Job 12:7–10
Job says even the beasts and birds teach who made all this
Study it word by word7But ask, please, the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
8or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will recount it to you.
9Who does not know among all these that the hand of YHWH has done this?
10In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all the flesh of man.
In its context
5A torch of contempt in the thought of the untroubled, ready for those who slip with the foot.
6The tents of devastators are at ease, and security belongs to those who provoke El, to the one who brings Eloah in his hand.
…
11Does not the ear test words, as the palate tastes food?
12With the very old is wisdom, and in length of days understanding.
Its words in the original
- אוּלָםulam· but, however
But, however; yet, on the contrary.
- שְׁאַלsheal· ask
Ask, inquire; request.
- בְהֵמוֹתvehemot· livestock, beast
Four-footed animal, above all livestock and domestic animals; sometimes all animals in contrast with human beings.
- תֹרֶtore· shoot, throw; teach
Throw, cast, shoot arrows; also set or lay. From the same root comes "teach" (point out the way).
- עוֹףof· bird
Bird; any creature that flies. It is usually singular with a collective sense: "the birds".
- שָּׁמַיִםshamayim· heavens, sky
The heavens: what is above, where the clouds, the sun and the stars are seen; also the dwelling of God. In Hebrew it is always plural. With birds, "the sky".
- יַגֶּדyaged· tell, declare
Tell, make known, report, declare; also explain.
- שִׂיחַsiach· talk, meditate
Speak of something, meditate, turn a matter over aloud or within oneself.
- אָרֶץarets· earth, land
The earth, in two senses: the whole world in contrast with the heavens, or a particular country or region ("the land of Egypt").
- יסַפְּרוּysapru· count, tell
Count (numbers) and also tell (relate, recount). From here comes the word for "scribe".
- דְּגֵיdege· fish
Fish; fish as a whole.
- יָּםyam· sea, west
Sea, or any great body of water (also a lake). Since the Mediterranean lies west of Israel, the word also means "west".
- יָדַעyada· know
Know. Not only having a fact: it is knowing by experience and closely; also recognize, care for, make known. So Hebrew also uses it for the intimate union of a man and his wife ("he knew his wife").
- יַדyad· hand, power
Hand. Figuratively, power or control ("into the hand of" = into the power of); also side, part, or share. Also a projecting piece, such as a tenon.
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- עָשְׂתָהasta· do, make
Do, make, in the widest sense: build, produce, carry out, keep (a command), prepare.
- נֶפֶשׁnefesh· soul, living being, life
A breathing being, a living being. It is translated "living being" (people and animals), "life" (when living or dying is at stake), "person" (in counts and laws), "soul" (the person at the innermost: desires, joy, anguish) or "myself". In the Old Testament it names the whole living being, not only a part of it.
- חָיchay· living, animal, life
Living, alive; also fresh (of water). As a noun, "living thing" or "animal" (above all wild animals); in the plural, "life".
- רוּחַruach· spirit, wind, breath
The basic idea is "air in motion". The same word can be "wind"; "breath", the air that is breathed and keeps life; or "spirit": the mood or inner strength of a person, or the Spirit of God, his presence and power at work.
- בְּשַׂרbesar· flesh
Flesh: the body, and the person as weak and mortal. "One flesh" is the union of husband and wife; "my flesh" can mean "my family". "All flesh" is every living being. In the Old Testament it does not mean something bad in itself.
- אִישׁish· man, husband, each
Man, male; with a possessive, husband. Also "each one", "anyone". It is "ish", distinct from "adam" (human being); it is used for the man in contrast with the woman ("ishah").