job 12 and 13

Read Job 12 and 13 at Bible Gateway.

Hebrew paragraph divisions

For the series of speeches from Job 3:2-28:10, the Hebrew paragraph divisions for each man’s speech are like the divisions in the Psalms that we studied in 2014. There is an understood {s} division at the end of each numbered line, with an {n} marking where a new line begins within a numbered line. There is one {n} division in the speech from Job 12:1-13:28:

Job 13:27a, You put my feet in the stocks, And watch closely all my paths. {n}

Job 12-14 is all one speech, Job’s answer to Zophar; really, his answer to all three friends that have spoken. There are several structures within it:

Job 12:1-13:2 chiastic structure, Of course the hand of the Lord has caused my calamity, for none can stand before His will:

1a) Job 12:1-10, I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you/ Indeed, who does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?

1b) Job 12:11-12, Does not the ear test words? Wisdom is with the aged;

1c) Job 12:13, With Him are wisdom and strength, He has counsel and understanding;

central axis) Job 12:14-15, What He wills, He does, and none can undo it;

2c) Job 12:16, With Him are strength + prudence/ The deceived + deceiver are His;

2b) Job 12:17-25, He takes away the honor/ understanding of the mighty + the elders;

2a) Job 13:1-2, My eye has seen and understood this; I am not inferior to you.

Job 13:3-21 chiastic structure, Now let me reason with God, for He will vindicate me; as for you, your counsel is worthless – God does not need you to contend for Him:

1a) Job 13:3, But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God;

1b) Job 13:4-6, You forge lies, Your counsel is worthless/ hear my reasoning;

1) Job 13:4-5, You forge lies, you are worthless physicians;
2) Job 13:6, Now hear my reasoning, and heed the pleadings of my lips.

1c) Job 13:7, Will you speak wickedly for God, and talk deceitfully for Him?

1d) Job 13:8-9a, Will you show partiality + contend for God? Will it be well when He searches you out?

central axis) Job 13:9b, Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man?

2d) Job 13:10, He will surely rebuke you if you secretly show partiality;

2c) Job 13:11, Will not His excellence make you afraid, and the dread of Him fall upon you?

2b) Job 13:12-13, Your defenses are ashes and clay/ let me speak;

1) Job 13:12, Your platitudes are proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay.
2) Job 13:13, Hold your peace with me, and let me speak, then let come on me what may!

2a) Job 13:14-21, I will defend myself before Him, for I trust Him to vindicate me, and be my salvation.

What is interesting about what Job and his friends say, is that when God arrives on the scene to defend Himself, He calls this discussion they are having:

“Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” Job 38:2

Echoing Job’s own words under the inspiration of the Spirit, that their counsel is worthless. However all of them, Job included, are rebuked for not knowing what they are talking about. The erroneous assumption that all three friends have made so far, is that Job must have done something to deserve what he is experiencing. This is a warning to us, to take care, and not assume that every man’s calamity has come upon them as earned consequences.

Jesus teaches the same:

There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” Luk 13:1-5

He was speaking to Jews, to fellow partakers in the covenant of promise, to His followers, to those who were listening to Him teach! He is proclaiming the gospel in calling for repentence:

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Act 17:30-31

For further study on site

when tragedy strikes (suffering series) 2005 july 19