He builds up nations, and he destroys them. He expands nations, and he abandons 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.
- BSB He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.
- 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.
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 multiplied the nation. You have increased their joy. They rejoice before you according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the plunder.
- Isa 26:15You have increased the nation, O Yahweh. You have increased the nation! You are glorified! You have enlarged all the borders of the land.
- Isa 60:22The little one will become a thousand, and the small one a strong nation. I, Yahweh, will do this quickly in its time.”
- Ps 107:38He blesses them also, so that they are multiplied greatly. He doesn’t allow their livestock to decrease.
- Exod 1:7The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
- Jer 30:19Out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of those who make merry. I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they will not be small.
- Isa 27:6In days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will blossom and bud. They will fill the surface of the world with fruit.
- Jer 33:22As the army of the sky can’t be counted, neither the sand of the sea measured; so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levites who minister to me.’”
- Isa 51:2Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; for when he was but one I called him, and I blessed him, and made him many.
- Zech 10:8I will signal for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them; and they will increase as they have increased.
- Exod 1:20God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.
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.