Job 16

In this chapter, Job responds to the harsh and unsympathetic speeches of his friends. He expresses his anguish and the feeling of being unjustly accused. Job describes the deep suffering he endures, both physically and emotionally, while reaffirming his innocence and calling on God for vindication.

Job 16:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Then Job answered and said:
2 "I have heard many such things; Miserable comforters are you all!
3 Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
4 I also could speak as you do, If your soul were in my soul’s place. I could heap up words against you, And shake my head at you;
5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief."

Job is frustrated with the repeated accusations from his friends. He sarcastically refers to them as "miserable comforters" because instead of offering solace, they add to his distress. He criticizes them for their endless speeches, which he compares to "words of wind," meaningless and unhelpful. Job implies that if their roles were reversed, he would offer genuine comfort and encouragement, not condemnation.

Job 16:6-7 (NKJV)
6 "Though I speak, my grief is not relieved; And if I remain silent, how am I eased?
7 But now He has worn me out; You have made desolate all my company."

Job feels trapped in his suffering, whether he speaks or remains silent. He believes that God, whom he addresses as “He,” is the source of his exhaustion and affliction. Job is emotionally and physically drained, feeling utterly desolate, and even the presence of friends provides no relief from his deep sorrow.

Job 16:8-9 (NKJV)
8 "You have shriveled me up, And it is a witness against me; My leanness rises up against me And bears witness to my face.
9 He tears me in His wrath, and hates me; He gnashes at me with His teeth; My adversary sharpens His gaze on me."

Job sees his physical condition—his emaciated and weakened state—as evidence of his suffering. He personifies God as an adversary who is angry with him, tearing him apart with fierce judgment. Job feels that God’s wrath is directed against him, with every aspect of his torment serving as a testimony to his suffering.

Job 16:10-11 (NKJV)
10 "They gape at me with their mouth, They strike me reproachfully on the cheek, They gather together against me.
11 God has delivered me to the ungodly, And turned me over to the hands of the wicked."

Job portrays his plight as one where even others openly mock and abuse him, treating him with contempt. He feels abandoned by God, delivered into the hands of the wicked. Job believes that God has allowed his enemies to humiliate and mistreat him, further deepening his sense of injustice.

Job 16:12-14 (NKJV)
12 "I was at ease, but He has shattered me; He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces; He has set me up for His target,
13 His archers surround me. He pierces my heart and does not pity; He pours out my gall on the ground.
14 He breaks me with wound upon wound; He runs at me like a warrior."

Job reflects on how his life was once peaceful, but now he feels shattered by God’s hand. He describes God’s treatment as violent and relentless, using imagery of archers and a warrior to show how thoroughly he feels attacked. Each new affliction seems like another deliberate blow, leaving him utterly broken.

Job 16:15-17 (NKJV)
15 "I have sewn sackcloth over my skin, And laid my head in the dust.
16 My face is flushed from weeping, And on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
17 Although no violence is in my hands, And my prayer is pure."

Job describes his mourning and suffering in physical terms, having covered himself in sackcloth and laid his head in dust, traditional signs of deep grief and repentance. His face is red from constant weeping, and he feels death close. Yet, he maintains his innocence, insisting that he has done no violence and that his prayers are sincere.

Job 16:18-19 (NKJV)
18 "O earth, do not cover my blood, And let my cry have no resting place!
19 Surely even now my witness is in heaven, And my evidence is on high."

Job calls on the earth not to cover up his blood, meaning he wants his cry for justice to be heard. Despite everything, he believes his true witness is in heaven, and God knows his innocence. Job is certain that in heaven, his case is known, and he hopes for vindication from above.

Job 16:20-21 (NKJV)
20 "My friends scorn me; My eyes pour out tears to God.
21 Oh, that one might plead for a man with God, As a man pleads for his neighbor!"

Job laments the scorn from his friends, who should have been his comforters, and turns to God in tears. He wishes for an advocate, someone who could intercede with God on his behalf, pleading his case as one would do for a friend. Job longs for someone to bridge the gap between him and God.

Job 16:22 (NKJV)
22 "For when a few years are finished, I shall go the way of no return."

Job concludes by acknowledging the inevitability of death, which he views as the end of his suffering. He recognizes that his life is nearing its end, and once he dies, there will be no returning. His words express resignation and sorrow over the fleeting nature of life and his approaching death.