Job 16:5

5 But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.

Job 16:5 in Other Translations

5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.

5 I could strengthen you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips would assuage your pain.

5 But if it were me, I would encourage you. I would try to take away your grief.

5 But I'd never do that. I'd console and comfort, make things better, not worse!

5 [But] I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the solace of my lips would assuage [your grief].

5 I could encourage you with my mouth, and my quivering lips could ease [your pain].

5 I would encourage you with my mouth, and the consolation from my lips would bring relief.

5 But what I might say would give you hope. My words of comfort would help you.

Job 16:5 Meaning and Commentary

Job 16:5

[But] I would strengthen you with my mouth
Comfort them with the words of his mouth; so God strengthens his people with strength in their souls, when he answers them with good and comfortable words; an angel strengthened Christ as man when in an agony, comforting him, suggesting comfortable things to him; so one saint may strengthen and comfort another when in distress, whether of soul or body; see ( Psalms 138:3 ) ( Luke 22:43 Luke 22:32 ) ; and thus Job had strengthened and comforted others, with his words in former times, as Eliphaz himself owns, ( Job 4:3 Job 4:4 ) and so he would again, were there a change in his circumstances, and objects presented:

and the moving of my lips should assuage [your grief]:
words uttered by him, which are done by the moving of the lips, should be such as would have a tendency to allay grief, to stop, restrain, forbid, and lessen sorrow; at least that it might not break out in an extravagant way, and exceed bounds, and that his friends might not be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.

Job 16:5 In-Context

3 Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing?

4 I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you.

5 But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.

6 “Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away.

7 Surely, God, you have worn me out; you have devastated my entire household.

Cross References

• 1. Job 29:25
• 2. S Genesis 37:35