Job 12 · The Lantern

Job Presents His Case

And Job answered and said:

Truly you are the people, and wisdom will die with you!

I also have a heart like yours; I am not falling short of you. And with whom are such things not?

Job wants to reveal their wrong perceptions with the words, "But I have understanding as well as you," and still I do not think the same thoughts as you. Or do you think that your thinking is unsurpassed? I am reasonable too, and reason is not different from reason, but the difference is in the application.

But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yea, who knoweth not such things as these that ye know? For who is ignorant how greatly the practice and the knowledge of blessed Job excels the knowledge that his friends have?

Since they could object, 'We are not the only ones who know, but even so, you still do not know,' he answers saying, "I too have a heart," to know these things, "as do you, and this heart is not less than yours," in this knowledge.

I am a laughingstock to his friend — one who called on God, and he answered him. A laughingstock: the righteous, the blameless.

"Did I lose my common sense, by any chance," Job says, "because I fell into misery?" Here he presents himself as a righteous man, not by testifying to his perfect virtue but to the fact that he did not do anything wrong to anyone and that nobody can blame him. "And that my houses should be spoiled by transgressors," it was necessary that this happened, he says.

He that is mocked of his neighbour as I am, calleth upon God, and He answereth him. Oftentimes the frail mind, when it is welcomed by the breath of human regard on the score of good actions, runs out into outward delights, so that it lays aside what it inwardly desires, and willingly lies all loosely in that which it gives ear to without.

But by the fact that you say that I am ignorant of these things, you seem to hold me in contempt as though I am ignorant of things which everyone knows. Thus he says, "Someone who is derided by his friends like I am," as you do when you think me foolish, "will call upon God and he will hear him," because God especially helps those bereft of human aid.

Contempt for calamity, in the thought of one at ease — ready for those whose foot slips.

The tents of destroyers are at ease, and those who provoke God are secure — those whom God brings into his hand.

Certainly the subtlety of your entire conjecture leans toward this, that is, to a reflection on the merits for prosperity and misfortune, so that you want to show that I am guilty, and you righteous, because not even a contrary breath blows against you. This is a plain accusation against the justice of God or a way to lay blame on his patience.

The tabernacles of robbers have plenty, and they provoke God with boldness; when He hath given all into their hand. It is easy for a man, at the time, to despise riches, when he has them, but it is hard to hold them worthless, when he lacks them.

Since the rich who deride the simplicity of the just do not stop at this but go as far as contempt of God, he adds, "the tents of the robbers abound." Because some place their end in riches, it follows they search carefully for all the ways to attain this last end either by fraud or by some other manner. So they become robbers who abound in the wealth when they rob.

But ask, please, the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;

Why do you behave as if you had made a great and wonderful discovery? It was necessary, in fact, that such a man died, and nobody ignores it. At the same time, we all know that "in his hand is the life of every human being." Do you see how not only creation but Providence also testifies to God?

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee. Or speak to the earth, and it shall answer thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. What are we to understand by 'the beasts,' but men of slow parts; and what by 'the fowls of the air,' but those that are skilled in high and sublime truths?

He proves this as a consequence when he continues, "Ask the beasts and they will teach you, the birds of the air will be your counselors; Speak to the earth and it will answer you, the fish of the sea will make it known to you." Man asks creatures when he diligently considers them.

or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will recount to you.

Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?

In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all the flesh of man.

Does not the ear test words, as the palate tastes food for itself?

Consider if this does not refer to the following words, "But ask the animals, and they will teach you." The sequence of these two thoughts makes it clear that it is not given to unreasonable animals or soulless things to understand the resolutions of Providence, but it is given to reason.

The ear trieth words, and the mouth of the eater savour. There is scarce a person that is ignorant that the five senses of our body, viz. of seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and touching, in all their operations of perceiving and discriminating derive the power of perception and discrimination from the brain. And whereas there is but one judge that presides within, viz.

Job asserted above (v.2) that what Sophar had said about the excellence of the greatness of God was evident to all men. Here he intends to show that men can come to an understanding of these things by the experience of divine power and wisdom in human affairs.

Wisdom is with the aged, and length of days is insight.

With him are wisdom and might; his are counsel and insight.

Look, he tears down, and it is not rebuilt; he shuts up a man, and it is not opened.

Look, he holds back the waters, and they dry up; and he sends them out, and they overturn the earth.

With him are strength and sound wisdom; his are the one who errs and the one who leads astray.

He leads counselors away stripped, and makes judges into fools.

He loosens the discipline of kings, and binds a waistcloth on their loins.

These words must not refer to the sons of Aaron, who did not live anymore at that time, but to priests such as Job himself and Melchizedek. If the narrative is about real and holy priests, how is it said that they are led away in amazement?

He looseth the belt of kings, and girdeth their reins with a cord. They that know how to regulate aright the motions of their members, are not unjustly called 'kings.' But when the mind is touched with pride on the grounds of that very continence, it very often happens that Almighty God, deserting its pride, suffers it to fall into uncleanness of practice.

Since he has said this in a general way, he now makes it clear by specific examples, showing how all things which seem excellent in human affairs are brought by the depth of divine counsel "to a foolish end" and "to dullness." In human affairs, kings excel with respect to power.

He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the long-established.

He removes the speech of the trusted, and takes away the discernment of the elders.

He pours contempt on nobles, and loosens the belt of the mighty.

He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings the shadow of death to light.

"Revealing deep things out of darkness, and he has brought into light the shadow of death." The literal meaning is, "He manifests the things which are hidden to all, and preserves those who are in danger and close to death." He calls danger "the shadow of death," because, as shadow is very close to the body that produces it, so danger is very close to the death that causes it.

Who discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death. For when the several mystical truths are recognised in the secret words of the Prophets by them that believe, what else is it, than that 'deep things are discovered out of darkness?' Whence too 'Truth' Himself, speaking in parables to the disciples, saith, What I tell you in darkness, th…

As to those men who have no prestige, but live hidden in the lowest state, he then says, "he reveals those deep in darkness," that is, men placed in a lower state, who are unknown because of this, as though existing in darkness. He leads these to glory by revealing them to others.

He makes nations great, and destroys them; he spreads nations out, and leads them away.

He removes the heart of the heads of the people of the earth, and makes them wander in a waste without a way.

They grope in darkness without light, and he makes them wander like a drunkard.

Job12

Job Presents His Case