Job 12:22

22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth out to light the shadow of death; 23 He giveth prosperity to nations and then destroyeth them, Increase of territory to nations and then carrieth them away; 24 He taketh away the understanding of the chief people of the land, And maketh them to wander in a trackless wilderness; 25 They grope in darkness without light, He maketh them to stagger like a drunken man. The meaning of Job 12:22 in this connection can only be, that there is nothing so finely spun out that God cannot make it visible. All secret plans of the wicked, all secret sins, and the deeds of the evil-doer though veiled in deep darkness, He bringeth before the tribunal of the world. The form of writing given by the Masora is עמוּקות with koph raphatum, consequently plur. from עמוּק, like ערוּמים, עצוּמים from ערוּם, עצוּם, not from עמק. (Note: Kimchi in his Wrterbuch adopts the form עמקּות, but gives Abulwalid as an authority for the lengthened form, which, according to the Masora on Lev 13:3, Lev 13:25, is the traditional. The two exceptions where the form occurs with a long vowel are Pro 23:27 and this passage.) The lxx translates משגיא πλανῶν, as it is also explained in several Midrash-passages, but only by a few Jewish expositors (Jachja, Alschech) by מטעה. The word, however, is not משׁגּיא, but משׂגּיא with ש sinistrum, after which in Midrash Esther it is explained by מגדיל; and Hirzel correctly interprets it of upward growth (Jerome after the Targ. unsuitably, multiplicat), and שׁטח, on the other hand, of growth in extent. The latter word is falsely explained by the Targ. in the sense of expandere rete, and Abenezra also falsely explains: He scatters nations, and brings them to their original peace. The verb שׁטח is here connected with ל, a…

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).

12:22 uncovers mysteries (literally uncovers the deeps): This phrase might allude to Zophar’s words that God’s knowledge is “deeper than the underworld” (11:8). • darkness . . . deepest gloom: The Old Testament often describes God as dwelling in darkness (1 Kgs 8:12; 2 Chr 6:1) and as manifesting himself through darkness (2 Sam 22:10, 12; Ps 18:9, 11), as when he gave the law at Sinai (Deut 4:11; 5:22-23) or when he comes in judgment (Zeph 1:15).