With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.
God has both strength and wisdom: those who are deceived and those who deceive others both belong to him.
Job is declaring that God has complete power and wisdom, and that everyone - whether they're being fooled or doing the fooling - is ultimately under God's control.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Job, which is set in the ancient Near East during a time when people grappled with suffering and divine justice, Job is a righteous man enduring immense trials and responding to his friends' accusations that his suffering stems from sin. Job asserts in his speeches that God alone possesses true strength and wisdom, countering his friends' claims of superior understanding. Specifically, in Job 12:16, he highlights God's sovereignty by noting that even the deceiver and the deceived are under His control, emphasizing that no one escapes divine authority.
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