Job Expounded, Commentary on Job · Chapter 12
THE SVMME AND ORDER of the xii. Chapter.
IOB hauing nowe bene thrise prouoked first by the indiscreet and vnseasonable reproofes of his two former friendes, and nowe with the arrogant and loftie preface of Tsophar, beginneth also him selfe to deale roughly and roundly with them, partly shewing in the ende of the third verse that they hauehave not vttered any thing concerning Gods marueilous and incomprehensible wisedome, which was not well knowen of eueryevery one, so that in this respect they ought not to challenge to them selues any great commendation with the contempt of others: partly declaring and proouing first, both by his own present example vers. 4. and by common experience vers. 5. & 6. that that point was most vntrue, which they so much beat vponupon, both concerning the prosperitie of the godly, and the aduersitie of the wicked in this life: as if thereby iudgement were to be giuen of Gods louelove or hatred towards any man, or of his godly or vngodly life which he hath led. Afterward remembring that he was warned of Eliphaz Chap. 4. vers. 7. and of Bildad Chap. 8. vers. 8. to learne out of the mouth of olde men, what to thinke concerning Gods secret iudgements, he witnesseth that he hath heard the selfe same things of them as concerning the vnspeakeable power and wisedome of God, which the beastes them selues doe teach vsus, vers. 7.8.9.10. but that iudgement is requisite to discerne and rightly to esteeme of these thinges, with which it is probable that olde men are especiallie endued, but yet it is not alwayes so, nor necessarily true, vers. 11.12. And then to the end of this Chapter, and so forward to the 13. verse of the 13. Chapter, where that Chapter ought rather to beginne, Iob teacheth that all things and the state thereof do depend of God: who doeth not borrowe the causes of his decrees and counsels from the nature and disposition of the things them selues, which he hath created: but contrariwise, that the course of all things is gouerned by the vnsearcheable will and prouidence of God.
❧ CHAPTER XII.
Vers. 1. Then Iob answered and said
2 Indeede ye are the people: and wisdome must die with you.
3 But I hauehave vnderstanding as well as ye: neither doe I fall before you (that is, neyther will I yeeld one foot vntounto you) yea, who knoweth not such things?
1 FOrsooth if a man may beleeue you, ye are not one or & 2 two men, but ye beare the person of some whole people, and al wisdome is hidden and laid vp within your brests, so that when ye die, it also shall decay and perish with you.
3 But how highlie soeuer ye esteeme of your selues, I am of some vnderstanding as wel as yee, and count my selfe nothing inferiour to you. Yea who is he, that knoweth not these things which ye hauehave spoken, and whereof ye make such brags in contempt of others, as if beside your selues none had euer heard of them?
4 J am as he (who is) a laughing stocke to his companion, who calleth vponupon God and hee heareth him, the iust (I say) and the vpright (is) made a laughing stocke.
5 He whose feet beginne to faile vnderunder him, is as a lampe despised to (the man) that liueth at ease.
6 The tabernacles of robbers doe prosper, and they (are) in safetie, who prouoke God, and into whose hand God putteth (what so euer they wish, that is, God giueth whatsoeuer their heart can desire.)
4 And how false that is which you repeat so often, and neuer leaue speaking off, namely, that we must iudge of a mās good or bad life by the present estate wherein he is, I proue moste manifestlie by mine owne example, who beeing in the number of those, who call vponupon God and whome God heareth, am neuerthelesse despised of my companions and familiar friendes: and also in generall it is most vndoubtedly true, that men of an vpright an vncorrupt life, are commonly had in derision, and are made a laughing and a iesting stocke vntounto others. 5 In like manner, he that beginneth to fal, and whose state declineth is no more accompted off with him that liueth at hearts ease and enioyeth prosperitie, then a fire brand that is halfe burnt, or a torch that is well nigh consumed. 6 In the meane while spoilers and oppressours of other, and such as prouoke God with their sinnes and wickednes liue in safetie, and God putting into their handes whatsoeuer they can wish for, they remaine in great pleasure and securitie.
7 But aske the beasts & (eueryevery one of them) shall teach thee: & the birds & eueryevery one of them shall tell (thee, these things.)
8 Or speake to the earth and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall certifie thee (of these things.)
9 Who among all these knoweth not, that the hand of the Lord hath done this?
10 In whose hande is the soule of eueryevery liuing thing, and the breath of all mankinde.
7 And tell me, I beseech you, what I hauehave heard of you, who professe so great wisdome, which to know, I must needes be sent to the schoole to learne it, as you will me, of these our auncetours most wise men. For there is no beast of the field if it could speake, and were asked the question, which would not tell thee this, no bird that would not declare it. 8 Yea the very earth can shew it, and the fishes tell it thee, 9 to wit, that God is the maker of all and eueryevery one of these things, 10 and that both the life of eueryevery liuing thing, & the breath of man is in his hand and power.
11 Doth not the eare trie speches, & the mouth tast meat for it self?
12 Jn olde men there is wisdome, and in the number of yeares vnderstandinge.
11 And these things trulie are euident to all men: but as it auaileth not to heare a man speake, vnlesse the eare discern what is spoken, neither relisheth the meate in a mans mouth if it be not tasted by the palate: so ought yee not thus rashlie to iudge of Gods doings, nor forthwith to despise my speeches, but wiselie and with vnderstanding to consider and to weigh them. 12 Especiallie seeing yee are old men, whom (as ye rightly said) it becommeth to be more discreet & wise, thē others, and by how much the longer they hauehave liued, by so much the more to be furnished with experiēce & knowledge.
13 With him is wisdome and strength: he hath counsell and vnderstanding.
But Gods workes testifie, that he hath a certaine proper and peculiar wisdome to him selfe in decreeing; force and power in working; knowledge and vnderstanding in ordering and gouerning all things, such as farre exceedeth the reach of mans capacitie.
14 Behold he shall breake downe, and it cannot be built vp: hee shall shut a man vp, and it shall not be opened vntounto him.
And the same power of his, is inexpugnable, in destroying, when he pleaseth, those things which he hath made, as it was in making them: and the close places in which he hath shut vp any, can no man open.
15 Behold he shall keepe vnderunder the waters, and they shall drie vp: he sendeth them out, and they ouerwhelme the earth.
The waters beeing restrained by his commaundement that they flow not, are dried vp, and if he bid them flow, they destroie the earth with inundations.
16 With him is strength and beeing: that which erreth and that which maketh to erre, are his.
The strength and power of all things by which they are, and continue in their nature, is from him: and both the same things declining from their state, & that which causeth them to decline & go awry, depend vponupon his beck & cōmaundemēt.
17 He bringeth the wise men out of their wits, and maketh the iudges fooles.
18 He looseth the bond of kings, and lyeth a girdle about their loines.
19 He leadeth away the princes as a pray, and ouerthrowest the mightie.
20 He taketh away the speech from eloquent men, and disapointeth the aged of their iudgement.
21 He poureth contempt vponupon the noble, and slacketh the girdle of the strong:
22 He discouereth those things that lye deepelie hidden, and bringeth forth to light the shadow of death, (that is, such thinges as are most secret.)
17 Hence is the ouerthrow of kingdomes & mightie monarches, which falleth not out by chaunce or fortune, but by the hand and dispensation of God. For he it is whoe withdraweth his blessings, and taketh away the gift of wisdome from them, by whose counsels they were wiselie and politiklie ordered: he it is, that maketh the gouernours and princes thereof fooles, and like children without vnderstanding. 18 He also looseth the bonds of kings, by which they kept the people in subiection, and giueth them ouer to be bound, and to suffer the yoke of others. 19 The noble men and Peeres of a countrie he despoileth of all their ornaments, & deliuereth them vp for a pray into the hands of the spoylers: and such as are in greatest honour and authoritie, he layeth in the dust. 20 He taketh away all eloquence of speech from the Orator, and depriueth the auncient or graue men of experience and iudgement. 21 Others also, who hauehave atchiued great and worthie matters, and thereby deserued hie renoune and commendation, he bringeth into contēpt: finallie he dissolueth the strength of kingdomes and common wealthes, with which they were girded, and by which they were vpholden and maintained. 22 Those thinges, which they thought were most secret and laie deepelie hidden in darkenes, he discouereth: those things which seemed to be buried in obscuritie and in the shadow of death, hee bringeth to light, so that all men may openlie beholde and see them.
23 He multiplieth the nations, and destroyeth them: he inlargeth the nations, and bringeth them in againe.
24 He taketh away the heart of them, that be the heades of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in the wildernesse, where no man passeth.
25 They grope in the darke and (they hauehave) no light, and he maketh them to stagger like drunken men.
23 As common wealths, so people also and nations are in the hand of God to despose of them, as it seemeth good vntounto him, whether it be his pleasure to increase or to destroie them, to make them to multiplie or to diminish and lessen them. 24 For he cutteth off their heads, that is, he taketh from them their gouernours, some times he driueth thē out of their owne countrie, and maketh them to keep in vaste & solitarie wildernesses, where no man dwelleth. 25 Finallie he leaueth them destitute of al counsel, so that they grope in the darke, and as drunken men they stagger now one way, & then another, and can not any where finde any sure footing.