14 Behold, He breaketh down and it cannot be built again,

He shutteth up, and it cannot be opened.

15 Behold, He restraineth the waters and they dry up,

And He letteth them out and they overturn the earth.

16 With Him is might and existence,

The erring and the deceiver are His.

God is almighty, and everything in opposition to Him powerless. If He break down (any structure whatever), it can never be rebuilt; should He close upon any one (i.e., the dungeon, as perhaps a cistern covered with a stone, Lamentations 3:53, comp. Jeremiah 38:6; על with reference to the depth of the dungeon, instead of the usual בּעד), it (that which is closed from above) cannot be opened again. In like manner, when He desires to punish a land, He disposes the elements according to His will and pleasure, by bringing upon it drought or flood. יעצר, coercet, according to the correct Masoretic mode of writing יעצר with dagesh in the Ssade, in order clearly to distinguish in the pronunciation between the forms j'a-ssor and jaa'ssor (יעצר);

(Note: Vid., my notice of Br's Psalter-Ausgabe, Luth. Zeitschr. 1863, 3; and comp. Keil on Leviticus 4:13 (Comm on Pent., Clark's transl.).)

ויבשׁוּ (for which Abulwalid writes ויבשׁוּ) is a defective form of writing according to Ges. 69, 3, 3; the form ויהפכוּ with the similarly pointed fut. consec., 1 Samuel 25:12, form a pair (zuwg) noted by the Masora. By תּוּשׁיּה, which is ascribed to God, is here to be understood that which really exists, the real, the objective, knowledge resting on an objective actual basis, in contrast with what only appears to be; so that consequently the idea of Job 12:16 and Job 12:13 is somewhat veiled; for the primary notion of חכמה is thickness, solidity, purity, like πυκνότης.

(Note: The primary notion of חכם, Arab. hkm, is, to be thick, firm, solid, as the prim. notion of Arab. sachfa (to be foolish, silly) is to be thin, loose, not holding together (as a bad texture). The same fundamental notions are represented in the expression of moral qualities (in distinction from intellectual) by צדק, Arab. sdq, and רשׁע, (Arab. rs', rsg).)

This strophe closes like the preceding, which favours our division. The line with עמּו is followed by one with לו, which affirms that, in the supremacy of His rule and the wisdom of His counsels, God makes evil in every form subservient to His designs.

Job 12:21 Parallel Commentaries

poureth

Exodus 8:2 And if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your borders with frogs:

Exodus 16:24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.

1 Kings 21:23,24 And of Jezebel also spoke the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel...

2 Kings 9:26,34-37 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, said the LORD; and I will requite you in this plat...

Psalm 107:40 He pours contempt on princes, and causes them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.

Isaiah 23:9 The LORD of hosts has purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.

Isaiah 24:21,22 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high...

Isaiah 37:38 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god...

Daniel 2:21,22 And he changes the times and the seasons: he removes kings, and sets up kings: he gives wisdom to the wise...

Daniel 4:32,33 And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make you to eat grass as oxen...

Matthew 2:12,13 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way...

Acts 12:23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

weakened the strength of the mighty. or, looseth the girdle of the strong

Isaiah 5:27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed...

Isaiah 11:5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

Isaiah 22:21 And I will clothe him with your robe, and strengthen him with your girdle, and I will commit your government into his hand...

Ephesians 6:10,14 Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might...