Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 12:21

He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

21. contempt upon princes ] Or, nobles, ch. Job 34:18; cf. Psa 107:40.

weakeneth the strength of the mighty ] lit. looseth the girdle of the strong. As the garments were girt up for active labour or battle, to loose the girdle means to incapacitate; Isa 5:27.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

He poureth contempt upon princes – He has power to hurl them from their thrones, and to overwhelm them with disgrace.

And weakeneth the strength of the mighty – Margin, as in Hebrew looseth the girdle of the strong. The Orientals wore loose flowing robes, which were secured by a girdle around the loins. When they labored, ran, or traveled, their robes were girded up. But this is common everywhere. Wrestlers, leapers, and runners, put a girdle around them, and are able thus to accomplish much more than they otherwise could. To loosen that, is to weaken them. So Job says that God had power to loosen the strength of the mighty. He here seems to labor for expressions, and varies the form of the image in every way to show the absolute control which God has over people, and the fact that his power is seen in the reverses of mankind. Lucretius has a passage strongly resembling this in the general sentiment:

Usque adeo res humanas vis abdita quaedam

Obterit; et pulchros fasces, saevasque secures,

Proculcare, atque ludibrio sibi habere, videtur.

Lib. v. 1232.

So from his awful shades, some Power unseen

Oerthrows all human greatness! Treads to dust

Rods, ensigns, crowns – the proudest pomps of state;

And laughs at all the mockery of mad!

Good.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 21. He poureth contempt upon princes] nedibim, “those of royal extraction;” widely different from the cohanim mentioned Job 12:19.

Weakeneth the strength of the mighty.] aphikim, the compact; the well-strung together; the nervous and sinewy. Perhaps there is a reference here to the crocodile, as the same term is applied, Job 40:13, to the compactness of his bones: and as rippah meziach, which we translate weakeneth the strength, signifies more properly looseth the girdle, as the margin has properly rendered it, the reference seems still more pointed; for it is known that “the crocodile, from the shoulders to the extremity of the tail, is covered with large square scales, disposed like parallel girdles, fifty-two in number. In the middle of each girdle are four protuberances, which become higher as they approach the end of the tail, and compose four rows.” See the quotation in Parkhurst, under the word aphak. What is human strength against this? We may say as the Lord said, Job 40:19: He that made him can make his sword to approach unto him. He alone can loose the girdles of this mighty one.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

He poureth contempt upon princes, i.e. he makes them contemptible to their subjects and others.

Weakeneth, Heb. he looseth the girdle; which phrase signifies weakness, as Isa 5:27; as the girding of the girdle notes strength and power, as Isa 22:21; 45:5; both these phrases being taken from the quality of their garments, which being loose and long, did disenable a man for travel or work.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

21. Ps107:40 quotes, in its first clause, this verse and, in itssecond, Job 12:24.

weakeneth thestrengthliterally, “looseth the girdle”; Orientalswear flowing garments; when active strength is to be put forth, theygird up their garments with a girdle. Hence here”Hedestroyeth their power” in the eyes of the people.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

He poureth contempt upon princes,…. Not on good princes, such as rule in righteousness, and decree judgment and govern their subjects according to good laws, in a mild and gentle manner, and answer to their name of free, liberal, beneficent and munificent. These, as there is an honour due unto them, it is the will of God they should have it; much less are princes, in a figurative sense, meant, good men, the children of God, who are born of him the King of kings, and so princes in all the earth; but, in a literal sense, bad princes, that oppress their subjects, and rule them with rigour, and persecute good men; such as rose up against Christ, as Herod and Pontius Pilate; persecutors of the saints, as the Roman emperors, and the antichristian princes in the papacy; these God sometimes brings into contempt with their subjects, deposes them from their government, reduces them to a mean, abject, and servile state; or they die a shameful death, as Herod was eaten with worms, and many of the Heathen emperors died miserable deaths; and the vials of God’s wrath will be poured out upon all the antichristian states, and their princes: pouring denotes the abundance of shame they are put to, as if they were clothed and covered with it, it being plentifully poured out like water, or as water was poured upon them, which is sometimes done by way of contempt, see Ps 107:40;

and weakeneth the strength of the mighty; the strength of men, hale and robust, by sending one disease or another upon them, which takes it away from them; or by “the mighty” are meant men in power and authority; kings, as the Targum paraphrases it, mighty monarchs, whose strength lies in their wealth and riches, in their fortresses and powerful armies; all which God can deprive them of in an instant, and make them as weak as other men. Some render it, “and looseneth the girdle of the mighty” b, the same as loosening the loins of kings,

Isa 14:1; ungirding them, and taking away their power and authority from them, rendering them unfit for business, or unable to keep their posts and defend their kingdom.

b “et zonam potentium laxat”, Tigurine version, Piscator, Beza, Schmidt; so Jarchi, Ben Gersom, Bar Tzemach, & Ben Melech.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

21. Weakeneth the strength, etc. Literally, Looseth the girdle of the strong; a proverbial phrase, says Umbreit, “for destroying their power, that is, in the eyes of the people.” The garments of the Orientals were long and flowing, and were consequently in the way when active service was demanded. The girdle served to bind them up; and hence, to unloose the girdle typified inaction or effeminacy. God promised to unloose the loins of kings before Cyrus, (Isa 45:1,) that is. to render them unfit for material resistance.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 12:21. And weakeneth the strength of the mighty The girdle being an ornament, the loosing it implies disgrace.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Job 12:21 He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

Ver. 21. He poureth contempt upon princes ] Or nobles, or gentlemen, which are, or should be, free, bounteous, munificent benefactors ( ): if they be not Nedibim, but Nebalim, liberal, but churlish (see these opposed, Isa 32:5 ), it is just in God to pour contempt, to lay abundance of shame and scorn upon them, as sordid penny fathers, ignoble Euelios, poor-spirited men, the base brood, or rather blot, of their better forefathers. Of our Edward II it is chronicled, that never was prince received with greater love and opinion of all than he, or never any that sooner lost it: for his very first action in recalling his minion, Pierce Gaveston, discovered a headstrong wilfulness, that was uncounsellable; hence he was slighted by his subjects, pursued by his wife and son, and at length cruelly murdered (Daniel). Mercer observeth that David hath the selfsame words, Psa 107:40 , that are found here and Job 12:24 . Neither need we wonder, since they both spoke by the same spirit.

And weakeneth the strength of the mighty ] Heb. He slackeneth the girdle of the impetuous, that, like strong streams in narrow straits, bear down all before them. So do soldiers in war. See 2Sa 22:36 Job 6:11 . But God can loose their girdles (or belts, which bind their garments, and buckle their armour close to them), he can dispirit them, and make them feeble and faint hearted, as he did Samson, and those Assyrians, Psa 76:5-6 . By this whole discourse of Job it appeareth that he had very diligently observed God’s providence, and way of administration in the several ranks of men, and alterations of commonwealths; whereby he had learned secretly to admire and adore God’s judgments, which thing we ought also similarily to do.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

weakeneth = looseneth.

strength = girdle. Occurs only here and Psa 109:19 and Isa 23:10.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

poureth: Exo 8:2, Exo 16:24, 1Ki 21:23, 1Ki 21:24, 2Ki 9:26, 2Ki 9:34-37, Psa 107:40, Isa 23:9, Isa 24:21, Isa 24:22, Isa 37:38, Dan 2:21, Dan 2:22, Dan 4:32, Dan 4:33, Mat 2:12, Mat 2:13, Act 12:23

weakeneth the strength of the mighty: or, looseth the girdle of the strong, Isa 5:27, Isa 11:5, Isa 22:21, Eph 6:10, Eph 6:14

Reciprocal: Job 30:11 – loosed Job 34:19 – princes Isa 23:10 – no more Isa 40:23 – General Isa 45:5 – I girded thee 1Co 2:6 – of the

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Job 12:21-22. He poureth contempt upon princes That is, he makes them contemptible to their subjects and others; and weakeneth the strength of the mighty The word , meziach, here rendered strength, occurs also Psa 109:19, where it is translated girdle. The clause might here have been rendered, He looseth the girdle of the mighty, a phrase which signifies weakness, Isa 5:27; as the girding of the girdle denotes strength and power, Isa 22:21; Isa 45:5. Both these phrases are taken from the quality of their garments, which, being loose and long, disabled a man for walking or working. He discovereth deep things out of darkness That is, the most secret and crafty counsels of princes: which are contrived and carried on in the dark.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments