Job 12:23 — Word Study
WLCמַשְׂגִּ֣יא לַ֭גּוֹיִם וַֽיְאַבְּדֵ֑ם שֹׁטֵ֥חַ לַ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם וַיַּנְחֵֽם׃
BSAHe makes nationsgôwy [increases, causes to grow, Gentile groups, large groups of people] greatsâgâʼ [to grow great, magnifying them] and destroys themʼâbad▸ [perishes, leads to ruin] He enlargesshâṭach [spreads out, expands] nationsgôwy [Gentile groups, large groups of people] then disperses themnâchâh▸ [afterwards, later, leads captive, scatters]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מַשְׂגִּ֣יא | [he is] making great | Verb, Hiphil, participle (active) masculine singular |
| לַ֭גּוֹיִם | the nations | Preposition, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| וַֽיְאַבְּדֵ֑ם | and he destroyed them | Verb piel sequential imperfect third person masculine singular, suffix |
| שֹׁטֵ֥חַ | [he is] spreading out | Verb, Qal, participle (active) masculine singular |
| לַ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם | the nations | Preposition, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| וַיַּנְחֵֽם׃ | and he led them | Verb hiphil sequential imperfect third person masculine singular, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them. |
| KJV | He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again. |
| ASV | He increaseth the nations, and he destroyeth them: He enlargeth the nations, and he leadeth them captive. |
| YLT | Magnifying the nations, and He destroyeth them, Spreading out the nations, and He quieteth them. |
| WEB | He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive. |
| BBE | Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up. |
All translations agree on the core meaning of God's actions in this verse.
The verse features two main clauses with subordinate clauses, emphasizing the dual actions of God.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׂגָא
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 12:23
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Sovereignty Over Nationsgenerated
Job 12:23 reflects on God's absolute authority over the nations, showcasing His ability to elevate and diminish them at will. This verse is part of a broader discourse where Job emphasizes the divine control over human affairs, contrasting the might of nations with God's omnipotence. The surrounding verses further illustrate God's power by discussing how He reveals hidden things and affects the leaders of the earth.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 1:7–20 | but the Israelites were fruitful and increased rapidly; they multiplied and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them. |
| 2 | Psalm 107:38 | He blesses them, and they multiply greatly; He does not let their herds diminish. |
| 3 | Isaiah 9:3 | You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people rejoice before You as they rejoice at harvest time, as men rejoice in dividing the plunder. |
| 4 | Isaiah 26:15 | You have enlarged the nation, O LORD; You have enlarged the nation. You have gained glory for Yourself; You have extended all the borders of the land. |
| 5 | Isaiah 27:6 | In the days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole world with fruit. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מַשְׂגִּ֣יא, mas.Gi'generated
The word שָׂגָא (saga') is a Hiphil participle meaning 'making great' or 'to grow great'. It indicates an active role in increasing size, importance, or status. In this context, it emphasizes God's role in magnifying nations, suggesting both a literal and figurative growth.
The use of this word in Job highlights God's sovereign ability to elevate nations, reflecting His authority in shaping human history. The active voice in the Hiphil form suggests that God is not passive in this process; rather, He is the agent causing nations to rise.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree that God makes nations great and destroys them, emphasizing His power over human affairs.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse comprises two main clauses connected by a semicolon, with each clause presenting a distinct action of God: the first describes His act of making nations great, while the second describes His act of destroying them. This structure highlights the contrast between growth and destruction.
The verbs מַשְׂגִּ֣יא and וַיְאַבְּדֵ֑ם serve as the focal points of each clause, clearly marking God's direct involvement in both actions.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates מַשְׂגִּ֣יא as πλανῶν (G4105), which means 'leading astray' or 'wandering'. This choice suggests a broader interpretation of God's actions, indicating not just growth but also the potential for nations to stray from their purpose.
This translation reflects an interpretative nuance, emphasizing the consequences of God's actions on the nations, rather than merely their elevation.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 12:23 states that God makes nations great and then destroys them, showing His control over all peoples. This verse is part of Job's larger discussion about God's power and authority, emphasizing that He can elevate or diminish nations as He wills.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that God has the power to elevate nations, giving them strength and prominence.
God destroys nations as a demonstration of His sovereignty and judgment, often in response to their actions.
This verse illustrates God's omnipotence and authority over human affairs, showing that He is in control of history.
We learn that God is actively involved in the rise and fall of nations, and that His purposes prevail in the world.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen God's authority in the world around me?
- How can I recognize God's hand in the rise and fall of nations today?
- What does it mean for me personally that God has the power to elevate or destroy?
- How can I respond to God's sovereignty in my own life?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentary on this verse highlights God's power over nations, with quotations from Gregory the Dialogist discussing God's ability to multiply and restore nations.
Who multiplieth the nations and destroyeth them, and them that are overturned He restoreth entire. We may understand it, viz.Early Church Fathers on Job 12 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 12:23 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe 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.
Read John Gill on Job 12 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again. He increaseth the nations.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 12 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWhat hitherto he said of princes, he now applies to nations and people, whom God doth either increase or diminish as he pleaseth. He enlargeth the nations; he multiplies them, so that they are forced to send forth colonies into other lands. Straiteneth them again; or, leadeth them in, or bringeth them back, into their own land, and confineth them there.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 12 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 12:23 He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them [again].Ver. 23. He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them] It is all one with God whether against a single man or a whole nation, Job 34:29, when he once taketh them to do. "The wicked shall be turned into hell," and (that they may not hope to escape because a multitude) "all the nations that forget God," Psalms 9:17. Soon after the flood the Babel builders were scattered; Sodom and her sisters were not only consumed with fire from heaven, Genesis 19:23-29, but thrown forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire, Judges 1:7. Some nations were ejected, and others…
Read John Trapp on Job 12 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(23) He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them.—The latter part of this chapter teaches us a truth that is apt to be forgotten in the present day, which is, nevertheless, the key to much of the history of the world Why is it that nations are marked with such characteristic differences? as, for instance, the Greeks, the Romans, and the Jews in ancient times; the French, the English, and the Germans in our own. Why is it that the counsel of the wisest sometimes faileth, as with Ahitophel—the bravery of the boldest sometimes forsaketh them? but because there is One working underneath it all for His own ends and to His own glory, as seemeth Him good. Zophar, with all his common sense, had…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 12 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 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…
Read AdamClarke on Job 12 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges23. God’s rule among the nations and direction of their fate. and straiteneth them again] Perhaps, and leadeth them away, cf. 2 Kings 18:17. The clause is obscure, it may not be a direct, but an inverse parallel to the first clause, and mean: he spreadeth abroad (or, scattereth, cf. Jeremiah 8:2; Numbers 11:32), and giveth them settlements again.
Read Cambridge on Job 12 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHe increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them - He has entire control over them.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 12 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.
He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.
He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.
He makes nations great, and destroys them; he extends the boundaries of nations and disperses them.
Tyndale line
He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.
He increaseth the nations, and he destroyeth them: He enlargeth the nations, and he leadeth them captive.
He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he spreadeth the nations abroad, and bringeth them in.
He increaseth nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth nations, and straiteneth them again .
He increaseth the people, and destroyeth them: he inlargeth the nations, and bringeth them in againe.
Strictly literal
He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; he spreadeth out the nations, and bringeth them in;
Magnifying the nations, and He destroyeth them, Spreading out the nations, and He quieteth them.
Magnifying the nations, and He destroys them, || Spreading out the nations, and He quiets them.
He permitteth the nations to become great, and destroyeth them: he spreadeth out the nations, and leadeth them away.
He makes nations strong, and he also destroys them; He enlarges nations, and he also leads them along as prisoners.
From the Latin
He multiplieth nations, and destroyeth them, and restoreth them again after they were overthrown.
Simplified
He makes nations great and he destroys them; he expands nations and ruins them.
Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the essential wording of the verse, with all six words matched between the two texts. This consistency indicates a strong preservation of the original meaning across these ancient witnesses.
מַשְׂגִּ֣יא לַ֭גּוֹיִם וַֽיְאַבְּדֵ֑ם שֹׁטֵ֥חַ לַ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם וַיַּנְחֵֽם׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 12:23
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word שָׂגָא (saga') is a primitive root meaning to grow or increase. It can refer to making something great or magnifying it, particularly in a figurative sense of lauding. The entries highlight its use in both the Qal and Hiphil forms, indicating a range of meanings from simple growth to active magnification.
[שָׂגָא] vb. grow, grow great
Qal (of plant)
Hiph.
make great
magnify, laud
base
H7679 שָׂגָא, שָׂגָה
7679 saga' saw-gaw'
: a primitive root; to grow, i.e. (causatively) to enlarge,
(figuratively) laud:--increase, magnify.
שָׂגָא (sa.ga) — to grow great.
1) to increase, grow, magnify, grow great
1a) (Hiphil)
1a1) to make great
1a2) to magnify, laud
Aramaic equivalent: se.ga (שְׂגָא "to grow great" H7680)
V-Hiphil — Verb · Hiphil · participle (active) masculine singularHVhrmsa
גּוֹי (goy) refers to a nation or people, often indicating non-Hebrew groups, but can also encompass descendants of Abraham and Israel. It may figuratively describe a swarm of locusts or animals. The plural form, גּוֹיִם (goyim), is noted as a proper noun referring to the people of Goim, specifically mentioned in Genesis 14:1.
גּוֹי 661 n.m. nation, people
base
גּוֹיִם n.pr.gent. Tid‛al king of Goim
base
H1471a גּוֹי nation, people H1471b גּוֹיִם n. pr. gent. Tid‛al king of Goim
1471 gowy go'-ee
rarely (shortened) goy {go'-ee}; apparently from the same
root as 1465 (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation;
hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a
flight of locusts:--Gentile, heathen, nation, people.
see HEBREW for 01465
גּוֹי (goy) — nation.
1) nation, people
1a) nation, people
1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people
1a2) of descendants of Abraham
1a3) of Israel
1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.)
גּוֹיִם (go.yim) — Goiim.
People descended from Goy(?), first mentioned at Gen.14.1
§ Goyim (Tidgal, king of)
גּוֹי (goy) — Gentile.
1) nation, people
1a) nation, people
1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people
1a2) of descendants of Abraham
1a3) of Israel
1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.)
1c) Goyim? = "nations"
Also named: ethnos (ἔθνος "Gentiles" G1484)
גּוֹי (goy) — (Harosheth)-hagoyim.
Goyim (Tidgal, king of)
Combined with cha.ro.shet (חֲרֹ֫שֶׁת "Harosheth" H2800)
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absoluteHRd/Ncmpa
na'-shunz.
See GENTILES; GOIIM; HEATHEN; TABLE OF NATIONS.
אָבַד (abad) is a Hebrew verb meaning to perish or be lost. It encompasses a range of meanings, including dying, vanishing, and destruction, often in a moral or judgment context. The word appears in various forms in the Old Testament, with uses related to individuals, nations, and inanimate objects. The lexicons indicate that it can also imply causing something to perish or stray.
אָבַד vb. perish (M I אבד, As. abâtu Dl W 184 Aram אֲבַד, Syriac).—
Qal Pf. א׳ Nu 21:30 +; אָבְדוּ ψ 10:16 + (+ Ez 6:3 𝔊 Co) etc.; Impf. יֹאבַד Jb 3:3 Je 4:9; יֹאבֵ֑ד Jb 20:7 + 2t.; 3fs. תֹּאבַד Dt 22:3 + 4t.; תֹּאבֵ֑ד Jb 8:13 + 3t.; יֹאבְדוּ Ju 5:31 + 3t.; יֹאבֵ֑דוּ Jb 4:9 +; 3fpl. וַתֹּאבַדְנָה֙ I S 9:3; תֹּאבֵדוּן Dt 4:26 +; נֹאבֵ֑ד Jon 1:6…
Read the full entry →H6 אָבַד perish .. perish, die, of individuals
. fig. perish, vanish, subj. memory
. be lost, strayed
. . cause to perish, destroy, kill
. fig. cause to vanish, blot out, do away with
. cause to stray, lose
. . destroy, put to death, in judgment
. fig. obj. name of kings; hope; voice of mirth etc.
6 'abad aw-bad'
a primitive root; properly, to wander away, i.e. lose
oneself; by implication to perish (causative,
destroy):--break, destroy(- uction), + not escape, fail,
lose, (cause to, make) perish, spend, X and surely, take, be
undone, X utterly, be void of, have no way to flee.
אָבַד (a.vad) — to perish.
1) perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) perish, die, be exterminated
1a2) perish, vanish (fig.)
1a3) be lost, strayed
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to destroy, kill, cause to perish, to give up (as lost), exterminate
1b2) to blot out, do away with, cause to vanish, (fig.)
1b3) cause to stray, lose
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to destroy, put to death
1c1a) of divine judgment
1c2) object name of kings (fig.)
Aramaic equivalent: a.vad (אֲבַד "to destroy" H0007)
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3ms | Suff — Verb piel sequential imperfect third person masculine singular · suffixHc/Vpw3ms/Sp3mp
שָׁטַח (shatach) is a Hebrew verb meaning to spread or expand. It can refer to actions like spreading out or enlarging, and appears in various forms such as Qal and Piel. The entries highlight its use in contexts like spreading quails around a camp or extending one's palms.
[שָׁטַח] vb. spread, spread abroad
Qal they shall spread them abroad; they spread (sc. the quails) for themselves all abroad round about the camp; expanding the nations
Pi. I have spread out unto thee my palms.
base
H7849 שָׁטַח
7849 shatach shaw-takh'
a primitive root; to expand:--all abroad, enlarge, spread,
stretch out.
שָׁטַח (sha.tach) — to spread.
1) to spread, spread abroad, stretch out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to spread
1a2) spreading, expanding (participle)
1b) (Piel) to spread out
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singularHVqrmsa
גּוֹי (goy) refers to a nation or people, often indicating non-Hebrew groups, but can also encompass descendants of Abraham and Israel. It may figuratively describe a swarm of locusts or animals. The plural form, גּוֹיִם (goyim), is noted as a proper noun referring to the people of Goim, specifically mentioned in Genesis 14:1.
גּוֹי 661 n.m. nation, people
base
גּוֹיִם n.pr.gent. Tid‛al king of Goim
base
H1471a גּוֹי nation, people H1471b גּוֹיִם n. pr. gent. Tid‛al king of Goim
1471 gowy go'-ee
rarely (shortened) goy {go'-ee}; apparently from the same
root as 1465 (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation;
hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a
flight of locusts:--Gentile, heathen, nation, people.
see HEBREW for 01465
גּוֹי (goy) — nation.
1) nation, people
1a) nation, people
1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people
1a2) of descendants of Abraham
1a3) of Israel
1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.)
גּוֹיִם (go.yim) — Goiim.
People descended from Goy(?), first mentioned at Gen.14.1
§ Goyim (Tidgal, king of)
גּוֹי (goy) — Gentile.
1) nation, people
1a) nation, people
1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people
1a2) of descendants of Abraham
1a3) of Israel
1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.)
1c) Goyim? = "nations"
Also named: ethnos (ἔθνος "Gentiles" G1484)
גּוֹי (goy) — (Harosheth)-hagoyim.
Goyim (Tidgal, king of)
Combined with cha.ro.shet (חֲרֹ֫שֶׁת "Harosheth" H2800)
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absoluteHRd/Ncmpa
na'-shunz.
See GENTILES; GOIIM; HEATHEN; TABLE OF NATIONS.
נָחָה (nachah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to lead or guide. It can imply bringing someone or something to a destination, governing, or even transporting into exile. The entries indicate its use in both the Qal and Hiphil forms, suggesting a range of meanings related to leadership and guidance.
[נָחָה] vb. lead, guide
Qal lead, bring
Hiph. lead, guide
base
H5148 נָחָה lead, guide
5148 nachah naw-khaw'
a primitive root; to guide; by implication, to transport
(into exile, or as colonists):--bestow, bring, govern, guide,
lead (forth), put, straiten.
נָחָה (na.chah) — to lead.
1) to lead, guide
1a) (Qal) to lead, bring
1b) (Hiphil) to lead, guide
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3ms | Suff — Verb hiphil sequential imperfect third person masculine singular · suffixHc/Vhw3ms/Sp3mp