Job 12 6

Job 12:6 kjv

The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

Job 12:6 nkjv

The tents of robbers prosper, And those who provoke God are secure? In what God provides by His hand.

Job 12:6 niv

The tents of marauders are undisturbed, and those who provoke God are secure? those God has in his hand.

Job 12:6 esv

The tents of robbers are at peace, and those who provoke God are secure, who bring their god in their hand.

Job 12:6 nlt

But robbers are left in peace,
and those who provoke God live in safety ?
though God keeps them in his power.

Job 12 verses

Job 12 6 Meaning

Job 12:6 expresses Job's deep frustration and complaint that the wicked often prosper in life. He observes that those who live by plunder and openly defy God seemingly enjoy peace, security, and material abundance. This statement challenges the traditional theological view held by his friends, who believed that prosperity was a direct sign of righteousness and suffering a clear indicator of sin. Job presents the apparent injustice that God's providence seems to extend even to those who oppose Him, making His ways appear inscrutable and confounding to human understanding.

Job 12 6 Context

Job 12:6 is part of Job's second reply, this time to Zophar (chapters 12-14). Job vehemently refutes his friends' simplistic wisdom, which presumes a direct, observable correlation between suffering and sin, and prosperity and righteousness. While they preach a neatly ordered cosmos where divine justice is immediate and evident, Job, from his position of intense suffering, presents the disturbing counter-evidence: the real-world observation that the wicked often thrive without apparent consequence.

This verse specifically highlights Job's central struggle throughout the book – understanding how a just and sovereign God can allow such seeming injustice to occur. It reflects his grappling with divine providence that is far more complex than his friends' conventional theology suggests. Job questions why the "tents of robbers prosper" and those who "provoke God are secure," challenging the very foundation of their worldview. This directly leads into his extended argument in Chapter 12 and 13, where he proclaims God's supreme power and inscrutability, contrasting it with human inability to fully grasp His ways or dictate His actions.

Job 12 6 Word analysis

• The tents of robbers prosper:

  • tents (אֹהָלִים, ohalim): Hebrew term for temporary dwelling, often associated with nomadic life. It signifies home, household, or dwelling place, representing livelihood, security, and material well-being. The transient nature of tents might subtly imply the temporary nature of this prosperity, though Job’s immediate focus is on its present existence.
  • robbers (שֹׁדְדִים, shodedim): Plural participle meaning "destroyers," "ravagers," or "plunderers." It denotes those who commit violence, extort, or live by lawless gain. This word specifically condemns their character as unrighteous and oppressive. Job paints a picture of societal villains who seemingly escape divine judgment.
  • prosper (שָׁלָוָה, shalavah): Denotes ease, security, quietness, and outward well-being or success. It implies a state of tranquility and material flourishing, which is precisely what Job finds perplexing, given the character of those enjoying it.

• and those who provoke God are secure—

  • provoke God (הַמַּרְגִּיזִים לָאֵל, hammar'gizim la'el): A participle, "those who cause to tremble" or "those who enrage/vex." This describes active and intentional defiance or rebellion against God. It emphasizes a deliberate challenging of divine authority and law.
  • secure (בִּטְחָה, bit'cha): Confidence, safety, security, trust. In this context, it speaks of an undisturbed and unthreatened state, an outward appearance of invulnerability, rather than spiritual trust in God. They feel safe from harm or judgment.

• those God richly provides for with his own hand. / into whose hand God bringeth abundantly:

  • God (אֱלֹהָּא, Eloha): An Aramaic form for God, similar to Hebrew Elohim. Used perhaps to emphasize the universal nature of the observation, that the God of all creation dispenses blessings, or because the book has Aramaisms. It clearly attributes the provision to divine agency.
  • richly provides for / bringeth abundantly (הֵבִיא... בְּיָדוֹ, hevi... b'yado): Literally, "brings in His hand" or "causes to come in His hand." The Hebrew word hevi is a hiphil verb, "to bring, cause to come," indicating that God is the active agent in bringing something about. "In His hand" (b'yado) points to God's direct agency and control, signifying His power and personal involvement in distributing or allowing resources. The phrase emphasizes Job's bewildered observation that God Himself, seemingly by His own doing, provides abundance to these wicked individuals. This is not just allowing but actively granting, according to Job’s perception.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "The tents of robbers prosper, and those who provoke God are secure": This initial part establishes Job's shocking observation that manifest evil and open rebellion against God appear to be met not with immediate punishment, but with prosperity and stability. It sets up the paradox.
  • "those God richly provides for with his own hand": This final phrase intensifies the paradox. Job's problem is not merely that the wicked succeed by their own devices, but that God Himself seems to be the one supplying them with abundance, baffling human concepts of justice and reward. This is a profound polemic against any theology that simplifies divine retribution, showing that God's methods and timing are often beyond human comprehension or expectation. Job finds himself struggling with the seeming disconnect between God's perfect character and the chaotic reality of the world as he perceives it.

Job 12 6 Bonus section

This verse reflects a recurring theme in the Old Testament, where righteous individuals often struggle with the prosperity of the wicked. This struggle forces a deeper theological reflection on:

• The Temporal vs. Eternal: The prosperity observed by Job is earthly and temporal. The Bible consistently points to an ultimate, eternal judgment where true justice will be administered.
• God's Patience: God's willingness to "bring abundantly" for the wicked, even those who provoke Him, can be seen as an expression of His incredible patience (Rom 2:4). He grants common grace to all, giving even sinners time to repent.
• The Purpose of Blessing: The fact that God's hand is involved does not mean His blessing signifies approval. Sometimes, "blessing" can be part of a larger, hidden divine purpose, or it simply reflects God's non-discriminatory provision for all life. The divine purpose might include leading them to repentance, or showcasing His absolute sovereignty regardless of human merit.
• Sovereignty Over Righteousness: Job's core argument challenges human attempts to confine God's actions within a narrow framework of immediate reward and punishment based solely on human understanding of righteousness. God's sovereignty is not constrained by human moral expectations.

Job 12 6 Commentary

Job 12:6 articulates one of the most persistent and unsettling questions of faith: why do the wicked often prosper? Job, facing immense suffering despite his righteousness, challenges the prevailing wisdom theology of his time (and his friends) which dictated a direct, immediate, and visible correlation between piety and prosperity, and sin and suffering. He observes that those who actively defy God and live by destructive means nonetheless enjoy material well-being, security, and a seemingly untroubled existence.

The verse is not an endorsement of wickedness, but rather a bitter lament and a factual observation from Job’s perspective. It highlights the perplexing nature of God's sovereign hand, which, according to Job's experience, does not always mete out justice in predictable ways. God, in His infinite wisdom and control, allows for the flourishing of the unrighteous, thereby defying human expectations of justice. This verse underscores the central theme of the book of Job: that divine wisdom is ultimately inscrutable to humans, and God's ways transcend simplistic theological formulas. It sets the stage for a deeper understanding of God's character beyond immediate retribution.