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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 13:23–28. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here, I. Job enquires after his sins, and begs to have them discovered to him. He looks up to God, and asks him what was the number of them (How many are my iniquities?) and what were the particulars of them: Make me to know my transgressions, Job 13:23. His friends were ready enough to tell him how numerous and how heinous they were, Job 22:5. "But, Lord," says he, "let me know them from thee; for thy judgment is according to truth, theirs is not." This may be taken either, 1. As a passionate complaint of hard usage, that he was punished for his faults and yet was not told what his faults were. Or, 2. As a prudent appeal to God from the censures of his friends. He desired that all his sins might be brought to light, as knowing they would then appear not so many, nor so mighty, as his friends suspected him to be guilty of. Or, 3. As a pious request, to the same purport with that which Elihu directed him to, Job 34:32. That which I see not, teach thou me. Note, A true penitent is willing to know the worst of himself; and we should all desire to know what our transgressions are, that we may be particular in the confession of them and on our guard against them for the future.
II.He bitterly complains of God's withdrawings from him (Job 13:24):
Wherefore hidest thou thy face? This must be meant of something more than his outward afflictions; for the loss of estate, children, health, might well consist with God's love; when that was all, he blessed the name of the Lord; but his soul was also sorely vexed, and that is it which he here laments.
1.That the favours of the Almighty were suspended. God hid his face as one strange to him, displeased with him, shy and regardless of him.
2.That the terrors of the Almighty were inflicted and impressed upon him. God held him for his enemy, shot his arrows at him (Job 6:4), and set him as a mark, Job 7:20. Note, The Holy Ghost sometimes denies his favours and discovers his terrors to the best and dearest of his saints and servants in this world. This case occurs, not only in the production, but sometimes in the progress of the divine life. Evidences for heaven are eclipsed, sensible communications interrupted, dread of divine wrath impressed, and the returns of comfort, for the present, despaired of, Psa 77:7-9; Psa 88:7, Psa 88:15, Psa 88:16. These are grievous burdens to a gracious soul, that values God's loving-kindness as better than life, Pro 18:14. A wounded spirit who can bear? Job, by asking here, Why hidest thou thy face? teaches us that, when at any time we are under the sense of God's withdrawings, we are concerned to enquire into the reason of them - what is the sin for which he corrects us and what the good he designs us. Job's sufferings were typical of the sufferings of Christ, from whom not only men hid their faces (Isa 53:3), but God hid his, witness the darkness which surrounded him on the cross when he cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? If this were done to these green trees, what shall be done to the dry? They will for ever be forsaken.
III.He humbly pleads with God his own utter inability to stand before him (Job 13:25):
"Wilt thou break a leaf, pursue the dry stubble? Lord, is it for thy honour to trample upon one that is down already, or to crush one that neither has nor pretends to any power to resist thee?" Note, We ought to have such an apprehension of the goodness and compassion of God as to believe that he will not break the bruised reed, Mat 12:20.
IV.He sadly complains of God's severe dealings with him.
He owns it was for his sins that God thus contended with him, but thinks it hard,
1.That his former sins, long since committed, should now be remembered against him, and he should he reckoned with for the old scores (Job 13:26): Thou writest bitter things against me. Afflictions are bitter things. Writing them denotes deliberation and determination, written as a warrant for execution; it denotes also the continuance of his affliction, for that which is written remains, and, "Herein thou makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth," that is, "thou punishest me for them, and thereby puttest me in mind of them, and obligest me to renew my repentance for them." Note,
(1.)God sometimes writes very bitter things against the best and dearest of his saints and servants, both in outward afflictions and inward disquiet; trouble in body and trouble in mind, that he may humble them, and prove them, and do them good in their latter end.
(2.)That the sins of youth are often the smart of age both in respect of sorrow within (Jer 31:18, Jer 31:19) and suffering without, Job 20:11. Time does not wear out the guilt of sin.
(3.)That when God writes bitter things against us his design therein is to make us possess our iniquities, to bring forgotten sins to mind, and so to bring us to remorse for them as to break us off from them. This is all the fruit, to take away our sin.
2.That his present mistakes and miscarriages should be so strictly taken notice of, and so severely animadverted upon (Job 13:27): "Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, not only to afflict me and expose me to shame, not only to keep me from escaping the strokes of thy wrath, but that thou mayest critically remark all my motions and look narrowly to all my paths, to correct me for every false step, nay, for but a look awry or a word misapplied; nay, thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet, scorest down every thing I do amiss, to reckon for it; or no sooner have I trodden wrong, though ever so little, than immediately I smart for it; the punishment treads upon the very heels of the sin. Guilt, both of the oldest and of the freshest date, is put together to make up the cause of my calamity." Now,
(1.)It was not true that God did thus seek advantages against him. He is not thus extreme to mark what we do amiss; if he were, there were no abiding for us, Psa 130:3. But he is so far from this that he deals not with us according to the desert, no, not of our manifest sins, which are not found by secret search, Jer 2:34. This therefore was the language of Job's melancholy; his sober thoughts never represented God thus as a hard Master.
(2.)But we should keep such a strict and jealous eye as this upon ourselves and our own steps, both for the discovery of sin past and the prevention of it for the future. It is good for us all to ponder the path of our feet.
V.He finds himself wasting away apace under the heavy hand of God, Job 13:28.
He (that is, man) as a rotten thing, the principle of whose putrefaction is in itself, consumes, even like a moth-eaten garment, which becomes continually worse and worse. Or, He (that is, God) like rottenness, and like a moth, consumes me. Compare this with Hos 5:12, I will be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness; and see Psa 39:11. Note, Man, at the best, wears fast; but, under God's rebukes especially, he is soon gone. While there is so little soundness in the soul, no marvel there is so little soundness in the flesh, Psa 38:3.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
59. Man enjoyed the light of inward contemplation in Paradise, but by gratifying himself as he departed from himself, he lost the light of the Creator, and fled from His face to the trees of Paradise, seeing that, after his sin, he dreaded to see Him, whom he had used to love. But mark, after sin he is brought into punishment, but from punishment he returns to love, because he finds out what was the consequence of his transgression, and that face, which he feared in sin, being awakened to a right sense, he seeks afresh by punishment, that he may henceforth flee the darkness of his blind condition, and shrink with horror from this alone, that he does not behold his Creator. Pierced with which longing the holy man exclaims, Wherefore hidest Thou Thy face, and takest me for Thine enemy? ‘since, if Thou didst regard me as a friend, Thou wouldest not deprive me of the light of Thy vision.’ And going on, he adds the fickleness of the human heart.
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Summary
Job 13:24 captures the raw, agonizing cry of a righteous man grappling with profound, inexplicable suffering. In this poignant verse, Job directly confronts God, expressing his deep distress over what he perceives as divine abandonment and an unjust declaration of hostility. It reveals the depths of his spiritual anguish, where the very source of comfort and justice seems to have turned against him, leaving him bewildered and desperate for an explanation for his intense torment.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is embedded within Job's third speech (chapters 12-14), a pivotal segment of the dialogue where Job intensifies his direct appeals to God and his rebuttals against his friends. Having previously expressed his longing for an audience with God in Job 9:32-35 and Job 10:2, Job 13:24 marks a pinnacle of his lament, revealing his perception of God as not merely distant, but actively adversarial. His friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, consistently argue for a direct correlation between sin and suffering, pushing Job to confess an unstated transgression. Job, however, vehemently maintains his innocence and shifts his focus from debating his friends to directly challenging God's perceived injustice, demanding an explanation for his torment. This particular verse follows Job's declaration of his integrity and his unwavering desire to present his case before the Almighty, even if it means facing divine wrath.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, the concept of a deity "hiding their face" or "turning away" was a powerful idiom signifying a withdrawal of favor, a refusal to grant an audience, or a deliberate act of abandonment and displeasure. Kings or patrons would hide their face from those they rejected or deemed unworthy, signaling a complete cessation of relationship and protection. For Job, a devout man in a culture where divine blessing was often linked to righteousness and suffering to sin, God's perceived hiddenness and hostility were not merely emotional states but profound theological crises. The idea of God treating a righteous individual as an "enemy" would have been an unthinkable reversal of the expected divine-human relationship, especially for someone like Job, who was introduced as "blameless and upright, one who feared God and shunned evil" in Job 1:1.
Key Themes
Job 13:24 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Job. Firstly, it underscores the theme of divine hiddenness (hester panim), where God's presence and favor seem withdrawn, leaving the sufferer in spiritual darkness and confusion, a theme echoed in many psalms (e.g., Psalm 27:9). Secondly, it highlights the perceived divine antagonism, where Job, despite his blamelessness, feels targeted and treated as an adversary by God Himself, challenging the simplistic retribution theology espoused by his friends. This raises fundamental questions about the nature of God's justice and sovereignty, particularly in the face of innocent suffering. Lastly, the verse exemplifies Job's unwavering honesty and integrity in his lament. Despite his profound pain and theological bewilderment, Job does not abandon God but wrestles with Him in agonizing sincerity, demonstrating that authentic faith can encompass raw questioning and even accusation, a characteristic that God later commends in Job 42:7.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From the primitive root H5641 (çâthar), meaning "to hide (by covering), literally or figuratively; be absent, keep close, conceal, hide (self), (keep) secret." When applied to God's "face" (H6440, pânîym), it denotes a deliberate act of withdrawal, an intentional turning away. This is not merely a lack of communication or a feeling of distance, but a perceived active concealment of divine presence and favor, leaving Job in a state of spiritual isolation and abandonment. It implies a conscious decision by God to withhold comfort, understanding, and even His very countenance from Job.
From the primitive root H2803 (châshab), meaning "to plait or interpenetrate, i.e. (literally) to weave or (generally) to fabricate; figuratively, to plot or contrive (usually in a malicious sense); hence (from the mental effort) to think, regard, value, compute; (make) account (of), conceive, consider, count, devise, esteem, find out, forecast, hold, imagine, impute, invent, be like, mean, purpose, reckon." This verb suggests a cognitive process, a divine judgment or classification. Job is not merely saying that God is treating him like an enemy, but that God is considering or reckoning him as an enemy. This deepens the sense of injustice, as it implies a false accusation or a misidentification of Job's character and standing before God, making the suffering even more bewildering and unbearable.
(ʼôyêb), meaning "hating; an adversary; enemy, foe." This word describes the one who hates or is hostile. For Job to be "held" or "reckoned" as God's enemy is the ultimate reversal of his expected relationship with the Almighty. It signifies a state of active opposition and enmity, which Job finds utterly irreconcilable with his blameless life and his sincere devotion to God. This perception of divine hostility is the core of his anguish.
Verse Breakdown
"Wherefore hidest thou thy face"
This clause is a desperate rhetorical question, a plea for understanding from a God who seems to have vanished or deliberately turned away. It expresses Job's profound sense of abandonment and isolation. In biblical idiom, God's "face" represents His presence, favor, and benevolent attention. To hide one's face is to withdraw favor, to ignore, or to show displeasure. Job feels that God has deliberately cut off communication and comfort, leaving him in darkness and despair, unable to discern God's purposes or receive His solace.
"and holdest me for thine enemy?"
This second clause escalates Job's lament from perceived abandonment to outright hostility. Job, who has lived a blameless life and feared God, cannot reconcile his character with God's treatment of him. He feels that God has unjustly labeled him an adversary, a foe to be contended with, rather than a faithful servant. This accusation reveals the depth of Job's bewilderment and the perceived injustice of his suffering, as he sees himself as being attacked by the very One who should be his protector and vindicator.
Literary Devices
Job 13:24 employs several powerful literary devices to convey Job's intense anguish and theological struggle. The verse opens with a Rhetorical Question, "Wherefore hidest thou thy face," which is not truly seeking information but expressing Job's profound bewilderment, frustration, and desperate longing for divine explanation. It highlights the perceived absurdity and injustice of his situation. This is followed by a striking example of Anthropomorphism, attributing human actions and emotions—hiding one's face and holding someone as an enemy—to God. While God does not literally have a face to hide, this imagery powerfully conveys Job's experience of divine absence and antagonism. Finally, the entire verse functions as a profound Lament, a common genre in biblical literature (especially the Psalms), where the speaker voices deep sorrow, complaint, and questioning to God in the midst of suffering. Job's lament is particularly poignant because it comes from one who is righteous, challenging the conventional wisdom of his time regarding suffering and divine justice.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 13:24 delves into the profound theological mystery of divine hiddenness and the experience of suffering at the perceived hand of God. It challenges the simplistic notion that all suffering is a direct consequence of sin, pushing the boundaries of traditional retribution theology. Job's cry resonates with the human experience of feeling forsaken by God, even when one maintains integrity. This verse invites us to consider the complexities of God's sovereignty and justice, acknowledging that God's ways are often beyond human comprehension, yet affirming that even in profound doubt and accusation, a genuine relationship with God can endure. It foreshadows the ultimate revelation that God's purposes are grander and more intricate than human suffering can fully explain, often involving spiritual battles beyond our immediate sight, and that even in perceived divine antagonism, God remains sovereign and ultimately just.
Reflection and Application
Job 13:24 serves as a profound validation for those who find themselves in the crucible of suffering, feeling abandoned or even targeted by God. It affirms that it is not only permissible but often necessary to bring our rawest emotions, our deepest doubts, and our most challenging questions directly before God. Job's honest lament demonstrates that authentic faith is not the absence of struggle or questioning, but the willingness to wrestle with God in the midst of life's most bewildering mysteries. This verse encourages us to maintain an open and honest dialogue with our Creator, even when His actions seem incomprehensible or His presence feels absent. It reminds us that God is big enough to handle our anger, our confusion, and our accusations, and that such wrestling can ultimately deepen our trust, even if answers are not immediately forthcoming. The book of Job ultimately reveals that God is sovereign, just, and intimately involved, even when His purposes are hidden from our view, and that our suffering may serve a greater, unseen purpose in His divine plan.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is it acceptable to question God or express anger towards Him, as Job does?
Yes, the book of Job, particularly verses like Job 13:24, strongly indicates that it is acceptable, and even spiritually healthy, to express raw emotions, doubts, and questions to God. The biblical narrative frequently portrays individuals, including Job, David (in the Psalms), and Jeremiah, wrestling honestly with God in their pain and confusion. God does not rebuke Job for his questions or accusations, but rather for speaking about Him without knowledge (as seen in Job 38:2). Ultimately, God commends Job for speaking rightly about Him, in contrast to his friends (Job 42:7). This demonstrates that God values authenticity and a direct, albeit agonizing, relationship over a superficial piety that suppresses genuine feelings.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job's agonizing cry in Job 13:24, "Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?", finds its most profound and redemptive fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While Job was an innocent sufferer, his experience foreshadows the ultimate innocent sufferer, Jesus, who took upon Himself the full weight of humanity's sin. On the cross, Jesus cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46), echoing Job's lament of divine hiddenness and abandonment. In that moment, God truly "hid His face" from His beloved Son, not because Jesus was an enemy, but because He was bearing the sin that separates humanity from God. Jesus, the perfectly righteous one (1 Peter 2:22), was "reckoned" as an enemy of God for our sake, becoming sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through Christ's suffering and His bearing of divine wrath, the "face" of God is no longer hidden from believers; instead, we are invited into a reconciled relationship, seeing God's glory "in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). Thus, Job's desperate cry for vindication and understanding is ultimately answered in the cross, where God's justice and love perfectly converge to bring salvation and reveal His true character.