Job 16 Job’s answer: his friends increase his misery, Job 16:1–8. His insulting enemies, Job 16:9–11. God’s power against him, Job 16:12–16. His innocence should cry to heaven, where it was known: he wisheth to plead with God, Job 16:17–21; Pleaseth himself with the prospect of death, Job 16:22.

I have heard many such things; both from you, who do so odiously repeat the same things, and from divers others; for these things, though you pride and please yourselves in them, as if you had made some great and strange discoveries, are but vulgar and trivial.

When wilt thou put an end to these idle and impertinent discourses? He retorts upon him his charge against Job, Job 15:2–3. That thou answerest, to wit, so or in such manner, so censoriously, and opprobriously, and peremptorily.

If your soul, i.e. your person, as Gen. 12:5. I could heap up words against you, i.e. I could multiply accusations and reproaches against you, as you do against me. Shake mine head at you; in way of derision, as this phrase is most commonly used; as 2 Kings 19:21, Ps. 22:7, Isa. 37:22, Matt. 27:39.

Strengthen you, i.e. direct, and support, and comfort you. My discourse should comfort you. The words your grief are here understood, either out of the foregoing clause, where they are implied; or out of the next verse, where they are expressed.

Though I speak to God by prayer, or to you in way of discourse, I find no relief. Job having reproved his friends for their unkind carriage towards him, and aggravated it by his resolutions to have dealt more friendly with them, if they had been in his case; now he returns to his main business, to…

But; or, surely, as this Hebrew particle most commonly signifies. He, i.e. God, as appears by the following words and verses. Hath made me weary; either of complaining, or of my life. Thou; he speaks in the second person to God, as in the former clause in the third person of God.

Thou hast filled me with wrinkles, by consuming all my fat and flesh. Which is a witness against me; Heb. which is a witness of the reality, and greatness, and just cause of my sorrows. Or, which is become or made a witness, i.e.

He teareth me in his wrath, Heb. his wrath teareth me in pieces, as a lion doth his prey. Who hateth me, Heb. and he hateth me, i.e. he pursueth me with a deadly hatred and rage.

They; the instruments of God’s anger, my friends, as they are falsely called. Gaped upon me with their mouth; opened their mouths wide against me; either, 1. To devour and destroy me; as a lion which falls upon his prey with open mouth, as this phrase is used, Ps. 22:13–14.

To the ungodly; either, 1. To my friends, who act the part of the wicked, in censuring and condemning the righteous, whom God approveth, and in pleading for a false and wicked cause. Or rather, 2.

I lived in great peace and prosperity, which makes my present miseries more grievous to me; and therefore my complaints are excusable, and I deserve pity rather than reproach from my friends.

His archers, i.e. his plagues or judgments, elsewhere compared to arrows, and here to archers. He cleaveth my reins asunder with his arrows, i.e. he wounds me inwardly, and mortally, and incurably; which also is noted by pouring out the gall; such wounds being deadly.

My calamities have no interruption, but one immediately succeeds another, as it did Job 1:0. Like a giant, who falls upon his enemy with all his might, that he may overthrow and kill him.

i.e. I put on sackcloth sewed together, not upon my other garments, but next to my skin, as was done in great calamities; as 2 Kings 6:30. So far am I from stretching out my hands against God, whereof I am accused, Job 15:25, that I have humbled myself deeply under his hand.

i. e. A gross and terrible darkness. My sight is very dim and dark, as is usual in case of sore diseases, or excessive grief and weeping, Lam. 2:11; and especially in the approach of death: compare Ps. 6:7, Ps. 38:10, Lam. 5:17.

And all this is not come upon me for any injurious dealing with others by oppression, or deceit, or bribery, wherewith I am implicitly charged, Job 15:16, Job 15:20, Job 15:34; but for other reasons known to God only, for I cannot discover them.

My blood, so called not actively, to wit, his own blood; but passively or objectively, i.e. the blood of others shed by him, and lying upon his conscience. The earth is said to cover that blood which lies undiscovered and unrevenged; of which See Poole “Gen. 4:10”, See Poole “Gen.

Besides the witness of men and of my own conscience, God is witness of my integrity.

My friends, who should defend me from the scorns and injuries of others, scorn me; so this word is used Ps. 119:51, Prov. 3:34, Prov. 19:28. I pour forth my prayers and tears to God, that he would judge me according to my innocency, and plead my righteous cause against you.

Oh that either I or some faithful advocate might be admitted to plead any cause, either with God, or rather with you, before God’s tribunal, God being witness and judge between us! But this verse is, and that very agreeably to the Hebrew text, otherwise translated and interpreted; either, 1.

i.e. To the state and place of the dead, whence men do not and cannot return to this life. The meaning is, My death hastens, and therefore I earnestly desire that the cause depending before God between me and my friends may be searched out and determined, that if I be guilty of these things whereof…