Charles Spurgeon Commentary Job 11:12

"But vain man is void of understanding, Yea, man is born [as] a wild ass`s colt." — Job 11:12 (ASV)

Would be wise—

He pretends to wisdom; he wishes to be thought wise; he likes to wear a wise man's title: Vain man would be wise,—

Though man be born like a wild ass's colt.

As untamed, as ignorant, as willful as a wild ass's colt, are we by nature. Zophar seems to think that he has sufficiently rebuked Job for pretending to be wise, and for complaining that God was dealing unjustly with him; so now he begins to admonish him to repent:

For vain man –

That is just what man is by nature; the best of men are vanity – emptiness: For vain man –