He leads counselors away stripped. He makes judges fools.
Parallel translations
- KJV He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.
- BSB He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.
- NKJV He leads counselors away plundered, And makes fools of the judges.
- NASB “He makes advisers walk barefoot And makes fools of judges.
- NLT He leads counselors away, stripped of good judgment; wise judges become fools.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God leads counselors away stripped and makes judges into fools. He humbles the wise and powerful at will.
Overview
Job describes God overturning the mighty by reducing skilled counselors and judges to folly. The verse begins a litany showing that human power and wisdom stand only at God's pleasure. It echoes the truth that God frustrates the wise and brings down rulers, a theme fulfilled as the cross confounds the wisdom of this age (1 Corinthians 1:19-20; Luke 1:51-52).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Isa 29:14therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the understanding of their prudent men will be hidden.”
- 1 Cor 1:19–20For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, I will bring the discernment of the discerning to nothing.”
- 2 Sam 17:23When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey, arose, and went home, to his city, and set his house in order, and hanged himself; and he died, and was buried in the tomb of his father.
- Job 3:14with kings and counselors of the earth, who built up waste places for themselves;
- Job 9:24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If not he, then who is it?
- 2 Sam 17:14Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For Yahweh had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Yahweh might bring evil on Absalom.
- 2 Sam 15:31Someone told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” David said, “Yahweh, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”
- Isa 19:12–14Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you now; and let them know what Yahweh of Armies has purposed concerning Egypt.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 12:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.