If only my request were granted
Job expresses a deep longing for relief from his suffering. This phrase highlights the human tendency to seek immediate answers to pain and distress. In the context of the Book of Job, Job's request is for understanding and possibly for death to end his suffering. This reflects the ancient Near Eastern practice of lament, where individuals would openly express their grievances to God. Theologically, it underscores the belief in a personal God who hears and responds to human petitions, a theme consistent throughout the Old Testament, such as in the Psalms (e.g., Psalm 22:1-2).

and God would fulfill my hope:
Job's hope is not just for relief but for vindication and understanding of his suffering. This hope is rooted in his faith in God's justice and righteousness. The phrase connects to the broader biblical theme of hope in God's promises, as seen in Romans 5:5, where hope does not disappoint because of God's love. Job's hope also foreshadows the ultimate hope found in Jesus Christ, who provides the ultimate answer to human suffering and the fulfillment of God's promises. This reflects the eschatological hope found in the New Testament, where believers await the fulfillment of God's kingdom and the restoration of all things.

1. Job
A man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, known for his immense suffering and perseverance.

2. God
The Almighty Creator, whom Job addresses in his plea. Job's relationship with God is central to the account, as he seeks understanding and relief from his suffering.

3. Job's Suffering
The context of Job's plea is his intense physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering. He has lost his wealth, children, and health, and is in a state of deep despair.

4. Job's Friends
Although not directly mentioned in this verse, they are present in the account, offering their own interpretations of Job's suffering, which often lack true understanding and compassion.

5. The Land of Uz
The setting of the Book of Job, a place of ancient origin, often associated with the region east of Israel.The Nature of Hope in Suffering
Job's plea reveals the deep human desire for relief and understanding in times of suffering. It teaches us to bring our deepest desires and hopes before God, trusting in His wisdom and timing.

The Role of Prayer
Job's request is a form of prayer, demonstrating the importance of communicating openly with God, even in our distress. It encourages believers to maintain a prayerful attitude, seeking God's will and comfort.

Understanding God's Sovereignty
While Job desires his request to be granted, the broader account reminds us of God's sovereignty and the mystery of His plans. It challenges us to trust in God's greater purpose, even when it is not immediately apparent.

Compassionate Listening
The presence of Job's friends, though misguided, highlights the need for compassionate listening and support for those who are suffering. It calls believers to be present and empathetic, offering comfort rather than judgment.(8) Oh that I might have my request.--Baffled in the direction of his fellow-creatures, he turns, like many others, to God as his only hope, although it is rather from God than in God that his hope lies. However exceptional Job's trials, yet his language is the common language of all sufferers who think that relief, if it comes, must come through change of circumstances rather than in themselves in relation to circumstances. Thus Job looks forward to death as his only hope; whereas with God and in God there were many years of life and prosperity in store for him. So strong is this feeling in him, that he calls death the thing that he longs for, his hope or expectation. (Comp. Job 17, where even the hope that he had in death seems to have passed away and to have issued in blank hopelessness.)

Verse 8. - Oh that I might have my request! Here the second point is taken up. Eliphaz has threatened Job with death, representing it as the last and most terrible of punishments (Job 4:9, 20, 21; Job 5:2). Job's reply is that there is nothing he desires so much as death. His primary wish would have been never to have been born (Job 3:3-10); next to that, he would have desired an early death - the earlier the more acceptable (Job 3:11-19). As both these have been denied him, what he now desires, and earnestly asks for, is a speedy demise. It is not as yet clear what he thinks death to be, or whether he has any hope beyond the grave. Putting aside all such considerations, he here simply balances death against such a life as he now leads, and must expect to lead, since his disease is incurable, and decides in favour of death. It is not only his desire, but his "request" to God, that death may come to him quickly. And that God would grant me the thing that I long for; literally, my expectation or wish. The idea of taking his own life does not seem to have occurred to Job, as it would to a Greek (Plato, 'Phaedo,' § 16) or a Roman (Pithy, 'Epist.,' 1:12). He is too genuine a child of nature, too simple and unsophisticated, for such a thought to occur, and, if it occurred, would be too religious to entertain it for a moment. Like Aristotle, he would feel the act to be cowardly (Aristotle, 'Eth. Nic.,' 5, sub fin.); and, like Plato (l.s.c.), he would view it as rebellion against the will of God.

Parallel Commentaries ...


If only
מִֽי־ (mî-)
Interjection
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

my request
שֶֽׁאֱלָתִ֑י (še·’ĕ·lā·ṯî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7596: Request, thing asked for

were granted
תָּב֣וֹא (tā·ḇō·w)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

and God
אֱלֽוֹהַּ׃ (’ĕ·lō·w·ah)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 433: God -- a deity, the Deity

would fulfill
יִתֵּ֥ן (yit·tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

my hope:
וְ֝תִקְוָתִ֗י (wə·ṯiq·wā·ṯî)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 8615: A cord, expectancy


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OT Poetry: Job 6:8 Oh that I might have my request (Jb)