Job 12:12-25

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 12:12-25

This is a noble discourse of Job's concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering and disposing of all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of his own will, which none dares gainsay or can resist. Take both him and them out of the controversy in which they were so warmly engaged, and they all spoke admirably well; but, in that, we sometimes scarcely know what to make of them. It were well if wise and good men, that differ in their apprehensions about... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 12:12

With the ancient is wisdom ,.... Meaning not himself, who was not very ancient; though some think Eliphaz so understood him; hence those words of his, in Job 15:9 ; rather, as others, Job tacitly wishes that some ancient man, with whom wisdom was, would undertake to examine the affair between him and his friends, and judge of it, and decide the point; or, as others, he has respect to Bildad's advice to search the fathers, and learn their sentiments, and be determined by them; to which he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 12:13

With him is wisdom and strength ,.... Not with the ancient and long lived man, but with God, who has made the whole universe, and in whose hand and at whose dispose all creatures are, Job 12:9 ; with him wisdom is originally, essentially, and inderivatively, as the fountain and fulness of it; he is the only and all wise God; his wisdom is displayed in making the world, and all things in it, in the beautiful manner they are set, and in their subserviency to each other; in all the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 12:14

Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again ,.... Which some restrain to the tower of Babel; but though the builders of it were obliged to desist from building, it does not appear that it was broken down, but seems to have continued many ages after: others more probably refer it to the destruction of Sodom, as Sephorno, which was an utter destruction, a perpetual desolation, and that city never was rebuilt to this day; and the same may be observed of many other cities that have... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 12:15

Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up ,.... Or "lays a restraint in" or "on the waters" F19 יעצר במים "detinebit in aquis", Montanus, Bolducius; "si contineat, vel cohibeat, q. d. imperium exerceat in aquas", Michaelis. ; either in the ocean, as he did at the creation, when he gathered the waters that were upon the face of the earth into one place, and restrained them there, even in the decreed place he broke up for them, called the sea, and set bars and doors to keep... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 12:16

With him is strength and wisdom ,.... Which is repeated from Job 12:13 ; though different words are used but expressive of the same things; of the greatest strength might, and power of God, as the above instances show and of his most consummate, solid and substantial wisdom, as appears by what follows: the deceived and the deceiver are his : the wisdom, knowledge, sagacity and penetration into affairs, which the one has not, and the other has are from him; he withholds them from... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 12:17

He leadeth counsellors away spoiled ,.... Such who have the greatest share of knowledge and wisdom in civil things, and are capable of giving advice to others, and are very useful in commonwealths, in cities, towns, and neighbourhoods; wherefore it is a judgment on a people when such are removed, Isaiah 3:3 ; these God can spoil at once of all their wisdom and knowledge, and render them unfit to give advice and counsel to others; or he can confound their schemes, disappoint their devices,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 12:18

He looseth the bonds of kings ,.... Not with which they themselves may be bound, being taken prisoners, or being so before made kings, and brought from thence to reign, as in Ecclesiastes 4:14 ; but that which they bind on their subjects, a yoke of bondage, tyranny, and oppression; so that to loose their bond is to loose their subjects from it, and free them from their arbitrary and despotic power, and from the burdens they lay upon them: unless rather it should be understood of loosing... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 12:19

He leadeth princes away spoiled ,.... Of their principalities and dominions, of their wealth and riches, and of their honour and glory; or "priests" F21 כהנים "sacerdotes", V. L. Montanus, Tigurine version, Bolducius, Cocceius, Schmidt, Schultens. , as some choose to render the word, against whom God has indignation for their sins, and leads them into captivity with others; so the Septuagint version, "he leads the priests captives"; for no office, ever so sacred, can protect wicked... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 12:20

He removeth away the speech of the trusty ,.... Speech is proper to mankind, and a benefit unto them, whereby they can converse together, and communicate their minds to each other; this is the gift of God, he gives to men in common the faculty of speaking; to some the tongue of the learned to speak various tongues, either in an ordinary or in an extraordinary manner; and he that gives can take away; he that made man's mouth or lip can make it speechless, as he does at death; when he takes... read more

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