God’s Word Translation
Job 11:12
12But an empty-headed person will gain understanding when a wild donkey is born tame.
Job 11:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass’s colt.
- New International Version (NIV)But the witless can no more become wise than a wild donkey’s colt can be born human.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But a stupid man will get understanding when a wild donkey's colt is born a man!
- New King James Version (NKJV)For an empty-headed man will be wise, When a wild donkey’s colt is born a man.
Context of Job 11:12
10If God comes along and imprisons ⌞someone⌟ and then calls a court into session, who can stop him? 11He knows who the scoundrels are. And when he sees sin, doesn’t he pay attention to it? But an empty-headed person will gain understanding when a wild donkey is born tame. 13“If you want to set your heart right, then pray to him. 14If you’re holding on to sin, put it far away, and don’t let injustice live in your tent.
Read all of Job 11Job 11:12 word by word
וְאִ֣ישׁ נָ֭בוּב יִלָּבֵ֑ב וְעַ֥יִר פֶּ֝֗רֶא אָדָ֥ם יִוָּלֵֽד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Job 11:12
- Psalms 62:9Common people are only a whisper in the wind. Important people are only a delusion. When all of them are weighed on a scale, they amount to nothing. They are less than a whisper in the wind.
- Psalms 73:22I was stupid, and I did not understand. I was like a dumb animal in your presence.
- Psalms 92:6A stupid person cannot know and a fool cannot understand
- Ecclesiastes 3:18I thought to myself, “God is going to test humans in order to show them that they are ⌞like⌟ animals.”
- Romans 1:22While claiming to be wise, they became fools.
- James 2:20You fool! Do you have to be shown that faith which does nothing is useless?
- Job 5:13He catches the wise with their own tricks. The plans of schemers prove to be hasty.
- Job 12:2“You certainly are ⌞wise⌟ people, and when you die, wisdom will die.
- Job 28:28So he told humans, ‘The fear of the Lord is wisdom! To stay away from evil is understanding.’ ”
- Proverbs 30:2I’m more ⌞like⌟ a dumb animal than a human being. I don’t ⌞even⌟ have human understanding.
- Romans 12:16Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be arrogant, but be friendly to humble people. Don’t think that you are smarter than you really are.
- 1 Corinthians 3:18Don’t deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise in the ways of this world, you should give up that wisdom in order to become really wise.
- James 3:13Do any of you have wisdom and insight? Show this by living the right way with the humility that comes from wisdom.
- Job 15:14Why should a mortal be considered faultless or someone born of a woman be considered righteous?
- Psalms 51:5Indeed, I was born guilty. I was a sinner when my mother conceived me.
- Ephesians 2:3All of us once lived among these people, and followed the desires of our corrupt nature. We did what our corrupt desires and thoughts wanted us to do. So, because of our nature, we deserved God’s anger just like everyone else.
Commentaries on Job 11:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12For vain man would be wise - The original is difficult and uncertain, ילבב נבוב ואיש veish nabub yillabeb, "And shall the hollow man assume courage," or "pride himself?" Or, as Mr. Good rather paraphrases it, Will he then accept the hollow-hearted person? The Chaldee gives two renderings: An eloquent man shall become wiser in his heart, and the colt of the wild ass is born as the son of man. Or, The wise man shall ponder it; and the refractory youth, who…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12For vain man - Margin, “empty.” נבוב nâbûb according to Gesenius, from the root נבב nâbab to bore through, and then to be hollow; metaphorical, “empty,” “foolish.” The Septuagint, strangely enough, renders this,” but man floats about with words.” The Hebrew here means, manifestly, hollow, empty; then insincere and hypocritical. Zophar refers to a hollow-hearted man, who, though he was in fact like a wild ass‘s colt, attempted to appear mild and gentle…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-12Verses 7-12 Zophar speaks well concerning God and his greatness and glory, concerning man and his vanity and folly. See here what man is; and let him be humbled. God sees this concerning vain man, that he would be wise, would be thought so, though he is born like a wild ass's colt, so unteachable and untameable. Man is a vain creature; empty, so the word is. Yet he is a proud creature, and self-conceited. He would be wise, would be thought so, though he…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. vain--hollow. would be--"wants to consider himself wise"; opposed to God's "wisdom" (see on Job 11:11); refuses to see sin, where God sees it (Ro 1:22). wild ass's colt--a proverb for untamed wildness (Job 39:5, 8; Jr 2:24; Ge 16:12; Hebrew, "a wild-ass man"). Man wishes to appear wisely obedient to his Lord, whereas he is, from his birth, unsubdued in spirit.Read the comment
Topics related to Job 11:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Job 11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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