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1Then Job answered:
2“Without a doubt you are the people,[#tn The expression “you are the people” is a way of saying that the friends hold the popular opinion – they represent it. The line is sarcastic. Commentators do not think the parallelism is served well by this, and so offer changes for “people.” Some have suggested “you are complete” (based on Arabic), “you are the strong one” (based on Ugaritic), etc. J. A. Davies tried to solve the difficulty by making the second clause in the verse a paratactic relative clause: “you are the people with whom wisdom will die” (“Note on Job 12:2,” VT 25 [1975]: 670-71).]
and wisdom will die with you.
3I also have understanding as well as you;[#tn The word is literally “heart,” meaning a mind or understanding.]
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know such things as these?
4I am a laughingstock to my friends,[#tn Some are troubled by the disharmony with “I am” and “to his friend.” Even though the difficulty is not insurmountable, some have emended the text. Some simply changed the verb to “he is,” which was not very compelling. C. D. Isbell argued that אֶהְיֶה (’ehyeh, “I am”) is an orthographic variant of יִהְיֶה (yihyeh, “he will”) – “a person who does not know these things would be a laughingstock” (JANESCU 37 [1978]: 227-36). G. R. Driver suggests the meaning of the MT is something like “(One that is) a mockery to his friend I am to be.”; #tn The word simply means “laughter”; but it can also mean the object of laughter (see Jer 20:7). The LXX jumps from one “laughter” to the next, eliminating everything in between, presumably due to haplography.; #tn Heb “his friend.” A number of English versions (e.g., NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) take this collectively, “to my friends.”]
I, who called on God and whom he answered –
a righteous and blameless man
is a laughingstock!
5For calamity, there is derision[#tn The first word, לַפִּיד (lapid), could be rendered “a torch of scorn,” but this gives no satisfying meaning. The ל (lamed) is often taken as an otiose letter, and the noun פִּיד (pid) is “misfortune, calamity” (cf. Job 30:24; 31:29).]
(according to the ideas of the fortunate) –
a fate for those whose feet slip!
6But the tents of robbers are peaceful,[#tn The verse gives the other side of the coin now, the fact that the wicked prosper.]
and those who provoke God are confident –
who carry their god in their hands.
7“But now, ask the animals and they will teach you,[#tn The singular verb is used here with the plural collective subject (see GKC 464 §145.k).]
or the birds of the sky and they will tell you.
8Or speak to the earth and it will teach you,[#tn The word in the MT means “to complain,” not simply “to speak,” and one would expect animals as the object here in parallel to the last verse. So several commentators have replaced the word with words for animals or reptiles – totally different words (cf. NAB, “reptiles”). The RSV and NRSV have here the word “plants” (see 30:4, 7; and Gen 21:15).; #tn A. B. Davidson (Job, 90) offers a solution by taking “earth” to mean all the lower forms of life that teem in the earth (a metonymy of subject).]
or let the fish of the sea declare to you.
9Which of all these does not know[#tn This line could also be translated “by all these,” meaning “who is not instructed by nature?” (H. H. Rowley, Job [NCBC], 93). But D. J. A. Clines points out that the verses have presented the animals as having knowledge and communicating it, so the former reading would be best (Job [WBC], 279).]
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
10in whose hand is the life of every creature[#tn The construction with the relative clause includes a resumptive pronoun referring to God: “who in his hand” = “in whose hand.”; #tn The two words נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) and רוּחַ (ruakh) are synonymous in general. They could be translated “soul” and “spirit,” but “soul” is not precise for נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh), and so “life” is to be preferred. Since that is the case for the first half of the verse, “breath” will be preferable in the second part.]
and the breath of all the human race.
11Does not the ear test words,
as the tongue tastes food?
12Is not wisdom found among the aged?[#tn The statement in the Hebrew Bible simply has “among the aged – wisdom.” Since this seems to be more the idea of the friends than of Job, scholars have variously tried to rearrange it. Some have proposed that Job is citing his friends: “With the old men, you say, is wisdom” (Budde, Gray, Hitzig). Others have simply made it a question (Weiser). But others take לֹא (lo’) from the previous verse and make it the negative here, to say, “wisdom is not….” But Job will draw on the wisdom of the aged, only with discernment, for ultimately all wisdom is with God.]
Does not long life bring understanding?
13“With God are wisdom and power;[#tn Heb “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.]
counsel and understanding are his.
14If he tears down, it cannot be rebuilt;[#tn The use of הֵן (hen, equivalent to הִנֵּה, hinneh, “behold”) introduces a hypothetical condition.]
if he imprisons a person, there is no escape.
15If he holds back the waters, then they dry up;[#tc The LXX has a clarification: “he will dry the earth.”]
if he releases them, they destroy the land.
16With him are strength and prudence;[#tn The word תּוּשִׁיָּה (tushiyyah) is here rendered “prudence.” Some object that God’s power is intended here, and so a word for power and not wisdom should be included. But v. 13 mentioned wisdom. The point is that it is God’s efficient wisdom that leads to success. One could interpret this as a metonymy of cause, the intended meaning being victory or success.]
both the one who goes astray
and the one who misleads are his.
17He leads counselors away stripped[#tn The personal pronoun normally present as the subject of the participle is frequently omitted (see GKC 381 §119.s).; #tn GKC 361-62 §116.x notes that almost as a rule a participle beginning a sentence is continued with a finite verb with or without a ו (vav). Here the participle (“leads”) is followed by an imperfect (“makes fools”) after a ו (vav).; #tn The word שׁוֹלָל (sholal), from the root שָׁלַל (shalal, “to plunder; to strip”), is an adjective expressing the state (and is in the singular, as if to say, “in the state of one naked” [GKC 375 §118.o]). The word is found in military contexts (see Mic 1:8). It refers to the carrying away of people in nakedness and shame by enemies who plunder (see also Isa 8:1-4). They will go away as slaves and captives, deprived of their outer garments. Some (cf. NAB) suggest “barefoot,” based on the LXX of Mic 1:8; but the meaning of that is uncertain. G. R. Driver wanted to derive the word from an Arabic root “to be mad; to be giddy,” forming a better parallel.]
and makes judges into fools.
18He loosens the bonds of kings[#tn The verb may be classified as a gnomic perfect, or possibly a potential perfect – “he can loosen.” The Piel means “to untie; to unbind” (Job 30:11; 38:31; 39:5).; #tc There is a potential textual difficulty here. The MT has מוּסַר (musar, “discipline”), which might have replaced מוֹסֵר (moser, “bond, chain”) from אָסַר (’asar, “to bind”). Or מוּסַר might be an unusual form of אָסַר (an option noted in HALOT 557 s.v. *מוֹסֵר). The line is saying that if the kings are bound, God can set them free, and in the second half, if they are free, he can bind them. Others take the view that this word “bond” refers to the power kings have over others, meaning that God can reduce kings to slavery.]
and binds a loincloth around their waist.
19He leads priests away stripped[#tn Except for “priests,” the phraseology is identical to v. 17a.]
and overthrows the potentates.
20He deprives the trusted advisers of speech[#tn The Hebrew נֶאֱמָנִים (ne’emanim) is the Niphal participle; it is often translated “the faithful” in the Bible. The Rabbis rather fancifully took the word from נְאֻם (nÿ’um, “oracle, utterance”) and so rendered it “those who are eloquent, fluent in words.” But that would make this the only place in the Bible where this form came from that root or any other root besides אָמַן (’aman, “confirm, support”). But to say that God takes away the speech of the truthful or the faithful would be very difficult. It has to refer to reliable men, because it is parallel to the elders or old men. The NIV has “trusted advisers,” which fits well with kings and judges and priests.; #tn Heb “he removes the lip of the trusted ones.”]
and takes away the discernment of elders.
21He pours contempt on noblemen
and disarms the powerful.
22He reveals the deep things of darkness,
and brings deep shadows into the light.
23He makes nations great, and destroys them;[#tn The word מַשְׂגִּיא (masgi’, “makes great”) is a common Aramaic word, but only occurs in Hebrew here and in Job 8:11 and 36:24. Some mss have a change, reading the form from שָׁגָה (shagah, “leading astray”). The LXX omits the line entirely.]
he extends the boundaries of nations
and disperses them.
24He deprives the leaders of the earth[#tn Heb “the heads of the people of the earth.”]
of their understanding;
he makes them wander
in a trackless desert waste.
25They grope about in darkness without light;[#tn The word is an adverbial accusative.]
he makes them stagger like drunkards.