
Read full commentary →He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
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KJV Study Commentary
Job declares 'He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.' This affirmation of God's revelatory power shows faith that hidden things will eventually be revealed. The bringing of light from darkness anticipates Job's eventual vindication.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-25**
This is a noble discourse of Job concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of His own will, which none can resist. It were well if wise and good men, who differ about lesser things, would see how it is for their honour and comfort, and the good of others, to dwell most upon the great thing...
Read full commentary →He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again. straiteneth: Heb. leadeth in
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KJV Study Commentary
'He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.' The verbs form antithetical pairs: 'increaseth' (שַׂגִּיא, saggi) vs. 'destroyeth' (וַיְאַבְּדֵם, vay'abdem), 'enlargeth' (נוֹחֶה, nocheh) vs. 'straiteneth/leadeth away' (וַיַּנְחֵם, vaynchem). Job describes God's sovereign control over empires—raising and razing nations according to His purpose...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them.**—The latter part of this chapter teaches us a truth that is apt to be forgotten in the present day, which is, nevertheless, the key to much of the history of the world Why is it that nations are marked with such characteristic differences? as, for instance, the Greeks, the Romans, and the Jews in ancient times; the French, the English, and th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. made a feast unto all his princes and his servants--**Banquets on so grand a scale, and extending over so great a period, have been frequently provided by the luxurious monarchs of Eastern countries, both in ancient and modern times. The early portion of this festive season, however, seems to have been dedicated to amusement, particularly an exhibition of the magnificence and treasures of the...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-25**
This is a noble discourse of Job concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of His own will, which none can resist. It were well if wise and good men, who differ about lesser things, would see how it is for their honour and comfort, and the good of others, to dwell most upon the great thing...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
God takes away the understanding of leaders and makes them wander in pathless wastes. The Hebrew 'tou'eh' (wander/stagger) suggests aimless confusion—leaders without direction or purpose. God actively removes wisdom from those who should guide, causing them to lead people astray. This explains political and religious confusion—not mere human failure, but divine judgment removing understanding from...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-25**
This is a noble discourse of Job concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of His own will, which none can resist. It were well if wise and good men, who differ about lesser things, would see how it is for their honour and comfort, and the good of others, to dwell most upon the great thing...
Read full commentary →They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man. stagger: Heb. wander
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KJV Study Commentary
'They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.' Job describes leaders whom God confounds: they 'grope' (מְמַשְׁשׁוּ, memasheshu—feel about blindly) in 'dark' (חֹשֶׁךְ, choshek) without 'light' (אוֹר, or), staggering like drunkards (שִׁכּוֹר, shikkor). This inverts the friends' confidence—they think they see clearly while Job gropes. Job suggests all humans...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 12-25**
This is a noble discourse of Job concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of His own will, which none can resist. It were well if wise and good men, who differ about lesser things, would see how it is for their honour and comfort, and the good of others, to dwell most upon the great thing...
Read full commentary →