Job 12 18

Job 12:18 kjv

He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.

Job 12:18 nkjv

He loosens the bonds of kings, And binds their waist with a belt.

Job 12:18 niv

He takes off the shackles put on by kings and ties a loincloth around their waist.

Job 12:18 esv

He looses the bonds of kings and binds a waistcloth on their hips.

Job 12:18 nlt

He removes the royal robe of kings.
They are led away with ropes around their waist.

Job 12 verses

Job 12 18 Meaning

Job 12:18 proclaims God's supreme power and absolute sovereignty over earthly rulers. He is able to strip kings of their authority and prestige, symbolically "loosing their bonds," which represent their power and freedom. Simultaneously, He can then "bind their waist with a belt," signifying their reduction to a state of servitude, captivity, or humiliation. This demonstrates God's complete control over human destiny and political structures, underscoring that no earthly power is beyond His divine prerogative.

Job 12 18 Context

Job 12 is part of Job's sustained argument in response to the simplistic theological framework put forth by his friends, Zophar in particular. The friends insist that God blesses the righteous and punishes only the wicked, implying Job's suffering is a direct consequence of his hidden sin. Job, however, refutes this by asserting God's absolute and incomprehensible sovereignty over creation and human affairs. He observes that both the righteous and the wicked experience diverse fortunes, suggesting that God's ways are not easily reducible to a quid pro quo system understandable by humans.

In verses 13-25, Job details God's immense power, wisdom, and ability to orchestrate the rise and fall of everything from nations and their leaders to the natural elements. This verse specifically addresses God's dominion over the most powerful of human beings—kings. Job uses vivid imagery to convey that God is not limited by human power or societal structures. He can effortlessly reverse the fortunes of the highest authorities, dismantling their established order and reducing them to humiliation or servitude. This serves to counter the friends' presumption that God always acts in ways predictable to human reason and demonstrates that His judgments and actions are often inscrutable, operating beyond conventional human understanding of justice. Historically, kings were seen as paramount authorities; Job challenges this anthropocentric view by placing God's authority infinitely above all earthly rulers.

Job 12 18 Word Analysis

• "He": (هُוּא - Hû'). Refers explicitly to God, as established in Job 12:13, "With Him are wisdom and might." This pronoun identifies the sole divine agent behind the powerful actions described.

• "looses" (מְפַתֵּחַ - mephatteaḥ): This is a participle from the root pataḥ, meaning to open, untie, or release. Here, it denotes an active and ongoing capacity to dissolve, break, or remove restraints. In this context, it signifies stripping away the inherent power, freedom, or established order that kings possess. It is an act of divine undoing or nullification of human authority.

• "the bonds" (מֹסַר - mosar): This noun can refer to discipline, instruction, a band, or a fetter/chain. In the plural (implicit here as "bonds of kings"), it most fittingly represents the fetters, chains, or metaphorical bonds that restrain power or privilege. When these are "loosed," it means the removal of what enables a king's rule or stability. It could also refer to the "bands" that represent the very fabric of their authority or perhaps the "discipline" or rules they impose, which God unravels.

• "of kings" (מְלָכִים - melakhim): The plural of melekh, referring to monarchs or rulers. By explicitly naming "kings," Job emphasizes that even the most formidable human authorities are subject to God's ultimate power. No worldly status offers immunity from His sovereign will.

• "and binds" (וְאִסַּר - ve'issar): This is a form of the verb asar, meaning to tie, bind, or imprison. It presents a stark contrast to "looses," indicating an imposition of new restraints or a reduction to servitude. This action highlights the comprehensive nature of God's power—He doesn't just undo, He reconfigures and imposes new states.

• "their waist with a belt" (אֵזוֹר - 'ezor): The term 'ezor denotes a belt or girdle. In ancient cultures, a belt was used to gird up loins for strength and readiness (for labor, battle, or a journey). However, to have one's waist bound by another is symbolic of captivity, subjugation, or being prepared for servitude. Instead of the king girding himself for action or rule, he is being girded into a state of powerlessness, like a prisoner or slave.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "He looses the bonds of kings": This phrase captures God's authority to dismantle established political structures and remove the foundational elements of royal power. It speaks to divine de-thronement, dissolution of empires, and the abrogation of decrees that human rulers might consider absolute. It portrays God as the supreme undoer of human arrangements.
  • "and binds their waist with a belt": This is the counterbalancing act to the first clause, portraying a complete reversal of status. It symbolizes the demotion of formerly powerful rulers from a position of authority and freedom to one of vulnerability, subservience, and perhaps literal captivity. The act of binding one's waist, when performed upon the individual rather than by them, signifies humiliation, loss of dignity, and constraint, transforming the former sovereign into a powerless captive or servant. This powerfully illustrates God's ability to turn the tables on any human authority.

Job 12 18 Bonus section

• The deliberate juxtaposition of "loosing" and "binding" forms an antithetical parallelism, emphasizing the thoroughness and totality of God's control. He not only takes away what power kings have but also dictates their subsequent state of helplessness or subjection.
• This verse contributes to Job's larger argument that divine wisdom (as described in Job 12:13) is manifested not just in creation but crucially in the governing of human societies and destinies, specifically over the most seemingly impenetrable human institutions like kingship.
• The imagery of the "belt" ('ezor) can also metaphorically represent the garment of office or power, which God replaces with the belt of a slave or prisoner, a potent symbol of demotion and disgrace.

Job 12 18 Commentary

Job 12:18 delivers a profound statement on divine sovereignty, painting a stark picture of God's absolute control over earthly power. Through the parallel imagery of "loosing the bonds" and "binding the waist with a belt," Job highlights the dual capacity of God: to divest rulers of their authority and then to subject them to humiliation or servitude. "Bonds" can represent the king's self-imposed sense of security, the very sinews of his power, or even the "restraints" of discipline upon his subjects that he once controlled. Loosing these means his power dissolves. Subsequently, to "bind their waist" (a center of strength and activity) suggests an extreme loss of personal agency and readiness, reducing them to the status of captives or servants, contrary to their former imperial dignity. This verse functions as a powerful refutation of Job's friends' limited view of God, emphasizing that divine wisdom and power operate unpredictably and are not confined to human ideas of just retribution. It asserts that no human position, however exalted, is secure outside of God's ultimate decree, and that true dominion resides in Him alone, humbling the pride of all who trust in their own strength or position.