Job 19 Study Notes

19:17 The phrase my own family renders the Hebrew phrase that literally reads, “children of my belly.” The word belly is a euphemism referring to Job’s loins (cp. Ps 132:11; Mc 6:7). But had Job not lost all his children (Jb 1:18-19)? These could be children by one of Job’s concubines or slaves, or they could be grandchildren who escaped the earlier destruction and came to live in his house. Alternatively, some interpreters take “my belly” (Hb bitni) to refer to Job’s mother, hence these “children” would be his blood brothers.

19:18 For children to mock an old man was a serious violation of Israelite social norms.

19:19 Picking up the thought from v. 14, Job says that his best friends have not only forgotten him but have actively become his enemies.

19:20 The Hebrew here suggests that in Job’s weakness he felt as though his bones were clinging to his skin and flesh (33:21). He is emaciated. The idiom skin of my teeth heightens the effect. Job was so weak that he was barely alive.

19:21-22 Job’s plea for his friends’ understanding and compassion was based on his belief that he was innocent. God simply had attacked him. With their continued fault-finding, they joined God in his persecution of Job (7:17-20) as though they had become witnesses for the prosecution (10:17). The Hebrew idiom underlying Job’s second question (19:22) is “to eat the flesh.” It is used for slander or of levying accusations against someone (Ps 27:2; Dn 3:8; 6:24). Job lamented that by their unkind remarks his friends were consuming his last bastion of defense.

19:23-24 A scroll was made of papyrus or leather. Better yet, Job would like his words engraved in lead on a stone stele. Carved stelae are found throughout the ancient world. Although they often contain royal decrees, they could be used to record significant events in a person’s life or to serve as boundary stones at the edge of one’s property. Job’s insistence on the carved letters being filled in with lead emphasized his desire for a permanent record of his innocence.

19:25 The Hebrew term Redeemer reflects an ancient custom whereby a person’s nearest kinsman served as a guarantor of his rights and privileges (Lv 25:23-34,47-54; Dt 19:6-12; Jos 20:2-5; Ru 4:1-17). Although Job had repeatedly described God as his enemy and persecutor (Jb 7:17-21; 16:7-14; 19:7-12), he had also expressed his confidence in God (12:13-16; 13:15-18; 14:14-17; 16:18-20). He said that in the end God was his only hope (17:3). Job’s underlying faith ultimately surfaced, breaking through his dark doubts about God. God was Job’s redeemer who alone could serve as a guarantor of his rights and vindicate his cause. If Job were to die, he was confident that the living God would stand on the dust of his grave and testify on his behalf.

19:26-27 Job built on his earlier mention of skin and flesh (v. 20). He pointed out the inevitability of what he had come to expect (7:7-10; 10:18,21-22; 14:12; 17:13-16). Although he would lie in the grave (19:25) with his body decayed, he would personally see God. No longer as a stranger (one outside of God’s household, or an enemy), he would experience renewed fellowship. Job once again entertained the fond hope of personal life after death (14:14-15).

19:28-29 For Job’s friends to pursue him with false accusations placed them in a dangerous position. They should become responsible counselors, or else they would face God’s judicial wrath. The sword is a symbol of God’s judgment (Dt 32:41; Rm 13:4).