Job 12:23

He makes nations great, ¹  and destroys them; he extends the boundaries of nations and disperses ²  them. ³ 

He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them.

"He makes the nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.

He raises up nations, and he destroys them. He makes nations expand, and he abandons them.

He makes nations rise and then fall, builds up some and abandons others.

Increasing nations, and sending destruction on them; making wide the lands of peoples, and then giving them up.

He makes nations great, then destroys them; he enlarges nations, then leads them away.

He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and guides them.

He makes nations great, ¹  and destroys them; he extends the boundaries of nations and disperses ²  them. ³ 

¹ tn The word מַשְׂגִּיא (masgi’, “makes great”) is a common Aramaic word, but only occurs in Hebrew here and in Job 8:11 and 36:24. Some mss have a change, reading the form from שָׁגָה (shagah, “leading astray”). The LXX omits the line entirely.

² tn The difficulty with the verb נָחָה (nakhah) is that it means “to lead; to guide,” but not “to lead away” or “to disperse,” unless this passage provides the context for such a meaning. Moreover, it never has a negative connotation. Some vocalize it וַיַּנִּיחֶם (vayyannikhem), from נוּחַ (nuakh), the causative meaning of “rest,” or “abandon” (Driver, Gray, Gordis). But even there it would mean “leave in peace.” Blommerde suggests the second part is antithetical parallelism, and so should be positive. So Ball proposed וַיִּמְחֶם (vayyimkhem) from מָחָה (makhah): “and he cuts them off.”

³ sn The rise and fall of nations, which does not seem to be governed by any moral principle, is for Job another example of God’s arbitrary power.