Job 12:7
But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
Original Language Analysis
שְׁאַל
ask
H7592
שְׁאַל
ask
Strong's:
H7592
Word #:
2 of 9
to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demand
נָ֣א
H4994
נָ֣א
Strong's:
H4994
Word #:
3 of 9
'i pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the imperative or future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunction
בְהֵמ֣וֹת
now the beasts
H929
בְהֵמ֣וֹת
now the beasts
Strong's:
H929
Word #:
4 of 9
properly, a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often collective)
וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ
and they shall teach
H3384
וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ
and they shall teach
Strong's:
H3384
Word #:
5 of 9
properly, to flow as water (i.e., to rain); transitively, to lay or throw (especially an arrow, i.e., to shoot); figuratively, to point out (as if by
וְע֥וֹף
thee and the fowls
H5775
וְע֥וֹף
thee and the fowls
Strong's:
H5775
Word #:
6 of 9
a bird (as covered with feathers, or rather as covering with wings), often collectively
הַ֝שָּׁמַ֗יִם
of the air
H8064
הַ֝שָּׁמַ֗יִם
of the air
Strong's:
H8064
Word #:
7 of 9
the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies r
Cross References
Isaiah 1:3The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.Proverbs 6:6Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:Jeremiah 8:7Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.
Historical Context
Ancient wisdom literature frequently appealed to nature for instruction (Proverbs 6:6-8, 30:24-28). Job subverts this tradition by using natural observation not to confirm conventional wisdom but to challenge it.
Questions for Reflection
- What does observation of the natural world teach us about God's ways that differs from simplistic formulas?
- How do we balance learning from nature with recognizing its limitations after the Fall?
Analysis & Commentary
Job appeals to observable nature: 'But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee.' The imperatives 'ask' (שְׁאַל, she'al) and 'tell' (יַגֶּד, yaged—declare, inform) invite empirical observation. Job is building toward a point: nature reveals that God's sovereignty doesn't operate according to simple moral causation. The innocent suffer; the wicked prosper. This anticipates Paul's argument in Romans 1:19-20 that creation reveals God, but Job uses it to challenge, not confirm, retribution theology. Creation reveals God's power and majesty, but not necessarily His moral governance in ways Zophar assumes. The Reformed tradition values both special and general revelation.