Job 12:21

He poureth contempt upon princes,.... Not on good princes, such as rule in righteousness, and decree judgment and govern their subjects according to good laws, in a mild and gentle manner, and answer

He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty. He poureth contempt upon princes. Psalms 107:40 quotes, in its first clause, this verse, and in its second the 24th verse of the chapter.

He poureth contempt upon princes, i.e. he makes them contemptible to their subjects and others. Weakeneth, Heb. he looseth the girdle; which phrase signifies weakness, as ; as the girding of the girdle notes strength and power, as 45:5; both these phrases being taken from the quality of their garments, which being loose and long, did disenable a man for travel or work.

Job 12:21 He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.Ver. 21. He poureth contempt upon princes] Or nobles, or gentlemen, which are, or should be, free, bounteous, munificent benefactors (ευεργεται): if they be not Nedibim, but Nebalim, liberal, but churlish (see these opposed, Isaiah 32:5), it is just in God to pour contempt, to lay abundance of shame and scorn upon them, as sordid penny fathers, ignoble Euelios, poor-spirited men, the base brood, or rather blot, of their better forefathers. Of our Edward II it is chronicled, that never was prince received with greater love and opinion of all than he, or never any that sooner lost it: for his very first action in recalling his minion, Pierce Gaveston, discovered a headstrong wilfulness, that was uncounsellable; hence he was slighted by his subjects, pursued by his wife and son, and at length cruelly murdered (Daniel). Mercer observeth that David hath the selfsame words, Psalms 107:40, that are found here and Job 12:24. Neither need we wonder, since they both spoke by the same spirit. And weakeneth the strength of the mighty] Heb. He slackeneth the girdle of the impetuous, that, like strong streams in narrow straits, bear down all before them. So do soldiers in war. See 2 Samuel 22:36 Job 6:11. But God can loose their girdles (or belts, which bind their garments, and buckle their armour close to them), he can dispirit them, and make them feeble and faint hearted, as he did Samson, and those Assyrians, Psalms 76:5-6. By this whole discourse of Job it appeareth that he had very diligently observed God’ s providence, and way of administration in the several ranks of men, and alterations of commonwealths; whereby he had learned secretly to admire and adore God’ s judgments, which thing we ought also similarily to do.

Verse 21. He poureth contempt upon princes] נדיבים nedibim, "those of royal extraction;" widely different from the כהנים cohanim mentioned Job 12:19. Weakeneth the strength of the mighty.] אפיקים aphikim, the compact; the well-strung together; the nervous and sinewy. Perhaps there is a reference here to the crocodile, as the same term is applied, Job 40:13, to the compactness of his bones: and as רפה מזיח rippah meziach, which we translate weakeneth the strength, signifies more properly looseth the girdle, as the margin has properly rendered it, the reference seems still more pointed; for it is known that "the crocodile, from the shoulders to the extremity of the tail, is covered with large square scales, disposed like parallel girdles, fifty-two in number. In the middle of each girdle are four protuberances, which become higher as they approach the end of the tail, and compose four rows." See the quotation in Parkhurst, under the word אפק aphak. What is human strength against this? We may say as the Lord said, Job 40:19: He that made him can make his sword to approach unto him. He alone can loose the girdles of this mighty one.

21. contempt upon princes] Or, nobles, ch. Job 34:18; cf. Psalms 107:40. weakeneth the strength of the mighty] lit. looseth the girdle of the strong. As the garments were girt up for active labour or battle, to loose the girdle means to incapacitate; Isaiah 5:27.

He poureth contempt upon princes - He has power to hurl them from their thrones, and to overwhelm them with disgrace.

21. Weakeneth the strength, etc. — Literally, Looseth the girdle of the strong; a proverbial phrase, says Umbreit, “for destroying their power, that is, in the eyes of the people.” The garments of