Job Chapter 6 — Job’s Response to Eliphaz
Job responds to Eliphaz by describing the overwhelming weight of his grief and expressing frustration at his friends' lack of sympathy.
1Then Job answered,
2“Oh that my anguish were weighed,
3For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas,
4For the arrows of the Almighty are within me.
5Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass?
6Can that which has no flavor be eaten without salt?
7My soul refuses to touch them.
8“Oh that I might have my request,
9even that it would please God to crush me;
10Let it still be my consolation,
11What is my strength, that I should wait?
12Is my strength the strength of stones?
13Isn’t it that I have no help in me,
14“To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown from his friend;
15My brothers have dealt deceitfully as a brook,
16which are black by reason of the ice,
17In the dry season, they vanish.
18The caravans that travel beside them turn away.
19The caravans of Tema looked.
20They were distressed because they were confident.
21For now you are nothing.
22Did I ever say, ‘Give to me’?
23or, ‘Deliver me from the adversary’s hand’?
24“Teach me, and I will hold my peace.
25How forcible are words of uprightness!
26Do you intend to reprove words,
27Yes, you would even cast lots for the fatherless,
28Now therefore be pleased to look at me,
29Please return.
30Is there injustice on my tongue?
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Job 6:14
“To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown from his friend; even to him who forsakes the fear of the Almighty.”
This verse highlights Job's expectation of empathy and support from his companions during his crisis.
Job 6:24
“Teach me, and I will hold my peace. Cause me to understand wherein I have erred.”
Job expresses a willingness to listen if his friends can provide specific evidence of his wrongdoing rather than general accusations.
Chapter Summary
In Job Chapter 6, Job begins his rebuttal to Eliphaz, arguing that his grief and calamity are heavier than the sands of the sea. He describes his suffering as being pierced by the arrows of the Almighty, leaving him without strength or hope. Job expresses a desire for God to end his life to provide relief from his unrelenting pain. Much of the chapter focuses on Job's disappointment with his companions. He compares his friends to seasonal brooks that overflow with ice and snow in winter but vanish entirely during the heat of summer when they are needed most. Job challenges his friends to point out his specific sins rather than offering vague rebukes, asserting that he has not spoken unjustly and deserves genuine kindness instead of criticism.
Frequently Asked Questions
Job compares his friends to seasonal desert streams that are full during the winter but dry up during the heat of summer. He feels that just as a thirsty traveler is disappointed by a dry brook, he has been let down by friends who failed to provide comfort when he needed it most.
Job asks that it would please God to crush him and release him from his misery. He feels his physical and emotional strength is depleted, and he views death as a potential consolation or escape from his current state of extreme anguish.
Job uses the metaphor of being struck by the 'arrows of the Almighty,' suggesting that his suffering feels like a targeted and inescapable attack. He describes his grief as being heavier than the sand of the seas, emphasizing the overwhelming scale of his burden.
Study Note
The reference to the 'caravans of Tema' and 'Sheba' in verses 19-20 anchors Job's poetic lament in the geography and trade realities of the Ancient Near East.
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