Job 12:7

KJV

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

KJV (with Strong's)

But {H199} ask {H7592} now the beasts {H929}, and they shall teach {H3384} thee; and the fowls {H5775} of the air {H8064}, and they shall tell {H5046} thee:

Complete Jewish Bible

"But ask the animals - they will teach you -and the birds in the air - they will tell you;

Berean Standard Bible

But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.

American Standard Version

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell thee:

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 12:7 presents Job's biting rhetorical challenge to his friends, asserting that even the most fundamental elements of creation—the wild animals and birds—possess and can impart a profound wisdom concerning the intricate and often inscrutable ways of God. This verse powerfully underscores the concept of natural revelation, suggesting that divine truth and the Creator's attributes are not exclusively confined to human intellect or religious pronouncements, but are openly displayed throughout the created order, thereby humbling human presumption and highlighting the vast, often incomprehensible, sovereignty and wisdom of God.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Job 12:7 is situated within Job's extended and deeply passionate response (Job 12-14) to Zophar's dogmatic and accusatory speech in [Job 11](/job/11 "Job 11 - Zophar's Counsel to Job"). Throughout this section, Job vigorously defends his integrity and challenges the rigid, retributive theology espoused by his three friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar—who insist that his immense suffering is a direct consequence of his sin. Job refutes their presumed monopoly on wisdom and their simplistic understanding of divine justice, arguing that God's ways are far more complex, mysterious, and often beyond human comprehension. In this particular verse, Job employs sharp sarcasm, suggesting that if his friends truly sought wisdom, they might find it more readily from the silent testimony of the natural world than from their own flawed and self-assured theological frameworks. This rhetorical maneuver serves to undermine their intellectual arrogance and to elevate the pervasive, yet often overlooked, testimony of creation as a source of genuine insight into God's character and power.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The ancient Near East, the setting for the book of Job, highly valued wisdom, which was often derived from keen observation of the natural world, human experience, and ancestral traditions. However, a dominant cultural and theological paradigm of the time directly linked suffering to sin, a concept Job meticulously challenges. Job's friends embody this conventional wisdom, applying a strict cause-and-effect principle to divine justice. Job 12:7, while drawing on the common practice of observing nature for wisdom, subverts it by implying that the fundamental truth revealed in creation—God's unquestionable power, sovereignty, and wisdom—is precisely what his friends are missing in their complex, yet ultimately flawed, human reasoning. It critiques a cultural mindset that might claim intellectual or spiritual superiority but fails to see the most obvious manifestations of divine power and wisdom in the world around them, often due to intellectual pride or a predetermined theological agenda that blinds them to broader truths.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Job and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it highlights **Natural Revelation**, the profound idea that God's existence, immense power, and intricate wisdom are evident and discernible through the created world, even without explicit verbal instruction. This concept resonates throughout Scripture, as seen in [Psalm 19:1-4](/psalms/19-1-4 "Psalm 19:1-4 - The Heavens Declare God's Glory"), which declares that "The heavens declare the glory of God," and in [Romans 1:20](/romans/1-20 "Romans 1:20 - God's Invisible Attributes Revealed Through Creation"), which states that God's "invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." Secondly, the verse underscores **God's Sovereignty and Power**, implying that the intricate design, sustained existence, and ordered complexity of the animal kingdom are irrefutable testaments to God's absolute control over all creation. This theme is further developed and brought to its climax when God Himself addresses Job from the whirlwind in [Job 38](/job/38 "Job 38 - God's Challenge to Job"), challenging Job's limited understanding of the cosmos. Lastly, Job 12:7 promotes **Humility in Wisdom**, suggesting that true insight is not exclusive to learned individuals or those who claim to speak for God, but can be gleaned from unexpected sources, even from the "beasts" and "fowls," thereby serving as a subtle yet potent **Critique of Human Presumption** and intellectual arrogance, especially when such pride leads to judgmentalism and a narrow view of divine justice.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **ask (Hebrew, _shâʼal'_):** This verb (H7592) denotes a serious inquiry, a seeking of counsel, instruction, or even a request. Job is not literally suggesting his friends interrogate animals; rather, he challenges them to adopt a posture of genuine inquiry and humility, to seriously consider the profound, unspoken testimony of creation itself. It implies a seeking after truth that contrasts sharply with the friends' dogmatic pronouncements and their assumption that they already possess all necessary wisdom.
* **teach (Hebrew, _yârâh'_):** Derived from the primitive root yârâh (H3384), meaning "to flow as water," "to lay or throw" (as an arrow), and figuratively, "to point out" or "to instruct." This word emphasizes the active imparting of knowledge or wisdom. It suggests that the very existence, intricate design, and instinctual behaviors of the natural world inherently communicate divine truths, serving as a silent but effective instructor regarding God's attributes, power, and the order He has established.
* **tell (Hebrew, _nâgad'_):** From the primitive root nâgad (H5046), meaning "to front," "to stand boldly out opposite," and by implication, "to manifest" or "to announce" (always by word of mouth to one present). This word reinforces the idea that creation possesses a clear, distinct, and undeniable message. It's not merely a subtle hint, but an open, forceful declaration that bears witness to the Creator's power, wisdom, and design—a message that Job implies his friends are willfully ignoring or failing to perceive.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"But ask now the beasts,"**: Job initiates a direct, highly sarcastic challenge to his friends, urging them to seek wisdom from an unexpected and seemingly inferior source—the animal kingdom. This immediately sets up a stark contrast with their human-centric, self-assured wisdom, implying that even non-human creation holds profound insights into divine truth that they have overlooked in their intellectual pride.
* **"and they shall teach thee;":** This clause asserts that the beasts, through their very existence, intricate design, instinctual behaviors, and the inherent order of their lives, implicitly reveal profound aspects of God's power, order, and wisdom. They serve as a living testament to the Creator's design, capable of imparting knowledge to those humble enough to observe and learn from the natural world.
* **"and the fowls of the air,"**: Job extends his challenge to include birds, emphasizing the universality and pervasiveness of this natural revelation. From the largest land animals to the smallest creatures of the sky, all creation is included in this silent, yet eloquent, testimony to God's attributes, demonstrating that His wisdom is inscribed throughout the entire cosmos.
* **"and they shall tell thee:":** This final clause reiterates and strengthens the previous point, underscoring that the fowls, like the beasts, actively communicate divine truth. Their existence, their migratory patterns, their intricate nests, and their very nature are a constant, undeniable declaration of God's wisdom and sovereignty, serving as a silent but powerful witness against those who claim to understand God fully yet fail to see His hand in the world around them.

#### Literary Devices
Job 12:7 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its profound message and rhetorical force. The most prominent is **Personification**, where the "beasts" and "fowls of the air" are endowed with human capabilities to "teach" and "tell." This is not meant literally, but rather serves as a powerful rhetorical tool to emphasize that God's wisdom is so pervasive and evident in creation that it effectively speaks for itself. This personification elevates the natural world to a legitimate, albeit unconventional, source of divine instruction, implicitly humbling human intellect and its claims to exclusive wisdom. The verse also functions as a pointed **Rhetorical Question** or **Challenge**, as Job is not genuinely expecting his friends to literally interrogate animals. Instead, he uses this hyperbolic statement to sarcastically highlight the limitations of their human wisdom and their failure to grasp fundamental truths that are openly displayed in creation. The underlying tone is one of biting **Sarcasm** and profound **Irony**, as Job contrasts his friends' self-proclaimed and rigid theological wisdom with the profound, yet often overlooked, wisdom inherent in the natural world. This irony serves to critique their intellectual arrogance and their simplistic, judgmental theological framework, suggesting that true wisdom is found in acknowledging God's mysterious and expansive ways, even as revealed in the humblest of creatures.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 12:7 is a profound declaration of natural revelation, asserting that God's wisdom, power, and character are not confined to human discourse or explicit divine pronouncements, but are openly inscribed within the very fabric of creation itself. It challenges the human tendency to limit God's revelation to specific, often self-serving, channels, reminding us that the entire cosmos bears an undeniable witness to its Creator. This verse encourages a posture of profound humility and wonder, urging us to observe the world around us not merely as a collection of phenomena, but as a vast, divinely designed classroom intended to teach us about Himself. The intricate design, the delicate balance, the complex ecosystems, and the sheer diversity of life in the animal kingdom all point to an intelligent, powerful, and sovereign God whose ways are far beyond human comprehension or simplistic theological formulas, inviting us to a deeper reverence and awe.

* [Psalm 19:1-4](/psalms/19-1-4 "Psalm 19:1-4 - The Heavens Declare the Glory of God")
* [Romans 1:19-20](/romans/1-19-20 "Romans 1:19-20 - God's Invisible Attributes Revealed Through Creation")
* [Isaiah 40:12-14](/isaiah/40-12-14 "Isaiah 40:12-14 - God's Incomparable Wisdom in Creation")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 12:7 serves as a timeless and potent reminder that wisdom is not solely the domain of human intellect, academic study, or even formal religious instruction. It challenges us to expand our understanding of how God reveals Himself, urging us to look beyond conventional boundaries and recognize the profound spiritual insights available in the natural world. This verse calls us to cultivate a posture of humility, acknowledging that even the "beasts" and "fowls" can teach us about God's power, order, and intricate design—truths that can often elude those who rely solely on human reasoning or dogmatic pronouncements. It encourages us to observe creation with wonder, recognizing the fingerprints of the Creator in every living thing—from the complex social structures of animal communities to the awe-inspiring migratory patterns of birds—and to allow these observations to deepen our reverence for God and humble our own claims to understanding. In a world often dominated by human-centered perspectives, intellectual pride, and a tendency to oversimplify divine mysteries, Job's challenge redirects our gaze outward, inviting us into the vast, beautiful, and often humbling classroom of nature, where God's majesty is continually on display, speaking volumes to those with ears to hear and eyes to see.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Job 12:7 challenge our conventional sources of wisdom and understanding, and what new sources might it encourage us to consider?**
* **In what specific ways can observing the natural world deepen our understanding of God's character, power, and intricate design?**
* **What does this verse teach us about the importance of intellectual humility in our pursuit of truth, especially when confronting suffering or divine mysteries?**

### FAQ
**Is Job literally suggesting we talk to animals?**

Answer: No, Job is not literally suggesting that his friends engage in conversation with animals. This verse employs a powerful rhetorical device, specifically **personification** and **sarcasm**, to make a profound theological point. Job's intention is to shame his friends, who claim to possess superior wisdom regarding God's ways, by implying that even the most basic elements of creation—the beasts and fowls—can offer clearer insights into divine truth than their rigid and flawed human reasoning. It emphasizes that God's wisdom and power are so pervasive and evident that they are implicitly "taught" and "told" by the very existence and design of the natural world, a concept known as natural revelation. This idea is echoed in other biblical texts, such as [Psalm 19:1](/psalms/19-1 "Psalm 19:1 - The Heavens Declare") and [Romans 1:20](/romans/1-20 "Romans 1:20 - God's Invisible Attributes Revealed Through Creation"), which speak of creation's undeniable testimony to its Creator.

**How does this relate to "general revelation" in theology?**

Answer: Job 12:7 is a prime example and a strong biblical foundation for the theological concept of "general revelation." General revelation refers to the truth about God that is available to all humanity through observation of nature, the human conscience, and historical events. It is distinct from "special revelation," which refers to God's specific, saving self-disclosure through Scripture and, ultimately, through Jesus Christ. In Job 12:7, Job asserts that God's existence, power, and wisdom are so clearly manifested in the created order—the beasts and fowls—that they effectively "teach" and "tell" humanity about their Creator. This aligns perfectly with the understanding that God has left an undeniable witness of Himself in the world, making it clear that His attributes are perceivable to all who observe creation. This foundational truth means that no one is without an excuse for knowing God, as articulated in [Romans 1:20](/romans/1-20 "Romans 1:20 - God's Invisible Attributes Revealed Through Creation"), which states that God's "invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made."

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Job 12:7 speaks of creation's profound testimony to God's wisdom, its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment lies in the person of Jesus Christ, who is the very embodiment of divine wisdom and the active agent through whom all creation came into being. The wisdom that the beasts and fowls implicitly "teach" and "tell" finds its perfect, complete, and saving expression in Christ, who is declared to be "the power of God and the wisdom of God" in [1 Corinthians 1:24](/1_corinthians/1-24 "1 Corinthians 1:24 - Christ the Power and Wisdom of God"). The intricate design, order, and sustained existence of the natural world, which Job points to as irrefutable evidence of God's profound wisdom and sovereignty, were all brought into existence through Christ. As [John 1:3](/john/1-3 "John 1:3 - All Things Made Through Him") profoundly states, "All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made." Similarly, [Colossians 1:16](/colossians/1-16 "Colossians 1:16 - All Things Created By and For Him") affirms, "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible... all things were created through him and for him." Therefore, the silent testimony of creation in Job 12:7 ultimately points to the Logos, the living Word, who is the source, sustainer, and ultimate revelation of all things. When Jesus walked the earth, He often drew upon the wisdom of creation in His parables, teaching profound spiritual truths through observations of nature, such as the lilies of the field or the birds of the air, thereby fulfilling the very notion of creation "teaching" humanity about God's kingdom, providence, and care. He is the ultimate Teacher, the very wisdom of God made flesh, through whom we truly come to know the Creator revealed in both the natural world and in saving grace.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Isaiah 1:3

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: [but] Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

Proverbs 6:6

¶ Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

Jeremiah 8:7

Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.

Job 21:29

Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,

Job 21:30

That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.