Job 12:21
in Job 12He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the belt of the strong.
KJV
He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.
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This verse in Job 12
Commentary
10 notes on this verseHe 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.
This site's exposition
He deprives the trusted of speech
on Job 12:20-22
"He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders" carries the survey to the men a household relies on for counsel. Verse 22, "He reveals the deep things of darkness", pairs the humbling of the mighty with God's mastery over what is hidden.
This site's exposition
He pours out contempt on nobles
Psalm 107:40 takes up this line together with verse 24, as Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note. The Hebrew of the second half speaks of loosening the belt of the mighty, who girded their long robes for strength, in Barnes's reading. God disarms the mighty.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
He poureth contempt upon princes, and lifteth up those that were oppressed. For whilst the Jewish people continued in the precept of the Law, and the whole Gentile world knew nothing of the precepts of God, both the former seemed to be as 'Princes' by faith, and the latter lay borne down in the depth by unbelief. But when Judaea denied the mystery of our Lord's Incarnation, and the Gentile world believed it, both 'the princes' fell into contempt, and they that had been borne down in the sin of unbelief, were 'lifted up' in the liberty of true faith.
Princes excel in the authority which they have for ruling others, and he says about these, "he pours contempt on princes," so that they are despised by those who should obey them. All these things seem to relate to what he had said, "He leads …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these? 4 I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn. 5 He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Commonly none more abject in themselves, nor more abused by others when they are down, than those who were haughty and insolent when they were in power. (6.) That which was secret, and lay hidden, is strangely brought to light and laid open (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Ps 107:40 quotes, in its first clause, this verse and, in its second, Job 12:24. weakeneth the strength--literally, "looseth the girdle"; Orientals wear flowing garments; when active strength is to be put forth, they gird up their garments with a girdle.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
He poureth contempt upon princes - נדיבים nedibim, “those of royal extraction;” widely different from the כהנים cohanim mentioned Job 12:19. Weakeneth the strength of the mighty - אפיקים 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 רפה מזיח 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 אפק drow eh 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.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
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.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שׁוֹפֵ֣ךְ | shofekh | [he is] pouring | H8210 → | 114 times |
| בּ֭וּז | buz | contempt | H937 → | 11 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| נְדִיבִ֑ים | nedivim | noble [people] | H5081 → | 29 times |
| וּמְזִ֖יחַ | umeziach | and [the] belt of | H4206 → | |
| אֲפִיקִ֣ים | ʾafikim | strong people | H650 → | 19 times |
| רִפָּֽה׃ | ripah | he loosens | H7503 → | 46 times |
שׁוֹפֵ֣ךְ[he is] pouring
shofekhH8210 →114 times
בּ֭וּזcontempt
buzH937 →11 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
נְדִיבִ֑יםnoble [people]
nedivimH5081 →29 times
וּמְזִ֖יחַand [the] belt of
umeziachH4206 →
אֲפִיקִ֣יםstrong people
ʾafikimH650 →19 times
רִפָּֽה׃he loosens
ripahH7503 →46 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 107:40He pours out contempt on the nobles and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
it leads to
- Job 12:24
He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
- Daniel 4:33
At that moment the sentence against Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from mankind. He ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until his hair…
- Isaiah 23:8–9
Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose traders are princes, whose merchants are renowned on the earth?
- Daniel 5:5–6
At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. As the king watched the hand that was writing,
- Job 12:24
Through
Isaiah 37:38One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon…
it leads to
- Genesis 8:4
On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
- Jeremiah 51:27
“Raise a banner in the land! Blow the ram’s horn among the nations! Prepare the nations against her. Summon the kingdoms against her—Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a captain against her; bring up horses…
- Ezra 4:2
they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families, saying, “Let us build with you because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the time of King Esar-haddon…
- Genesis 8:4
Through
Exodus 8:2But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.
it leads to
- Exodus 7:14
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.
- Exodus 7:14
About Job
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Job; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XI; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.