New International Version
Job 12:7
7“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
Job 12:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
- English Standard Version (ESV)"But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
- New King James Version (NKJV)“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Just ask the animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
Context of Job 12:7
5Those who are at ease have contempt for misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping. 6The tents of marauders are undisturbed, and those who provoke God are secure— those God has in his hand. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; 8or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. 9Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?
Read all of Job 12Job 12:7 word by word
וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁאַל־נָ֣א בְהֵמ֣וֹת וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וְע֥וֹף הַ֝שָּׁמַ֗יִם וְיַגֶּד־לָֽךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Job 12:7
- Job 21:29Have you never questioned those who travel? Have you paid no regard to their accounts—
- Proverbs 6:6Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
- Isaiah 1:3The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”
- Jeremiah 8:7Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord.
Commentaries on Job 12:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee - Mr. Good's paraphrase here is very just: "Why tell ye me that the Almighty hath brought this calamity upon me? Every thing in nature, the beasts of the field, the fowls of the heaven, every inhabitant of earth and sea, and every thing that befalls them, are the work of his hands; and every thing feels and acknowledges him to be the universal Creator and Controller. It is the common doctrine of all…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7But ask now the beasts - Rosenmuller supposes that this appeal to the inferior creation should be regarded as connected with Job 12:3, and that the intermediate verses are parenthetical. Zophar had spoken with considerable parade of the wisdom of God. He had said (Job 11:7 ff) that the knowledge of God was higher than the heavens, and had professed Job 12:6 to have himself exalted views of the Most High. In reply to this, Job says that the views which…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-11Verses 6-11 Job appeals to facts. The most audacious robbers, oppressors, and impious wretches, often prosper. Yet this is not by fortune or chance; the Lord orders these things. Worldly prosperity is of small value in his sight: he has better things for his children. Job resolves all into the absolute proprietorship which God has in all the creatures. He demands from his friends liberty to judge of what they had said; he appeals to any fair judgment…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-8ask the animals … the birds … the earth … the fish: Job believed the reason for his grief was obvious and that even creation would understand it (Proverbs 6:6). Later, God directed Job to the animal kingdom to show him that he did not understand (Job 38–40).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-87-8. Beasts, birds, fishes, and plants, reasons Job, teach that the violent live the most securely (Job 12:6). The vulture lives more securely than the dove, the lion than the ox, the shark than the dolphin, the rose than the thorn which tears it.Read the comment
Topics related to Job 12:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Job 12
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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