Job 16:7

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

Job 16:7 Meaning and Commentary

Job 16:7

But now he hath made me weary
Or "it hath made me weary" {u}, that is, "my grief", as it may be supplied from ( Job 16:6 ) ; or rather God, as appears from the next clause, and from the following verse, where he is manifestly addressed; who by afflicting him had made him weary of the world, and all things in it, even of his very life, ( Job 10:1 ) ; his afflictions were so heavy upon him, and pressed him so hard, that his life was a burden to him; they were heavier than the sand of the sea, and his strength was not equal to them; he could scarcely drag along, was ready to sink and lie down under the weight of them:

thou hast made desolate all my company,
or "congregation" F23; the congregation of saints that met at his house for religious worship, as some think, which now through his affliction was broke up, whom Eliphaz had called a congregation of hypocrites, ( Job 15:34 ) ; which passage Job may have respect unto; or rather his family, his children, which were taken away from him: the Jews say F24, ten persons in any place make a congregation; this was just the number of Job's children, seven sons and three daughters; or it may be he may have respect to his friends, that came to visit him, who were moved and stupefied as it were at the sight of him and his afflictions, as the word F25 is by some translated, and who were alienated from him; were not friendly to him, nor administered to him any comfort; so that they were as if he had none, or worse.


FOOTNOTES:

F21 "Dolor meus", V. L. so Aben Ezra & Cocceius.
F23 (ytde) "meam congregationem", Pagninus; "conventum meum", Montanus, Bolducius.
F24 Vid. Drusium in loc.
F25 "Stupefe isti", Tigurine version; so Jarchi.

Job 16:7 In-Context

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.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.