20141022 Wednesday, October 22 2014
Job 12: The Thinker From The Soil

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Speak to the Earth, and it shall teach thee"

The English word "human" originated from a Latin word, hominus, that referred to the origin of humans from the Earth i.e. the words humus (that today means organic soil) and humans originated from the same ancient word.

Although the English word "man" is now equated with "human," it actually originated from another word, the ancient Old English and Anglo-Saxon (the Anglos were a tribe of the Saxons - a Germanic family of people) word that meant to think. More specifically, it referred to a manner of thinking (hence also the origin of "manner" which earlier meant how man does things), the behavior, from their way of thinking, that was common to humans.

The full meaning of human, based on the original words that were compounded to identify the species as "human," is the thinker from the soil.

The original word "man" in those ancient languages, from Latin to the Germanic, referred to the species, not necessarily the male of the species - just as is common today. The Hebrew word of the Holy Scriptures that is translated as "man," which is pronounced aw-dawm, also referred first to the species, male and female.

"1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." (Genesis 1:27 KJV)

The male man was created first (see In The Beginning Was The Word and Peace In The Garden). The female man was created from him (see The Only Child Of The Garden). The first woman, the female and the term for female humans, was then born.

"2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." (Genesis 2:23 KJV)

"3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living." (Genesis 3:20 KJV)

The LORD (Who was and is Jesus Christ - see Genesis 1: In The Beginning Was The Word and The Kingdom Of The LORD God) had referred to the male simply as "the man" i.e. the Hebrew word for man as a species, "aw-dawm," from which the personal name "Adam" later originated.

"2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed." (Genesis 2:7-8 KJV)

Job's discourse with his increasingly obstinate friends (see Innocent Until Proven Guilty, A Friend In Deed and Crucified To The Sound Of Mockers) revealed not only how "deeply" that Job understood man's origin, but also his awareness of the psychology of "the thinker from the soil" i.e. "speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee."

"12:1 And Job answered and said,

12:2 No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you. 12:3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

12:4 I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn. 12:5 He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease. 12:6 The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

12:7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: 12:8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. 12:9 Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? 12:10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. 12:11 Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat? 12:12 With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.

12:13 With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding. 12:14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening. 12:15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth. 12:16 With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.

12:17 He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools. 12:18 He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle. 12:19 He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty. 12:20 He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged. 12:21 He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty. 12:22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death. 12:23 He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again. 12:24 He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way. 12:25 They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man." (Job 12:1-25 KJV)

Fact Finder: How does the Bible describe man's origin from the Earth?
See Adam and Adamah