Job 12King James Version
Job answers with bitter sarcasm. No doubt you are the people, and wisdom shall die with you. He speaks of God's power to overthrow, to silence judges, to turn counselors into fools. He knows what his friends know. The problem is not that he has not heard it before.
Job responds to all three friends. He is bitter and sarcastic: wisdom will die with you! He knows everything they know. But he is a laughingstock to his neighbors. The tents of robbers prosper. God's hand does every thing they are describing, and Job knows it. God can pull down what he builds, dry up rivers, take wisdom from leaders. Job is not disputing God's power. He is saying none of this proves what the friends think it proves.
Job refuses to let the friends own the theological argument. He knows the traditional wisdom as well as they do. Knowing it has not explained his situation either.
3: "But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?" Job's sharpest critique of the friends is not that their theology is wrong but that they are using it to escape the specific, unanswerable problem sitting in front of them.
Job describes animals, birds, fish, and the earth itself as testifying to God's sovereign hand. This was standard wisdom teaching. The natural world was a classroom for theological truth. Job is turning the classroom material back on the teachers: yes, I know all this, and it still does not explain why.
Job addresses all three friends together. His tone is sharper here than anywhere so far. He is not asking for compassion at this point; he is arguing back.
Job lists examples of God's sovereign power over nations, kings, priests, judges: all of them under divine control. This is meant to undercut the friends' argument that prosperity indicates righteousness. God dismantles kings and makes fools of wise men all the time. Power is not justice.
There is a peculiar loneliness in being told things you already know by people who think they are teaching you something. Job is not new to this tradition. He has lived it. And it has broken down in his life.
1And Job answered and said,
2No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
3But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
4I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.
5He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.
6The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.
7But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
8Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
9Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?
10In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
11Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?
12With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
13With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.
14Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
15Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
16With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.
17He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.
18He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.
19He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.
20He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.
21He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.
22He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
23He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.
24He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
25They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.