Job 12


Job 12 is the twelfth chapter of the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The book is anonymous; most scholars believe it was written around 6th century BCE. This chapter records the speech of Job, which belongs to the Dialogue section of the book, comprising Job 3:1–31:40.

Text

The original text is written in Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 25 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Aleppo Codex, and Codex Leningradensis.
There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE; some extant ancient manuscripts of this version include Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus, and Codex Alexandrinus.

Analysis

The structure of the book is as follows:
  • The Prologue
  • The Dialogue
  • The Verdicts
  • The Epilogue
Within the structure, chapter 12 is grouped into the Dialogue section with the following outline:
  • Job's Self-Curse and Self-Lament
  • Round One
  • *Eliphaz
  • *Job
  • *Bildad
  • *Job
  • *Zophar
  • *Job
  • **The Wicked Prosper but I Am Suffering
  • **God's Hand in Creation
  • **God's Active Control of the World
  • **Job's Stance
  • **Job's Rebuke of His Friends
  • **Addressing the Friends
  • **Addressing God
  • **The Brevity of Human Life
  • **The Lack of Hope for Humans
  • **Job's Imaginative Exploration of Hope
  • **The Lack of Hope – Again
  • Round Two
  • Round Three
  • Interlude – A Poem on Wisdom
  • Job's Summing Up
The Dialogue section is composed in the format of poetry with distinctive syntax and grammar. Chapters 12 to 14 contain Job's closing speech of the first round, where he directly addresses his friends.

Job believes God's hand in creation (12:1–12)

Job points out that some who are wicked are prospering, regardless how the righteous is rewarded or is suffering, and that the life of the nature all are in God's hand. Job suggests his friends to look behind the 'age-old traditions' and 'past-dogmas' to 'the God who is both the source of all wisdom' and the one in control of all creation.

Verse 9

  • "The LORD": translated from the Hebrew YHWH, which is the only reference to this name outside the narrative frame or the YHWH speeches. Three manuscripts of Kennicott and two of de Rossi have the word “God” instead.

Job believes God's active control of the worlds (12:13–25)

This section follows Job's statements in verse 12 to declare the wisdom and might of God whose sovereign activity can be observed in all areas and situations of life.

Verse 23

  • "Increases": from the Hebrew verb מַשְׂגִּיא, masgiʾ is a common Aramaic word, but only found in Hebrew text in Job 8:11, 12:23 and 36:24. Some Hebrew manuscripts have a reading derived from שָׁגָה, shagah, whereas the Greek Septuagint does not have the line.
Job uses the rise and fall of nations, which does not seem to be governed by any moral principle, as an example of God's arbitrary power, which is spelled out in detail in Daniel's interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream how no group of humans can thwart the purpose of God Almighty.