Job 12-14 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Job 12:1: 12:1–14:22 In his longest speech thus far, Job addresses not only Zophar’s remarks but the entire first round of speeches.

Summary for Job 12:1: 12:1–14:22 ^a In his longest speech thus far, Job addresses not only Zophar’s remarks but the entire first round of speeches.
Summary for Job 12:7-9: 12:7-9 ^b A switch from you (plural in 12:2-3 ^c) to you (singular here) probably indicates that Job is directing his comments to Zophar.
Summary for Job 12:7-8: 12:7-8 ^d ask the animals ... birds ... earth ... fish: Job believed that the reason for his misery was obvious and that even nature would understand it (Prov 6:6 ^e). Later, God directed Job’s attention to the animal kingdom to convince Job that he did not understand (Job 38–40 ^f).
12:9 ^g from the hand of the Lord: This is the only place in the dialogues (chs 3–27 ^h; 29–37 ⁱ) that the Hebrew Yahweh (“the Lord”) is used. For Job, the dispute was not about who caused his misery but why it happened.
12:11 ^j the mouth distinguishes between foods: See 6:6-7 ^k.
12:12 ^l Wisdom belongs to the aged: Job’s friends defended this opinion (8:8-10 ^m; 15:10 ⁿ; 32:6-9 ^o), but Job questioned it (12:20 ^p).
12:17 ^q stripped of good judgment: The NLT adds “of good judgment” for clarity. In this image, God metaphorically strips leaders of their abilities. It could also refer to being stripped of the symbols of office or to becoming naked captives (12:18-19 ^r).
12:18 ^s When God removes the royal robe of kings, he takes away the symbols of their authority (cp. 19:9 ^t). It could also be translated as “God loosens the bonds of kings,” referring to the bondage they have imposed on others.
12:19 ^u The priests are figuratively stripped of status (the NLT adds “of status” for clarity) or are actually stripped of priestly robes; they might even be naked captives (12:18 ^v).
12:21 ^w pours disgrace upon princes: Cp. Ps 107:40 ^x.

• disarms (literally looses the belt of): The strong are no longer girded for battle.
12:22 ^y 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 ^z).

• darkness ... deepest gloom: The Old Testament often describes God as dwelling in darkness (1 Kgs 8:12 ^aa; 2 Chr 6:1 ^ab) and as manifesting himself through darkness (2 Sam 22:10 ^ac, 12 ^ad; Ps 18:9 ^ae, 11 ^af), as when he gave the law at Sinai (Deut 4:11 ^ag; 5:22-23 ^ah) or when he comes in judgment (Zeph 1:15 ^ai).
Summary for Job 12:23-24: 12:23-24 ^aj Cp. Dan 2:21 ^ak.

• strips kings of understanding: See Job 12:18 ^al; cp. Dan 4:23 ^am, 32-33 ^an.

• He ... leaves them wandering in a pathless wasteland like the princes in Ps 107:40 ^ao (see Job 12:21 ^ap).
12:25 ^aq Perhaps foolish counsel made the kings stagger like drunkards (12:17 ^ar; see Isa 19:14 ^as); it resulted from “drinking” God’s wrath (Ps 75:8 ^at; Jer 25:15-27 ^au).

‏ Job 13

Summary for Job 13:1-2: 13:1-2 ^av Job appealed to experience, as his comforters had done (3:12-17 ^aw; 5:2 ^ax).
Summary for Job 13:7-10: 13:7-10 ^ay defending God with lies: False witnesses were forbidden even if speaking on God’s behalf (Exod 20:16 ^az).
13:12 ^ba Ashes are worthless (cp. Isa 44:20 ^bb).
Summary for Job 13:20-21: 13:20-21 ^bc Job had contemplated finding an arbiter to remove God’s heavy hand (9:33-34 ^bd). Eliphaz had urged Job to accept God’s chastening (5:17 ^be).
Summary for Job 13:22-23: 13:22-23 ^bf Job wanted God to summon him, and then Job would answer in his own defense; or Job would speak to God, and then God would reply to substantiate the charges against Job. Since God did not take the first option, Job initiated the second one (13:23 ^bg). Eventually, God did summon Job (38:1-3 ^bh; 40:1-2 ^bi), and Job was unable to reply (40:3-5 ^bj).
13:24 ^bk God can turn away in wrath (Deut 31:18 ^bl; Isa 54:8 ^bm; Jer 33:5 ^bn) or refuse to show friendship (Pss 30:7 ^bo; 69:17 ^bp; 102:2 ^bq).

• Job, perhaps playing on his own name (’iyyob), denied that he was God’s enemy (’oyeb).
13:25 ^br In the Old Testament, dry straw is a common image for what can be blown away (“chaff,” Ps 83:13 ^bs; Isa 40:24 ^bt; Jer 13:24 ^bu) or burned (Exod 15:7 ^bv; Isa 47:14 ^bw; Mal 4:1 ^bx; see also “dry grass,” Isa 5:24 ^by; 33:11 ^bz), or for what is weak (Job 41:20-21 ^ca) and trifling (Isa 41:2 ^cb).

‏ Job 14

Summary for Job 14:1-2: 14:1-2 ^cc The flower is an image of life’s brevity (Pss 90:5-6 ^cd; 103:15-16 ^ce; Isa 40:6-7 ^cf).

• A shadow passes swiftly (1 Chr 29:15 ^cg; Ps 102:11 ^ch).
14:3 ^ci keep an eye on: Job lamented God’s relentless surveillance (7:8 ^cj, 17-20 ^ck; 10:6 ^cl, 14 ^cm; 13:27 ^cn).
14:12 ^co do not rise again: Job himself did not have even the minimal evidence of resurrection found in the Old Testament (2 Kgs 13:21 ^cp; Isa 26:19 ^cq; Dan 12:2 ^cr; cp. Job 19:25 ^cs).

• Job was not focusing on the end of the universe when the heavens will be no more (Ps 102:25-26 ^ct; Isa 34:4 ^cu; 51:6 ^cv; Heb 1:10-12 ^cw) but on the eternity of the heavens (Ps 148:6 ^cx; cp. Pss 72:5 ^cy, 7 ^cz, 17 ^da; 89:29 ^db, 37 ^dc). His phrase refers to the permanency of death.
14:13 ^dd Since the grave is a permanent abode (14:10-12 ^de, see 3:13-19 ^df; 7:6-10 ^dg; 10:20-22 ^dh), Job could not even fulfill his request from 13:20-21 ^di by hiding temporarily in the grave.
14:16 ^dj guard my steps: Here, Job refers to God’s providential care (10:12 ^dk) rather than to his surveillance (13:27 ^dl; 14:3 ^dm).
14:17 ^dn If sins are sealed in a pouch they do not await a time of reckoning (Deut 32:34-35 ^do; Hos 13:12 ^dp)—they are hidden forever. Job was requesting acquittal.
14:22 ^dq Job no longer saw Sheol as a haven (3:17-19 ^dr; 14:13-17 ^ds). The Old Testament usually depicts the dead as being without feeling (Ps 88:12 ^dt; Eccl 9:5 ^du; cp. Isa 50:11 ^dv; 66:24 ^dw); the doctrine that the dead suffer painfully is clearer in the New Testament (Luke 16:23 ^dx, 28 ^dy; Rev 14:11 ^dz).