Job Chapter 12 — Job’s Response to His Friends
Job answers his friends with sarcasm, asserting that God's wisdom and power are evident in all of creation and far exceed human understanding.
1Then Job answered,
2“No doubt, but you are the people,
3But I have understanding as well as you;
4I am like one who is a joke to his neighbor,
5In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune.
6The tents of robbers prosper.
7“But ask the animals now, and they will teach you;
8Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you.
9Who doesn’t know that in all these,
10in whose hand is the life of every living thing,
11Doesn’t the ear try words,
12With aged men is wisdom,
13“With God is wisdom and might.
14Behold, he breaks down, and it can’t be built again.
15Behold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up.
16With him is strength and wisdom.
17He leads counselors away stripped.
18He loosens the bond of kings.
19He leads priests away stripped,
20He removes the speech of those who are trusted,
21He pours contempt on princes,
22He uncovers deep things out of darkness,
23He increases the nations, and he destroys them.
24He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth,
25They grope in the dark without light.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Job 12:7
“But ask the animals now, and they will teach you; Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you.”
Job points to the natural world as a witness to God's creative work and universal sovereignty.
Job 12:10
“in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.”
This verse emphasizes God's direct control and sustenance of all life on Earth.
Job 12:13
“With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.”
Job redirects the focus from human debate to the ultimate source of true wisdom and power.
Chapter Summary
In Job 12, Job begins his response to the first round of speeches by his friends, particularly answering Zophar. He uses sarcasm to address their claim to superior wisdom, stating that even though they believe they are 'the people,' he also possesses understanding. Job asserts that even the natural world—the animals, birds, and the earth itself—recognizes God's role as the Creator and sustainer of life. He emphasizes that the life of every living thing is in God's hand. Job then describes the absolute sovereignty of God over both the physical world and human society. He explains how God can withhold water to cause drought or send it to overwhelm the land. Furthermore, he details how God humbles the mighty, stripping power from counselors, kings, priests, and princes. Job concludes by noting that God can lead entire nations to greatness or destruction, often leaving their leaders to grope in the dark without understanding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Job uses a sarcastic tone to address his friends, suggesting they believe they are the only people with wisdom. He asserts that he also has understanding and that the truths they speak are common knowledge even to the animals.
Job explains that the animals, birds, and the earth itself recognize God's hand in creation. He suggests that if his friends were to look at nature, they would see that God is the source of all life and breath.
Job describes God as one who can strip power from counselors, kings, and priests. He shows that God can lead nations to greatness or destruction and can take away the understanding of the world's leaders, leaving them in darkness.
Study Note
The structure of Job 12 marks a shift where Job moves from defending his personal innocence to praising the inscrutable and absolute power of God over all creation.
Related Chapters
Job Chapter 38
God later speaks to Job about the same themes of creation and nature seen in Job's speech.
Psalm 104
This psalm also celebrates God's sovereignty over the natural world and the breath of every living thing.
Daniel Chapter 2
This chapter echoes Job's description of God's power to remove and set up kings and nations.
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