Job 12:1
וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
and Job answered and said,
Paraphrase: When Zophar had finished speaking, Job was irritated. With an angry scowl, he sat up and addressed his friends again.
Comments:
Job 12:2
אָ֭מְנָם כִּ֣י אַתֶּם־עָ֑ם וְ֝עִמָּכֶ֗ם תָּמ֥וּת חָכְמָֽה׃
Truly that you are the people, and with you wisdom will die.
Paraphrase: “I know that you men are the great scholars of our day. You are that anointed class who dispense wisdom and truth to us poor, ignorant peasants. When you die, wisdom will die with you.
Comments:
כִּי functions here as a content οτι.
Job 12:3
גַּם־לִ֤י לֵבָ֨ב׀ כְּֽמוֹכֶ֗ם לֹא־נֹפֵ֣ל אָנֹכִ֣י מִכֶּ֑ם וְאֶת־מִי־אֵ֥ין כְּמוֹ־אֵֽלֶּה׃
Also to me a heart as you, I am not falling more than you and who does not as these?
Paraphrase: Well, my friends, this may come as a surprise to you, but I have a mind that can think and reason just as well as you. I do not believe there is any reason to think that I am inferior to you in this regard. Zophar, most of the things of which you are trying to convince us are just obvious truths that everyone knows. (Job 11:1-12)
Comments:
For כְּמוֹכֶם, see §103e.
Possessive use of lamed and the comparative use of min.
Job 12:4
שְׂחֹ֤ק לְרֵעֵ֨הוּ׀ אֶֽהְיֶ֗ה קֹרֵ֣א לֶ֭אֱלוֹהַּ וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑הוּ שְׂ֝ח֗וֹק צַדִּ֥יק תָּמִֽים׃
A joke to his neighbor; I, who was calling to God and He answered him, will be; a joke are the sincere, righteous.
Paraphrase: But there is one thing you said where I cannot follow. (Job 11:13-20) Look at me; you and everyone else thinks I’m nothing but a crazy buffoon. You make fun of me and my situation. (Job 11:3) Let me remind you that I faithfully attend all the worship services; I never fail to offer the prescribed sacrifices (Job 1:5); I call on God in prayer and song and sometimes I see God answering my prayers. (Job 13:22; 23:5; 30:20-21; 31:35) Now, however, I am just the butt of everyone’s jokes, I who am pure in heart and a careful observer of all God’s laws. And you, Zophar, you want me to believe that only the wicked suffer? (Job 11:13-20) Only those who have committed some sin against God will have hardship? (Numbers 27:3; John 9:2) Nonsense!
Comments:
For וַיַּעֲנֵהוּ, see §111δ.
Zophar had accused Job of mocking. (Job 11:3)
The assumption here is the retribution principle, i.e. that suffering and hardship are linked to some actual sin which the sufferer has committed. (Job 11:13-20; John 9:2)
Cowles (p2):
Next, three friends come to visit him who hold and represent the doctrine that all suffering in this life is punitive, retributive; that the good or evil sent of God upon men is in point of justice perfect according to their good or ill deserts, and consequently by inevitable inference, that great sufferers have been great sinners. These friends are, therefore, very sure that Job, despite of the strongest professions and fairest appearances of piety, is a great hypocrite, whose hypocrisy God is exposing, and whom, as friends of God and of Job also, they are bound to expose; to convict him of his sin and bring him if possible to repentance.
Job 12:5
לַפִּ֣יד בּ֭וּז לְעַשְׁתּ֣וּת שַׁאֲנָ֑ן נָ֝כ֗וֹן לְמ֣וֹעֲדֵי רָֽגֶל׃
To hardship, disrespect to thoughts of the secure; a preparation to those with wavering feet.
Paraphrase: Just think of the people you know who are suffering hardships. The truth is that those people who have no hardship ridicule and condemn those who do. They ridicule such people for their foolish decisions and for being the cause of their own misery. Yes, this really is the experience of those who walk through life with much weakness and many tears.
Comments:
לְעַשְׁתּוּת another lamed showing possession. This disrespect belongs to the secure as they condemn the sufferers for their misery.
Job 12:6
יִשְׁלָ֤יוּ אֹֽהָלִ֨ים׀ לְשֹׁ֥דְדִ֗ים וּֽ֭בַטֻּחוֹת לְמַרְגִּ֣יזֵי אֵ֑ל לַאֲשֶׁ֤ר הֵבִ֖יא אֱל֣וֹהַּ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃
The tents to the powerful are quiet, and secure are those who are angry with God to whom God will bring into His hand.
Paraphrase: But now look at the tents of the powerful robber barons who exploit and defraud the poor and weak. Look how peaceful and secure their life is! They live in prosperity with few anxieties about anything. They don’t hesitate to curse God and to vent their anger on the Almighty, yet they suffer no consequences for this wicked rebellion. Their life goes on without trouble or setback. Yet, these very people are in God’s hand; He can do with them as He pleases. What do you have to say to that, Zophar? What reason can you give for why doesn’t God address this injustice?! For myself, I do not understand it.
Comments:
Job 12:7
וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁאַל־נָ֣א בְהֵמ֣וֹת וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וְע֥וֹף הַ֝שָּׁמַ֗יִם וְיַגֶּד־לָֽךְ׃
But now, please ask the beasts, and she will teach you, and the birds of the sky, they will reveal to you.
Paraphrase: All around us, we are told that God is sovereign; that there is no limit to His knowledge, wisdom, and power. Sit down with the animals large and small. Ask the birds as they swoop through the sky. All these animals will teach you the same lesson.
Comments:
See §155.
Job 12:8
א֤וֹ שִׂ֣יחַ לָאָ֣רֶץ וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וִֽיסַפְּר֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ דְּגֵ֣י הַיָּֽם׃
Job 12:9
מִ֭י לֹא־יָדַ֣ע בְּכָל־אֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֥י יַד־יְ֝הוָה עָ֣שְׂתָה זֹּֽאת׃
Who among all these does not know that the hand of YHWH does this?
Paraphrase: All these know and testify to the same reality. They all bear witness that God is the Great King over heaven and earth. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and God does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’
Comments:
יַד is a feminine noun and hence the feminine verb, see agree. Why God is a He.
Job 12:10
אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּ֭יָדוֹ נֶ֣פֶשׁ כָּל־חָ֑י וְ֝ר֗וּחַ כָּל־בְּשַׂר־אִֽישׁ׃
who is in His hand, the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all flesh of man.
Paraphrase: He holds the life of every person in His hand; He gives life to one; He takes away the life of another. Every person is under His control.
Comments:
On these terms, see Robinson (p16) and Laidlaw chp5.
Job 12:11
הֲלֹא־אֹ֭זֶן מִלִּ֣ין תִּבְחָ֑ן וְ֝חֵ֗ךְ אֹ֣כֶל יִטְעַם־לֽוֹ׃
Does not the ear test speeches? and the mouth food is tasting to it?
Paraphrase: Aren’t we used to hearing people’s talk and then weighing what they say to see if it is true? And don’t we do something similar when we put food in our mouth to see if it tastes good? And do you really think that I cannot do this as well as you? Do I not have ears or a mind? (Job 12:3) Am I the only one who doesn’t understand that God is sovereign? Do you really think that I’m hearing all these things for the first time?
Comments:
Job 12:12
בִּֽישִׁישִׁ֥ים חָכְמָ֑ה וְאֹ֖רֶךְ יָמִ֣ים תְּבוּנָֽה׃
With the elderly is wisdom and length of days understanding.
Paraphrase: On the contrary, these are obvious truths. We know that God rules over all and that He is the Creator of heaven and earth. Once you have learned this lesson from the animals, you can then sit down with the elderly. Let them speak from their experience of God’s sovereignty over the whole world. They know this truth well.
Comments:
Job 12:13
עִ֭מּוֹ חָכְמָ֣ה וּגְבוּרָ֑ה ל֝֗וֹ עֵצָ֥ה וּתְבוּנָֽה׃
With Him is wisdom and power to Him, prudence and understanding.
Paraphrase: Yes, the elderly have learned that all wisdom begins with God; there is no limit to His knowledge and power. Even the prudence and insight that we find in human persons is a gift from God.
Comments:
Job 12:14
הֵ֣ן יַ֭הֲרוֹס וְלֹ֣א יִבָּנֶ֑ה יִסְגֹּ֥ר עַל־אִ֝֗ישׁ וְלֹ֣א יִפָּתֵֽחַ׃
Job 12:15
הֵ֤ן יַעְצֹ֣ר בַּמַּ֣יִם וְיִבָ֑שׁוּ וִֽ֝ישַׁלְּחֵ֗ם וְיַ֖הַפְכוּ אָֽרֶץ׃
Job 12:16
עִ֭מּוֹ עֹ֣ז וְתֽוּשִׁיָּ֑ה ל֝֗וֹ שֹׁגֵ֥ג וּמַשְׁגֶּֽה׃
Job 12:17
מוֹלִ֣יךְ יוֹעֲצִ֣ים שׁוֹלָ֑ל וְֽשֹׁפְטִ֥ים יְהוֹלֵֽל׃
Job 12:18
מוּסַ֣ר מְלָכִ֣ים פִּתֵּ֑חַ וַיֶּאְסֹ֥ר אֵ֝ז֗וֹר בְּמָתְנֵיהֶֽם׃
Job 12:19
מוֹלִ֣יךְ כֹּהֲנִ֣ים שׁוֹלָ֑ל וְאֵֽתָנִ֣ים יְסַלֵּֽף׃
Job 12:20
מֵסִ֣יר שָׂ֭פָה לְנֶאֱמָנִ֑ים וְטַ֖עַם זְקֵנִ֣ים יִקָּֽח׃
Job 12:21
שׁוֹפֵ֣ךְ בּ֭וּז עַל־נְדִיבִ֑ים וּמְזִ֖יחַ אֲפִיקִ֣ים רִפָּֽה׃
Job 12:22
מְגַלֶּ֣ה עֲ֭מֻקוֹת מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵ֖א לָא֣וֹר צַלְמָֽוֶת׃
Job 12:23
מַשְׂגִּ֣יא לַ֭גּוֹיִם וַֽיְאַבְּדֵ֑ם שֹׁטֵ֥חַ לַ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם וַיַּנְחֵֽם׃
Job 12:24
מֵסִ֗יר לֵ֭ב רָאשֵׁ֣י עַם־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם בְּתֹ֣הוּ לֹא־דָֽרֶךְ׃
Job 12:25
יְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ־חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וְלֹא־א֑וֹר וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם כַּשִּׁכּֽוֹר׃