Job 12:21
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He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
In this and the two following chapters we have Job's answer to Zophar's discourse, in which, as before, he first reasons with his friends (see Job 13:19) and then turns to his God, and directs his expostulations to him, from thence to the end of his discourse. In this chapter he addresses himself to his friends, and, I. He condemns what they had said of him, and the judgment they had given of his character (Job 12:1-5). II. He contradicts and confronts what they had said of the destruction of wicked people in this world, showing that they often prosper (Job 12:6-11). III. He consents to what they had said of the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, and the dominion of his providence over the children of men and all their affairs; he confirms this, and enlarges upon it (Job 12:12-25).
Open source ↗12:21 pours disgrace upon princes: Cp. Ps 107:40. • disarms (literally looses the belt of): The strong are no longer girded for battle.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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He pours out contempt on the nobles and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
The LORD of Hosts planned it, to defile all its glorious beauty, to disgrace all the renowned of the earth.
‘As surely as I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons yesterday, declares the LORD, so will I repay you on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then, according to the word of the LORD, pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground.”
One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.
None of them grows weary or stumbles; no one slumbers or sleeps. No belt is loose and no sandal strap is broken.
Righteousness will be the belt around His hips, and faithfulness the sash around His waist.
But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.
So they set it aside until morning as Moses had commanded, and it did not smell or contain any maggots.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
I will clothe him with your robe and tie your sash around him. I will put your authority in his hand, and he will be a father to the dwellers of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.