Job 13:12 Commentary and Bible Study

The Hebrew is literally, ‘Your remembrances are proverbs of ashes, bulwarks of clay are your bulwarks.’ The words ‘remembrances’ refers to maxims or wise sayings, as indicated by the word ‘proverbs’ used in the comparison. A wise man is known for his perceptive and apt sayings. He can understand many situations, and offer a sound analysis and a true word of advice to those caught up in them. But Job charges his three companions of being devoid of anything worth saying. What they call proverbs are proverbs which, when been examined, are found to be worth no more than burnt ashes. ‘Your bodies to bodies of clay.’ This translation suggests that Job is drawing attention to the frailty of their human frame, but this does not give a good sense as the same applies to Job himself. The Hebrew word means literally ‘backs’ and is also used of defences. Some understand this of the arguments of the three friends. They are like defences of clay, incapable of withstanding any force of argument against them. A man’s sayings should be capable of standing up to scrutiny, but their defences are bulwarks of clay, rather than iron or stone, and break down under the least probing.They would be better to sit in silence and share Job’s perplexity, than to offer such worthless explanations and remedies. Job knows that he is speaking to God in a way that he should not speak and that there may well be consequences to what he is doing, but the friends have nothing of any value to say, no correction worth giving, and so they would be well advised to keep silent and join Job in awaiting the outcome of this trial. He feels compelled to make his complaint to God whatever it costs him and then let God do what he thinks fit in response. This is not an admission that he is speaking against the Lord for no reason - he believes his complaint is warranted - but at the same time he knows that no complaint against God can ever be justified, therefore he expects to be called to account for it.