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Commentary on Job 12 verses 12–25
This is a noble discourse of Job's concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering and disposing of all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of his own will, which none dares gainsay or can resist. Take both him and them out of the controversy in which they were so warmly engaged, and they all spoke admirably well; but, in that, we sometimes scarcely know what to make of them. It were well if wise and good men, that differ in their apprehensions about minor things, would see it to be for their honour and comfort, and the edification of others, to dwell most upon those great things in which they are agreed. On this subject Job speaks like himself. Here are no passionate complaints, no peevish reflections, but every thing masculine and great.
I. He asserts the unsearchable wisdom and irresistible power of God. It is allowed that among men there is wisdom and understanding, Job 12:12. But it is to be found only with some few, with the ancient, and those who are blessed with length of days, who get it by long experience and constant experience; and, when they have got the wisdom, they have lost their strength and are unable to execute the results of their wisdom. But now with God there are both wisdom and strength, wisdom to design the best and strength to accomplish what is designed. He does not get counsel or understanding, as we do, by observation, but he has it essentially and eternally in himself, Job 12:13. What is the wisdom of ancient men compared with the wisdom of the ancient of days! It is but little that we know, and less that we can do; but God can do every thing, and no thought can be withheld from him. Happy are those who have this God for their God, for they have infinite wisdom and strength engaged for them. Foolish and fruitless are all the attempts of men against him (Job 12:14): He breaketh down, and it cannot be built again. Note, There is no contending with the divine providence, nor breaking the measures of it. As he had said before (Job 9:12), He takes away, and who can hinder him? so he says again. What God says cannot be gainsaid, nor what he does undone. There is no rebuilding what God will have to lie in ruins; witness the tower of Babel, which the undertakers could not go on with, and the desolations of Sodom and Gomorrah, which could never be repaired. See Isa 25:2; Eze 26:14; Rev 18:21. There is no releasing those whom God has condemned to a perpetual imprisonment; if he shut up a man by sickness, reduce him to straits, and embarrass him in his affairs, there can be no opening. He shuts up in the grave, and none can break open those sealed doors - shuts up in hell, in chains of darkness, and none can pass that great gulf fixed.
II. He gives an instance, for the proof of this doctrine in nature, Job 12:15. God has the command of the waters, binds them as in a garment (Pro 30:4), holds them in the hollow of his hand (Isa 40:12); and he can punish the children of men either by the defect or by the excess of them. As men break the laws of virtue by extremes on each hand, both defects and excesses, while virtue is in the mean, so God corrects them by extremes, and denies them the mercy which is in the mean. 1. Great droughts are sometimes great judgments: He withholds the waters, and they dry up; if the heaven be as brass, the earth is as iron; if the rain be denied, fountains dry up and their streams are wanted, fields are parched and their fruits are wanted, Amo 4:7. 2. Great wet is sometimes a great judgment. He raises the waters, and overturns the earth, the productions of it, the buildings upon it. A sweeping rain is said to leave no food, Pro 28:3. See how many ways God has of contending with a sinful people and taking from them abused, forfeited, mercies; and how utterly unable we are to contend with him. If we might invert the order, this verse would fitly refer to Noah's flood, that ever memorable instance of the divine power. God then, in wrath, sent the waters out, and they overturned the earth; but in mercy he withheld them, shut the windows of heaven and the fountains of the great deep, and then, in a little time, they dried up.
III. He gives many instances of it in God's powerful management of the children of men, crossing their purposes and serving his own by them and upon them, overruling all their counsels, overpowering all their attempts, and overcoming all their oppositions. What changes does God make with men! what turns does he give them! how easily, how surprisingly!
1.In general (Job 12:16): With him are strength and reason (so some translate it), strength and consistency with himself: it is an elegant word in the original. With him are the very quintessence and extract of wisdom. With him are power and all that is; so some read it. He is what he is of himself, and by him and in him all things subsist. Having this strength and wisdom, he knows how to make use, not only of those who are wise and good, who willingly and designedly serve him, but even of those who are foolish and bad, who, one would think, could be made no way serviceable to the designs of his providence: The deceived and the deceiver are his; the simplest men that are deceived are not below his notice; the subtlest men that deceive cannot with all their subtlety escape his cognizance. The world is full of deceit; the one half of mankind cheats the other, and God suffers it to be so, and from both will at last bring glory to himself. The deceivers make tools of the deceived, but the great God makes tools of them both, wherewith he works, and none can hinder him. He has wisdom and might enough to manage all the fools and knaves in the world, and knows how to serve his own purposes by them, notwithstanding the weakness of the one and the wickedness of the other. When Jacob by a fraud got the blessing the design of God's grace was served; when Ahab was drawn by a false prophecy into an expedition that was his ruin the design of God's justice was served; and in both the deceived and the deceiver were at his disposal. See Eze 14:9. God would not suffer the sin of the deceiver, nor the misery of the deceived, if he knew not how to set bounds to both and bring glory to himself out of both. Hallelujah, the Lord God omnipotent thus reigns; and it is well he does, for otherwise there is so little wisdom and so little honesty in the world that it would all have been in confusion and ruin long ago.
2.He next descends to the particular instances of the wisdom and power of God in the revolutions of states and kingdoms; for thence he fetches his proofs, rather than from the like operations of Providence concerning private persons and families, because the more high and public the station is in which men are placed the more the changes that befal them are taken notice of, and consequently the more illustriously does Providence shine forth in them. And it is easy to argue, If God can thus turn and toss the great ones of the earth, like a ball in a large place (as the prophet speaks, Isa 22:18), much more the little ones; and with him to whom states and kingdoms must submit it is surely the greatest madness for us to contend. Some think that Job here refers to the extirpation of those powerful nations, the Rephaim, the Zuzim, the Emim, and the Horites (mentioned Gen 14:5, Gen 14:6; Deu 2:10, Deu 2:20), in which perhaps it was particularly noticed how strangely they were infatuated and enfeebled: if so, it is designed to show that whenever the like is done in the affairs of nations it is God that does it, and we must therein observe his sovereign dominion, even over those that think themselves most powerful, politic, and absolute. Compare this with that of Eliphaz, Job 5:12, etc. Let us gather up the particular changes here specified, which God makes upon persons, either for the destruction of nations and the planting of others in their room or for the turning out of a particular government and ministry and the elevation of another in its room, which may be a blessing to the kingdom; witness the glorious Revolution in our own land twenty years ago, in which we saw as happy an exposition as ever was given of this discourse of Job's. (1.) Those that were wise are sometimes strangely infatuated, and in this the hand of God must be acknowledged (Job 12:17): He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, as trophies of his victory over them, spoiled of all the honour and wealth they have got by their policy, nay, spoiled of the wisdom itself for which they have been celebrated and the success they promised themselves in their projects. His counsel stands, while all their devices are brought to nought and their designs baffled, and so they are spoiled both of the satisfaction and of the reputation of their wisdom. He maketh the judges fools. By a work on their minds he deprives them of their qualifications for business, and so they become really fools; and by his disposal of their affairs he makes the issue and event of their projects to be quite contrary to what they themselves intended, and so he makes them look like fools. The counsel of Ahithophel, one in whom this scripture was remarkably fulfilled, became foolishness, and he, according to his name, the brother of a fool. See Isa 19:13, The princes of Zoan have become fools; they have seduced Egypt, even those that are the stay of the tribes thereof. Let not the wise man therefore glory in his wisdom, nor the ablest counsellors and judges be proud of their station, but humbly depend upon God for the continuance of their abilities. Even the aged, who seem to hold their wisdom by prescription, and think they have got it by their own industry and therefore have an indefeasible title to it, may yet be deprived of it, and often are, by the infirmities of age, which make them twice children: He taketh away the understanding of the aged, Job 12:20. The aged, who were most depended on for advice, fail those that depended on them. We read of an old and yet foolish king, Ecc 4:13. (2.) Those that were high and in authority are strangely brought down, impoverished, and enslaved, and it is God that humbles them (Job 12:18): He looseth the bond of kings, and taketh from them the power wherewith they ruled their subjects, perhaps enslaved them and ruled them with rigour; he strips them of all the ensigns of their honour and authority, and all the supports of their tyranny, unbuckles their belts, so that the sword drops from their side, and then no marvel if the crown quickly drops from their head, on which immediately follows the girding of their loins with a girdle, a badge of servitude, for servants went with their loins girt. Thus he leads great princes away spoiled of all their power and wealth, and that in which they pleased and prided themselves, Job 12:19. Note, Kings are not exempt from God's jurisdiction. To us they are gods, but men to him, and subject to more than the common changes of human life. (3.) Those that were strong are strangely weakened, and it is God that weakens them (Job 12:21) and overthrows the mighty. Job 12:19. Strong bodies are weakened by age and sickness; powerful armies moulder and come to nothing, and their strength will not secure them from a fatal overthrow. No force can stand before Omnipotence, no, not that of Goliath. (4.) Those that were famed for eloquence, and entrusted with public business, are strangely silenced, and have nothing to say (Job 12:20): He removeth away the speech of the trusty, so that they cannot speak as they intended and as they used to do, with freedom and clearness, but blunder, and falter, and make nothing of it. Or they cannot speak what they intended, but the contrary, as Balaam, who blessed those whom he was called to curse. Let not the orator therefore be proud of his rhetoric, nor use it to any bad purposes, lest God take it away, who made man's mouth. (5.) Those that were honoured and admired strangely fall into disgrace (Job 12:21): He poureth contempt upon princes. He leaves them to themselves to do mean things, or alters the opinions of men concerning them. If princes themselves dishonour God and despise him, if they offer indignities to the people of God and trample upon them, they shall be lightly esteemed, and God will pour contempt upon them. See Psa 107:40. Commonly none more abject in themselves, nor more abused by others when they are down, than those who were haughty and insolent when they were in power. (6.) That which was secret, and lay hidden, is strangely brought to light and laid open (Job 12:22): He discovers deep things out of darkness. Plots closely laid are discovered and defeated; wickedness closely committed and artfully concealed is discovered, and the guilty are brought to condign punishment - secret treasons (Ecc 10:20), secret murders, secret whoredoms. The cabinet-councils of princes are before God's eye, Kg2 6:11. (7.) Kingdoms have their ebbings and flowings, their waxings and wanings; and both are from God (Job 12:23): He sometimes increases their numbers, and enlarges their bounds, so that they make a figure among the nations and become formidable; but after a while, by some undiscerned cause perhaps, they are destroyed and straitened, made few and poor, cut short and many of them cut off, and so they are rendered despicable among their neighbours, and those that were the head become the tail of the nations. See Psa 107:38, Psa 107:39. (8.) Those that were bold and courageous, and made nothing of dangers, are strangely cowed and dispirited; and this also is the Lord's doing (Job 12:24): He taketh away the heart cf the chief of the people, that were their leaders and commanders, and were most famed for their martial fire and great achievements; when any thing is to be done they are heartless, and ready to flee at the shaking of a leaf. Psa 76:5. (9.) Those that were driving on their projects with full speed are strangely bewildered and at a loss; they know not where they are nor what they do, are unsteady in their counsels and uncertain in their motions, off and on, this way and that way, wandering like men in a desert (Job 12:24), groping like men in the dark, and staggering like men in drink, Job 12:25. Isa 59:10. Note, God can soon nonplus the deepest politicians and bring the greatest wits to their wits' end, to show that wherein they deal proudly he is above them.
Thus are the revolutions of kingdoms wonderfully brought about by an overruling Providence. Heaven and earth are shaken, but the Lord sits King for ever, and with him we look for a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
“By changing the speech of those who speak truly.” He is not referring here to those who speak truly, so much as to those who believe they speak truly. He convinces them of their falsehood when he makes what they had predicted happen in a different way.“By taking away the doctrine of the elders,” Job shows them that the frustration of their projects occurs without any consideration for their authority. “He pours contempt on princes,” both those who are entrusted with teaching and the leaders who take care of the administration of common goods. When God opposes them, they lose completely the high position they previously had where they stood. “He lifts up those who were oppressed.” After showing what God can do to these people, who are considered to be illustrious, he includes the wealth and protection he can grant to the humble, so that the divine power may be known by both these classes of people.
23. When the priest does not do the good that he tells, even the very word of his lips is withdrawn from him, that he may not dare to speak what he does not practise; as where it is said by the Prophet, But unto the wicked God saith, ‘What hast thou to do, to declare My statutes, or that thou takest My covenant in thy mouth? [Ps. 50, 16] Whence also he beseeches, saying, And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth. [Ps. 119, 43] For he reflects that Almighty God gives the word of truth to those that do it, and takes it away from those that do it not. He then that prayed that he might not have it ‘taken out of his mouth,’ what did he else than pray for the grace of good practice? As if he said in plain words, ‘Let me not go astray from good works, lest, while I lose the regularity of good living, I also part with the right rule of speaking.’ And for the most part the teacher, who ventures to teach what he neglects to practise, when he ceases to speak the good which he scorned to do, begins to teach his charge the evil things that he does, that, by the righteous judgment of the Almighty, that man may not henceforth have a tongue for a good theme, who will not have a good life; so that whilst his mind is inflamed with the love of earthly things, he should be ever speaking of earthly things. Whence ‘Truth’ saith in the Gospel, For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. [Matt. 12, 34. 35.] Hence also John saith, They are of the world, therefore speak they of the world. [1John 4, 5] Therefore it is well said, Who changeth the lip of the truthful, and taketh away the instruction of the aged. In that while they, who were aforetime ‘truthful’ in preaching heavenly things, setting their affections on those of time, are sunk down to the same, ‘the lip of the truthful is changed, and the instruction of the aged taken away;’ in that being in love with temporal things, they never follow the precepts of their predecessors, so as to be occupying the place of authority as if but for the fruit of pleasure, and for no good end of labour.
24. Which nevertheless may be understood more plainly of the Jews, who before the Lord’s Incarnation were ‘truthful,’ in that they believed that He was to come, and proclaimed the same; but when He appeared in the flesh, they denied that it was He. Therefore ‘the lip of the truthful was changed,’ in that Him, of Whom they had told that He was about to come, they denied when present; ‘and the instruction of the aged was taken away,’ in that they never followed in believing the things, which they remembered their fathers to have foretold. Whence too at the coming of Elijah it is promised, that he shall ‘turn the hearts of the children to their fathers;’ that ‘the instruction of the aged,’ which is now ‘taken away’ from the heart of the Jews, upon the Lord taking compassion on them, may then be brought back, when the children begin to understand that concerning the Lord, which their fathers foretold. But if by ‘the aged’ we understand likewise those same Jews, who, by the persuasions of unbelief, set themselves to oppose the word of ‘Truth,’ then ‘the instruction of the aged was taken away,’ when the Church consisting of the Gentiles, being indeed young, received it, as she saith by the Psalmist, I understand more than the ancients. [Ps. 119, 100] And because she kept this same in practising it, in what way she came to understand more than the ancients, she makes plain, whereas she adds directly, Because I keep thy precepts. For whereas she aimed to fulfil in practising that thing which she learnt, it was vouchsafed her to understand what she might teach.
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SUMMARY
Job 12:20 is a profound declaration by Job concerning God's absolute and unchallengeable sovereignty, asserting His power to dismantle human wisdom, eloquence, and authority. It underscores that even the most reliable and experienced individuals are entirely dependent on God, who can, at His discretion, remove their capacity for speech and understanding, thereby humbling the seemingly wise and exalting His own ultimate control over all human affairs and intellect.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is embedded within Job's impassioned response to his friends, particularly Zophar, who have been relentlessly advocating a simplistic retribution theology—that Job's suffering is a direct result of his sin. In chapters 12-14, Job vehemently rejects their narrow view of God, arguing that divine justice and power are far more complex and often inscrutable to human understanding. Verse 20 is part of a larger poetic passage Job 12:13-25 where Job elaborates on God's overwhelming might and wisdom, listing numerous examples of how God can reverse human fortunes, confound the wise, and overturn established order at will. He contrasts his friends' limited perspective with God's boundless power, emphasizing that true wisdom belongs to God alone, as highlighted in Job 12:13.
Historical & Cultural Context: In the ancient Near East, elders (זְקֵנִים, zeqenim) held a position of immense respect and authority. They were considered repositories of accumulated wisdom, experience, and sound judgment, often serving as counselors, judges, and leaders within their communities. Similarly, "trusty" individuals (נֶאֱמָנִים, ne'emanim), derived from the root for faithfulness, referred to those deemed faithful, reliable, and eloquent, often holding positions of trust and influence, such as advisors or skilled orators. The ability to speak persuasively and offer wise counsel was highly valued. Job's statement directly challenges the conventional understanding of human authority and wisdom by asserting that even these esteemed figures, whose counsel was sought and respected, are utterly subject to God's power. Their very capacity for speech and understanding can be stripped away by divine decree, illustrating a profound cultural reversal where the foundations of societal order and wisdom can be shaken by divine action.
Key Themes: Job 12:20 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the book of Job and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it powerfully reinforces the theme of Divine Sovereignty, asserting God's ultimate and unchallenged control over all creation, including human intellect, eloquence, and perceived wisdom. God is not bound by human expectations, societal structures, or the wisdom of the ages. Secondly, it highlights the Limitations of Human Wisdom, demonstrating that even those considered wise, reliable, or faithful are entirely dependent on God. Their wisdom, counsel, or authority can be removed by Him, underscoring that true wisdom resides solely with the Creator. This theme resonates with passages like Isaiah 29:14 which speaks of God confounding the wisdom of the wise, and 1 Corinthians 1:19. Finally, the verse speaks to the Humbling of the Exalted, illustrating God's power to silence the eloquent and confuse the wise, thereby demonstrating that genuine power and understanding flow from Him alone, not from human status or accumulated knowledge. This serves as a stark reminder that God's "foolishness" is wiser than human wisdom.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 12:20 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message. The most prominent is Synonymous Parallelism, where the second clause ("and taketh away the understanding of the aged") reiterates and amplifies the meaning of the first ("He removeth away the speech of the trusty"). Both clauses speak of God's action in stripping away human intellectual and communicative faculties from esteemed individuals, reinforcing the same profound truth about divine sovereignty and the limitations of human wisdom. There is also an element of Hyperbole in Job's assertion, as he uses extreme examples (silencing the eloquent, confusing the wise) to underscore the absolute and limitless nature of God's power. This is not necessarily a literal statement that God always removes speech and understanding, but a forceful declaration that He can and does do so, demonstrating His ultimate authority over all human capacities. The verse also implicitly uses Metonymy, where "speech" and "understanding" stand for the entire intellectual and communicative capacities, or even the authority and influence, of the individuals they represent, highlighting the totality of God's control.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 12:20 stands as a stark theological statement on God's absolute sovereignty and the inherent limitations of human wisdom. It challenges any humanistic notion that wisdom or authority resides independently in individuals, regardless of their experience or perceived reliability. Instead, it posits that all human faculties, including intellect and eloquence, are ultimately gifts from God and can be withdrawn by Him. This perspective serves to humble humanity and redirect all praise and trust to the Creator, whose wisdom is infinite and incomprehensible. It forces a re-evaluation of what constitutes true wisdom, suggesting it is not merely accumulated knowledge or eloquent speech, but a profound dependence on and fear of the Lord, recognizing that genuine understanding originates solely from Him.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 12:20 offers a profound call to humility and a reorientation of our trust. In a world that often elevates human intellect, expertise, and eloquent communication, this verse serves as a powerful reminder that all such capacities are ultimately contingent upon God's will. It challenges us to examine where we place our ultimate confidence—in human credentials, persuasive arguments, or the accumulated wisdom of experts, or in the unfathomable wisdom of God. For those who hold positions of influence, whether in church, family, or society, it encourages a deep humility, acknowledging that their ability to speak wisely or lead effectively is a divine endowment that can be withdrawn. When faced with situations that defy human understanding, or when trusted counsel fails, this verse points us back to God's supreme wisdom and unfathomable ways, urging us to trust in divine providence even when circumstances seem chaotic or unjust, acknowledging that God works in ways beyond our comprehension. It compels us to seek wisdom from God above all else, recognizing that true understanding begins with Him and that human wisdom, apart from Him, is fleeting and fallible.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why would God "remove the speech of the trusty" or "take away the understanding of the aged"?
Answer: God does this not out of arbitrary malice, but to demonstrate His absolute sovereignty and to humble human pride. In the context of Job, it serves to show that human wisdom, even that of the most respected individuals, is limited and ultimately dependent on God. It highlights that true wisdom and authority belong to Him alone. This action can serve various purposes: to expose the futility of human counsel when it opposes divine will, to clear the way for God's own plan to unfold, or to teach humility to those who might otherwise rely too heavily on their own intellect or experience. It underscores the biblical principle that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble and that He frustrates the plans of the crafty.
Does this verse imply that human wisdom is inherently bad or useless?
Answer: No, the verse does not imply that human wisdom is inherently bad or useless. The Bible often commends wisdom and understanding, encouraging their pursuit (e.g., Proverbs 4:7). Rather, Job 12:20 emphasizes the contingency and subordination of human wisdom to divine wisdom. It reminds us that even the most profound human insight is a gift from God and can be withdrawn. The danger lies not in having wisdom, but in trusting in it as an ultimate source, independent of God. When human wisdom becomes a source of pride or leads away from God, it can be confounded. The verse serves to put human wisdom in its proper place: valuable when aligned with God, but ultimately limited and subject to His sovereign will. As Proverbs 9:10 states, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 12:20, in its stark portrayal of God's power to humble human wisdom, finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound meaning in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The world, with its "trusty" and "aged" wise ones, often seeks wisdom through human philosophy, power, or accumulated knowledge. Yet, God chose to reveal His ultimate wisdom not in a way that aligns with human expectations, but through the "foolishness" of the cross. As 1 Corinthians 1:27 declares, "God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." The crucifixion of Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, was in fact God's ultimate demonstration of wisdom and power, confounding all human systems of thought and authority. In Christ, the true "speech of the trusty" and "understanding of the aged" are revealed to be utterly insufficient without Him. He is the very wisdom of God incarnate (1 Corinthians 1:30), and in Him "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). The Holy Spirit, sent by Christ, is the one who truly grants understanding and opens the eyes of the aged and the trusty to the truth of God's salvation, replacing human confusion with divine clarity (John 14:26 and John 16:13). Thus, Job's declaration points forward to a time when God would indeed humble all human wisdom by revealing His own, perfectly embodied in His Son, Jesus Christ, making Him the ultimate source of all true wisdom and understanding.