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King James Version

Job 12:20

He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Atheism;   God;   Philosophy;   The Topic Concordance - God;   Government;   Nations;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Hypocrisy;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Age;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Age, Aged, Old Age;   Job;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Age;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Age old;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Simeon B. 'Aḳashyah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He deprives trusted advisers of speechand takes away the elders’ good judgment.
Hebrew Names Version
He removes the speech of those who are trusted, And takes away the understanding of the Zakenim.
English Standard Version
He deprives of speech those who are trusted and takes away the discernment of the elders.
New Century Version
He makes trusted people be silent and takes away the wisdom of elders.
New English Translation
He deprives the trusted advisers of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.
Amplified Bible
"He deprives the trusted ones of speech And takes away the discernment and discretion of the aged.
New American Standard Bible
"He deprives the trusted ones of speech, And takes away the discernment of the elders.
World English Bible
He removes the speech of those who are trusted, And takes away the understanding of the elders.
Geneva Bible (1587)
He taketh away the speach from the faithfull counsellers, and taketh away the iudgement of the ancient.
Legacy Standard Bible
He removes speech from the faithfulAnd takes away the discerning taste of the elders.
Berean Standard Bible
He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.
Contemporary English Version
he confuses wise, experienced advisors,
Complete Jewish Bible
Those who are trusted he deprives of speech, and he removes the discernment of the aged.
Darby Translation
He depriveth of speech the trusty, and taketh away the judgment of the elders;
Easy-to-Read Version
He makes trusted advisors be silent. He takes away the wisdom of the older leaders.
George Lamsa Translation
He cancels the speech of trusty counsellors, and takes away the good judgment of elders.
Good News Translation
He silences those who are trusted, and takes the wisdom of old people away.
Lexham English Bible
He deprives the trustworthy of speech, and he takes away the discretion of elders.
Literal Translation
turning aside the lip of the trusted men; and He takes away the reason of the aged.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He taketh the verite from out of the mouth, & disapoynteth ye aged of their wy?dome.
American Standard Version
He removeth the speech of the trusty, And taketh away the understanding of the elders.
Bible in Basic English
He makes the words of responsible persons without effect, and takes away the good sense of the old;
JPS Old Testament (1917)
He removeth the speech of men of trust, and taketh away the sense of the elders.
King James Version (1611)
He remooueth away the speech of the trustie, and taketh away the vnderstanding of the aged.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He stoppeth the mouth of them that speake trueth, & disapoynteth the aged of their reason.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
He changes the lips of the trusty, and he knows the understanding of the elders.
English Revised Version
He removeth the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the elders.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and he chaungith the lippis of sothefast men, and takith awei the doctrine of elde men.
Update Bible Version
He removes the speech of the trusty, And takes away the understanding of the elders.
Webster's Bible Translation
He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.
New King James Version
He deprives the trusted ones of speech, And takes away the discernment of the elders.
New Living Translation
He silences the trusted adviser and removes the insight of the elders.
New Life Bible
He stops the trusted ones from speaking and takes away the wisdom of the leaders.
New Revised Standard
He deprives of speech those who are trusted, and takes away the discernment of the elders.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Setting aside the speech of the trusty, and, the discernment of elders, He taketh away:
Douay-Rheims Bible
He changeth the speech of the true speakers, and taketh away the doctrine of the aged.
Revised Standard Version
He deprives of speech those who are trusted, and takes away the discernment of the elders.
Young's Literal Translation
Turning aside the lip of the stedfast, And the reason of the aged He taketh away.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"He deprives the trusted ones of speech And takes away the discernment of the elders.

Contextual Overview

12 With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding. 13 With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding. 14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening. 15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth. 16 With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his. 17 He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools. 18 He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle. 19 He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty. 20 He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged. 21 He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the speech of the trusty: Heb. the lip of the faithful, Proverbs 10:21, Proverbs 12:19, Proverbs 12:22

taketh: Job 12:24, Job 17:4, Job 32:9, Job 39:17, Isaiah 3:1-3

Reciprocal: Genesis 11:7 - confound Numbers 26:51 - General Job 15:10 - the grayheaded Jeremiah 8:8 - We 1 Corinthians 1:20 - hath

Cross-References

Genesis 12:6
And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.
Genesis 12:11
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
Genesis 12:14
And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.
Genesis 12:15
The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
Exodus 18:27
And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
Proverbs 21:1
The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord , as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He removeth away the speech of the trusty,.... Speech is proper to mankind, and a benefit unto them, whereby they can converse together, and communicate their minds to each other; this is the gift of God, he gives to men in common the faculty of speaking; to some the tongue of the learned to speak various tongues, either in an ordinary or in an extraordinary manner; and he that gives can take away; he that made man's mouth or lip can make it speechless, as he does at death; when he takes away man's breath, he takes away his speech; the state of the dead is a state of silence; and sometimes he does it while living, by striking dumb, as he did Zechariah the father of John the Baptist; and even without so doing, as in the builders of Babel, he took away the speech they had, and gave them another; and sometimes he suffers not men to speak what they would, but what is contrary to their inclinations and desires, as in Balaam, who would willingly have cursed Israel, but could not. Now that God should take away by any means the speech of liars, and faithless persons, as Ananias and Sapphira, by striking them dead, Acts 5:1; and of false teachers, deceivers, and bold blasphemers of God, and of his Son, and of the blessed Spirit, whose mouths ought to be stopped, is no wonder; but it seems strange that he should remove the speech of "trusty" or "faithful" x men, that speak the truth, and are to be credited and believed; and as the preceding words are understood of ecclesiastic persons, these may be continued concerning them; and the character agrees with ministers of the word, who are in trusted with the rich treasure of it; that is put in earthen vessels, and committed to the trust of faithful men; who appear to be such when they speak the word faithfully, declare the whole counsel of God, and keep back nothing profitable to men; when they speak plainly, without ambiguity, and sincerely, without mixing or adulterating it; and are faithful as to God, who has appointed them, and put them into the ministry, so to the souls of men under their care: now God sometimes takes away the speech of these, not by changing their voice, or ordering them, instead of the gracious promises of the Gospel, to deliver out the menaces and threatenings of the law; but either by commanding them to be dumb and silent, and speak no more to an incorrigible and rebellious people; as Ezekiel was bid to prophesy no more to the house of Israel, and the apostles to preach no more to the Jews; or by suffering them to be silenced by the edicts of wicked princes, and their violent persecutions of them, so that the teachers of men are removed into corners, and not to be seen or heard; and also by death, when their faces are no more seen, and their speech no more heard. Some, both Jewish and Christian interpreters, derive the word here used from the root נאם, "to speak", and render it "speakers" or "orators" y; so Mr. Broughton translates the words, "he bereaveth the orators of lip"; he takes away their eloquence from them, deprives them of their speaking well, and strips them of their natural and acquired abilities, by which they have become good speakers; and such who use their talents well in this way are beneficial to a commonwealth, and it is a loss when they are removed, or their speech removed from them, see Isaiah 3:3;

and taketh away the understanding of the aged; or "elders" z, as Mr. Broughton, either in age or office; elders in age, with whom understanding, reason, judgment, counsel, and wisdom, by all which the word is interpreted, may be thought to be, and it is expected they should, and oftentimes are, though not always; yet all this God can take away, and does when he pleases, and they become like children in understanding; through the infirmities of old age their memories fail them, their reason is impaired, their understanding and judgment are weakened, and they become unfit to give advice themselves, and are easily imposed on, and drawn aside by others, as may be observed in Solomon, the wisest of men, when he was grown old. This is to be understood of the natural understanding in things natural and civil, but not of the spiritual understanding, which is never taken away, but rather increased in old age; the true light of grace shines more and more unto the perfect day; it is a gift of God without repentance, which he never revokes and removes: it may intend the natural "taste" a, as the word may be rendered; this is often and generally taken away from the aged, as in old Barzillai, who could not taste what he ate and drank, as to distinguish and relish it, 2 Samuel 19:35; but not the spiritual taste, of the Lord as gracious, of the good word of God, and the fruits of divine grace; the taste and savour of which remain with the people of God in old age; or this may design men in office, either civil magistrates, called senators, the elders of the people, judges, and counsellors, who instead of being taught more wisdom, which their offices require, sometimes become infatuated, their understanding of civil things is taken away from them, their wise counsels become brutish, and they like children; or ecclesiastic persons, elders of churches, who, having talents for public usefulness, either neglect them, or make an ill use of them, and therefore are taken away from them; their right arm is dried up, and their right eye darkened,

Matthew 25:28.

x לנאמנים "veracibus", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Schultens; "fidis", Mercerus, Piscator; "fidelibus", Bolducius. y "Dicendi peritis", Beza; eloquentibus, Junius Tremellius so Kimchi, Ramban, Ben Gersom, Ben Melech, Sephorno. z זקנים "seniorum", Cocceius, Michaelis; "senatorum", Schultens. a טעם "gustum", Drusius, Schultens.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He removeth away the speech of the trusty - Margin, “lip of the faithful.” “He takes away the lip,” that is, he takes away the power of giving safe counsel or good advice. The “trusty” or “faithful” here refer to those of age and experience, and on whose counsel men are accustomed to rely. The meaning here is, that their most sagacious anticipations are disappointed, their wisest schemes are foiled. They fail-in their calculations of the coarse of events, and the arrangements of Providence are such that they could not anticipate what was to occur.

The understanding of the aged - To whom the young were accustomed to look up with deference and respect. The meaning here is, that they who were accustomed to give wise and sound advice, if left by God, give vain and foolish counsels.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 12:20. He removeth away the speech of the trusty — The faithful counsellor and the eloquent orator avail nothing: Quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat; "God infatuates those whom he is determined to destroy." The writer might have had his eyes on Isaiah 3:1-3, which the reader will do well to consult.

The understanding of the aged. — זקנים zekenim signifies the same here as our word elders or elder-men; which includes in itself the two ideas of seniority, or considerably advanced age, and official authority. These can do no more to save a state which God designs to destroy, notwithstanding their great political wisdom and knowledge, than the child who can neither reason nor speak.


 
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