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Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary

Job 12:24

The heart; which signifies either,

1. Their courage, as Psalms 76:12; or rather,

2. Their wisdom and counsel, as Job 5:13 Isaiah 3:4, as the following words show. The chief; either for place and power, or for wisdom and conduct. Causeth them to wander in a wilderness, i.e. fills them with confusion, and uncertainty, and perplexity of mind, so that they know not how to govern themselves or their people.

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See also Job 12:24 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 12:24. _HE TAKETH AWAY THE HEART OF THE CHIEF_] Suddenly deprives the leaders of great counsels, or mighty armies of courage; so that, panic-struck, they flee when none pursueth, or are conf...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    HE TAKETH AWAY THE HEART - The word heart here evidently means mind, intelligence, wisdom; see the notes at Job 12:3. OF THE CHIEF OF THE PEOPLE - Hebrew “Heads of the people;” that is, of the rulers...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER S 12-14 JOB'S ANSWER TO ZOPHAR _ 1. His sarcasm (Job 12:1)_ 2. He describes God's power (Job 12:7) 3. He denounces his friends (Job 13:1) 4. He appeals to God ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    Eliphaz had appealed to revelation, Bildad to the wisdom of the ancients, Zophar assumes that he himself is the oracle of God's wisdom. Job answers this assumption. Firstly Zophar is not the only wise...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    HEART. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Cause), App-6, for the courage given by it. WILDERNESS. a pathless _tohu._ Compare note on Genesis 1:2....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _he taketh away the heart_ i. e. the understanding; cf. on ch. Job 11:12. _in a wilderness_ Same word as in ch. Job 6:18. The word is that rendered "without form," Genesis 1:2;...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Job 12:7-10 referred to what one could _see_of God's power and wisdom in the world, these verses refer to what one might learn of them by _hearing_ancient men discourse regarding them. In ch. Job 13:1...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    HE TAKETH AWAY THE HEART, &C.— Bishop Warburton thinks that these words allude to the wandering of the Israelites forty years in the wilderness. But whoever will be at the pains to consult the Hebrew,...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    3. ARBITRARILY HE DECREES WHAT WILL BE. (JOB 12:13-25) TEXT 12:13-25 13 With _God_ is wisdom and might; He hath counsel and understanding. 14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _HE 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._ He taketh away the heart - intelligence. WANDER IN A WILDERNESS...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    JOB'S THIRD SPEECH (JOB 12-14) The friends have said God is wise and mighty. Job replies, 'I know that as well as you. You infer that He is also righteous, but experience shows that His power and wisd...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    WILDERNESS] The Heb. is used of the primeval chaos of Genesis 1:2....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    JOB, A SERVANT OF GOD Job _KEITH SIMONS_ Words in boxes (except for words in brackets) are from the Bible. This commentary has been through Advanced Checking. CHAPTER 12 JOB REPLIES TO ZOPHAR’S...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    These were powerful men. But God has made them humble. God did this and so he shows everyone his greatness. Perhaps God did this to teach the rulers to obey him (Daniel chapter 4). Or perhaps he did i...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    מֵסִ֗יר לֵ֭ב רָאשֵׁ֣י עַם ־הָ אָ֑רֶץ וַ֝

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    XII. BEYOND FACT AND FEAR TO GOD Job 12:1; Job 13:1; Job 14:1 Job SPEAKS ZOPHAR excites in Job's mind great irritation, which must not be set down altogether to the fact that he is the third to spe...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “GOD'S PATHS IN DEEP WATERS” Job 12:1 Job sets himself to disprove Zophar's contention that wickedness invariably causes insecurity in men's dwellings; and in doing so he bitterly complains that his...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Job's last reply in this first cycle is to the whole argument, as well as to Zophar's application of it. From beginning to end, it thrills with sarcasm, while it maintains its denial of personal guilt...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Changeth. Hebrew, "taketh away the heart," or prudence "of princes." Hence they follow the most absurd counsels, Isaias xxix. 19. (Calmet) --- No way. This was the case of Pharao, when he pursued the...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (11) Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat? (12) В¶ With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding. (13) With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and unders...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 4 THROUGH 31. As to the friends of Job, they do not call for any extended remarks. They urge the doctrine that God's earthly government is a full measure and...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    HE TAKETH AWAY THE HEART OF THE CHIEF OF THE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH,.... The people of the earth are the common people; the "chief" or "heads" f of them, as it may be rendered, are kings, princes and gen...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    He 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. Ver. 24. _He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people_] T...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _He increaseth the nations_, &c. What he had hitherto said of princes, he now applies to nations and people, whom God either increases or diminishes as he pleases. _He enlargeth the nations_ He multip...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, the understanding of those who are held together by the ties of a common origin, language, and country, AND CAUSETH THEM TO WANDER IN...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    God's Government of the World...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    JOB EMPHASISES GOD'S GREATNESS AND WISDOM (vv.1-25) Job's reply to Zophar was understandably sarcastic, "No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you!" (v.2). Zophar had implied that h...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    12-25 This is a noble discourse of Job concerning the wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God, in ordering all the affairs of the children of men, according to the counsel of His own will, which none c...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 12:24 away H5493 (H8688) understanding H3820 chiefs H7218 people H5971 earth H776 wander H8582 (H86

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Job answers his three friends, extolling God's wisdom. CHARACTERS: God, Job, three friends. CONCLUSION: There is a wise providence which guides and governs all things by rules with which t...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Job 12:6. _The tabernacles of robbers prosper._ Or as it might be rendered, a placid tranquility gladdens the tabernacles of robbers; referring to the Arabs, who plunder the merchants. This and the fo...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Behold, He breaketh down._ JOB’S MAXIMS Perhaps Job uses this lofty language concerning God for two reasons. 1. To show that he could speak as grandly of the Eternal as his friends had spoken. 2....

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 12:13 In these verses, Job asserts that God’s providential governing of the world is much more extensive than his friends realize. ⇐...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 12:21 HE POURS CONTEMPT ON PRINCES and MAKES THEM WANDER IN A TRACKLESS WASTE. God governs the powerful as well as the weak. LOOSENS THE BELT is a way of describing the

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _JOB’S REPLY TO ZOPHAR_ I. Defends himself against the charge of ignorance implied in Zophar’s speech (Job 12:2). His defence is:— 1. _Ironical_ (Job 12:2). “No doubt but ye are the people; and wisd...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION The discourse of Job, here begun, continues through three chapters (Job 12:1; Job 13:1; Job 14:1.). It is thought to form the conclusion of the first day's colloquy. In it Job for the first...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    So Job answered him and said, No doubt but you are the people, and wisdom is going to die with you (Job 12:1-2). He's about had it with these guys who think they know all the answers, and they're not...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Daniel 4:16; Daniel 4:33; Genesis 1:2; Hosea 7:11; Isaiah 19:1;...

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