Job 12:17-19
He leads counselors away stripped, and judges he makes fools. He looses the bonds of kings and binds a waistcloth on their hips. He leads priests away stripped and overthrows the mighty.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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It's easy to read this verse as simply God punishing foolish leaders. But notice how the same God who "strips" counselors of their wisdom and makes judges look like fools is the one leading and making them this way, revealing His ultimate sovereignty even over those who think they are in control. This isn't just about judgment; it's a stark reminder that God's power is so supreme it can even turn the wisdom and authority of the world's most respected figures into weakness.
Job is arguing that God is sovereign over all earthly powers, including the wise and authoritative. He's illustrating how God can easily strip away the wisdom, dignity, and plans of even the most respected leaders, making them look foolish or leading them away as captives. This all builds on Job's assertion that true wisdom and understanding belong to God, and human leadership, however impressive, is ultimately subject to His will and power.
Ever felt like the 'experts' got it all wrong? This verse speaks to that, showing how even the most brilliant minds can be undone.
Job is declaring that God's power extends even to the 'counselors' – the wise statesmen, advisors, and strategists who guide nations. These individuals, who rely on their intellect and experience, can be 'stripped' of their wisdom, their plans confounded, and their authority dismantled.
It's not that God makes them foolish in the sense of actively planting error, but rather He withdraws His sustaining hand or allows their own flawed thinking to be exposed. They are left exposed, like captives stripped of their finery, their supposed wisdom proving utterly useless against God's sovereign will. This highlights that true wisdom and effective counsel ultimately come from God.
What happens when the people meant to uphold justice are made to look like fools?
Job continues his powerful assertion by stating that God 'makes judges fools.' This refers to those in positions of authority, responsible for dispensing justice. God can infatuate their minds, confuse their judgment, or simply expose the folly of their decisions.
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This isn't about God randomly picking on people, but about His ultimate sovereignty. He can turn the tables on those who think they have all the answers or who wield their authority without regard for Him. Their own 'wisdom' or pride can become the very thing that leads to their downfall, revealing their foolishness in the eyes of all. It's a stark reminder that no human institution, not even justice itself, is beyond God's ultimate control and scrutiny.
Understand the original words
yo'atsim · Hebrew Noun
Advisors or those who provide counsel; in the biblical context, it often refers to those who claim to have human wisdom and authority in governance or spiritual matters.
shophetim · Hebrew Noun
Those invested with the authority to render legal or moral decisions. Biblically, they represent justice, and when God overturns them, it demonstrates His higher authority over all human justice systems.
melakim · Hebrew Noun
Individuals who hold political authority or supreme power over a nation. The Bible often portrays kings as powerful earthly figures who are nonetheless subject to the absolute sovereignty of God.
kohanim · Hebrew Noun
Religious officials appointed to offer sacrifices and mediate between God and the people. Their status is secondary to God's authority, and He holds them accountable for their stewardship.
ethanim · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
Those who possess great power, physical strength, or social influence. The Scriptures frequently emphasize that God is able to bring down the proud and the powerful to demonstrate that human strength is nothing compared to His.
Job speaks of God's sovereign power to humiliate the proudest leaders. The fall of Jerusalem, a pivotal moment where Judah's counselors and judges utterly failed, provides a stark, real-world example of this truth, reminding us that true wisdom and authority belong to God alone.
c. 1000 BC - 500 BC
Period of Israelite Monarchy and Divided Kingdom
This era saw the rise and fall of the united monarchy, followed by a divided kingdom. Israel and Judah experienced periods of relative stability, but also frequent wars, political intrigue, and reliance on foreign powers, often relying on the counsel of statesmen and the judgments of appointed leaders.
c. 732 BC
Assyrian Conquest of Northern Israel
The powerful Assyrian Empire began its expansion, conquering northern Israel. This event would have demonstrated to all the nations the vulnerability of even established kingdoms and the potential downfall of their leaders and advisors.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, began deporting Jewish leaders and skilled individuals to Babylon. This act stripped the kingdom of its counsel and demonstrated the powerlessness of their wisest men against divine or imperial might.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Destruction of the Temple
The Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and exiled a large portion of the remaining population. This cataclysmic event would have starkly illustrated the utter failure of Judah's counselors and judges.
c. 539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon, leading to the eventual return of the exiles to Judah. This shift in empires further underscored the transience of human power and the unpredictable turns of history.
This passage directly parallels Job's statement by describing how God confounds the wisdom of Egypt's counselors, making them act foolishly and leading their plans astray.
2 Samuel 15:31This verse illustrates Job's point, showing a counselor (Ahithophel) whose wise advice was thwarted by God, leading to his own downfall and disgrace.
1 Corinthians 1:19The Apostle Paul echoes Job's sentiment, stating that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise, highlighting the divine ability to make humanly conceived plans and intellect seem foolish.
Proverbs 21:30This proverb reinforces the idea that human strategy and wisdom are ultimately ineffective against divine will, echoing the futility of counselors' plans when God intends to frustrate them.
clarkeJob 12:17: "He leadeth counsellers away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools."
He leadeth counsellors away spoiled - The events of war are also in his hand. It is he who gives victory; through him even the counsellors - the great men and chief men, are often led into captivity, and found among the spoils. And maketh the judges fools - He infatuates the judges. Does this refer to the foolish conduct of some of the Israelitish judges, such as Samson?
cambridgeJob 12:17: "He leadeth counsellers away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools."
17 . away spoiled ] The word is rendered “stripped” Micah 1:8 , the meaning being, deprived of their outer garments, and clothed as slaves and captives. The word might perhaps mean “barefooted” (so Sept. Micah 1:8 ), also a condition of those in destitution and mourning, 2 Samuel 15:30 . On second clause “maketh judges fools,” turns them into fools, and shews them as fools, cf. Isaiah 44:25 ; Isaiah 19:11 seq .
It's easy to read this verse as simply God punishing foolish leaders. But notice how the same God who "strips" counselors of their wisdom and makes judges look like fools is the one leading and making them this way, revealing His ultimate sovereignty even over those who think they are in control. This isn't just about judgment; it's a stark reminder that God's power is so supreme it can even turn the wisdom and authority of the world's most respected figures into weakness.
Job is arguing that God is sovereign over all earthly powers, including the wise and authoritative. He's illustrating how God can easily strip away the wisdom, dignity, and plans of even the most respected leaders, making them look foolish or leading them away as captives. This all builds on Job's assertion that true wisdom and understanding belong to God, and human leadership, however impressive, is ultimately subject to His will and power.
Job is arguing that God is sovereign over all earthly powers, including the wise and authoritative. He's illustrating how God can easily strip away the wisdom, dignity, and plans of even the most respected leaders, making them look foolish or leading them away as captives. This all builds on Job's assertion that true wisdom and understanding belong to God, and human leadership, however impressive, is ultimately subject to His will and power.
"He leads counselors away stripped, and judges he makes fools. He looses the bonds of kings and binds a waistcloth on their hips. He leads priests away stripped and overthrows the mighty." — It's easy to read this verse as simply God punishing foolish leaders. But notice how the same God who "strips" counselors of their wisdom and makes judges look like fools is the one leading and *ma…
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