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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 12:1–5. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The reproofs Job here gives to his friends, whether they were just or no, were very sharp, and may serve for a rebuke to all that are proud and scornful, and an exposure of their folly.
I.He upbraids them with their conceitedness of themselves, and the good opinion they seemed to have of their own wisdom in comparison with him, than which nothing is more weak and unbecoming, nor better deserves to be ridiculed, as it is here. 1. He represents them as claiming the monopoly of wisdom, Job 12:2. He speaks ironically: "No doubt you are the people; you think yourselves fit to dictate and give law to all mankind, and your own judgment to be the standard by which every man's opinion must be measured and tried, as if nobody could discern between truth and falsehood, good and evil, but you only; and therefore every top-sail must lower to you, and, right or wrong, we must all say as you say, and you three must be the people, the majority, to have the casting vote." Note, It is a very foolish and sinful thing for any to think themselves wiser than all mankind besides, or to speak and act confidently and imperiously, as if they thought so. Nay, he goes further: "You not only think there are none, but that there will be none, as wise as you, and therefore that wisdom must die with you, that all the world must be fools when you are gone, and in the dark when your sun has set." Note, It is folly for us to think that there will be any great irreparable loss of us when we are gone, or that we can be ill spared, since God has the residue of the Spirit, and can raise up others, more fit than we are, to do his work. When wise men and good men die it is a comfort to think that wisdom and goodness shall not die with them. Some think Job here reflects upon Zophar's comparing him (as he thought) and others to the wild ass's colt, Job 11:12. "Yes," says he, "we must be asses; you are the only men." 2. He does himself the justice to put in his claim as a sharer in the gifts of wisdom (Job 12:3): "But I have understanding (a heart) as well as you; nay, I fall not lower than you;" as it is in the margin. "I am as well able to judge of the methods and meanings of the divine providence, and to construe the hard chapters of it, as you are." He says not this to magnify himself. It was no great applause of himself to say, I have understanding as well as you; no, nor to say, "I understand this matter as well as you;" for what reason had either he or they to be proud of understanding that which was obvious and level to the capacity of the meanest? "Yea, who knows not such things as these? What things you have said that are true are plain truths, and common themes, which there are many that can talk as excellently of as either you or I." But he says it to humble them, and check the value they had for themselves as doctors of the chair. Note, (1.) It may justly keep us from being proud of our knowledge to consider how many there are that know as much as we do, and perhaps much more and to better purpose. (2.) When we are tempted to be harsh in our censures of those we differ from and dispute with we ought to consider that they also have understanding as well as we, a capacity of judging, and a right of judging for themselves; nay, perhaps they are not inferior to us, but superior, and it is possible that they may be in the right and we in the wrong; and therefore we ought not to judge or despise them (Rom 14:3), nor pretend to be masters (Jam 3:1), while all we are brethren, Mat 23:8. It is a very reasonable allowance to be made to all we converse with, all we contend with, that they are rational creatures as well as we.
II.He complains of the great contempt with which they had treated him.
Those that are haughty and think too well of themselves are commonly scornful and ready to trample upon all about them. Job found it so, at least he thought he did (Job 12:4): I am as one mocked. I cannot say there was cause for this charge; we will not think Job's friends designed him any abuse, nor aimed at any thing but to convince him, and so, in the right method, to comfort him; yet he cries out, I am as one mocked. Note, We are apt to call reproofs reproaches, and to think ourselves mocked when we are but advised and admonished; this peevishness is our folly, and a great wrong to ourselves and to our friends. Yet we cannot but say there was colour for this charge; they came to comfort him, but they vexed him, gave him counsels and encouragements, but with no great opinion that either the one or the other would take effect; and therefore he thought they mocked him, and this added much to his grief. Nothing is more grievous to those that have fallen from the height of prosperity into the depth of adversity than to be trodden on, and insulted over, when they are down; and on this head they are too apt to be suspicious. Observe,
1.What aggravated this grievance to him. Two things: - (1.) That they were his neighbours, his friends, his companions (so the word signifies), and the scoffs of such are often most spitefully given, and always most indignantly received. Psa 55:12, Psa 55:13, It was not an enemy that reproached me; then I would have slighted it, and so borne it; but it was thou, a man, my equal. (2.) That they were professors of religion, such as called upon God, and said that he answered them: for some understand that of the persons mocking. "They are such as have a regard to heaven, and an interest in heaven, whose prayers I would therefore be glad of and thankful for, whose good opinion I cannot but covet, and therefore whose censures are the more grievous." Note, It is sad that any who call upon God should mock their brethren (Jam 3:9, Jam 3:10), and it cannot but lie heavily on a good man to be thought ill of by those whom he thinks well of, yet this is no new thing.
2.What supported him under it.
(1.)That he had a God to go to, with whom he could lodge his appeal; for some understand those words of the person mocked, that he calls upon God and he answers him; and so it agrees with Job 16:20. My friends scorn me, but my eye poureth out tears to God. If our friends be deaf to our complaints, God is not; if they condemn us, God knows our integrity; if they make the worst of us, he will make the best of us; if they give us cross answers, he will give us kind ones.
(2.)That his case was not singular, but very common: The just upright man is laughed to scorn. By many he is laughed at even for his justice and his uprightness, his honesty towards men and his piety towards God; these are derided as foolish things, which silly people needlessly hamper themselves with, as if religion were a jest and therefore to be made a jest of. By most he is laughed at for any little infirmity or weakness, notwithstanding his justice and uprightness, without any consideration had of that which is so much his honour. Note, It was of old the lot of honest good people to be despised and derided; we are not therefore to think it strange (Pe1 4:12), no, nor to think it hard, if it be our lot; so persecuted they not only the prophets, but even the saints of the patriarchal age (Mat 5:12), and can we expect to fare better than they?
3.What he suspected to be the true cause of it, and that was, in short, this: they were themselves rich and at ease, and therefore they despised him who had fallen into poverty. It is the way of the world; we see instances of it daily. Those that prosper are praised, but of those that are going down it is said, "Down with them." He that is ready to slip with his feet and fall into trouble, though he has formerly shone as a lamp, is then looked upon as a lamp going out like the snuff of a candle, which we throw to the ground and tread upon, and is accordingly despised in the thought of him that is at ease, Job 12:5. Even the just upright man, that is in his generation as a burning and shining light, if he enter into temptation (Psa 73:2) or come under a cloud, is looked upon with contempt. See here,
(1.)What is the common fault of those that live in prosperity. Being full, and easy, and merry themselves, they look scornfully upon those that are in want, pain, and sorrow; they overlook them, take no notice of them, and study to forget them. See Psa 123:4. The chief butler drinks wine in bowls, but makes nothing of the afflictions of Joseph. Wealth without grace often makes men thus haughty, thus careless of their poor neighbours.
(2.)What is the common fate of those that fall into adversity. Poverty serves to eclipse all their lustre; though they are lamps, yet, if taken out of golden candlesticks, and put, like Gideon's, into earthen pitchers, nobody values them as formerly, but those that live at ease despise them.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
“Did I lose my common sense, by any chance,” Job says, “because I fell into misery?” Here he presents himself as a righteous man, not by testifying to his perfect virtue but to the fact that he did not do anything wrong to anyone and that nobody can blame him. “And that my houses should be spoiled by transgressors,” it was necessary that this happened, he says. It had been ordained from above. “However,” he says, “do not believe that these misfortunes will stop for me. Indeed, if I, who have committed no act of injustice, suffer so, the wicked will suffer even more so.”
47. Oftentimes the frail mind, when it is welcomed by the breath of human regard on the score of good actions, runs out into outward delights, so that it lays aside what it inwardly desires, and willingly lies all loosely in that which it gives ear to without. So that it does not so much delight to become as to be called blessed; and whereas it gapes after the words of applause, it gives over what it had begun to be; and so it is severed from God by the same means by which it appeared to be commendable in God. But sometimes it presses forward in good practice with a constant heart, and yet is pushed hard by the scoffs of men; it does admirable deeds, and gets only abuse; and he that might have been made to go forth without by commendations, being repulsed by insults, returns back again into himself; and stablishes himself the more firmly in God, that he findeth no place without when he may rest in peace: for all his hope is fixed in his Creator. And amidst scoffs and revilings, the interior Witness is alone implored. And his soul in his distress becomes God’s neighbour, in proportion as he is a stranger to the favour of man’s esteem. He forthwith pours himself out in prayer, and being pressed without, he is refined with a more perfect purity to penetrate into all within. Therefore it is well said at this time, He that is mocked of his neighbour as I am, will call upon God, and He will hear him. For whilst the wicked reproach the soul of the good, they are showing them Whom to seek as the Witness of their actions. And while their soul in compunction braces itself in prayer, it is united within itself to the hearing of the Most High, by the same act whereby it is severed from the applause of man without itself. But we ought to note how thoughtfully the words are inserted, as I am. For there be some men whom both the scoffings of their fellow-creatures sink to the ground, and yet they are not such as to be heard by the ears of God. For when mocking issues against sin, surely no virtuous merit is begotten in that mocking. For the priests of Baal, when they called upon him with clamorous voices, were mocked by Elijah, when he said, Cry aloud; for he is a god either he is talking, or he is staying on a journey. [1 Kings 18, 27] But this mocking was conducive to the service of virtue, in that it came by the deserts of sin. So that it is advisedly said now, He that is mocked of his friend, as I am, calleth upon God, and He heareth him. For the mockery of his fellow-creatures makes Him God's neighbour, whom innocency of life keeps a stranger to his fellow-creatures’ wickednesses. It proceeds,
For the upright man’s simplicity is laughed to scorn.
48. It is the wisdom of this world to overlay the heart with inventions, to veil the sense with words; things that are false to show for true, what is true to make out fallacious. This is the wisdom that is acquired by the young by practice. This is learnt at a price by children, they that are acquainted with it are filled with pride, despising other men; they that know nothing of it, being subdued and browbeaten, admire it in others; for this same duplicity of wickedness, being glossed over by a name, is their joy and delight, so long as frowardness of mind goes by the title of urbanity. She dictates to her followers to seek the high places of honour, to triumph in attaining the vain acquisition of temporal glory; to return manifold the mischiefs that others bring upon us; when the means are with us, to give way to no man’s opposition; when the opportunity of power is lacking, all whatsoever he cannot accomplish in wickedness to represent in the guise of peaceable good nature. But on the other hand it is the wisdom of the righteous, to pretend nothing in show, to discover the meaning by words; to love the truth as it is, to eschew falsehood; to set forth good deeds for nought, to bear evil more gladly than to do it; to seek no revenging of a wrong, to account opprobrium for the Truth’s sake to be a gain. But this simplicity of the righteous is ‘laughed to scorn,’ in that the goodness of purity is taken for folly with the wise men of this world. For doubtless every thing that is done from innocency is accounted foolish by them, and whatever truth sanctions in practice sounds weak to carnal wisdom. For what seems worse folly to the world than to show the mind by the words, to feign nothing by crafty contrivance, to return no abuse for wrong, to pray for them that speak evil of us, to seek after poverty, to forsake our possessions, not to resist him that is robbing us, to offer the other cheek to one that strikes us? Whence that illustrious Wise one of God speaks well to the lovers of this world, We shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God [Exod. 8, 26]. For the Egyptians loathe to eat the flesh of sheep, but that which the Egyptians loathe, the Israelites offer up to God; for that singleness of conscience, which the unrighteous one and all scorn as a thing most mean and abject, the righteous turn into a sacrifice of virtue, and the just in their worshipping sacrifice purity and mildness to God, which the sons of perdition in abomination thereof account weakness. Which same simplicity of the righteous man is briefly yet adequately expressed.
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Summary
Job 12:4 encapsulates Job's profound anguish and disillusionment, expressing his bitter complaint that he, a righteous man, has become an object of scorn and mockery by his neighbors, despite his earnest cries to God. He laments the stark contrast between the expected divine response to those who call upon God—that He answers them—and his own agonizing reality, where his blamelessness has brought him only derision and public humiliation, seemingly without divine intervention or vindication. This verse powerfully conveys Job's sense of betrayal by both humanity and, seemingly, by God, challenging the conventional wisdom of his time regarding divine justice.
Context
Literary Context
Job 12:4 is situated within Job's second extended discourse (chapters 9-14), specifically his sharp retort to Zophar's dogmatic and accusatory speech in Job 11. Following Zophar's assertion that Job's suffering is a direct consequence of his hidden sins and that he deserves worse, Job launches a scathing critique of his friends' simplistic theology and their claim to exclusive wisdom. He sarcastically acknowledges God's omnipotence and sovereignty but questions the fairness and justice of His dealings with humanity, particularly in his own case. This verse serves as a deeply personal lament, a raw expression of Job's emotional torment and the perceived incongruity between his righteous character and his agonizing circumstances. He feels that the very foundation of his faith—that God answers those who call upon Him—seems to be undermined by his current circumstances, making him vulnerable to the contempt of his community. Job's argument throughout Job 12 and Job 13 is that his friends' wisdom is shallow and that they misrepresent God and His ways.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, particularly within Israelite wisdom traditions, a prevalent belief system was "retribution theology," which posited a direct and immediate correlation between an individual's moral conduct and their earthly prosperity or suffering. This worldview, often associated with Deuteronomic theology, held that God rewarded the righteous with blessings and punished the wicked with adversity. Consequently, Job's immense suffering, including the loss of his family, wealth, and health, was interpreted by his community, including his friends, as undeniable proof of his grievous, albeit hidden, sin. To be "mocked of his neighbour" and "laughed to scorn" was not merely a social slight but a profound public shaming, stripping him of honor, reputation, and dignity, which were paramount values in ancient societies. This cultural context amplifies the depth of Job's pain, as his suffering was not only physical and emotional but also a public indictment of his character and piety, leading to social ostracization and contempt.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the book of Job. Firstly, it underscores the Injustice and Suffering of the Righteous, a central paradox of the book. Job, explicitly described as "blameless and upright" in Job 1:1, directly contradicts the prevailing theological framework that suggests suffering is always a result of sin. His experience challenges the very notion that good deeds guarantee prosperity and respect. Secondly, the theme of Mockery and Scorn is vividly portrayed, highlighting the profound emotional and psychological torment Job endures. The derision from his community adds a layer of anguish to his physical pain, emphasizing the social dimension of his suffering. Lastly, the verse brings to the fore the theme of Apparent Divine Silence or Hiddenness. Job's poignant observation, "who calleth upon God, and he answereth him," implies a desperate hope or a past experience that now seems absent in his life. He feels that God is not responding to his cries, contributing significantly to his sense of isolation and vulnerability to public contempt, a theme explored further in laments like Psalm 22 and Psalm 69.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This noun refers to "laughter (in merriment or defiance)," "derision," or "sport." In Job's context, it signifies not merely lighthearted teasing but a severe form of public humiliation and contempt. It describes the object of scorn, emphasizing the malicious ridicule and disrespect Job endures, adding to his profound sense of abandonment and injustice. The same root is used for "laughed to scorn" later in the verse, underscoring the pervasive nature of his public humiliation.
This primitive root means "to call out to," "address by name," or "call upon." In the context of calling upon God, it denotes an act of prayer, supplication, or seeking divine intervention. Job's use of this word highlights his expectation, or the common understanding, that God is responsive to those who earnestly seek Him, making his current experience of apparent divine silence and human scorn all the more perplexing and painful.
This root primarily means "to eye" or "to heed," and by implication, "to respond" or "to answer." When applied to God, it signifies His attentiveness and responsiveness to human cries. Job's lament hinges on the perceived absence of this divine "answering" in his own life, a stark contrast to the general principle he states, which further intensifies his feeling of being forsaken and misunderstood.
Derived from a root meaning "to be righteous," this adjective describes one who is "just," "lawful," or "righteous." It refers to an individual who adheres to God's laws, ethical standards, and covenant obligations. Job's self-identification as "just" directly echoes God's own assessment of him in Job 1:1, setting up the profound paradox of his suffering.
This adjective means "entire," "complete," "full," "perfect," or "without blemish." It signifies moral integrity, wholeness, and sincerity, often used in conjunction with "just" to describe a person of unimpeachable character. The juxtaposition of Job's divinely affirmed "upright" character with his current state of being "laughed to scorn" creates a sharp and painful paradox, challenging the conventional wisdom of his time.
Verse Breakdown
"I am [as] one mocked of his neighbour"
Job begins with a direct, personal lament, expressing his identity as an object of scorn and derision. The phrase "mocked of his neighbour" emphasizes the social dimension of his suffering, highlighting the betrayal and contempt he experiences from those closest to him or within his community. This public humiliation is a deep wound to his honor and reputation, adding significantly to his physical and emotional pain.
"who calleth upon God, and he answereth him"
This clause introduces a profound irony or a statement of what should be. Job either states the conventional belief that God answers the prayers of the righteous, or he refers to his own past experience of God's responsiveness. The implication is that this expected divine response is conspicuously absent in his current situation, making his mockery all the more perplexing and painful. It highlights the dissonance between theological expectation and lived reality.
"the just upright [man is] laughed to scorn"
This final clause serves as a bitter summary of Job's paradoxical reality. It directly links his blameless and morally integral character, previously affirmed by God himself, with his present state of being publicly ridiculed and treated with contempt. This is the core of his complaint: his righteousness has not brought him vindication or honor, but rather derision, challenging the very fabric of retributive justice and the conventional understanding of God's ways.
Literary Devices
Job 12:4 employs several potent literary devices to convey Job's anguish and challenge his friends' theology. Irony is central, as Job, a man explicitly declared righteous by God, finds himself in a situation that utterly contradicts the expected blessings for the upright. The very act of calling upon God, which should elicit a divine response, instead leads to further scorn from his community. This creates a profound Paradox, where the "just upright man" is not honored but "laughed to scorn," directly subverting the conventional wisdom of his time. The verse also functions as a Lament, a common biblical genre expressing deep sorrow, complaint, and petition to God in times of distress, characterized by its raw emotional honesty. Furthermore, there is a stark Contrast drawn between the ideal scenario (God answering the one who calls) and Job's lived reality (being mocked despite his righteousness), intensifying the sense of injustice and despair and highlighting the chasm between theological theory and personal experience.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 12:4 is a critical verse for understanding the book's profound challenge to simplistic theological frameworks. It directly confronts the notion that suffering is always a direct consequence of sin, forcing a deeper exploration of divine justice, human suffering, and the nature of faith. Job's experience of being mocked despite his righteousness resonates with the broader biblical theme of the righteous suffering unjustly, prompting profound questions about God's sovereignty, hiddenness, and ultimate purposes. It highlights the tension between human understanding of justice and God's mysterious ways, preparing the reader for a more nuanced theology of suffering that transcends a simple cause-and-effect model. This verse also implicitly raises the question of true wisdom: is it found in conventional maxims, or in grappling honestly with the complexities of life and God's character, even when God seems silent?
Reflection and Application
Job 12:4 speaks powerfully to the human experience of feeling misunderstood, unjustly treated, and even ridiculed, particularly when one strives to live righteously or seeks God earnestly. It reminds us that external circumstances do not always reflect internal spiritual standing, and that suffering, even profound public humiliation, is not necessarily a sign of divine displeasure or personal sin. This verse challenges us to cultivate empathy and compassion for those who are suffering, resisting the temptation to offer simplistic explanations or to add to their burden through judgment or scorn. It calls us to examine our own theological frameworks, ensuring they are robust enough to embrace the complexities of life and God's mysterious ways, rather than reducing faith to a transactional system of rewards and punishments. Ultimately, Job's lament encourages perseverance in faith, even when God seems silent, and when the world's response is derision rather than understanding, reminding us that true righteousness is often tested in the crucible of adversity and public contempt.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is Job mocked by his neighbors if he is a "just upright man"?
Job is mocked by his neighbors because, within the prevailing cultural and theological framework of his time, his immense suffering was interpreted as undeniable proof of his hidden sin. The conventional wisdom, often called retribution theology, held that God immediately rewarded the righteous with prosperity and punished the wicked with adversity. Since Job was experiencing profound calamity, his community, including his friends, concluded that he must have committed grave sins, despite his outward blamelessness. His "just upright" character, as affirmed in Job 1:1, was overshadowed by the visible evidence of his suffering, leading to public scorn and derision as they believed he was receiving his just deserts.
Does God always answer when we call upon Him, as Job implies in this verse?
Job 12:4 expresses Job's expectation or the common understanding that God should answer those who call upon Him. While the Bible affirms God's attentiveness to prayer and His desire to respond to His people (e.g., Psalm 34:17), Job's experience highlights that "answers" may not always come in the form or timing we expect. God's response might be silence, a refining process, or a deeper revelation of His character, as Job eventually experiences in Job 38 and Job 40. This verse underscores the tension between human expectation and divine sovereignty, teaching us that faith is often required even when God's immediate answers seem absent or contrary to our desires. It invites us to trust in God's wisdom and timing, even when His ways are mysterious.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job 12:4, with its poignant portrayal of the "just upright man" being mocked and scorned despite calling upon God, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the perfectly just and upright Son of God who "committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth" (1 Peter/2-22), lived a life of absolute righteousness, yet He was relentlessly mocked, ridiculed, and ultimately "laughed to scorn" by His neighbors, religious leaders, and even the Roman soldiers who crucified Him (e.g., Matthew 27:29-31, Mark 15:29-32). Like Job, Jesus cried out to God, famously on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46), experiencing a profound sense of abandonment and perceived divine silence as He bore the sin of the world. However, unlike Job, whose suffering was for his own refining and a challenge to human theology, Christ's unjust suffering and mockery were redemptive. His perfect righteousness, combined with His willingness to endure the ultimate scorn and apparent divine abandonment, became the means by which humanity could be reconciled to God. The "just upright man" was indeed laughed to scorn, but through that scorn, He secured eternal justice and vindication for all who believe, demonstrating that God's ultimate answer to suffering is found not in immediate earthly deliverance, but in the cross and resurrection of His Son, who was raised to glory after enduring the deepest humiliation (Philippians 2:8-11). Thus, Job's lament foreshadows the supreme suffering of the Righteous One, whose vindication brought salvation to all.