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Commentary on Job 12 verses 6–11
Job's friends all of them went upon this principle, that wicked people cannot prosper long in this world, but some remarkable judgment or other will suddenly light on them: Zophar had concluded with it, that the eyes of the wicked shall fail, Job 11:20. This principle Job here opposes, and maintains that God, in disposing men's outward affairs, acts as a sovereign, reserving the exact distribution of rewards and punishments for the future state.
I. He asserts it as an undoubted truth that wicked people may, and often do, prosper long in this world, Job 12:6. Even great sinners may enjoy great prosperity. Observe, 1. How he describes the sinners. They are robbers, and such as provoke God, the worst kind of sinners, blasphemers and persecutors. Perhaps he refers to the Sabeans and Chaldeans, who had robbed him, and had always lived by spoil and rapine, and yet they prospered; all the world saw they did, and there is no disputing against sense; one observation built upon matter of fact is worth twenty notions framed by an hypothesis. Or more generally, All proud oppressors are robbers and pirates. It is supposed that what is injurious to men is provoking to God, the patron of right and the protector of mankind. It is not strange if those that violate the bonds of justice break through the obligations of all religion, bid defiance even to God himself, and make nothing of provoking him. 2. How he describes their prosperity. It is very great; for, (1.) Even their tabernacles prosper, those that live with them and those that come after them and descend from them. It seems as if a blessing were entailed upon their families; and that is sometimes preserved to succeeding generations which was got by fraud. (2.) They are secure, and not only feel no hurt, but fear none, are under no apprehensions of danger either from threatening providences or an awakened conscience. But those that provoke God are never the more safe for their being secure. (3.) Into their hand God brings abundantly. They have more than heart could wish (Psa 73:7), not for necessity only, but for delight - not for themselves only, but for others - not for the present only, but for hereafter; and this from the hand of Providence too. God brings plentifully to them. We cannot therefore judge of men's piety by their plenty, nor of what they have in their heart by what they have in their hand.
II. He appeals even to the inferior creatures for the proof of this - the beasts, and fowls, and trees, and even the earth itself; consult these, and they shall tell thee, Job 12:7, Job 12:8. Many a good lesson we may learn from them, but what are they here to teach us?
1.We may from them learn that the tabernacles of robbers prosper (so some); for, (1.) Even among the brute creatures the greater devour the less and the stronger prey upon the weaker, and men are as the fishes of the sea, Hab 1:14. If sin had not entered, we may suppose there would have been no such disorder among the creatures, but the wolf and the lamb would have lain down together. (2.) These creatures are serviceable to wicked men, and so they declare their prosperity. Ask the herds and the flocks to whom they belong, and they will tell you that such a robber, such an oppressor, is their owner: the fishes and fowls will tell you that they are served up to the tables, and feed the luxury, of proud sinners. The earth brings forth her fruits to them (Job 9:24), and the whole creation groans under the burden of their tyranny, Rom 8:20, Rom 8:22. Note, All the creatures which wicked men abuse, by making them the food and fuel of their lusts, will witness against them another day, Jam 5:3, Jam 5:4.
2.We may from them learn the wisdom, power, and goodness of God, and that sovereign dominion of his into which plain and self-evident truth all these difficult dispensations must be resolved. Zophar had made a vast mystery of it, Job 11:7. "So far from that," says Job, "that what we are concerned to know we may learn even from the inferior creatures; for who knows not from all these? Job 12:9. Any one may easily gather from the book of the creatures that the hand of the Lord has wrought this," that is, "that there is a wise Providence which guides and governs all these things by rules which we are neither acquainted with nor are competent judges of." Note, From God's sovereign dominion over the inferior creatures we should learn to acquiesce in all his disposals of the affairs of the children of men, though contrary to our measures.
III. He resolves all into the absolute propriety which God has in all the creatures (Job 12:10): In whose hand is the soul of every living thing. All the creatures, and mankind particularly, derive their being from him, owe their being to him, depend upon him for the support of it, lie at his mercy, are under his direction and dominion and entirely at his disposal, and at his summons must resign their lives. All souls are his; and may he not do what he will with his own? The name Jehovah is used here (Job 12:9), and it is the only time that we meet with it in all the discourses between Job and his friends; for God was, in that age, more known by the name of Shaddai - the Almighty.
IV. Those words - (Job 12:11), Doth not the ear try words, as the mouth tastes meat? may be taken either as the conclusion to the foregoing discourse or the preface to what follows. The mind of man has as good a faculty of discerning between truth and error, when duly stated, as the palate has of discerning between what is sweet and what is bitter. Job therefore demands from his friends a liberty to judge for himself of what they had said, and desires them to use the same liberty in judging of what he had said; nay, he seems to appeal to any man's impartial judgment in this controversy; let the ear try the words on both sides, and it would be found that he was in the right. Note, The ear must try words before it receives them so as to subscribe to them. As by the taste we judge what food is wholesome to the body and what not, so by the spirit of discerning we must judge what doctrine is sound, and savoury, and wholesome, and what not, Co1 10:15; Co1 11:13.
Why do you behave as if you had made a great and wonderful discovery? It was necessary, in fact, that such a man died, and nobody ignores it. At the same time, we all know that “in his hand is the life of every human being.” Do you see how not only creation but Providence also testifies to God? They both give witness that he controls everything and supports both the life and soul of human beings, so well that he can, when he wants, punish and correct them.
6. As if he said in plain terms; ‘Whether you ask the dull of understanding, or persons full of the loftiest subjects, or those devoted to earthly ways, or the men busied with investigations that belong to this world, all of them acknowledge God to be the Creator of all things, and with one consent agree about His Power, though they do not with one consent live in submission to it. For that which the righteous man speaks by his way of living too, that the unrighteous man generally is constrained to own concerning God by his voice alone, if not otherwise; and it comes to pass that evil-doers, by attesting Him, do homage to the Creator of all things, Whom by their deeds they rebel against, in that Him, Whom they have dared to fight against by their lives, they cannot deny to be the Creator of all things.
Yet this same may also be understood to good purpose after the mere form of the letter alone; in that every creature, when it is looked at, as it were utters a voice of its own, bearing witness by that mere form which it has. We ask ‘the beasts,’ or ‘the fowls of the air,’ ‘the earth,’ or ‘the fish,’ whilst we view them, and these answer us with one accord, that ‘the Hand of the Lord hath wrought all things,’ in that whilst they present their lineaments to our eyes, they bear witness that they are not from themselves. For by the mere circumstance that they are created, by the figure they present, they render as it were the voice of confession to their Creator, Who, as He created all things, likewise ordained how they should be conducted.
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SUMMARY
Job 12:9 presents a powerful rhetorical question from Job, asserting that the undeniable and pervasive evidence of God's sovereign power and creative agency is so universally manifest throughout creation that its truth should be self-evident to all. In challenging the simplistic, retributive theology of his friends, Job points to the visible and undeniable display of the Lord's active "hand" in orchestrating all things, implying that true wisdom acknowledges God's ultimate and often inscrutable control over every aspect of existence, even amidst profound suffering.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 12:9 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its profound message and underscore Job's argument. The most prominent is the Rhetorical Question, "Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?" This question is not meant to be answered, but rather to assert an obvious, undeniable truth, implying that the knowledge of God's sovereign work is so universally evident that only the willfully ignorant or intellectually arrogant could miss it. This device serves to forcefully challenge Job's friends' claims of wisdom and highlight their failure to grasp a fundamental reality. Secondly, Metonymy is powerfully present in the phrase "the hand of the LORD," where "hand" stands for God's power, agency, and active involvement. It is a part representing the whole, effectively conveying God's direct, personal, and sovereign action in the world. Finally, there is a subtle but potent layer of Irony at play. Job's friends present themselves as purveyors of profound divine wisdom, yet Job suggests that even the unthinking creation (animals, earth) possesses a more accurate and fundamental understanding of God's pervasive power than their rigid, limited theological framework allows. This highlights the ironic contrast between their presumed sagacity and their actual limited insight into the true nature of God's governance.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 12:9 stands as a profound declaration of God's absolute sovereignty and the universal accessibility of His power through creation. It resonates deeply with the biblical doctrine of general revelation, asserting that God's existence, power, and attributes are clearly discernible through the natural world, leaving humanity without excuse for denying Him. This verse challenges any human attempt to confine God's actions within predictable, simplistic frameworks, especially concerning suffering, and instead calls for a humble acknowledgment of His inscrutable yet ultimately just and powerful governance over all things. It underscores that true wisdom begins with recognizing and submitting to the Lord's supreme authority, even when His ways are beyond full human comprehension, fostering a posture of awe and reverent trust in His ultimate control over all circumstances.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
In a world often defined by chaos, uncertainty, and profound suffering, Job 12:9 offers both profound comfort and a sobering call to humility. It reminds us that behind the bewildering events of life, whether personal trials or global upheavals, there is an all-powerful, sovereign God whose "hand" is actively at work, orchestrating all things according to His perfect and often mysterious will. This truth should lead us to a deeper, more resilient trust in His ultimate plan, even when His ways are inscrutable or painful to our limited understanding. Rather than striving to fully comprehend or explain God's every action, we are called to acknowledge His undeniable power and wisdom, finding peace and stability in His unshakeable control. It encourages us to cultivate a posture of awe and reverence, recognizing God's signature in the intricate beauty of creation and His sovereign sway over the unfolding of history, including the most intimate details of our personal lives. This perspective transforms our understanding of trials, moving us from despair to a quiet, confident assurance that the Lord "hath wrought this" for His purposes, which are always good, even if currently veiled from our sight.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does Job mean by "Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?"
Answer: Job 12:9 is a rhetorical question through which Job asserts that the evidence of God's sovereign power and creative activity is so overwhelmingly obvious in the natural world and in the course of events that it should be universally recognized by all rational beings. When Job says "in all these," he is referring back to his previous statements in Job 12:7-8, where he sarcastically suggests that even animals, birds, fish, and the earth itself can teach humans about God's power and wisdom. The phrase "the hand of the LORD" is a powerful Hebrew idiom for God's active, direct, and powerful intervention and control over all things. "Hath wrought this" means that God has brought all these things into being, continues to sustain them, and orchestrates their unfolding. Essentially, Job is arguing that it is a self-evident truth that God is in complete, active control of everything, a reality so basic and undeniable that anyone should know it, implying that his friends, despite their claims of wisdom, are missing this fundamental reality of divine sovereignty.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 12:9, with its powerful affirmation of God's absolute sovereignty and creative agency, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While Job points broadly to the "hand of the LORD" as the orchestrator of all things, the New Testament reveals that this divine "hand" is supremely and personally manifest in the Son. John 1:3 unequivocally declares that "All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made," directly attributing the work of creation to Christ. Similarly, Colossians 1:16-17 expands on this, stating that "by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible... all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." This means that the very "this" that the hand of the LORD "hath wrought" is intricately linked to Christ's pre-existent power and ongoing sustenance of the cosmos. Furthermore, Christ's earthly ministry powerfully demonstrated this divine sovereignty over creation (e.g., stilling the storm with a word in Mark 4:39) and over life and death (e.g., raising Lazarus from the tomb in John 11:43-44). Ultimately, the "hand of the LORD" that "wrought this" is the same hand that was pierced on the cross, accomplishing the greatest work of redemption for humanity, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, wielding all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Thus, the universal knowledge of God's power, which Job asserts, culminates in the revelation of Christ, through whom all things exist, are sustained, and are ultimately reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:19).