What is the meaning of Job 12:16?

True wisdom and power belong to Him.

– Job affirms that the Lord alone possesses perfect insight and unlimited might.

• “To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are His” (Job 12:13) sets the tone for verse 16.

• Scripture repeatedly anchors real wisdom in God, not in human reasoning (Proverbs 2:6; James 1:5).

• His power is absolute, shaping the universe (Jeremiah 32:17) and sustaining every breath (Acts 17:25).

• Knowing this steadies the believer when human counsel, like that of Job’s friends, fails (Job 6:21–24).

• Because God is both wise and strong, His plans cannot be thwarted (Isaiah 14:27; Psalm 33:10–11).

---

The deceived and the deceiver are His.

– Job widens the lens: even those caught in error and those spreading it remain under God’s sovereignty.

• God permits but also limits deception, as seen with Ahab’s prophets (2 Chronicles 18:22) and Pharaoh’s hardened heart (Exodus 9:12; Romans 9:17–18).

• He turns human schemes toward His purposes—“You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).

• This neither excuses the deceiver nor blames God for sin; each person answers for choices (James 1:13–14), yet the Lord overrules for His glory.

• For the deceived, comfort lies in knowing the Shepherd can rescue (John 10:28).

• For the deceiver, sobriety comes from realizing God sees and judges every lie (Proverbs 12:19; Revelation 21:8).

---

summary

Job 12:16 proclaims a God who is infinitely wise, irresistibly powerful, and unthreatened by human intrigue. Recognizing that all people—whether misled or misleading—remain in His hand fosters humility, trust, and hope. His wisdom guides, His power secures, and His sovereignty assures that even deception cannot derail His righteous purposes.