Job 16:3-13

3 Whether words full of wind shall have an end? either anything is dis-easeful to thee, if thou speakest (it)?

4 Also I might speak things like to you, and I would, that your soul were for my soul; and I would comfort you by words, and I would move mine head on you; (I could also speak words like you, and if you were in my place, I could discomfort you with such words, and I could wag my head at you.)

5 I would (rather) make you strong by my mouth, and I would move my lips as sparing you. (But I would rather make you strong with my mouth, yea, with encouraging words, and I would rather move my lips to say things to comfort you.)

6 But what shall I do? If I speak, my sorrow resteth not; and if I am still, it goeth not away from me.

7 But now my sorrow hath oppressed me, and all my limbs be driven into nought.

8 My rivellings say witnessing against me, and a false speaker is raised up against my face, and against-saith me. (My wrinkles testify against me, and a liar is raised up before me, and speaketh against me.)

9 He gathered together his strong vengeance in me, and he menaced me, and he gnashed against me with his teeth; mine enemy hath beheld me with fearedful eyes. (He gathered together his strong vengeance against me, and he threatened me, and he gnashed against me with his teeth; my enemy hath looked at me with eyes full of hatred.)

10 They opened their mouths upon me, and they said shame to me, and they smote my cheek; and they be filled with my pains (and they gathered themselves together against me).

11 God hath closed me together at the wicked, and hath given me to the hands of wicked men. (God hath enclosed me with the wicked, and hath given me into the hands of the wicked.)

12 I, that rich man and famous sometime, am all-broken suddenly; he held my noll; he hath broken me, and hath set me as into a sign. (I, that rich and sometimes famous man, am suddenly all-broken; he held me by the neck; he hath altogether broken me, and hath set me up like a target.)

13 And he hath (en)compassed me with his spears, he hath wounded altogether my loins; he hath not spared me, and he hath shed out mine entrails into the earth. (And he hath surrounded me with his spears, he hath deeply wounded my loins; he hath not spared me, and he hath poured out my bowels upon the ground.)

Job 16:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 16

This chapter and the following contain Job's reply to the preceding discourse of Eliphaz, in which he complains of the conversation of his friends, as unprofitable, uncomfortable, vain, empty, and without any foundation, Job 16:1-3; and intimates that were they in his case and circumstances, tie should behave in another manner towards them, not mock at them, but comfort them, Job 16:4,5; though such was his unhappy case, that, whether he spoke or was silent, it was much the same; there was no alloy to his grief, Job 16:6; wherefore he turns himself to God, and speaks to him, and of what he had done to him, both to his family, and to himself; which things, as they proved the reality of his afflictions, were used by his friends as witnesses against him, Job 16:7,8; and then enters upon a detail of his troubles, both at the hands of God and man, in order to move the divine compassion, and the pity of his friends, Job 16:9-14; which occasioned him great sorrow and distress, Job 16:15,16; yet asserts his own innocence, and appeals to God for the truth of it, Job 16:17-19; and applies to him, and wishes his cause was pleaded with him, Job 16:20,21; and concludes with the sense he had of the shortness of his life, Job 16:22; which sentiment is enlarged upon in the following chapter.