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NASB | Job 12:7 ¶ "But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Job 12:7 ¶ "Now ask the animals, and let them teach you [that God does not deal with His creatures according to their character]; And ask the birds of the air, and let them tell you; |
Subject: Do animals know God? |
Bible Note: Hi Hank, I love the Scripture references that you and Parable have put forward here. I'm going to try and list some comparisons that I see. Job 12:7, "But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare to you. Who among all these does not know That the hand of the Lord has done this.(period, NKJ) In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?" This question of "whose hand?" is suggested by the margin of the NASB Study Bible for Job 12:6 which offers a possible rendering which would read like this: "The tents of the destroyers propser, And those who provoke God are secure, He who brings God into his hand." The NKJ on the other hand answers the question by adding another pronoun. Job 12:6, NKJ, "The tents of the robbers prosper, And those who provoke God are secure--In what God provides by His hand." So the answer to whose hand gives life to every living thing, is of course God's hand. Yet many even today are brought into the power of robbers and destroyers who want to take the creation away from God. "Whom (God) brings into their power." NASB, Job 12:6. Yet we don't have to fear those who do not recognize God as the Creator for verse 16 says, NASB, "With Him are strength and sound wisdom, The misled and the misleader belong to (Him)." The NKJ reads, "With Him are strength and prudence. The DECEIVED and the deceiver are His." Again, look at all the "He" verbs of which God is in control in the rest of the chapter. The answer for the man who tries to hold God in his hand as suggested by the NASB marginal note for Job 12:6 is found in Job 13:9. "Will it be well when He examines you? Or will you deceive (Him) as one deceives a man?...Will not His majesty terrify you, And the dread of Him fall on you?" In other words, just who is in control and who is examining who? But I didn't get to what I wanted to list here. Job 12:9, "...Whom (God) brings into their power. But now ask the beasts and...Who among all these does not know That the hand of the *Lord has done this..." Psalm 19:1, "The law of the (Lord) is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the *Lord is sure, making wise the simple." Colossians 1:18, "...so that He (Himself) might come to have first place in everything." Colossians 1:22, "...in order to present you before (Him) holy and blameless and beyond reproach--if indeed you continue in [the] faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was PROCLAIMED IN ALL CREATION UNDER HEAVEN..." Parentheses are mine and the emphasis. But thanks to you both for suggesting these verses and I hope that the comparisons are meaningful as well. From the heart, Ray |