Miserable Comforters
Study note
Job has heard enough of his friends' advice. He calls them 'miserable comforters.' He says their empty words seem endless. If they were suffering and he were in their place, he could heap words against them too and shake his head. But instead, he would encourage them and try to ease their grief. Job shows that he understands what true friendship should look like.
1 Then Job responded, Then Job answered and said,
2 'I have already heard plenty of talk like this. Every one of you is a terrible comforter!' I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.
3 'Will your worthless speeches ever run out? What keeps driving you to argue like this?' Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
4 'If you were in my place, I could say the exact same things to you. I could stack up words against you and shake my head at you in disappointment.' I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.
5 'But I would not do that. Instead, I would use my words to lift you up. What I said would take some of the pain away.' But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should assuage your grief.
God Has Attacked Me
Study note
Job describes his suffering in violent terms. He says God has worn him out and torn him apart. God gnashes his teeth at Job like an enemy. People strike his cheeks and gather against him. God has handed him over to the wicked. Job was at peace, but God shattered him, grabbed him by the neck, and set him up as a target. God's archers surround him. Yet through it all, Job insists he is innocent.
6 'Yet even when I do speak, my pain stays right where it is. And if I stay quiet, it does not go away either.' Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?
7 'God has completely worn me down. He has wiped out everyone I care about.' But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.
8 'He has made me shrivel up, and people point to my wasted body as proof that I must have done something wrong.' And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.
9 'God rips into me with his anger and treats me like an enemy. He grinds his teeth at me. My opponent stares me down with hateful eyes.' He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.
10 'People open their mouths wide to mock me. They slap my face to humiliate me. They gang up on me together.' They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.
11 'God has turned me over to people who do not care about him. He has tossed me right into the hands of cruel people.' God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.
12 'I was living peacefully, and then God shattered me. He grabbed me by the back of the neck and shook me apart. He stood me up like a target to shoot at.' I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
13 'He has surrounded me with archers. He pierces my insides and shows no mercy at all. He spills my blood out on the ground.' His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
14 'He smashes through my defenses again and again. He rushes at me like a soldier in battle.' He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.
15 'I have wrapped myself in rough, scratchy cloth and pressed my face down into the dust.' I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.
16 'My face is swollen red from all my crying. Dark circles surround my eyes.' My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
17 'And yet I have not been violent with my hands, and my prayers to God have been honest and pure.' Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.
My Witness Is in Heaven
Study note
In a moment of remarkable faith amid his anguish, Job cries out that his witness is in heaven. Even though his friends mock him, he pours out his tears to God. He longs for someone to plead his case before God, the same way a person pleads for a friend. He knows his remaining years are few.
18 'Earth, I beg you -- do not soak up my blood and cover it over! Let my cry keep ringing out and never go silent!' O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.
19 'Right now, even as I speak, someone in heaven sees what is happening. Someone up above is standing as my witness.' Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.
20 'My own friends make fun of me, but my eyes keep streaming tears toward God.' My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.
21 'I wish somebody could go to God on my behalf, the same way a person speaks up for a friend!' O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!
22 'I only have a few short years left before I head down the road that nobody comes back from.' When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.