Job 12:17

He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.

He leadeth {H3212} counsellors {H3289} away spoiled {H7758}, and maketh the judges {H8199} fools {H1984}.

He leads counselors away captive, he makes fools of judges.

He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.

He leadeth counsellors away stripped, And judges maketh he fools.

Job 12:17 (KJV) states, "He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools." This profound declaration is part of Job's response to his friends, who have been attempting to explain his suffering based on conventional wisdom. Job asserts God's absolute and mysterious power over all creation, including human authority and wisdom.

Context

In Job chapters 12 and 13, Job passionately defends God's incomprehensible sovereignty against the simplistic arguments of his friends. They believed that suffering was a direct consequence of sin, implying Job's guilt. Job, however, argues that God's power transcends human understanding of justice and cause-and-effect. This verse is part of a broader passage (Job 12:13-25) where Job enumerates God's control over every aspect of life, demonstrating that wisdom and might belong to God alone. He emphasizes that God can dismantle human systems of power and wisdom at will, highlighting the futility of relying solely on human insight or authority in ancient societies where counsellors and judges held significant sway.

Key Themes

  • God's Absolute Sovereignty: The primary message is that God is the ultimate authority, capable of elevating or humbling anyone. He is not bound by human logic or societal structures. He can strip even the most esteemed advisors of their influence.
  • Human Fallibility: Even those considered wisest and most influential—counsellors and judges—are susceptible to God's will. Their wisdom can be stripped away, and their judgments rendered foolish. This underscores the limitations of human intellect and power when compared to divine power.
  • Divine Judgment and Control: God actively intervenes in human affairs, dismantling human schemes and exposing the folly of those who presume to have ultimate control or wisdom. This theme resonates with other biblical passages that speak of God's power to remove and establish kings and leaders.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "spoiled" (שׁוֹלָל - sholal) suggests being stripped bare, plundered, or led away barefoot. It conveys the idea of utter destitution or loss of status and dignity, implying that God can completely disempower even the most influential advisors. For "fools" (סִכְלִים - siklim), the term implies senselessness, moral deficiency, or acting unwisely. Together, these words powerfully illustrate God's ability to completely divest human authorities of their perceived wisdom and influence, rendering them utterly ineffective or even ridiculous in their attempts to guide or judge.

Practical Application

Job 12:17 serves as a powerful reminder for believers today not to place ultimate trust in human leaders, institutions, or even the most respected human wisdom. While human wisdom has its place, it is always subordinate to God's divine plan and purposes. This verse encourages humility, urging us to recognize that God's wisdom is infinitely superior, and what appears wise to man may be foolish to God (as seen in 1 Corinthians 1:25). It prompts us to seek God's counsel above all else, trusting that His will ultimately prevails, even when human systems seem to falter or fail and human authority proves unreliable.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Isaiah 29:14

    Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, [even] a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise [men] shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent [men] shall be hid.

  • 1 Corinthians 1:19

    For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

  • 1 Corinthians 1:20

    Where [is] the wise? where [is] the scribe? where [is] the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

  • 2 Samuel 17:23

    And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled [his] ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

  • Job 3:14

    With kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves;

  • Isaiah 19:12

    Where [are] they? where [are] thy wise [men]? and let them tell thee now, and let them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt.

  • Isaiah 19:14

    The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken [man] staggereth in his vomit.

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