The one at easeThis phrase refers to individuals who are in a position of comfort and security. In the context of Job, it highlights the contrast between those who are suffering and those who are not. Biblically, this can be seen in the story of the rich man and Lazarus (
Luke 16:19-31), where the rich man lived in ease while Lazarus suffered. Theologically, it suggests a warning against complacency and a lack of empathy for those in distress.
scorns misfortune
To scorn misfortune implies a dismissive or contemptuous attitude towards the suffering of others. This reflects a lack of compassion and understanding, which is contrary to the biblical call to love and support one another (Galatians 6:2). Historically, this attitude can be seen in societies where the wealthy and powerful often disregarded the plight of the poor and oppressed.
as the fate of those
This phrase suggests a deterministic view of suffering, where misfortune is seen as an inevitable outcome for certain individuals. In the cultural context of the Ancient Near East, suffering was often viewed as a result of divine judgment or personal failure. However, the book of Job challenges this notion by presenting a righteous man who suffers without cause.
whose feet are slipping
This imagery of slipping feet conveys instability and vulnerability. It is a metaphor for those who are on the brink of disaster or failure. InPsalm 73:2, the psalmist uses similar language to describe a crisis of faith. Theologically, it can represent the human condition of being prone to sin and the need for divine support, as seen inPsalm 121:3, where God is described as one who will not let your foot slip.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
JobA man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, experiencing intense suffering and questioning the justice of God.
2.
Job's FriendsEliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, who visit Job to comfort him but end up arguing that his suffering must be due to his own sin.
3.
UzThe land where Job lived, often associated with the region east of Israel, possibly in Edom or northern Arabia.
4.
GodThe sovereign Creator who allows Job's testing and ultimately restores him.
5.
SatanThe adversary who challenges Job's integrity, suggesting that Job is faithful only because of his prosperity.
Teaching Points
Understanding MisfortuneMisfortune is not always a result of personal sin. Job's account challenges the simplistic view that suffering is always a direct punishment for wrongdoing.
Empathy for the SufferingAs Christians, we are called to empathize with those who suffer rather than scorn them. We should offer support and understanding, reflecting Christ's love.
The Danger of ComplacencyBeing "at ease" can lead to a lack of compassion and understanding. We must guard against becoming complacent in our spiritual lives and attitudes toward others.
The Role of TrialsTrials can serve as a refining process, drawing us closer to God and developing perseverance and character.
God's Sovereignty and JusticeTrust in God's ultimate justice and sovereignty, even when circumstances seem unfair or incomprehensible.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Job 12:5?
2.How does Job 12:5 challenge our response to others' suffering and misfortune?
3.What does Job 12:5 reveal about human nature's tendency to judge others?
4.How can we apply Job 12:5 to foster empathy in our communities?
5.In what ways does Job 12:5 connect with Jesus' teachings on compassion?
6.How can Job 12:5 guide us in supporting those facing trials today?
7.How does Job 12:5 challenge our understanding of suffering and divine justice?
8.What does Job 12:5 reveal about human attitudes towards the suffering of others?
9.How does Job 12:5 fit into the broader theme of wisdom in the Book of Job?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Job 12?
11.How do we reconcile Zophar's rigid cause-and-effect theology in Job 20 with other biblical passages (like Psalm 73) that acknowledge the prosperity of the wicked without immediate judgment?
12.Why do good people experience misfortune?
13.How can Job's claim in Job 23:3-5 that he would argue his case directly before God be reconciled with a supposedly omnipresent deity who remains silent?
14.How could an 'evil spirit from the Lord' (1 Samuel 19:9) align with a belief in a benevolent God?What Does Job 12:5 Mean
The one at ease• Picture the person who is comfortable, prosperous, and sheltered from hardship.Psalm 73:3–5 shows such people: “For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked… they are free of the burdens common to man.”
• Job points out that comfort can dull compassion. When life is smooth, it is easy to forget the frailty of others (Deuteronomy 8:11–14).
• Job himself had once lived in ease (Job 1:1–3). His words carry the sting of experience; he knows how quickly circumstances can change.
scorns misfortune• “Scorns” speaks of contempt. Those untouched by trouble may look down on sufferers, thinking, “That could never happen to me” (Proverbs 17:5: “Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker”).
• The attitude is more than mere indifference; it is active belittling—treating calamity as deserved or insignificant (Luke 16:19–21, the rich man ignoring Lazarus).
• Such scorn violates God’s call to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15) and exposes a heart insulated from empathy.
as the fate of those• The comfortable assume that disaster naturally belongs to “those people,” not to themselves—as though suffering were a category reserved for others (John 9:1–2, disciples asking, “Who sinned… that he was born blind?”).
• This mindset misreads the moral universe. Scripture teaches that trials can come to the righteous and the wicked alike (Ecclesiastes 9:1–2;Luke 13:1–5).
• Job challenges a simplistic theology of retribution promoted by his friends (Job 4:7–8). He insists that suffering is not always the penalty for personal sin.
whose feet are slipping• The phrase paints someone losing footing on a treacherous path—an image of vulnerability (Psalm 73:18–19).
• To assume that slipping feet prove God’s disfavor is to forget that even the godly can stumble (Psalm 94:18, “When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ Your loving devotion, O LORD, supported me”).
• Job’s point: when the secure despise the stumbling, they reveal ignorance of their own dependence on God’s steadying hand (1 Corinthians 10:12, “So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall”).
summaryJob 12:5 exposes the heart of comfortable spectators who dismiss the afflicted. Ease can breed contempt, causing people to misinterpret suffering as a mark of inferiority or divine judgment. Job reminds us that calamity is no respecter of persons and that compassion, not scorn, is the godly response.
(5)
Is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.--This rendering conveys no sense. The meaning is either that the lamp or torch prepared for feet tottering and uncertain in the darkness is disregarded and rejected by those who are at ease, and need no such aid; in which case one does not see very clearly why Job compares himself to such a torch: or, more probably, there is contempt for calamity in the thoughts of him that is at ease, it is ready at hand for them who are tottering with their feet.
Verse 5. -
He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease; rather, as in the Revised Version,
In the thought of him
that is at easethere is contempt for misfortune;
it (
i e. contempt)
is ready for them whose foot slippeth. The meaning is, "I am despised and scorned by you who sit at ease, because my foot has slipped, and I have fallen into misfortune."
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
The one at easeשַׁאֲנָ֑ן(ša·’ă·nān)Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7600:Secure, haughtydespisesבּ֭וּז(būz)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 937:Disrespectmisfortuneלַפִּ֣יד(lap·pîḏ)Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3940:A flambeau, lamp, flameas the fateלְעַשְׁתּ֣וּת(lə·‘aš·tūṯ)Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 6248:Cogitationof those whose feetרָֽגֶל׃(rā·ḡel)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7272:A foot, a step, the pudendaare slipping.לְמ֣וֹעֲדֵי(lə·mō·w·‘ă·ḏê)Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 4571:To slip, slide, totter, shake
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OT Poetry: Job 12:5 In the thought of him who (Jb) 
