But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:But — If thou observest the beasts, and their properties and actions, and events, from them thou mayst learn this lesson: that which Zophar had uttered with so much pomp and gravity, chap11:7,8,9, concerning God's infinite wisdom, saith Job, thou needest not go into heaven or hell to know. but thou mayst learn it even from the beasts. read more
Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?Lord — This is the only time that we meet with the name Jehovah in all the discourses between Job and his friends. For God in that age was more known by the name of Shaddai, the Almighty. read more
b. The divine wisdom on which Zophar has descanted, the entire brute creation might have taught him. And yet Zophar does not know that He who is Lord over life and death, lets the wicked live, Job 12:7-12. 7. Ask now the beasts… and the fowls, etc. Among the Hindus, if any one refuses instruction or will not be convinced, he is told to ask the cattle, inquire of the birds, and that they will give him wisdom. (Roberts.) Some imagine that Job appeals to the brute creation to show that the... read more
8. Speak to the earth That is, to “every creeping thing” (Genesis 1:30) which is on the earth. The division of animate creation is the same and in the same order as in Genesis 9:2. Beasts, birds, creeping things, fishes. The downward gradation, closing with the fish, probably the least intelligent of all, admirably chimes in with Job’s strain of irony. read more
9. Lord Jehovah. This is the only place in the poetical part of this book (if we except Job 28:28) where the name Jehovah appears. Jehovah, the Self-existent, is the source of life to all these “the things seen.” Hebrews 11:3. Compare Isaiah 66:2. This The totality of creation, corresponding to, but more comprehensive than, “all these;” or better “the administration of God among his creatures.” read more
10. The breath of all mankind Literally, the spirit of all the flesh of man. The soul ( nephesh) is the principle of natural life which man shares with the inferior creation; while the spirit ( rouahh) is that higher endowment belonging, among animals, exclusively to man, by which he is allied to angels and to God. read more
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge - Job 12:10
whose hand: Numbers 16:22, Daniel 5:23, Acts 17:25, Acts 17:28 soul: or, life the breath: Job 27:3, Job 34:14, Job 34:15, Genesis 2:7, Genesis 6:17, Psalms 104:29, Psalms 146:3, Psalms 146:4 mankind: Heb. flesh of man, John 3:6 Reciprocal: Numbers 26:51 - General Numbers 27:16 - the Lord 1 Kings 17:17 - that there was Job 12:15 - Behold Job 14:5 - his days Job 21:16 - Lo Psalms 90:3 - Thou Isaiah 42:5 - he that giveth Hebrews 12:9 - the Father read more