Job 12:14
Job 12:14 in Multiple Translations
What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.
Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again; He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
Truly, there is no building up of what is pulled down by him; when a man is shut up by him, no one may let him loose.
If he tears something down, nobody can rebuild it. If he imprisons someone, nobody can free them.
Beholde, he will breake downe, and it can not be built: he shutteth a man vp, and he can not be loosed.
Lo, He breaketh down, and it is not built up, He shutteth against a man, And it is not opened.
Behold, he breaks down, and it can’t be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
If he pull down, there is no man that can build up: if he shut up a. man, there is none that can open.
If he tears something down, no one can rebuild it; if he puts someone in prison, no one can open the prison doors to allow that person to escape.
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 12:14
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Job 12:14 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
הֵ֣ן
יַ֭הֲרוֹס
וְ/לֹ֣א
יִבָּנֶ֑ה
יִסְגֹּ֥ר
עַל
אִ֝֗ישׁ
וְ/לֹ֣א
יִפָּתֵֽחַ
הֵ֣ן
hên
H2005
look!
Part
יַ֭הֲרוֹס
hâraç
H2040
to overthrow
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
וְ/לֹ֣א
lôʼ
H3808
not
Conj | Part
יִבָּנֶ֑ה
bânâh
H1129
to build
V-Niphal-Imperf-3ms
יִסְגֹּ֥ר
çâgar
H5462
to shut
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
עַל
ʻal
H5921
upon
Prep
אִ֝֗ישׁ
ʼîysh
H376
man
N-ms
וְ/לֹ֣א
lôʼ
H3808
not
Conj | Part
יִפָּתֵֽחַ
pâthach
H6605
to open
V-Niphal-Imperf-3ms
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Job 12:14
הֵ֣ן
hên
H2005
"look!"
Part
An expression meaning look or behold, used to get someone's attention, like in the prophet Isaiah's writings. It can also express surprise or introduce a hypothetical situation.
Definition: interj 1) behold, lo, though hypothetical part 2) if Aramaic equivalent: hen (הֵן "look!" H2006A)
Usage: Occurs in 311 OT verses. KJV: behold, if, lo, though. See also: Genesis 3:22; Job 2:6; Psalms 51:7.
יַ֭הֲרוֹס
hâraç
H2040
"to overthrow"
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
This Hebrew word means to overthrow or destroy something, like breaking down a wall or throwing something to the ground. It is used to describe God's power and judgment.
Definition: 1) to tear down, break down, overthrow, beat down, break, break through, destroy, pluck down, pull down, throw down, ruined, destroyer, utterly 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to throw down, tear down 1a2) to break through 1a3) to break down, break away 1b) (Niphal) to be torn down, be thrown down 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to overthrow, tear down 1c2) destroyer (participle)
Usage: Occurs in 42 OT verses. KJV: beat down, break (down, through), destroy, overthrow, pluck down, pull down, ruin, throw down, [idiom] utterly. See also: Exodus 15:7; Isaiah 49:17; Psalms 11:3.
וְ/לֹ֣א
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Conj | Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
יִבָּנֶ֑ה
bânâh
H1129
"to build"
V-Niphal-Imperf-3ms
The Hebrew word bânâh means to build something, like a house or a family. It can also mean to establish or repair something, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible.
Definition: 1) to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to build, rebuild 1a2) to build a house (ie, establish a family) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be built 1b2) to be rebuilt 1b3) established (of restored exiles) (fig.) 1b4) established (made permanent) 1b5) to be built up (of childless wife becoming the mother of a family through the children of a concubine) Aramaic equivalent: be.nah (בְּנָה "to build" H1124)
Usage: Occurs in 345 OT verses. KJV: (begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), [idiom] surely. See also: Genesis 2:22; 1 Kings 8:48; 2 Chronicles 20:8.
יִסְגֹּ֥ר
çâgar
H5462
"to shut"
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
To shut means to close something, like a door or a container. In the Bible, this word is used to describe surrendering or giving something up, like in the book of Ezra where the Israelites shut themselves in to pray.
Definition: 1) to shut, close 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to shut 1a2) to close, close up 1a3) closed up, closely joined, shut up 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be shut up 1b2) to be shut or closed 1c) (Piel) to shut up, deliver up 1d) (Pual) to be shut up 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to deliver up 1e2) to shut up, imprison 2) pure gold Aramaic equivalent: se.gar (סְגַר "to shut" H5463)
Usage: Occurs in 87 OT verses. KJV: close up, deliver (up), give over (up), inclose, [idiom] pure, repair, shut (in, self, out, up, up together), stop, [idiom] straitly. See also: Genesis 2:21; 1 Kings 11:27; Psalms 17:10.
עַל
ʻal
H5921
"upon"
Prep
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Definition: prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) 1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity) 1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion) 1h) to (as a dative)
Usage: Occurs in 4493 OT verses. KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, [idiom] with. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 24:13; Genesis 41:33.
אִ֝֗ישׁ
ʼîysh
H376
"man"
N-ms
The Hebrew word for man, referring to a male person or individual, is used in the Bible to describe humans in contrast to God or animals, as seen in Genesis and Psalms. It can also mean husband or servant. In the KJV, it is translated as man or male.
Definition: : man 1) man 1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female) 1b) husband 1c) human being, person (in contrast to God) 1d) servant 1e) mankind 1f) champion 1g) great man 2) whosoever 3) each (adjective)
Usage: Occurs in 1851 OT verses. KJV: also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phrase] steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare H802 (אִשָּׁה). See also: Genesis 2:23; Genesis 42:25; Exodus 32:23.
וְ/לֹ֣א
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Conj | Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
יִפָּתֵֽחַ
pâthach
H6605
"to open"
V-Niphal-Imperf-3ms
This verb means to engrave or carve, and is used in Exodus to describe the intricate carvings on the furniture of the tabernacle.
Definition: 1) to open 1a) (Qal) to open 1b) (Niphal) to be opened, be let loose, be thrown open 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to free 1c2) to loosen 1c3) to open, open oneself 1d) (Hithpael) to loose oneself Aramaic equivalent: pe.tach (פְּתַח "to open" H6606)
Usage: Occurs in 133 OT verses. KJV: appear, break forth, draw (out), let go free, (en-) grave(-n), loose (self), (be, be set) open(-ing), put off, ungird, unstop, have vent. See also: Genesis 7:11; Psalms 39:10; Psalms 5:10.
Study Notes — Job 12:14
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 12:14 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 12:14
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 12:14
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 12:14
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 12:14
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 12:14
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 12:14
- Cambridge Bible on Job 12:14
- Barnes' Notes on Job 12:14
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 12:14
- Sermons on Job 12:14
Context — Job Presents His Case
12Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.
13Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.
14What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.
15If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land. 16True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Revelation 3:7 | To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open. |
| 2 | Isaiah 22:22 | I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. |
| 3 | Malachi 1:4 | Though Edom may say, “We have been devastated, but we will rebuild the ruins,” this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Land of Wickedness, and a people with whom the LORD is indignant forever. |
| 4 | Job 11:10 | If He comes along to imprison you, or convenes a court, who can stop Him? |
| 5 | Job 19:10 | He tears me down on every side until I am gone; He uproots my hope like a tree. |
| 6 | 1 Samuel 26:8 | Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. Now, therefore, please let me thrust the spear through him into the ground with one stroke. I will not need to strike him twice!” |
| 7 | Job 16:11 | God has delivered me to unjust men; He has thrown me to the clutches of the wicked. |
| 8 | Jeremiah 51:58 | This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Babylon’s thick walls will be leveled, and her high gates consumed by fire. So the labor of the people will be for nothing; the nations will exhaust themselves to fuel the flames.” |
| 9 | Job 9:12–13 | If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’ God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him. |
| 10 | Job 37:7 | He seals up the hand of every man, so that all men may know His work. |
Job 12:14 Summary
This verse is saying that when God decides to tear something down, it's gone for good and can't be fixed. It's like when God says 'no' to something, it's really 'no', and we can't change His mind. This is a reminder that God is all-powerful and in control of everything, as we see in Psalms 135:6 and Daniel 4:35. We can trust that He knows what He's doing, even when we don't understand, and that He is working everything out for our good, as promised in Romans 8:28.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for God to 'tear down' something?
In the context of Job 12:14, when God 'tears down' something, it means He is removing or destroying it, often as a form of judgment or correction, as seen in Psalms 75:3 and Isaiah 13:6.
Can anyone be released from God's imprisonment?
According to Job 12:14, once God imprisons someone, they cannot be released, emphasizing God's sovereignty and power, similar to what is stated in Jeremiah 32:27 and Matthew 10:28.
Is this verse saying that God is cruel or unfair?
No, this verse is actually highlighting God's power and authority, reminding us that He is the one who builds up and tears down, as stated in Jeremiah 1:10, and that His ways are not our ways, as seen in Isaiah 55:9.
How does this verse relate to our everyday lives?
This verse reminds us that God is in control of all things, and we should trust in His sovereignty, even when we don't understand what is happening, as encouraged in Proverbs 3:5-6 and Romans 11:33-36.
Reflection Questions
- What are some areas in my life where I am trying to 'rebuild' something that God has torn down, and how can I surrender to His will?
- How can I trust in God's sovereignty when I feel like I am being 'imprisoned' by my circumstances?
- What are some ways that I can acknowledge and respect God's power and authority in my daily life?
- How can I balance the idea of God's sovereignty with the concept of human responsibility, and what does this mean for my own decision-making?
Gill's Exposition on Job 12:14
Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again,.... Which some restrain to the tower of Babel; but though the builders of it were obliged to desist from building, it does not appear that it
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 12:14
Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening. Shutteth up. "He shall open, and none shall shut; and He shall shut, and none shall open" (Isaiah 22:22).
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 12:14
He breaketh down, to wit, houses, castles, cities, which God designeth to destroy utterly. He shutteth up; if he will shut up a man in prison, or in any straits or troubles. There can be no opening, without God’ s permission and providence.
Trapp's Commentary on Job 12:14
Job 12:14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.Ver. 14. Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again] As he did the old world, Sodom and Gomorrah, many monarchies and empires, the tower of Babel, and other castles and houses which now live by fame only, if at all. If God have a mind to ruin these, who shall raise or repair them? Julian, the apostate, in spite of the Christians, set the Jews to work to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem, but they could never effect it by reason of a terrible earthquake, that slew the workmen and marred the materials (Am. Marcel., Socrat. 3, Theod., Ruffin.). The Arian bishops held a second council at Nice, with the purpose of having abolished the memory of the first together with the Nicene Creed, and to have established Arianism (Func.); but God disappointed them, and sent them packing thence by a huge earthquake, which overturned a great part of that city, and killed a number of people. Constans, nephew to Heraclius, the Greek emperor, and (three hundred years after him) Otho, emperor of Germany, endeavoured, but in vain, to make Rome the seat of their empires, as anciently it had been (Theophanes, Zonares, Cedrenus). God would not allow it so to be, saith Genebrard, because the kingdom of the Church, foretold by Daniel, was to have its seat there. If he had said, the kingdom of Antichrist, foretold by Paul and John the divine, he had hit the nail on the very head. He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening] He clappeth him up close prisoner, as Manasseh, Zedekiah, Bajazet, Boniface VIII, &c., or fasteneth him to his bed by some chronic disease (as he did Abimelech, Ahaziah, Asa, Aeneas, Acts 9:33), or otherwise straiteneth him, that he knows not how to help himself, as he did Pharaoh, Saul (when the Philistines were upon him on every side), those refractories in Isaiah, Isaiah 9:2, and shall do the whore of Babylon, Revelation 18:9-19, when her lovers shall bewail her, but not be able to help her, Job 12:9-10.
For when God shutteth up any in this sort, they must lie by it till he please to release them and extricate them, as he did Joseph, Jehoshaphat, David, Peter, Valentinian, and many others, when they were even forsaken by their hopes.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 12:14
(14) Behold, he breaketh down . . .—God has equal power over the moral and physical world.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 12:14
Verse 14. He breaketh down] He alone can create, and he alone can destroy. Nothing can be annihilated but by the same Power that created it. This is a most remarkable fact. No power, skill, or cunning of man can annihilate the smallest particle of matter. Man, by chemical agency, may change its form; but to reduce it to nothing belongs to God alone. In the course of his providence God breaks down, so that it cannot be built up again. See proofs of this in the total political destruction of Nineveh, Babylon, Persepolis, Tyre, and other cities, which have broken down never to be rebuilt; as well as the Assyrian, Babylonian, Grecian, and Roman empires, which have been dismembered and almost annihilated, never more to be regenerated. He shutteth up a man] He often frustrates the best laid purposes, so that they can never be brought to good effect.
Cambridge Bible on Job 12:14
14. breaketh down] e.g. fenced cities, devoting them to ruin, cf. ch. Job 15:28. shutteth up a man] In prison, as captive kings and the like, cf. Jeremiah 22:24 seq., 2 Kings 25:27 seq.
Barnes' Notes on Job 12:14
Behold, he breaketh down - None can repair what he pulls down. Cities and towns he can devote to ruin by fire, or earthquake, or the pestilence, and so completely destroy them that they can never be rebuilt.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 12:14
14. Shutteth up a man — In the sense of closing over. This is explained by the nature of the prisons among the Hebrews, which were subterranean excavations, whose mouth was covered with a stone. Lamentations 3:53.
Sermons on Job 12:14
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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(Dominican Republic) God Closes and Opens Doors by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the preacher, who is a 75-year-old father and has been preaching for 50 years, speaks from his heart. He references Revelation chapter 3, verses 7-11, where the Hol |
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Always Giving Thanks (Tamil) by Zac Poonen | This sermon emphasizes the importance of having a spirit of thankfulness and praise, even in the face of challenges and false accusations. It highlights how God can use difficult s |
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Little Strength Christian by Carter Conlon | In this sermon, the speaker addresses the concerns of those who question the intensity and radicalness of one's relationship with God. He emphasizes the importance of not just goin |
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An Open Door (Part 6) by Jim Cymbala | In this sermon, the speaker shares a personal story of a minister who spent 40 years preaching rules and regulations before truly preaching about Jesus. The speaker emphasizes the |
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Fear Not, Neither Be Dismayed by Carter Conlon | This sermon is a powerful message of encouragement and empowerment for those feeling weak and battling fear and dismay. It emphasizes the need to surrender our own strength, plans, |
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The Last Man Standing by Carter Conlon | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the need for individuals to seek fulfillment beyond religion and mediocre religious practices. He encourages listeners to come to Jesus and |
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Revelation Overview Pt. 2 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the book of Revelation, specifically Revelation chapter 2. The key to understanding the book is found in Revelation 1:19, where it is instruc |