He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.
Parallel translations
- WEB He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.
- KJV He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.
- NKJV He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and guides them.
- NASB “He makes the nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.
- NLT He builds up nations, and he destroys them. He expands nations, and he abandons them.
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 sovereignly raises up and brings down whole nations. The rise and fall of peoples lies entirely in His hands.
Overview
Job affirms that God governs not just individuals but the destinies of nations, increasing and destroying, enlarging and leading them captive. This echoes the biblical theme that the Most High rules the kingdoms of men. It reminds us that history's great movements unfold under God's providence rather than mere chance or human strength.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Isa 9:3You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people rejoice before You as they rejoice at harvest time, as men rejoice in dividing the plunder.
- Isa 26:15You have enlarged the nation, O LORD; You have enlarged the nation. You have gained glory for Yourself; You have extended all the borders of the land.
- Isa 60:22The least of you will become a thousand, and the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will accomplish it quickly.
- Ps 107:38He blesses them, and they multiply greatly; He does not let their herds diminish.
- Exod 1:7but the Israelites were fruitful and increased rapidly; they multiplied and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.
- Jer 30:19Thanksgiving will proceed from them, a sound of celebration. I will multiply them, and they will not be decreased; I will honor them, and they will not be belittled.
- Isa 27:6In the days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole world with fruit.
- Jer 33:22As the hosts of heaven cannot be counted and as the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so too will I multiply the descendants of My servant David and the Levites who minister before Me.”
- Isa 51:2Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave you birth. When I called him, he was but one; then I blessed him and multiplied him.
- Zech 10:8I will whistle for them to gather, for I have redeemed them; and they will be as numerous as they once were.
- Exod 1:20So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became even more numerous.
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 12:23 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.