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Read the Bible

King James Version

Job 12:23

He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

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

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Providence of God;   Religion;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Hypocrisy;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Providence;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Job;   Nations;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Increase;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He makes nations great, then destroys them;he enlarges nations, then leads them away.
Hebrew Names Version
He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.
English Standard Version
He makes nations great, and he destroys them; he enlarges nations, and leads them away.
New Century Version
He makes nations great and then destroys them; he makes nations large and then scatters them.
New English Translation
He makes nations great, and destroys them; he extends the boundaries of nations and disperses them.
Amplified Bible
"He makes nations great, and He destroys them; He enlarges nations, and leads them away [captive].
New American Standard Bible
"He makes the nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.
World English Bible
He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.
Geneva Bible (1587)
He increaseth the people, and destroyeth them: he inlargeth the nations, and bringeth them in againe.
Legacy Standard Bible
He makes the nations great, then makes them perish;He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.
Berean Standard Bible
He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.
Contemporary English Version
he makes nations strong, then shatters their strength.
Complete Jewish Bible
He makes nations great and destroys them; he enlarges nations, then leads them away.
Darby Translation
He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; he spreadeth out the nations, and bringeth them in;
Easy-to-Read Version
God makes nations great, and then he destroys them. He makes nations grow large, and then he scatters their people.
George Lamsa Translation
He causes the nations to err, and destroys them; he strikes down the nations, and forsakes them.
Good News Translation
He makes nations strong and great, but then he defeats and destroys them.
Lexham English Bible
He makes the nations great, then he destroys them; he expands the nations, then he guides them.
Literal Translation
He gives greatness to the nations, and He destroys them; spreading out the nations, and He leads them out.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He both increaseth the people, and destroyeth them: He maketh them to multiplie, and dryueth them awaye.
American Standard Version
He increaseth the nations, and he destroyeth them: He enlargeth the nations, and he leadeth them captive.
Bible in Basic English
Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; He enlargeth the nations, and leadeth them away.
King James Version (1611)
He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: hee inlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them againe.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He [both] increaseth the people and destroyeth them, he maketh them to multiplie, and diminisheth them.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Causing the nations to wander, and destroying them: overthrowing the nations, and leading them away.
English Revised Version
He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he spreadeth the nations abroad, and bringeth them in.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Which multiplieth folkis, and leesith hem, and restorith hem destried in to the hool.
Update Bible Version
He increases the nations, and he destroys them: He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.
Webster's Bible Translation
He increaseth nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth nations, and straiteneth them [again].
New King James Version
He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and guides them.
New Living Translation
He builds up nations, and he destroys them. He expands nations, and he abandons them.
New Life Bible
He makes the nations great, and then destroys them. He helps nations to become large, then leads them away.
New Revised Standard
He makes nations great, then destroys them; he enlarges nations, then leads them away.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Who giveth greatness to nations, or destroyeth them, Who spreadeth out nations, or leadeth them into exile:
Douay-Rheims Bible
He multiplieth nations, and destroyeth them, and restoreth them again after they were overthrown.
Revised Standard Version
He makes nations great, and he destroys them: he enlarges nations, and leads them away.
Young's Literal Translation
Magnifying the nations, and He destroyeth them, Spreading out the nations, and He quieteth them.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"He makes the nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.

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

increaseth: Exodus 1:7, Exodus 1:20, Psalms 107:38, Isaiah 9:3, Isaiah 26:15, Isaiah 27:6, Isaiah 51:2, Isaiah 60:22, Jeremiah 30:19, Jeremiah 33:22, Zechariah 10:8

straiteneth them again: Heb. leadeth in

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them,.... As he did before the flood, when the earth was tilled, and all over peopled with them, but at the flood he destroyed them at once. Sephorno interprets it of the seven nations in the land of Canaan, which were increased in it, and destroyed, to make way for the Israelites to inhabit it; and this has since been verified in other kingdoms, large and populous, and brought to destruction, particularly in the four monarchies, Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman, and will be in the antichristian states and nations of the world:

he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them [again]; or "stretcheth" or "spreadeth out the nations" c, as he did all over the earth before the deluge, and then most remarkably straitened them, when they were reduced to so small a number as to be contained in a single ark: "or leads them" d; that is, "governs them", as Mr. Broughton renders the word, rules and overrules them, as large as they are; or leads them into captivity, as some Jewish writers e, as the Israelites; though they have been enlarged, and became numerous, as it was promised they should, yet have been led into captivity, first the ten tribes by the Assyrians, and then the two tribes by the Chaldeans; the Targum is, "he spreadeth out a net for the nations, and leadeth them", that is, into it, so that they are taken in it, see Ezekiel 12:13.

c שטח "extendit", Tigurine version, Drusius, Mercerus; "expandit", Beza, Junius Tremellus, Piscator, Schmidt "expandens", Schultens. d וינחם "et ducit eas", Pagninus, Montanus, Mercerus, Cocceius, Schmidt. e Kimchi, Ben Melech, Bar Tzemach.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them - He has entire control over them. The sources of prosperity are in his hand, and at his pleasure he can visit them with famine, pestilence, or war, and diminish their numbers and arrest their prosperity. Dr. Good renders this very improperly, “He letteth the nations grow licentious;” but the word שׂגא śâgâ' never has this sense. It means, to make great; to multiply; to increase.

And straiteneth them again - Margin, “leadeth in.” So the word נחה nâchâh means. The idea is, that he increases a nation so that it spreads abroad beyond its usual limits, and then at his pleasure leads them back again, or confines them within the limits from where they had emigrated.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 12:23. He increaseth the nations — Mr. Good translates, He letteth the nations grow licentious. Pride, fulness of bread, with extensive trade and commerce, produce luxury; and this is ever accompanied with profligacy of manners. When, then, the cup of this iniquity is full, God destroys the nation, by bringing or permitting to come against it a nation less pampered, more necessitous, and inured to toil.

He enlargeth the nations — Often permits a nation to acquire an accession of territory, and afterwards shuts them up within their ancient boundaries, and often contracts even those. All these things seem to occur as natural events, and the consequences of state intrigues, and such like causes; but when Divine inspiration comes to pronounce upon them, they are shown to be the consequence of God's acting in his judgment and mercy; for it is by him that kings reign; it is he who putteth down one and raiseth up another.


 
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