Ch. 16–17. Job’s Reply to Eliphaz

Job’s appeal to God (ch. Job 13:23 seq.) remained unanswered. God is resolved to hide His face from him. His friends, instead of seeing in his appeal to Heaven and his protestations of innocence proof that he is innocent, regard these as but a crafty attempt to hide his guilt, and as the most convincing evidence of it (ch. Job 15:5-6). Thus Job beholds God and men alike turned against him and holding him guilty. God of the world and of the present inexorably turns away from him; and God’s turning away from him causes men to avert their faces too. His isolation is complete. And to him who had once stood so high in the estimation of men, and as a man of deep human feelings yearned for men’s sympathy (cf. the picture in ch. 29), the thought comes home with a crushing effect. This is the new thought in Job’s mind, and it is this thought that gives such a tragic pathos to his speeches in the second cycle of debate. In the first circle of speeches it is God’s enmity alone of which Job complains (ch. Job 6:4, &c.), but now there is added to this the universal alienation (ch. Job 16:7) and abhorrence of mankind. This feeling gives tone to all his speeches, and in ch. 19, which forms the climax of this division, finds its fullest expression in the words, Pity me, pity me, O ye my friends, why do ye persecute me like God? (Job 16:21-22, cf. Job 16:13 seq.). And this overmastering feeling forces its way to expression almost in spite of him (Job 16:6) in the first part of the present speech (Job 16:7-17).

Nothing now remains to him but his own sense of his innocence; and to this he clings all the more tenaciously. He shall never be acknowledged in this life; he shall die under God’s hand and go down to the grave numbered with the transgressors, for the hopes which the friends held out of restoration were but the veriest folly (Job 16:22 seq., Job 17:10 seq.). But it is a martyr’s death that he shall die. And so strong is his sense of his innocence that he rises to the assurance that it cannot remain unrecognised for ever. His innocent blood will appeal unto heaven with an unceasing cry till it finds a response (Job 16:18). And even now he has a Witness who will testify for him, even God as He is in Himself in heaven. And to this Witness he makes his appeal. Men mock him, but he lifts his tearful face (Job 16:20) to God, God as He is in truth and as He must reveal himself in the future, begging that He would uphold his right with God, who now is unjustly bringing him to death, and do justice between him and his fellows, whose suspicions so cruelly wrong him (Job 16:21, Job 19:3). And if he may not ask or expect (Job 13:18 seq.) that God would appear for him in this life, yet he will beseech God to give him some pledge even here, that afterwards, when he shall have gone the way whence he shall not return, He will make his innocence to appear (Job 16:22, Job 17:3).

The Discourse consists of four somewhat unequal sections:—

First, Job 16:1-5, Job expresses his weariness of his friends’ monotonous speeches, which contained nothing; and justifies against the complaint of Eliphaz (Job 15:11) his rejection of them.

Second, Job 16:6-17, he gives a touching picture of his sorrowful isolation, and of the enmity with which God and men pursued him, though he was innocent of all wrong.

Third, Job 16:18 to Job 17:9, but this cruel fate, which both brings him to death and affixes to him the stigma of wickedness, cannot for ever prevail over him. He shall die under the imputation of guilt, but his blood will cry for reparation, filling earth and heaven with its voice, until he be vindicated. He has a Witness in heaven who will testify for him, even God as He is in heart; and he appeals unto God that He would do justice to him with God and between him and men—and even that He would not let him die without some token to this effect (Job 16:21, Job 17:3).

Fourth, Job 16:10-16, coming back to what is the ground tone of this speech, his certainty of a speedy death under God’s hand, Job repudiates as mere folly the glowing hopes of restoration in this life which his friends held out to him. He knows better; he shall die, his hope is in the grave.

Ch. Job 16:1-5. Job expresses his weariness of the monotony of his friends’speeches, and rejects their consolation, which is only that of the lip

2. many such things] Job cannot help expressing his impatience of the sameness and the amount of his friends’ talk, and its uselessness or even worse.

miserable comforters] The margin is, troublesome comforters, lit. comforters of trouble, whose comfort brings no ease but only more trouble. The words are a reply to the query of Eliphaz, Are the comforts of God too small for thee? Job 15:11. Their comforts were all founded on a false assumption of his guilt, and contained the condition of his repentance. Such words only increased his perplexity and misery.

3. Shall vain words have an end] lit. is there any end to words of wind? To retort their charge of “windy knowledge” (ch. Job 15:2), Job cannot help fearing that there is no end to such empty harangues on their side, though he cannot imagine what provokes them to reply instead of letting the controversy drop, as he had long ago besought them (ch. Job 13:5). For emboldeneth provoketh is better.

4. I could heap up words] Rather, I could compose words. By “composing” or joining together words Job means making formal, artificial and heartless speeches; cf. the string of traditional sayings put together by Eliphaz, ch. Job 15:20 seq.

shake mine head at you] “A gesture of astonishment, as much as to say ‘Eh! I would not have thought that the pious man, as it appears from his misfortunes, had been so great a sinner’ ” (Hitzig), cf. Psalm 22:7, Isaiah 37:22.

4, 5. Job then, with the supercilious contempt peculiar to him and in justification of his rejection of their “comfort,” holds up a picture of it before them: their method is not a difficult one, he also could adopt it, if his case were theirs; he could shake his head over them and give them lip-comfort enough.

5. The verse no doubt carries on the idea of the preceding:

I could strengthen you with my mouth,

And the condolence of my lips could assuage your grief.

The emphasis falls on mouth and lips. Job could give them lip-comfort enough, pour out abundance of words in which lay no power to uphold the heart as they did not proceed from the heart. “Condolence” as ch. Job 2:11.

6. my grief] i. e. my pain; see on ch. Job 2:13.

what am I eased] lit. as margin, what (of my pain or trouble) goeth from me?

6–17. Job realizes to himself his new condition: God and men combine to pursue him with their enmity, though he is innocent of all wrong

In Job 16:5 Job flung back with scorn the “comforts of God” which the friends proffered him. And now there seems to occur a pause, and the excited sufferer looks about him and realizes both the extremity of the evil in which he is held, and the new and unexpected trial, added to all others, of the judgment of men being against him. And he hardly knows whether he shall speak or be silent, so overcome is he and so unavailing to help him or make men judge truly of him are both speech and silence—if I speak my grief is not assuaged, and if I forbear what am I eased? Job 16:6.

Yet this new condition in which he realizes that he is, which makes speech useless, forces him to speak, and he sets before himself in an excited soliloquy the combined enmity to him of men and God.

First, Job 16:7-11, he realizes to himself the complete estrangement from him of all familiar friends; God’s enmity to him has turned men also into foes (Job 16:7-8). This combined enmity of God and men is represented under what seems the figure of a creature hunted by one great lion-like assailant, leading on a host of minor, ignobler foes. The chief adversary is first described, his rending anger, and gnashing teeth, and flashing eyes (Job 16:9); and then the pell-mell rout of baser foes that howled behind him, their open mouth and shameless gestures, and full cry after the prey, which is flung over into their hands (Job 16:10-11).

Second, Job 16:12-17, then the hostility of God Himself is particularly dwelt upon in graphic figures, which express its unexpected suddenness, its violence and destructiveness. One figure is that of a man suddenly grasped by another of overwhelming strength and tossed about and dashed to pieces (Job 16:12). Then the figure changes, and this shattered frame is set up as a mark, and God’s arrows hiss around him and split his reins and pour out his life to the ground (Job 16:13). Again the figure changes, and this body seems some fair edifice or fort which God dismantles by breach upon breach till it lies a sorrowful ruin (Job 16:14). And finally the condition of humiliation to which the sufferer is brought is described; and all this befell him though he had done no wrong (Job 16:15-17).

7. made me weary] i. e. exhausted me; and now describes the new situation which he realizes. The second clause indicates in what way he had been wearied or exhausted, all his “company,” his familiar friends, all on whom he could rely, or hope in, had been removed from him, and turned into his enemies and haters, cf. ch. Job 19:13-19; every resource was taken from him, cf. ch. Job 15:34. In the first clause he is God, to whom as his emotion rises the speaker turns directly in the second clause—thou hast made desolate.

8. The verse reads,

Thou hast laid hold of me, and it is become a witness against me;

And my leanness riseth up against me; it beareth witness to my face.

By God’s seizing or laying hold of him Job means his afflictions. These afflictions sent by God were assumed by all to be witnesses of his guilt; his emaciation from disease rose up and testified to his face that he was a sinner. Such was the construction all men put on his calamities, and under this impression they all turned away from him, thinking him one stricken of God and afflicted (Isaiah 53:4). See on ch. Job 1:11, and cf. Isaiah 3:9.

9. Picture of God’s hostility to him. The figure is that of a beast of prey.

who hateth me] lit. and hateth me, or, and is hostile to me, i. e. assaileth me. The picture of the lion-like assailant, his rending fury, and gnashing teeth, and flashing eyes, is graphic.

10. Picture of the hostility of men—the pack of petty foes that howl at the heels of his greater enemy.

have gaped] Rather, they gape. Similarly, they smite. The figure of wild beasts is not strictly maintained, but passes in the second clause into the reality. The gestures described are those of contempt and destructive hatred, see Psalm 22:13, Isaiah 57:4, Micah 5:1, Lamentations 3:30; cf. John 18:22; John 19:3, Acts 23:2.

they have gathered themselves] they gather. The phrase means probably that they fling themselves in one body upon him, they combine in their attack against him.

11. hath delivered] delivereth. Similarly, turneth or casteth me into. By the “ungodly” Job does not mean his friends, but the low rabble of men, such as are described in ch. 30.

12. The figure of a man seized by another of overwhelming strength and dashed to pieces. This attack was sudden and unexpected, when Job was at ease and in security cf. ch. Job 29:2 seq. This meets what Eliphaz said of the forebodings of conscience, ch. Job 15:20 seq.

12–14. More particular description of the hostile attack of God, its unexpectedness and destructiveness.

13. The second figure—Job has been set up by God as a mark for His arrows.

his archers] Rather, his arrows, cf. ch. Job 6:4. These arrows fly about him and cleave his vital parts and pour out his life to the ground. The Oriental speaks of the gall and gall-bladder where we might refer to the blood and the heart.

14. Another figure, that of an edifice or fort overthrown by repeated breaches, and stormed by warriors. Giant is a mighty man, or warrior, Isaiah 42:13.

15. Putting on sackcloth was the sign of mourning; it was worn next the skin, 2 Kings 6:30. By sewing it on Job indicates that it is his habitual garment, which he never puts off; though the word may also suggest the closeness with which it adheres to his shrunk and emaciated frame.

defiled my horn] The word “defiled” or fouled may also mean, thrust my horn into the dust; the sense remains the same. To lift up the horn is to increase in power or eminence, or to shew a proud sense of greatness (Psalm 89:17; Psalm 89:24; Psalm 92:10; Psalm 75:4-5); to thrust it into the dust, or to foul it in the dust, is to feel the sense of deepest humiliation. Job’s once honoured head which he held erect was brought down low in shame.

15–17. Condition to which the sufferer was brought by these destructive attacks of God in His hostility.

16. My face is foul] The word may mean inflamed, from a root signifying to be red; or the root of the word may mean to ferment, and the reference be to the swollen and blurred appearance of the face from excessive weeping. Involuntary weeping is said to be a symptom of Elephantiasis. The second clause expresses another effect of this weeping, his eyes became dim (ch. Job 17:7, Psalm 6:7; Psalm 69:3), and there lay thick darkness upon them—though this was also a sign of diminishing vitality; comp. Goethe’s dying cry, More light!

17. Not for any injustice] i. e. though there is no wrong in my hands, cf. Isaiah 53:9. The first clause denies that he had done anything amiss in action; and the second affirms that his “prayer,” i. e. his whole religious walk with God, was pure. The last words give a reply to the insinuations of Eliphaz, ch. Job 15:4, and the former to his allusion ch. Job 15:34.

18. God’s destructive enmity will bring Job to death, though there is no wrong in his hands and his prayer is pure (Job 16:17). This feeling makes him appeal to the earth not to cover his innocent blood. He shall die, but it is an unjust death, and his blood shall lie on the bosom of the earth open, appealing to heaven for vindication, and uttering an unceasing cry for justice.

let my cry have no place] i. e. no resting place, where it should cease and be dumb and penetrate no further. His “cry” is his cry for reparation, as in Genesis 4:10 “The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.” His “blood” is, of course, a figure; it does not imply actual bloodshed, but merely a wrongful death; but it cannot mean anything short of death, because the figure is taken from a violent death. The word is used in a similar way, Psalm 30:9, “What profit is there in my blood, in my going down to the pit”? where death at God’s hand from sickness seems referred to. On the idea that uncovered blood is blood calling for reparation see the remarkable passage Ezekiel 24:7-8; cf. Isaiah 26:21.

Ch. Job 16:18 to Job 17:9. Job, dying a martyr’s death, beseeches God that He would uphold his right with God and against men, and give him a pledge that He will make his innocence appear

In Job 16:12-14 Job described the terrible hostility of God, who dashed him to pieces, laid him in ruins and poured out his soul to the ground—brought him unto death. Then the other thought rose in his mind that all this befell him though he was innocent both in life and in spirit. Here he comes to the point at which he always loses self-control—when he realizes that in spite of his innocence he is held guilty. This is an overwhelming feeling, and under it Job either wildly challenges the rectitude of God, as in the first cycle of speeches; or he flings off from him altogether the form of things in the present world, and forces his way into another region, where such perversions cannot prevail and where the face of God, clouded here, must be clear and propitious. This second direction, entered upon first in ch. 14, is pursued in the present passage, and reaches its highest point in ch. 19. Already in ch. 10. Job had drawn a distinction between God of the present, who persecuted him as guilty though he was innocent, and God of the past, whose gracious care of him had been wonderful; though there he grasped at a frightful reconciliation of the contradiction: God of the present, who destroyed him, seemed the real God, and His past mercies were no true expression of His nature (see on Job 10:13 seq.). In ch. 14. Job reached out his hand into the darkness and clutched at another idea, a distinction between God of the present who would pursue him unto death, and God of the future—God when His anger should be over-past and He would yearn again towards His creature, the work of His hands (see on Job 14:13 seq.). This God of the future was God as He is in truth, true to His own past dealing and to man’s conceptions of Him. It is on this line of thought that the present passage moves.

The two great ideas which fill Job’s mind in all this discourse are, first, the certainty of his speedy death under God’s afflicting hand; and second, the moral infamy and the inexplicable contradiction to his conscience which death in such circumstances carries with it. The first, his speedy death, Job accepts as inevitable, and he cannot restrain his contemptuous indignation at the foolishness of his friends, who talk as if something else were possible (Job 17:2-4; Job 17:10-16). But such a death under the hand of God meant to Job the reprobation of God and the scorn and abhorrence of men. And it is against this idea, not his mere death, that Job wrestles with all his might. This is the meaning of such a death; but it cannot be that God will allow this obloquy and injustice to overwhelm His innocent creature for ever. His blood will utter a ceaseless cry for reparation. And even now he has in heaven one who will witness to his innocence. And he prays to God that He would maintain his right with God and against men.

It is impossible to escape the conclusion that Job prays or hopes for this vindication not before but after death. For he contemplates dying an unjust death—his blood will cry for vengeance. His present unjust afflictions will bring him to the grave. But these fatal afflictions are just God’s witness to his guilt. Any interference of God, therefore, to declare his innocence cannot take place in this life, for an intervention of God to declare his innocence, all the while that He continued to declare him guilty by His afflictions, could not occur to Job’s mind.

The passage Job 16:18 to Job 17:9 embraces two sections similar to one another, each of which contains a fervent appeal to God, followed by words which support it, Job 16:18 to Job 17:2, and Job 17:3-9.

19. If his blood is to cry with an unceasing voice for reparation until it find it, there must be some one to take up the cry and see reparation made. Job is assured that already he has such a Witness and sponsor in heaven. The verse reads,

Even now, behold my witness is in heaven,

And he that voucheth for me is on high.

my record] This is inexact; the word describes a person and means precisely the same as Witness, being the Aramean equivalent to the Heb. in the first clause. The word occurs again in the expression Jegar Sahadutha, heap of witness, Genesis 31:47, as the Hebrew word does in the corresponding phrase, Gal-‘Ed. It is difficult to find a corresponding noun in English; perhaps advocate or sponsor comes pretty near, as there was no difference between advocate and witness in the Hebrew courts, the part of a witness being to testify in behalf of one and see justice done to him, as Job 16:21 describes what part Job desires his witness to play for him. “Witness” does not mean merely one who knows Job’s innocence, but one who will testify to it and see it recognised, just as in Job 17:3 surety is one who undertakes to see right maintained.

20.  My friends scorn me:

Mine eye poureth out tears unto God,

20. scorn me] lit. are my scorners, or, mockers—instead of being my witnesses, cf. Job 12:4, Job 16:4-5. Because his friends mock him and no sympathy or insight is to be looked for from them (Job 16:7, Job 17:4), his eye droppeth—he appeals with tears to God; cf. Isaiah 38:14. What Job desires of his Witness is that he would see right done him both with God and with men—with God who wrongly held him guilty, and against men, his fellows, who founding on God’s dealing with him held him guilty also and were his mockers. On first clause of Job 16:21 cf. Job 13:15, Job 23:7. The “man” and “son of man” to whom Job refers is himself; there is nothing mystical in the phrase “son of man,” which means merely “man,” Hebrew poetry requiring for its parallelism such variety of expression.

20, 21. Job now names his Witness and states what he hopes for from Him.

21.  That he would maintain the right of a man with God,

And of a son of man against his neighbour.

22. It is doubtful whether Job means by “a few years” his whole life, or the years that are still to run of it. The last sense is fairest to the language. His disease though mortal was not immediately fatal; but at least his days were consumed “without hope.”

22–17:2. What Job sought with tears was that God would cause his innocence to be acknowledged by God, and made manifest against men. Now he adds words in support of his prayer, or gives the reason for it. He so prays, for here in this life he has no hope of restoration. God’s anger will pursue him to the grave, which is already his portion.

  16:22.  For a few years shall come,

And I shall go the way whence I shall not return!

  17:1.  My spirit is spent,

My days are extinct.

The grave is ready for me!

  17:2.  Surely mockeries encompass me,

And mine eye must dwell on their provocation!