He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle . This may either mean that God at his pleasure both looses kings from captivity, and also binds them with a cord and causes them to be carried away captive; or that he looses the authority which kings have over their subjects, and then lets them be carried away captive by their enemies. The latter is perhaps the more probable sense. read more
He leadeth princes away spoiled ; rather, priests ( כהנים ), as in the Revised Version. This is the only mention of "priests" in the Book of Job, and a priest-caste, such as that of Egypt or of Israel, can scarcely be meant. The priests are placed among the mighty, on a par with kings (verse 18), princes (verse 21), and "the strong" (verse 21). This context makes us naturally think of those priest-kings whom we hear of in the olden times, such as were Melchizedek ( Genesis 19:18-20 )... read more
He looseth the bond of kings - The bond of kings (מוּסר mûsâr) here means that by which they bind others. Their power over others he loosens or takes away.And girdeth their loins with a girdle - That is, he girds them with a rope or cord, and leads them away as prisoners. The whole series of remarks here refers to the reverses and changes in the conditions of life. The meaning here is, that the bonds of authority which they imposed on others are unbound, and that their own loins are bound... read more
He leadeth princes away spoiled - That is, plundered. The word here rendered “princes” כהנים kôhênı̂ym means properly priests, and it is usually so rendered in the Scriptures. The ancient Hebrew interpreters suppose that the word sometimes also means prince. The Chaldee paraphrasist has not unfrequently so rendered it, using the word רבא to express it; Genesis 41:45; Psalms 110:4. In this place, the Vulgate renders it, “sacerdotes;” and the Septuagint, ἱερεῖς hiereis, “priests.” So Luther... read more
Job 12:18. He looseth the bond of kings He takes from them the power and authority wherewith they ruled their subjects; ruled them with rigour, perhaps tyrannised over and enslaved them: and he divests them of that majesty which he had stamped upon them, and by which they kept their people in awe. These God can, and often does, take away from them, and thereby free the people from their bonds, of which we have abundance of instances in the history of different nations; and girdeth their... read more
Job’s reply to Zophar (12:1-14:22)The reply from Job opens with a sarcastic comment on the supposed wisdom of the three friends. They have merely been repeating general truths that everybody knows (12:1-3). They do not have the troubles Job has, and they make no attempt to understand how Job feels. A good person suffers while wicked people live in peace and security (4-6).Job does not argue with the fact that all life is in God’s hands. What worries him is the interpretation of that fact... read more
Job 12:19. He leadeth princes away spoiled— He depriveth the priests of their understanding. Schultens. read more
18. He looseth the bond of kings—He looseth the authority of kings—the "bond" with which they bind their subjects (Isaiah 45:1; Genesis 14:4; Daniel 2:21). a girdle—the cord, with which they are bound as captives, instead of the royal "girdle" they once wore (Isaiah 22:21), and the bond they once bound others with. So "gird"—put on one the bonds of a prisoner instead of the ordinary girdle (Isaiah 22:21- :). read more
19. princes—rather, "priests," as the Hebrew is rendered ( :-). Even the sacred ministers of religion are not exempt from reverses and captivity. the mighty—rather, "the firm-rooted in power"; the Arabic root expresses ever-flowing water [UMBREIT]. read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Job 12:16-22
Instances of the overruling wisdom of God. I. THE DECEIVER AND THE DECEIVED ARE HIS . ( Job 12:16 .) He can cause the spirit of the faithless prophet to be a lying spirit ( 1 Kings 22:1-53 .), to be deceived in his oracles, and incur destruction ( Ezekiel 14:9 ). II. So THE JUDGES ARE MADE FOOLS . ( Job 12:17 .) In short, God hath made from time to time the wisdom of this world foolishness ( 1 Corinthians 1:1-31 .), that no flesh might glory in his... read more