Job 12:23
He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.
Original Language Analysis
מַשְׂגִּ֣יא
He increaseth
H7679
מַשְׂגִּ֣יא
He increaseth
Strong's:
H7679
Word #:
1 of 6
to grow, i.e., (causatively) to enlarge, (figuratively) laud
לַ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם
the nations
H1471
לַ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם
the nations
Strong's:
H1471
Word #:
2 of 6
a foreign nation; hence, a gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
וַֽיְאַבְּדֵ֑ם
and destroyeth
H6
וַֽיְאַבְּדֵ֑ם
and destroyeth
Strong's:
H6
Word #:
3 of 6
properly, to wander away, i.e., lose oneself; by implication to perish (causative, destroy)
Cross References
Isaiah 26:15Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.Isaiah 9:3Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.Isaiah 60:22A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.Psalms 107:38He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.
Historical Context
Ancient peoples witnessed empires rise and fall—Egypt, Assyria, Babylon. Job's audience would recognize this pattern and its theological implications about divine sovereignty transcending simple retribution.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's sovereign governance of nations relate to His care for individuals?
- What does history's complexity teach us about simplistic formulas for understanding God's ways?
Analysis & Commentary
'He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.' The verbs form antithetical pairs: 'increaseth' (שַׂגִּיא, saggi) vs. 'destroyeth' (וַיְאַבְּדֵם, vay'abdem), 'enlargeth' (נוֹחֶה, nocheh) vs. 'straiteneth/leadeth away' (וַיַּנְחֵם, vaynchem). Job describes God's sovereign control over empires—raising and razing nations according to His purposes. This echoes Daniel 2:21, Acts 17:26, and anticipates Habakkuk's wrestling with God using wicked Babylon as His instrument. If God governs empires without simple moral causation, why assume He governs individuals that way? Job undermines the friends' theology by appeal to observable history. The Reformed doctrine of God's sovereign governance of history for His glory validates Job's observation.