Job 12:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

These statements should not be attributed to Aaron's descendants, as he was deceased at that point, but rather to the priests, including figures like Job and Melchizedek. If genuine and consecrated priests are being referred to, one must ponder how it is expressed that they are taken away in wonder. Clearly, they are taken away to marvel at the extraordinary deeds performed against the unrighteous through divine counsel. Consequently, Job continues to reveal the wondrous acts that occur in the ocean, among the nations, amongst rulers and leaders, and among those who excel in authority, as they engage in combat and go to war.

He humbles the priests and brings low the courageous. The true honor of a priest lies in the righteousness of those who rely upon him. Thus, the esteemed preacher asks his followers, "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of exultation? Is it not you, before our Lord?" (1 Thess. 2:19). However, when priests fail to tend to the lives of their congregation and yield no fruit in their journey towards the Lord, what else can be termed this except disgrace? Before the stern Judge, those who do not actively seek glory in the lives they are called to shepherd through their preaching will find none. It is rightly stated that He humbles the courageous.

Job feels slighted because his companions claim exclusive possession of wisdom and reject his assertion that virtue does not guarantee happiness in life. He underscores for his friends that the existence of all beings and humanity's destiny are determined by God, reminding them that even the elders, whose experiences they rely on, have crafted a hymn celebrating God's providential actions in the lives of all people, including the powerful, the honorable, and the wise.