He bringeth counsellors to a foolish end, and judges to insensibility.

“He knoweth both the deceiver and deceived, He bringeth counsellors to a foolish end, and the judges to dulness. Whereas every man that strives to deceive his neighbour is wicked, and 'Truth' saith to the wicked, I never knew you, depart from Me ye that work iniquity; in what sense is it said here, that 'the Lord knoweth the deceiver?' But forasmuch as God's 'knowing' sometimes means His taking cognizance, sometimes His approving, He at once knows a wicked man, in that in taking cognizance He judges him, (for He would never judge any wicked man, if He did not take cognizance of him,) and yet He does not know a wicked person, in that He does not approve his doings. And so He both knows him, in that He finds him out, and knows him not, in that He doth not acknowledge him in a likeness to His own Wisdom. As it is said of any truthful man, that he does not know falsehood, not because, when any thing false is said even by others, he is too blind to find fault with it, but this very falsehood he at once knows in the tracing out, and knows not in the affection of the heart, so as not to do that himself, which he condemns the doing of in others. And it may often happen that persons, busy in artful contrivances, spread the nets of their wickedness for another's life, and when he, in ignorance of it, is seen to be taken by the snares, perchance it is questioned whether such things are seen from above, and men wonder, why it is, if God does see them, that He suffers them to be done. But He knoweth the deceiver and the deceived. For 'He knoweth the deceiver,' in that generally He sees former sins of his, and by a just judgment suffers him to fall into others also. 'He knoweth the deceiver,' in that, left in the hand of his own doings, He forsaketh him, that he may be precipitated into worse ones, as it is written, He that is unjust let him be unjust still, and he that is filthy let him be filthy still. Moreover 'He knoweth the deceived' too, in that men often do evil things that they know; and therefore they are suffered to be 'deceived,' so as further to fall into evil things which they know not. However, this is used to be done to the deceived sometimes for their purifying, sometimes as the beginning of vengeance. He bringeth counsellors also to a foolish end, when they do any thing good even, with no good purpose, but are going after the recompensing of a temporary reward. For, if the Only-begotten Son of the Most High Father, because hereby, that He was made Man, He preached eternal truths, is therefore called the Angel of great counsel, we rightly interpret 'the counsellors,' those preachers, who furnish the 'counsel' of life to their hearers. But when any preacher preaches the truths of eternity for this, that he may acquire temporal gains, assuredly he is 'brought to a foolish end,' in that he is aiming to reach that point by laborious effort, whence he ought to have fled in uprightness of mind. And it is rightly added, And the judges to dulness. For all that are set over the examination of other men's conduct, are rightly called 'judges;' but when he that has this oversight does not diligently examine the lives of those under his authority, nor acquaint himself whom he should correct, and how, 'the judge is brought to dulness,' in that he, who should have judged things that were ill done, never finds out those things which are to be judged.”

“madness Heb. שולל. It is a noun, ‘madness.’ He leads them away with madness when He wishes to confuse and destroy their wisdom, as in (Isa. 59: 15), “and he who turns away from evil is considered mad (משתולל)”; (Ps. 76:6), “The stouthearted became mad אשתוללוּ.” The “tav” in משתולל and in אשתוללוּ [is inserted because] so is the structure of the Hebrew language: in a word that has a radical “shin” or “sammech,” and which is used in passive or reflexive conjugation, a “tav” is placed after the first radical, like (Ecc. 8:10), “and they will be forgotten (וישתכחו) in the city”; (Micah 6: 16), “For the statutes of Omri are kept (וישתמר)”; (Exod. 9:17), “You still exalt yourself very high (מסתולל) above My people”; (Ecc. 12:5), “and the grasshopper shall drag himself along (ויסתבל).” Me makes...fools Heb. יהולל, He makes mad, an expression of folly and foolishness.”

“Job answering said, and so forth. In the preceding words Sophar had tried to show that man cannot comprehend the secrets of God's wisdom, in order to humiliate Job, who seemed to be demanding a disputation as it were with God. And as can be gathered from his words and those of the other friends, their whole intention turned about three things: first, they were eager to say certain magnificent things about God, extolling his wisdom and power and justice, so that from this their own cause might appear more favorable; second, they applied these magnificent things assumed about God to certain false doctrines, namely that on account of justice men prosper in this world and on account of sins are afflicted, and that after this life nothing is to be expected; third, from assertions of this kind, on account of the adversity which Job was suffering, they accused him as though he were wicked, and promised him certain empty things if he would abandon iniquity, namely that buried he would sleep secure and that at evening the brightness of noonday would rise for him — which Job reckoned as mockeries. And around these three points Job's whole response turns. First, therefore, he speaks against them concerning the fact that they exalted themselves, proposing certain great things about God as though they alone knew them and Job was ignorant of them; and so it is said, "Job answering said: Are you then the only men?" What follows is: if you reckon that you alone know these things about the greatness of God which all men know; and since wisdom consists in the knowledge of the greatness of God, it follows that, if you alone know these things, wisdom is in you alone, and so when you cease, wisdom ceases — and therefore he adds, "and wisdom shall die with you?" As if he were saying: it is unfitting either that you alone should be men, or that you alone should be wise. But because they might say, "It is not that we alone know, but rather that you do not know," he replies, adding, "I also have a heart," namely for knowing these things, as you do, "nor am I inferior to you," namely as regards this knowledge. And lest this be ascribed to arrogance, he adds, "for who is ignorant of these things which you know?" As if he were saying: it is no great thing if I say that I know what you know, because it is no great thing to know it, since anyone knows it; but in that you reckon me ignorant of these things, you seem to hold me in contempt, as though I were ignorant of what everyone knows. Hence he adds, "He that is mocked by his friend as I am" — namely by you, while you reckon me foolish — "shall call upon God, and he will hear him," because where human help is lacking, there divine help is most present, according to that word of the Psalm: "For my father and my mother have left me, but the Lord hath taken me up" (Psalm 26:10). And in this he seems to answer what Sophar had said above, "Then thou mayest lift up thy face" (Job 11:15), as if to say: I need not wait any longer to pray with confidence, because from this very fact, that I am mocked by friends, hope is given me of having recourse to God. But why one mocked by a friend should be heard by God, he shows, adding, "for the simplicity of the just is laughed to scorn," where he shows both who they are who are mocked and why, and also by whom, when he adds, "a lamp despised in the thoughts of the rich." For to be mocked belongs to one who is deficient, but to mock belongs to one who abounds; now those who abound in virtues do not mock those who are deficient in virtues, but rather have compassion on them and help them if they can; but those who abound in temporal things are especially wont to mock those who are deficient in temporal things, and especially when these apply no effort to acquiring temporal things; but the effort of the just is directed not to acquiring temporal things but to pursuing rectitude, hence they abstain from the frauds and deceits by which riches are for the most part acquired, and from this they are reckoned simple; therefore the just are for the most part mocked. Now the cause of the mockery is simplicity, but it is mocked not as an evident evil but as a hidden good, and so here simplicity is called a lamp on account of the brightness of justice, but "despised in the thoughts of the rich," namely of those who place their end in riches — for whoever places his supreme good in riches must think that things are good in proportion as they serve more to acquire riches — hence the simplicity of the just, by which the multiplication of riches is impeded, must be contemptible to them. But although the simplicity itself of the just is held in contempt in the thoughts of the rich, nevertheless in its own time it is not defrauded of its due end; hence he says, "it is ready for the appointed time." He does not say this as though at some time in the present life earthly prosperity ought to be rendered to the just for their simplicity, but leaves undetermined what this appointed time is and to what end the simplicity of the just is being prepared: for the disputation has not yet arrived at this point, but it will be shown in what follows. Thus, then, Job covertly hints why he was mocked by his friends, whom he calls "rich," because they set the prosperity of this world as man's end, as though it were the reward of man's justice; but he by his simplicity was not seeking this reward but another at the appointed time, and therefore had confidence that if he called upon the Lord he would be heard by him. And because the rich who mock the simplicity of the just do not stop there but proceed even to contempt of God, hence it is added, "the tabernacles of robbers abound." For it follows that, since some place their end in riches, they seek out all ways to attain this ultimate end, whether by fraud or by any other means, and thus they become robbers, and while they rob, they abound in riches; and from this abundance follows contempt of God, hence it is added, "and they provoke God boldly." For then does one do something boldly when he believes that what he does is good; for when conscience gnaws at him about evil, a man does not commit evil without fear, because, as it is said in Wisdom 17:11, "wickedness, being fearful, hath given testimony of her condemnation"; but those who place their ultimate end in riches, from this very fact reckon all things good by which they attain this end; but it is manifest that when they acquire riches by robbery, they provoke God, acting against his justice; hence it follows that they provoke God boldly. Or otherwise: from riches a man is lifted up into pride, reckoning that by them he is sufficient for himself, and from this he contemns God, boldly trusting in his riches, according to that word of Deuteronomy 32:15, "the beloved grew fat, and kicked." But because he had said that the tabernacles of robbers who provoke God abound, lest perhaps it be answered that such abundance is not from God, he adds, "seeing he hath given all things into their hands," that is, into their power, because the power of harming anyone is only from God, but the will to do evil is only from oneself; and therefore in that they rob they provoke God, but the abundance consequent upon it is from God. And this he consequently proves when he adds, "But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee: and the birds of the air, and they shall tell thee. Speak to the earth, and it shall answer thee: and the fishes of the sea shall tell." What all these, when asked, would answer, he shows, adding, "Who is ignorant that the hand of the Lord hath made all these things?" This, then, is what all confess, that they were made by God; but a man questions creatures when he considers them diligently, but when questioned they answer inasmuch as, through the consideration of them, man perceives that so great an ordering as is found in the disposition of their parts, in the order of their actions, could in no way exist except through the dispensing of some higher wisdom. But if creatures of this kind were made by God, it is manifest that they are in God's power just as artifacts are in the power of the artificer, and therefore he adds, "in whose hand," that is, in whose power, "is the soul of every living thing," and not only of the other animals but also "the spirit of all mankind" (literally: of all flesh of man). But if they are in his power, it is manifest that no one can have them except from him, according to that word of Daniel 4:14, "the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and he will give it to whomsoever it shall please him." It is manifest, therefore, that neither the earth nor the animals of which he had spoken above, in which human riches consist, can any man have unless God gives it into his hand; and thus if robbers abound, God has given it into their hands. By this, then, is refuted the opinion of those who held that riches are given by God as a reward of justice, since even to robbers they are given by God. "Doth not the ear discern words," and so forth. Because above Job had set down that the things which Sophar had said about the excellence of divine greatness are manifest to all, he here intends to show that this can come to the knowledge of men through experience of divine power and wisdom in human affairs. Hence first he shows how men come to the knowledge of things through experience, saying, "Doth not the ear discern words," namely when it hears them? "And doth not the palate of him that eateth judge of the taste?" Because experience is from sense, he fittingly manifests the power of experience through the judgment of the senses, and especially through hearing and taste, because hearing among all the senses is the most disciplinable, hence it avails most for the contemplative sciences; but taste is perceptive of foods which are necessary to man for life, hence through the judgment of taste is signified the experience which is had concerning things of the active life. And for this reason, from the judgment of two senses, he shows the power of experience both in speculative and in operative matters, when he adds, "In the ancient is wisdom," which pertains to contemplation, because, namely, the ancients have heard many things; "and in length of days prudence," which pertains to action, because, namely, in a long time men taste many things, useful or harmful. Thus, then, the power of experience having been shown, he adds what men can experience concerning God, when he says, "With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding." Here he attributes to God four things which stand in an order to one another: for the first indeed is to know hidden things, which pertains to understanding; the second is, from those things which a man understands, to find in active matters ways suited to some end, which pertains to counsel — just as also in speculative matters, through the things a man understands, reason deduces to the knowing of certain conclusions; the third is that concerning the things a man has discovered he have a right judgment, which pertains to wisdom; the fourth is that the things which one judges are to be done, he powerfully carry out — and to this pertains strength. But because experience proceeds from things sensible, which although they are prior with respect to us are nevertheless simply and according to nature posterior, he therefore begins to show how men can experience the divine strength, and first indeed in human affairs themselves. For we see that some men are utterly destroyed, either through death as regards the being of nature, or through utter abasement as regards civil being, even though they have many supporters; hence, since they cannot be helped by men so as not to come to destruction, it is manifest that this happens from some hidden cause, both divine and surpassing human power, since human power cannot resist it — and this is what he says: "If he pull down, there is no man that can build up." Likewise we see some men impeded in their undertakings, even if they are not utterly destroyed, though they have very many directors; hence it is manifest that this too comes about from some more excellent power, hence it is added, "and if he shut up a man, there is none that can open," that is, who can extricate him — hence it is said in Ecclesiastes 7:14, "No man can correct whom he hath despised." Then he shows how men can experience the divine power in things of nature, especially as regards rains and droughts, hence he says, "If he withhold the waters," namely so that they do not fall by raining, "all things shall be dried up," namely those which spring from the earth; "and if he send them out," in great abundance, "they shall overturn the earth," as happens in floods. And although this comes about from certain natural causes, that sometimes rains cease even to utter dryness, and sometimes abound even to the overturning of the earth, nevertheless this is not withdrawn from the divine power, which also ordered these very natural causes to their proper effects; thus, then, as if concluding from the foregoing, he adds, "With him is strength." Then, beginning to proceed to the second member, he joins, "and wisdom," as though setting forth what he intends to manifest. Now it is proper to wisdom that through it right judgment be had concerning things; and he judges rightly concerning the truth of things who can discern how someone may be deceived, declining from the truth; and therefore, to show that wisdom is in God, he adds, "he knoweth both the deceiver, and him that is deceived," that is, he discerns by right judgment the deceptions by which someone departs from the truth, distinguishing them from the right knowledge of the truth. And this indeed he supposes from the point on which he and his friends commonly agree, that human affairs are subject to divine judgment — of which he could not judge unless he knew sins, among which deceptions and frauds hold a great place. Then he shows, through the things which appear in human affairs, that counsel is with God. Concerning which, however, it must be considered that just as God knows both the principles of the speculative sciences and the conclusions and their order to one another, yet he does not receive knowledge of the conclusions through the principles but knows all things at once and by a simple glance, so also in operative matters he knows both the ends and the things that are means to the end, and which ways are suited for attaining certain ends, yet he does not seek out the ways from the ends as we do when we take counsel; therefore, just as reason is said to be in God inasmuch as he knows the order of principles to what follows, yet it does not belong to him to investigate anything by way of reasoning as reasoning does, so with him counsel is said to be not by way of inquiry but by way of simple and absolute knowledge. Now the depth of someone in counsels can be gauged from two things: first, when by the subtlety of his counsel he leads adversaries — even if they seem practiced in counsels — to this, that, all their ways failing, they must of necessity arrive at an unfitting end; and as to this he says, "He bringeth counsellors to a foolish end," namely by impeding, through the depth of his counsel, the ways which they devise to avoid an end of this kind. Second, the depth of someone in counsels is shown when he can lead adversaries, by the subtlety of his counsel, to this, that they do not know what they ought to do; and as to this he adds, "and judges to stupidity" — and he calls "judges" the wise, who are accustomed to have right judgment concerning things to be done. Just as also in speculative disputations it happens that someone is held to be an efficacious disputant, who can lead an adversary to something unfitting, or can so establish his own position that nothing can be said against it — so also does God act against his adversaries, because both he leads them to perdition through the very ways which they themselves choose, and he so establishes his own truth and works that they cannot be shaken by adversaries. And because he had said this in general, he consequently manifests it through particular examples, showing how all the things which seem to excel in human affairs are brought, by the depth of divine counsel, to a foolish end and to stupidity. Now in human affairs kings excel in power, and as to these he says he "looseth the belt of kings" — that is, the military girdle — for in their girdle their power is designated, according to that word of the Psalm, "Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O thou most mighty" (Psalm 44:4); "and girdeth their loins with a rope," while they are dragged into captivity, in which the greatest defect of power is denoted. Priests, however, excel as regards the reverence in which they are held, of whom he adds, "he leadeth priests away inglorious." The chief men and counsellors of a city or kingdom seem to excel according to prudence in counsels, and of these he adds, "and supplanteth the great," that is, deceives them. Philosophers excel in the consideration of truth, and of these he says, "changing the lip of the truthful," that is, of those who are zealous to speak the truth: for sometimes God beclouds their mind by withdrawing his grace, so that they cannot find the truth and consequently cannot speak it, according to that word of Romans 1:22, "professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." The aged also excel in directing the young, and of these he adds, "and taking away the doctrine of the ancients" — either because the aged are made foolish, or because they are wholly removed from the midst, according to that word of Isaiah 3:2, "the Lord will take away from Jerusalem the judge and the prophet, and the diviner, and the ancient." Princes, however, excel in the authority they have of commanding others, and of these he adds, "he poureth contempt upon princes," namely so that they are despised by those who ought to have obeyed them. All these things, then, seem to pertain to what he had said, "he bringeth counsellors to a foolish end"; but that sometimes certain persons are raised from the lowest estate to the highest seems to pertain to what he had said, "and judges to stupidity," and as to this he adds, "and relieveth them that had been oppressed" — so that this refers to the powerless who were oppressed by the power of the greater, who, their oppressors being cast down, are sometimes raised to a state of power. But as to those who are of no glory but lie hidden in the lowest estate, he adds, "who discovereth deep things out of darkness," that is, men placed in the lowest estate, and on this account unknown, as it were existing in darkness — he brings them into glory, revealing them to others. But as to those who are reckoned ignorant and foolish, he adds, "and bringeth up to light the shadow of death"; for the shadow of death seems to be ignorance or foolishness, since it is especially through knowledge that living things are distinguished from non-living things; he brings up to light, then, the shadow of death when he either grants wisdom to the ignorant, or shows that those who were wise are wise, whose wisdom was previously unknown. So that what was said, "he relieveth them that had been oppressed," may be said as it were the opposite of what he had said, "he looseth the belt of kings"; and what is added, "who discovereth deep things out of darkness," against what he had said, "he leadeth priests away inglorious"; and what is added, "and bringeth up to light the shadow of death," against all that follows. And just as he had said that this alternation of exaltation and abasement occurs by God with regard to individual persons, he shows this same thing occurring also with regard to a whole nation, adding, "who multiplieth nations," namely so that they increase in number of men, "and destroyeth them," that is, ruins them either by wars or by pestilences, "and restoreth them being overthrown into their former state" — that is, brings back to a good state those overthrown, whether by these mischances, or by the oppression of some one or several who preside unjustly. Having shown, then, that in God is strength, wisdom, and counsel, he last shows that in him is understanding, which we said pertains to the knowledge of hidden things, which seem especially to be those things that lie hidden in the heart. That God knows these things he shows through the fact that he operates in the hearts of men, and thus knows the hidden things of hearts as it were his own effects. He says, then, "who changeth the heart of the princes of the people of the earth," namely as regards the will, hence it is also said in Proverbs 21:1, "the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord, whithersoever he will he shall turn it." And although God inclines the wills of all men, nevertheless special mention is made of kings and princes, because their wills carry greater weight, inasmuch as many follow their will. But as to the intellect he adds, "and deceiveth them" — which indeed is said not because he leads them into falsity, but because he withdraws his light from them lest they know the truth, and beclouds their reason lest they be able to find fitting ways to attain the evils they propose; hence it follows, "that they may walk in vain where there is no way," that is, that they may proceed by ways unsuited, by which they cannot attain their end. Now it happens that someone errs in what he does in two ways: in one way through ignorance, and as to this he says, "they shall grope as in the dark, and not in light," so that by darkness ignorance is designated, by light knowledge; some grope through ignorance after the manner of the blind, while they consider only what they sense presently, as it were by touching; in another way some err in what they do on account of passions, by which their reason is bound with regard to particulars, so that it does not apply universal knowledge to what is to be done, and as to this he adds, "and he shall make them stagger like men that are drunk" — for thus reason is bound by passion as by a kind of drunkenness.”

“He looseth the bonds of kings,.... Not with which they themselves may be bound, being taken prisoners, or being so before made kings, and brought from thence to reign, as in Ecc 4:14; but that which they bind on their subjects, a yoke of bondage, tyranny, and oppression; so that to loose their bond is to loose their subjects from it, and free them from their arbitrary and despotic power, and from the burdens they lay upon them: unless rather it should be understood of loosing their waistbands, as an emblem of their government, ungirding them, or unkinging them, stripping them of their royal power and authority, called a "loosing of their loins", Isa 45:1; and this power God has over such great personages, as to set up kings, and remove them at his pleasure, Dan 2:21; which shows that strength and power, as well as wisdom, are with him; this may respect Chedorlaomer casting off the yoke of Nimrod, and the kings of Canaan casting off the yoke of Chedorlaomer, and being loosed from it, Gen 14:1; and girdeth their loins with a girdle; not with a royal waistband, as an ensign of government; see Isa 11:5; which he looses, and strips them of, but another instead of that; he girds them with the girdle of a servant or traveller; the allusion being to the custom in those eastern countries, where they wore long garments, for servants to gird them up, when they waited on their masters, or when men went long journeys, see Luk 17:7; and so may signify that kings sometimes become servants, or go into captivity, and there be used as such, as they sometimes are; the Vulgate Latin version is, "he girds their reins with a rope".”

“17 He leadeth away counsellors stripped of their robes, And maketh judges fools. 18 The authority of kings He looseth, And bindeth their loins with bands. 19 He leadeth away priests stripped of their robes, And overthroweth those who are firmly established. 20 He removeth the speech of the eloquent, And taketh away the judgment of the aged. 21 He poureth contempt upon princes, And maketh loose the girdle of the mighty. In Job 12:17, Job 12:19, שׁולל is added to מוליך as a conditional accusative; the old expositors vary in the rendering of this word; at any rate it does not mean: chained (Targ. on Job 12:17), from שׁלל (שׁרר), which is reduplicated in the word שׁלשׁלת, a chain, a word used in later Hebrew than the language of the Old Testament (שׁרשׁרה is the Old Testament word); nor is it: taken as booty, made captive (lxx αἰχμαλώτους; Targ. on Job 12:19, בּבזתא, in the quality of spoil) = משׁולל; but it is a neuter adjective closely allied to the idea of the verb, exutus, not however mente (deprived of sense), but vestibus; not merely barefooted (Hirz., Oehler, with lxx, Mic 1:8, ἀνυπόδετος), which is the meaning of יחף, but: stripped of their clothes with violence (vid., Isa 20:4), stripped in particular of the insignia of their power. He leads them half-naked into captivity, and takes away the judges as fools (יהולל, vid., Psychol. S. 292), by destroying not only their power, but the prestige of their position also. We find echoes of this utterance respecting God's paradoxical rule in the world in Isa 40:23; Isa 44:25; and Isaiah's oracle on Egypt, Job 19:11-15, furnishes an illustration in the reality. It is but too natural to translate Job 12:18 : the bands of kings He looses (after Psa 116:16, למוסרי פתחת, Thou hast loosed my bands); but the relation of the two parts of the verse can then not be this: He unchains and chains kings (Hirz., Ew., Heiligst. Schlottm.), for the fut. consec. ויּאסר requires a contrast that is intimately connected with the context, and not of mere outward form: fetters in which kings have bound others (מלכים, gen. subjectivus) He looses, and binds them in fetters (Raschi), - an explanation which much commends itself, if מוּסר could only be justified as the construct of מוּסר by the remark that "the o sinks into u" (Ewald, 213, c). מוּסר does not once occur in the signification vinculum; but only the plur. מוסרים and מוסרות, vincula, accord with the usage of the language, so that even the pointing מוסר proposed by Hirzel is a venture. מוּסר, however, as constr. of מוּסר, correction, discipline, rule (i.e., as the domination of punishment, from יסר, castigare), is an equally suitable sense, and is probably connected by the poet with פּתּח (a word very familiar to him, Job 30:11; Job 39:5; Job 41:6) on account of its relation both in sound and sense to מוסרים (comp. Psa 105:22). The English translation is correct: He looseth the authority of kings. The antithesis is certainly lost, but the thoughts here moreover flow on in synonymous parallelism. Job 12:19 It is unnecessary to understand כהנים, after Sa2 8:18, of high officers of state, perhaps privy councillors; such priest-princes as Melchizedek of Salem and Jethro of Midian are meant. איטנים, which denotes inexhaustible, perennis, when used of waters, is descriptive of nations as invincible in might, Jer 5:15, and of persons as firmly-rooted and stedfast. נאמנים, such as are tested, who are able to speak and counsel what is right at the fitting season, consequently the ready in speech and counsel. The derivation, proposed by Kimchi, from נאם, in the sense of diserti, would require the pointing נאמנים. טעם is taste, judgment, tact, which knows what is right and appropriate under the different circumstances of life, Sa1 25:33. יקּח is used exactly as in Hos 4:11. Job 12:21 is repeated verbatim, Psa 107:40; the trilogy, Ps 105-107, particularly Ps 107, is full of passages similar to the second part of Isaiah and the book of Job (vid., Psalter, ii. 117). אפיקים (only here and Job 41:7) are the strong, from אפק, to hold together, especially to concentrate strength on anything. מזיח (only here, instead of מזח, not from מזח, which is an imaginary root, but from זחח, according to Frst equivalent to זקק, to lace, bind) is the girdle with which the garments were fastened and girded up for any great exertion, especially for desperate conflict (Isa 5:27). To make him weak or relaxed, is the same as to deprive of the ability of vigorous, powerful action. Every word is here appropriately used. This tottering relaxed condition is the very opposite of the intensity and energy which belongs to "the strong." All temporal and spiritual power is subject to God: He gives or takes it away according to His supreme will and pleasure.”