The tents of robbers prosper. Those who provoke God are secure, who carry their god in their hands.
“But ask the animals, now, and they will teach you; the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you. The fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who doesn’t know that in all these, Yahweh’s hand has done this,
in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?
Doesn’t the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?
With aged men is wisdom, in length of days understanding.
“With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.
Behold, he breaks down, and it can’t be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
Behold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth.
With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his.
He leads counselors away stripped. He makes judges fools.
He loosens the bond of kings. He binds their waist with a belt.
He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.
He removes the speech of those who are trusted, and takes away the understanding of the elders.
He pours contempt on princes, and loosens the belt of the strong.
He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.
He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.
He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 16, 18, 20, 23 Hebrew, to whom God hath brought in with his…
Hebrew, to whom God hath brought in with his hand.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv6–24 Job 12:6 The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they…
Job 12:6 The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth [abundantly].
Ver. 6. The tabernacles of robbers prosper] By robbers here understand all such as sin against the second table, but especially oppressors and wrong dealers, whether by force or fraud. As by those that provoke God ( qui res Dei interturbant, so the Tigurines translate), that irritate and disquiet him, attempting to put him out of temper, are meant sinners against the first table. See the like 1Ti 1:13 : I was against God a blasphemer, against man a persecutor, against both injurious; but I obtained mercy, special mercy. So do not these robbers and God-provokers in the text: thrive they may, and be in a peaceable condition; yea, they may be secure and confident of the continuance of their prosperity. Confidences are to them, saith the Hebrew, verity; for they trust in uncertain riches, while God bringeth into their hands, viz. whatsoever they wish, yet not as love tokens, but as wrath tokens; these fatting beasts are but fitting for the slaughter. God oft giveth in wrath to some which he withholdeth from others in great mercy. Meanwhile Zophar’s twofold assertion in the former chapter, Job 12:17; Job 12:20, that good men prosper here, and bad men suffer, falls to the ground, while Job disproves it, 1. By experience in this verse and the former. 2. By the testimony of the creatures, those catholic preachers, Job 12:7-25. By the testimony of the senses, and of ancient men, Job 12:11-12.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 The tabernacles of robbers prosper: thy opinion, delivered Job…
The tabernacles of robbers prosper: thy opinion, delivered Job 11:14, &c, is confuted by daily experience; which shows that the most wicked, and injurious, and impudent oppressors, tyrants, and robbers, are so far from meeting with those disappointments and miseries wherewith thou didst threaten them, that they commonly succeed in their cursed enterprises, and flourish in wealth and glory, and fill their houses with the goods of others which they violently took away; whereof the Chaldeans and Sabeans, Job 1:15,17, are a present and pregnant evidence.
They that provoke God are secure; they whose common practice it is to despise and provoke God are confident and secure, live without danger or fear.
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Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly; so far is God from crushing such persons, that he seems to favour them with wonderful success, and by his special and more than common providence puts into their hands the opportunities which they seek, and the persons and goods of other more righteous men, which they lie in wait for.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On vv6, 12 Job's friends all of them went upon this principle,…
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.
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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.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv6–24 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach…
But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee,.... And so the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea, in this and Job 12:8; from those instructions may be learned, of instances taken, and examples given, which may illustrate and confirm the same things that had been treated of: either what had been just now confuted, that it is always well with good men, and ill with bad men; the reverse of which had been affirmed and proved, that good men are afflicted, and wicked men prosper; something like to which may be seen in the creatures, and learned of them; thus those creatures that are the most harmless and innocent, and most useful and beneficial, are a prey to others, as sheep and lambs to lions, wolves, and bears, while they range about forests, fields, and plains, fearless and unmolested; and doves and turtles to hawks and vultures; and the lesser fish to the greater, by whom they are devoured, see Hab 1:13; and moreover, these creatures which are most useful and profitable, or are for pleasure and delight, fall more to the share of wicked men than good men; when droves of cattle and flocks of sheep are observed, and the question is put, to whom do they belong? the answer for the most part must be given, to such and such wicked men; and if the gold and silver, and other valuable things the earth produces, should be inquired about whose they are, it must be said, that they are, generally speaking, the property of the men of the world, the profane part of it; or if the fowls of the air, and fishes of the sea, could speak, when asked the question, whose food they commonly were? the answer would be, of the carnal, sensual, and voluptuous men: or rather this may refer to what Job first takes notice of in this answer of his, that his friends represented what they said as uncommon things, deep mysteries, and out of the reach of the vulgar, and which did not fall under common observation; whereas Job suggests he was as well acquainted with them as they were, yea, they were such that almost everybody knew; nay, they might be learnt from the creatures, to which Job here sends them for instruction; the beasts, birds, and fishes, all proclaim that they did not make themselves, nor did their fellow creatures, but some first cause, who is God: that they are sustained, supported, and provided for by him, and are governed, directed, and disposed of as he pleases, and so furnishes out documents of his sovereignty, wisdom, power, and providence:
and the fowls of the air, and they will tell thee: the same things; that God made them, and that they are dependent on him, and are fed and cared for by him, see Mat 6:26.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23 Are secure - Job's friends had all supposed, that…
Are secure - Job's friends had all supposed, that wicked men cannot prosper long in the world. This Job opposes, and maintains, that God herein acts as sovereign, and reserves that exact distribution of rewards and punishments for the other world.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 Verse 6. The tabernacles of robbers prosper.] Those who…
Verse 6. The tabernacles of robbers prosper.] Those who live by the plunder of their neighbours are often found in great secular prosperity; and they that provoke God by impiety and blasphemy live in a state of security and affluence. These are administrations of Providence which cannot be accounted for; yet the Judge of all the earth does right. Therefore prosperity and adversity are no evidences of a man's spiritual state, nor of the place he holds in the approbation or disapprobation of God.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23 Job 12:6. The tabernacles of robbers prosper — Job’s…
Job 12:6. The tabernacles of robbers prosper — Job’s friends had all supposed that wicked men cannot prosper long in the world. This Job opposes, and maintains that God herein acts as sovereign, and reserves that exact distribution of rewards and punishments for the other world. As if he had said, Thy opinion, O Zophar, (see Job 11:14, &c.,) is confuted by daily experience; which shows that very wicked, injurious, and impudent oppressors, tyrants, and robbers, are so far from always meeting with those disappointments and miseries of which thou spakest as being their certain portion, that they frequently succeed in their iniquitous and daring enterprises, flourish in wealth and glory, and fill their houses with the goods of others, which they violently took away; of which the Chaldeans and Sabeans (Job 1:15; Job 1:17) are a present and striking evidence. And they that provoke God are secure — They, whose common practice it is to despise and provoke God, are confident and safe, apparently living without danger or fear. Into whose hands God bringeth abundantly — So far is God from crushing such persons, that he seems to favour them with wonderful success; by his providence, puts into their hands the opportunities which they seek, of enriching themselves by injustice and oppression, and the persons and goods of other more righteous men, for which they lie in wait.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv6–24 The tabernacles of robbers prosper - The tents or…
The tabernacles of robbers prosper - The tents or dwellings of robbers are safe and secure. This is Job’s original proposition, to which he all along adheres. It is, that God does not deal with people in this life according to their character; and in support of this he now appeals to the fact that the tents or dwellings of robbers are safe. Arabia would furnish many illustrations of this, which could not be unknown to the friends of Job. The Arabs dwelt in tents, and they were then, as now, wandering, predatory tribes. They lived, to a great extent, by plunder, and doubtless Job could appeal to the observation of his friends for the proof of this. He affirms that so far from dealing with people according to their character, God often seemed to protect the public robber, and the blasphemer of his name.
Prosper - They are secure, tranquil, at rest - for so the Hebrew word means. They are not disturbed and broken in upon.
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And they that provoke God - Or rather, “the tents are secure to those who provoke God.” Dr. Good renders it, “and are fortresses to those who provoke God;” but the true idea is, that the tents of those who provoke God by their conduct are safe. God does not seem to notice them, or to come out in judgment against them.
Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly - Dr. Noyes renders this, “who carry their God in their hand;” but with much less accuracy, as it seems to me, than commonly characterizes his version. Eichhorn renders it in a sense somewhat similar:
Die ihre Faust fur ihre Gottheit achten -
“Who regard their fist as their God.”
And so Stuhlman renders it:
Und wem die Faust fur Gottheit gilt -
“And to whom the fist avails for their God;”
That is, says he, Job means that this is the course of the world. Dr. Good renders it, “of him who hath created all these things with his hand” - still less accurately. In order to this, he is obliged to suppose an error in the text, but without the slightest authority. Jerome renders it as in our version. The Septuagint, “who provoke the Lord as if there would be no trial to them - ἔτασις αὐτῶν etasis autōn - here-after;” which certainly makes sense, but it was never obtained from the Hebrew. Rosenmuller renders it, “who have their own hand, that is, power for God;” a description, says he, of a wicked and violent man who thinks it right for him to do as he pleases. It seems to me, however, that the common interpretation, which is the most simple, is most in accordance with the Hebrew, and with the drift of the passage. According to this it means, that there is security to the man who lives to provoke that God who is constantly bringing to him in abundance the tokens of kindness. This is the fact on which Job is insisting - that God does not treat people in this world according to their real character, but that the wicked are prospered and the righteous are afflicted.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv6, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 Abound. Hebrew, "are at peace." (Calmet) --- The prosperity…
Abound. Hebrew, "are at peace." (Calmet) --- The prosperity of the wicked is therefore no proof that they are pleasing to him. (Haydock) --- All nature testifies that God exercises a sovereign dominion over his works. He may therefore cause the just to suffer, though they be guiltless. This is one of Job’s grand maxims. (Calmet)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 Job shows that the matter of fact opposes Zophar's…
Job shows that the matter of fact opposes Zophar's theory (Job 11:14, Job 11:19-20) that wickedness causes insecurity in men's "tabernacles." On the contrary, they who rob the "tabernacles" ("dwellings") of others "prosper securely" in their own.
into whose hand, &c.--rather, "who make a god of their own hand," that is, who regard their might as their only ruling principle [UMBREIT].
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24 6. Tabernacles of robbers prosper — Literally, Are at…
6. Tabernacles of robbers prosper — Literally, Are at peace. Zophar had spoken of the security of the tabernacle where virtue dwelt; (Job_11:14-19;) Job adduces other matters of fact — vice has also its security.
In ancient Egypt robbing was regarded as a necessity of its civilization, and was treated as a profession. Those who followed the craft “gave in their names to the chief of the robbers, and agreed that he should be informed of every thing that they should thence forward steal, the moment it was in their possession. In consequence of this the owner of the lost goods always applied by letter to the chief for their recovery.” — WILKINSON’S Anc. Egyptians, Pop. Acct., 2:216. Into whose hand God bringeth — Now generally rendered, he who brings God in his hand, (Ewald, etc.,) that is, who either deifies his hand, or, as some say, that which is taken into the hand. Thus Mezentius says, “Dextra mihi Deus — My right hand is God.” — AEneid, 10:773. Habakkuk speaks in like manner of the Chaldaean:
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Literally, This its strength is its God. Job_1:11.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv6–24 6. The other side of the picture, the peace…
6. The other side of the picture, the peace of the wicked.
into whose hand God bringeth abundantly] The words might also mean: they who carry (their) god in their hand, the idea being that their god is their own strong hand or the weapon in it; cf. what the prophet says of the Chaldeans, This their power is their god, Hab_1:11 with Job_12:16. The commentators quote from Vergil the words of the contemptor deorum, dextra mihi deus, and Hitzig refers to Ammianus, 17. 12, who says of some Scythian tribes, mucrones pro numinibus colunt. In Job_12:5 Job said that the afflicted righteous were despised; the strict antithesis would have been that the prosperous wicked received respect; but Job, with the keen eye which he has at present for the anomalies of the Divine government, attributes the peace of the wicked to God, though they recognise no God but their own strong arm. Cf. ch. Job_5:24.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv6, 9, 11, 14, 18, 19, 23 (6) Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.—Some understand these…
(6) Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.—Some understand these words, to him that bringeth his god in his hand (comp. Hab_1:11; Hab_1:16); but the other seems more in accordance with the usage. (Comp., e.g., Pro_3:27, &c.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv6–24 The tabernacles of robbers prosper. Having set at rest…
The tabernacles of robbers prosper. Having set at rest the personal question between himself and his friends, Job reverts to his main argument, and maintains that, the whole course of mundane events being under God"s governance, all the results are to be attributed to him, and among them both the prosperity of the wicked, and, by parity of reasoning, the sufferings of the righteous. And they that provoke God are secure. (Job_9:24 Job_10:3) Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly. So both the Authorized and the Revised Versions; but recent critics mostly render, "who bring their God in their hand," i.e. "who regard their own right hand as their God" (comp. Virgil, "Aen., 10:773, "Dextra mihi Dens")
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On vv7, 8, 9, 13, 20 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach…
Job_12:7
But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee.
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An appeal to the living creatures
Rosenmuller supposes that this appeal to the inferior creation should be regarded as connected with Job_12:3, and that the intermediate verses are parenthetic. Zophar had spoken with considerable parade of the wisdom of God. He professed to have exalted views of the Most High. In reply to this, Job says that the views which Zophar had expressed were the most commonplace imaginable. He need not pretend to be acquainted with the more exalted works of God, or appeal to them as if his knowledge corresponded with them. Even the lower creation--the brutes, the earth, the fishes--could teach him knowledge which he had not now. Even from their nature, properties and modes of life, higher views might be obtained than Zophar had. Others suppose the meaning is that in the distribution of happiness, God is so far from observing moral relations that even among the lower animals, the rapacious and the violent are prospered, and the gentle and innocent are the victims. Lions, wolves, and panthers are prospered--the lamb, the kid, the gazelle are the victims. The object of Job is that rewards and punishments are not distributed according to character. This is seen all over the world, and not only among men, but even in the brute creation. Everywhere the strong prey upon the weak; the fierce upon the tame; the violent upon the timid. Yet God does not come forth to destroy the lion and the hyena, or to deliver the lamb and the gazelle from their grasp. Like robbers, lions, panthers, and wolves prowl upon the earth; and the eagle and the vulture from the air pounce upon the defenceless; and the great robbers of the deep prey upon the feeble, and still are prospered. What a striking illustration of the course of events among men, and of the relative condition of the righteous and the wicked. (Albert Barnes.)
Religious lessons taught to man
1. The great lesson which the animal creation, regarded simply as the creature and subject of God, is fitted to teach us, is a lesson of the wisdom and power and constant beneficence of God. Job reminds the friends that what they had been laying down to him in so pompous a manner constituted only the mere elements of natural religion, and that a man had only to look around him and observe and ponder the phenomena of the visible universe, to be abundantly convinced that God, the maker of all things, was also the upholder of all things, and the supreme disposer of all events. Job sends us to the animal creation that we may gather from it instances of the greatness of the Creators hand, and the constancy of the Creators providence. Himself invisible, God is revealed in all the work of His hands, and it needs but the observing eye and the candid judgment to satisfy every one of His being and His perfections. God reveals Himself no less in the lapse of events than in the arrangements of creation. There is no nation, there is no household, but has in the record of its own experience abundant manifestations of His constant, and wise, and gracious superintendence of the affairs of earth. In the lesson which is thus taught to us concerning God, the animal creation bears its part. Not one of the creatures but is fearfully and wonderfully made; not one of them but is wisely and mercifully provided for. For every one of them there is a place, and to this each is adapted with transcendent skill and beneficence. Even the lower animals may be our teachers and speak to us of God.
2. The way in which the creatures spend their life, and use the powers which God has given them. In many respects they are examples to us, and by the propriety of their conduct rebuke the folly and wickedness of ours. The beasts, etc., will teach us the following things as characteristic of their manner of life.
(1) They constantly and unceasingly fulfil the end of their being.
(2) They are seen always to live according to their nature.
(3) They teach us to seek happiness according to our nature and capacity, and with a prudent foresight to avoid occasions of disaster and sorrow. Man stands rebuked by the brutes that perish. (W. Lindsay Alexander, D. D.)
Does God treat men here according to character
I. The experience of human life. The fact that Job here refers to--the prosperity of wicked men, may be regarded--
1. As one of the most common facts of human experience. All men in all lands and ages have observed it, and still observe it. It is capable of easy explanation: the conditions of worldly prosperity are such that sometimes the wicked man can attend to them in a more efficient way than the righteous. As a rule, the more greed, cunning, tact, activity, and the less conscience and modesty a man has, the more likely he is to succeed in the scramble for wealth.
2. One of the most perplexing facts in human experience. What thoughtful man in passing through life has not asked a hundred times, Wherefore do the wicked prosper? and has not felt, with Asaph, stumbling into infidelity as he saw the prosperity of the wicked?
3. One of the most predictive facts in human experience. This fact points to retribution.
II. The history of inferior life. But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee, etc. Solomon sends us to the ant; Agur to the coney, the locust, the spider; Isaiah to the ox and the ass; Jeremiah to the stork, the turtledove, the crane, the swallow; and the Heavenly Teacher Himself to the fowls of the air. Jobs argument is that the same lack of interference on Gods part in the free operations of men in this life, in punishing the wicked and rewarding the good, you see around you in all the lower stages of life. Look to the beasts of the field. Does the Governor of the world interfere to crush the lion, the tiger, the panther, or the wolf from devouring the feebler creation of His hands? Does He come to the rescue of the shrieking, suffering victims? Behold the fowls of the air. See the eagle, the vulture, the hawk pouncing down on the dove, the thrush, the blackbird, or the robin. Does He interfere to arrest their flight, or curb their savage instincts? Speak to the earth. See the noxious weeds choking the flowers, stealing away life from the fruit trees, does He send a blast to wither the pernicious herb? Not He. Turn to the fishes of the sea. Does He prevent the whale, the shark, and other monsters from devouring the smaller tenants of the deep? No; He allows all these creatures to develop their instincts and their propensities. It is even so with man. He allows man full scope here to work out what is in him, to get what he can.
III. The maxims of philosophic life. Doth not the ear try His words? and the mouth taste His meat? With the ancient is wisdom, and in length of days is understanding. There is something like a syllogism in this verse.
1. That the more the mind exercises itself upon moral questions, the more capable it is to pronounce a correct judgment. Just as the gourmand gets a nicer appreciation of the qualities of wines and viands as he exercises his palate, so the mind gets a clearer conception of things the more it makes them the subject of reflection.
2. That the ancients did greatly exercise their minds on these subjects, and therefore their judgment is to be taken, and it confirms Jobs conclusions. (Homilist.)
Our duty to the creatures
In order to enforce the moral and religious duty which we all owe to the inferior creatures, consider--
I. The nature of our authority over them.
1. It arises out of that capacity of reason which places us above them. And as reason is our great distinction and prerogative, it is that alone which is to influence us in the exercise of the power which it has entrusted to our hands. As these creatures are endowed with a capacity to enjoy pleasure, and as abundant provision is made for the gratification of their several senses, reason teaches us to conclude that the Creator wills their happiness, and that our nobler faculties are to be employed, not in counteracting, but in furthering His benevolent purpose. Whatever unnecessarily deprives them of any portion of their enjoyment, violates the authority of reason, and deposes the sovereign of the lower world from that throne which he converts into an engine of tyranny and oppression.
2. This, likewise, is constituted authority. Man has received the creatures by an original grant from the hands of their Maker. In virtue of this all-comprehensive endowment, the investiture of property is added to the natural authority of reason, so that we have an unquestionable right to make all the tribes of being subservient to our interest. But our authority is limited--it is the authority of men over dependents, not of demons over their victims. We are not at liberty to use the creatures as we please. Where necessity ends, inhumanity begins. The meanest reptile on earth has its inalienable rights, and it is at our peril that we immolate them on the altar of our hard-hearted selfishness. The persecuted, injured, suffering children in natures universal family are not forgotten by their beneficent Parent, nor will their wrongs remain unredressed.
II. Their claims upon our humanity and kindness. The creatures who are beneath us ought not only to be protected from ill-treatment, but they are entitled to humane and benevolent consideration, as parts of the great family specially committed to our guardianship. Many, who would shrink from the imputation of cruelty, by a constitutional indifference to the wants and sufferings of the beings around them, are really chargeable with all the wretchedness which it is in their power to prevent and alleviate. A wise and considerate humanity in its direct operation is most beneficial to universal happiness; and in its indirect influence as an example, fails not to deter many an incipient offender from the premeditated act of cruelty, while it gently diffuses its own benignant spirit through the circle in which it unostentatiously moves, protecting, saving, blessing all. And nothing tends to our felicity so much as cherished feeling of enlightened benevolence. Many reasons may be assigned why the inferior creatures ought to excite in us such a spirit.
1. They are the creatures of God.
2. They have the same origin with ourselves.
3. They are the care of Divine providence.
4. Their claims arise out of the lessons they teach.
5. They confer on us innumerable benefits of another kind. Of the general usefulness of the creatures we have the most palpable evidence every day.
6. Remember their susceptibility to pain. And we may add--
7. That these creatures owe all their natural sufferings to the fall of man; and to him therefore they have a right to look for sympathy. (J. Styles, D. D.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v7 God’s Government of the World
God’s Government of the World
v. 7. But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee, every man can learn from them what Job very well knew, the majesty of God in the government of the world; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee;
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v. 8. or speak to the earth, addressing it for information, and it shall teach thee, and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. All nature unites in declaring the greatness of God.
v. 9. Who knoweth not in all these, gaining his understanding from observing them, that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? The entire visible universe proclaims the creation of Jehovah.
v. 10. In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, the life which He has given to all creatures, and the breath of all mankind, literally, "the spirit of all flesh of man. " All this must be acknowledged by all observers of nature.
v. 11. Doth not the ear try words, prove sayings or proverbs, testing their inner worth, and the mouth taste his meat? Even as the palate discriminates between the foods which are taken into the mouth, so the spirit of man should distinguish between matters brought to its attention.
v. 12. With the ancient is wisdom; aged men, in the course of their long life, acquire a true insight into the nature of things; and in length of days understanding; when a person has lived many years and always carefully observed things, his judgment is usually reliable. But now, by way of contrast and in bringing out a climax, Job refers to God.
v. 13. With Him is wisdom and strength, He possesses them as His personal qualities, as His essential attributes; He hath counsel and understanding, the ability to discern what is right and wrong, sound and corrupt.
v. 14. Behold, He breaketh down, in the irresistible exercise of His almighty power, and it cannot be built again, man being powerless before His might; He shutteth up a man, imprisoning him in troubles as in a cistern or dungeon, and there can be no opening, there is no escape from His power.
v. 15. Behold, He withholdeth the waters, restraining all calamity at His will, and they dry up; also He sendeth them out, releasing their devastating power, and they overturn the earth.
v. 16. With Him is strength and wisdom, true, essential knowledge; the deceived and the deceiver are His, both he who errs and he who causes others to err. God’s wisdom is far above that of all men, whether they use their knowledge for the good of their fellow-men or abuse it in leading others astray.
v. 17. He leadeth counselors away spoiled, stripped of everything they valued, especially the badges of their rank, and maketh the judges fools, depriving them of both their power and prestige.
v. 18. He looseth the bond of kings, breaking the fetters, the yoke, with which they kept their subjects in obedience, and girdeth their loins with a girdle, placing them in bonds, in turn.
v. 19. He leadeth princes, priests who were at the same time rulers, away spoiled, all their authority being taken from them, and overthroweth the mighty, those who considered themselves firmly established, mighty and influential persons.
v. 20. He removeth away the speech of the trusty, taking away the eloquence of the people’s orators and counselors, and taketh away the understanding of the aged, so that they no longer have the right judgment.
v. 21. He poureth contempt upon princes, upon the nobility of the land, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty, literally, either, "He causes the dam of the canals to sink down," or, "He lets down that which holds together the containing of great capacity"; that is, He disables the mighty for the contest by causing their undergarments to hang down loosely, a fact which hinders them in fighting.
v. 22. He discovereth deep things out of darkness and bringeth out to light the shadow of death; that is, all the dark plans and the wickedness of men which they believe hidden from the eyes of men He brings forth into the light. Cf 1Co 4:5.
v. 23. He increaseth the nations, making them great, giving them prosperity, and destroyeth them; He enlargeth the nations, spreading them abroad, increasing their territory, and straiteneth them again, causes them to be carried away into captivity and to lose all they gained.
v. 24. He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, the understanding of those who are held together by the ties of a common origin, language, and country, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way, in pathless wastes, following leads which are utterly foolish.
v. 25. They grope in the dark without light, and He maketh them to stagger like a drunken man. Cf Isa 19:14. The entire passage reminds one of the great hymn of Mary with its praise of the strength and mercy of God, Luk 1:46-55. Job certainly proved that he was in no wise inferior to Eliphaz in His knowledge of the wisdom and strength of Jehovah.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv7, 9, 11, 13, 16, 19, 22, 24 But now ask ... will declare to you
But now ask ... will declare to you
These 4 statements all express the idea that the beasts, the birds, the earth, and the fish understand God better than Job's friends do. (See: Parallelism and Irony)
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you
This is plural in verses 7 and 8. (See: Forms of You)
But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you
The command in the first part of the sentence functions as a hypothetical condition. AT: "But if you were to ask the beasts, they would teach you" (See: Imperatives - Other Uses and Hypothetical Situations)
ask the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you
The command in the first part of the sentence functions as a hypothetical condition. AT: if you were to ask the birds of the heavens, they would tell you" (See: Imperatives - Other Uses and Hypothetical Situations)
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you
The command in the first part of the sentence functions as a hypothetical condition. AT: "Or if you were to speak to the earth, it would teach you" (See: Imperatives - Other Uses and Hypothetical Situations)
the fish of the sea will declare to you
The command "Ask the fish of the sea" is understood from the previous sentences. It functions as a hypothetical condition. AT: "and if you were to ask the fish of the sea, they would declare to you" (See: Ellipsis and Imperatives - Other Uses and Hypothetical Situations)
translationWords
heaven
earth
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv7, 9, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23 12:7-9 A switch from you (plural in 12:2-3) to…
12:7-9 A switch from you (plural in 12:2-3) to you (singular here) probably indicates that Job is directing his comments to Zophar.
12:7-8 ask the animals . . . birds . . . earth . . . fish: Job believed that the reason for his misery was obvious and that even nature would understand it (Prov 6:6). Later, God directed Job’s attention to the animal kingdom to convince Job that he did not understand (Job 38–40).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.