The Meaning of Job 12:22 Explained

Job 12:22

KJV: He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

YLT: Removing deep things out of darkness, And He bringeth out to light death-shade.

Darby: He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out into light the shadow of death;

ASV: He uncovereth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He discovereth  deep things  out of darkness,  and bringeth out  to light  the shadow of death. 

What does Job 12:22 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 12:1-25 - "god's Paths In Deep Waters"
Job sets himself to disprove Zophar's contention that wickedness invariably causes insecurity in men's dwellings; and in doing so he bitterly complains that his friends mocked at him so contemptuously. He says that they remind him of those who are glad enough of a torch when their foot is slipping in the dark, but cast it aside when they reach their quarters, Job 12:5.
Those who rob are often the most prosperous, Job 12:6, and nature teaches that the animals and plants which are most sturdy in their self-assertion are most secure. Is not the vulture more secure than the dove, the lion than the ox, the shark than the dolphin, the rose than the thorn which tears it? In all such cases you cannot explain the mystery except by referring it to the will of God, whose reasons are past finding out. Similar mysteries beset human life.
Job still further illustrates his point from human life, showing that the lives of counselors, judges, kings, priests, princes, and elders are exposed to the same apparent anomalies and inequalities of treatment. We know, however, that suffering is purifying to the soul, and often redemptive, as Christ's was, for others. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 12

1  Job maintains himself against his friends that reprove him
7  He acknowledges the doctrine of God's omnipotence

What do the individual words in Job 12:22 mean?

He uncovers deep things out of darkness and brings to light the shadow of death
מְגַלֶּ֣ה עֲ֭מֻקוֹת מִנִּי־ חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵ֖א לָא֣וֹר צַלְמָֽוֶת

מְגַלֶּ֣ה  He  uncovers 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: גָּלָה  
Sense: to uncover, remove.
עֲ֭מֻקוֹת  deep  things 
Parse: Adjective, feminine plural
Root: עָמֹק  
Sense: deep, mysterious, depths.
מִנִּי־  out 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
חֹ֑שֶׁךְ  of  darkness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹשֶׁךְ  
Sense: darkness, obscurity.
וַיֹּצֵ֖א  and  brings 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
לָא֣וֹר  to  light 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֹור  
Sense: light.
צַלְמָֽוֶת  the  shadow  of  death 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: צַלְמָוֶת  
Sense: death-shadow, deep shadow, deep darkness, shadow of death.