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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
Two Centuries of Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Why, Job says, do you not act clearly? Why do you not say, See, this is the reason why I punish you? It is no small consolation for those who are chastised to know the reason for their punishment. That is why Job says, “Make me know my transgressions,” but God will not let him know.
60. For what is man but a leaf, who fell in Paradise from the tree? what but a leaf is he, who is caught by the wind of temptation, and lifted up by the gusts of his passions? For the mind of man is agitated as it were by as many gusts, as it undergoes temptations. Thus very often anger agitates it; when anger is gone, empty mirth succeeds. It is driven by the goadings of lust, by the fever of avarice it is made to stretch itself far and wide to compass the things which belong to the earth. Sometimes pride lifts it up, and sometimes excessive fear sinks it lower than the dust. Therefore seeing that he is lifted and carried by so many gusts of temptation, man is well likened to a ‘leaf.’ Hence it is well said too by Isaiah, And we all have fallen as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away. For ‘our iniquity like a wind has taken us away,’ in that being steadied by no weight of virtue, it has lifted us into empty self-elation. And it is well that, after a leaf, man should be called ‘stubble’ likewise. For he that was a ‘tree’ by his creating, was by himself made a ‘leaf’ in his tempting, but afterwards he appeared ‘stubble’ in his fallen estate. For in that he fell from on high, he was a leaf, but, whereas by the flesh he was fellow to the earth, even when he seemed to stand, he is described as ‘stubble.’ But because he lost the greenness of interior love, he is henceforth ‘dry stubble.’ So let the holy man reflect both what meanness man is of, and what severity God is of, and let him say, Wilt Thou show Thy power against a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt Thou pursue the dry stubble? As if he openly bewailed, saying, ‘Why dost Thou run him down with so much force of righteousness, whom Thou knowest to be so frail in temptation?’
For what is a human being but a leaf who fell in paradise from the tree? What but a leaf is he who is caught by the wind of temptation and lifted up by the gusts of his passions? For the human mind is agitated as it were by as many gusts as it undergoes temptations. Thus very often anger agitates it; when anger is gone, empty mirth follows. It is driven by the goading of lust. The fever of avarice causes the mind to stretch itself far and wide to compass the things that belong to the earth. Sometimes pride lifts it up, and sometimes excessive fear sinks it lower than the dust. Therefore, perceiving that he is lifted and carried by so many gusts of temptation, a human is compared well with a “leaf.” … For seeing that everything we speak passes away but what we write remains, God is said not to “speak” but to “write bitter things,” in that his scourges upon us last for long. For it was once said to man when he sinned, “Dust you are, and into dust you shall return.” And angels many times appearing gave commandments to people. Moses, the lawgiver, restrained sins by severe means. The only begotten Son of the most high Father himself came to redeem us. He swallowed up death by dying. He announced that everlasting life to us that he exhibited in himself. Yet that sentence that was given in paradise concerning the death of our flesh remains unaltered from the very beginning of the human race up to the end of the world.
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Summary
In Job 13:25, Job directs a poignant rhetorical question to God, challenging the perceived disproportionate intensity of divine scrutiny and affliction he endures. Through vivid metaphors of a "leaf driven to and fro" and "dry stubble," Job expresses his profound sense of insignificance and utter helplessness, questioning why an omnipotent God would expend such immense power to "break" or "pursue" something so fragile and ephemeral. This verse encapsulates his despair, his plea for God to acknowledge his frailty, and his bewildered protest against what he perceives as relentless and unjust divine opposition.
Context
Literary Context
Job 13:25 is situated within Job's third and final response to his friends, specifically transitioning into a direct and impassioned appeal to God Himself, beginning around Job 13:20. Having vehemently defended his innocence against the accusations of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, Job now turns from the futility of debating his human companions to confront the Almighty. He longs for a direct hearing, a chance to present his case before his divine accuser, as expressed in Job 13:3. He perceives God as treating him as a formidable adversary, relentlessly pursuing him as an enemy (Job 13:24), despite Job's own perception of himself as utterly weak and inconsequential. This verse, therefore, serves as a desperate cry for God to consider Job's extreme vulnerability in light of the overwhelming divine power being exerted against him.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Book of Job is set in the land of Uz, likely during a patriarchal era, before the Mosaic Law. In this ancient Near Eastern context, suffering was often directly correlated with sin, a belief system known as retribution theology, which Job's friends rigorously uphold. Job's protest in Job 13:25 defies this conventional wisdom, as he maintains his blamelessness while experiencing unparalleled calamity, including the loss of his children and possessions and grievous physical affliction. The imagery of a "leaf driven to and fro" and "dry stubble" would have resonated deeply with an agrarian society, where the fragility of nature and the ephemerality of life were common observations. The legalistic tone of Job's desire to "reason" with God reflects the ancient practice of formal legal disputes, where one would present their case before a judge, even if that judge was perceived as one's accuser.
Key Themes
Job 13:25 powerfully articulates several core themes central to the Book of Job. Firstly, it highlights the stark contrast between Human Insignificance and Divine Power. Job, feeling like a mere "leaf" or "stubble," cannot comprehend why an infinitely powerful God would relentlessly pursue and "break" such a weak and transient being. This underscores the profound mystery of God's ways and the vast chasm between the Creator and creation. Secondly, the verse conveys Job's deep sense of Perceived Injustice and Despair. He implies that God's actions are beneath His dignity, expressing a bewildered frustration that his suffering seems utterly disproportionate to his perceived blamelessness. This raw honesty is a testament to the book's permission for lament and questioning in the face of inexplicable suffering. Lastly, it touches upon the Nature of Suffering, particularly when it feels arbitrary and overwhelming. Job's cry reflects a universal human experience of feeling small and helpless when confronted by adversity that seems to originate from an incomprehensible divine will, echoing sentiments of human frailty found in passages like Psalm 103:14.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Meaning "to awe or (intransitive) to dread; hence, to harass; be affrighted (afraid, dread, feared, terrified), break, dread, fear, oppress, prevail, shake terribly." Job's use of this word does not merely suggest physical destruction but rather the overwhelming, terrifying, and oppressive force he perceives God to be exerting upon him. He questions why God would expend such intimidating power to "harass" or "terrify" something as insignificant as he feels himself to be.
Meaning "a leaf (as coming up on a tree); collectively, foliage; branch, leaf." This word evokes an image of extreme fragility, ephemerality, and vulnerability. A leaf is easily detached, carried by the wind, and quickly withers. By identifying himself with a leaf, Job emphasizes his perceived lack of substance, power, or ability to resist the forces acting upon him.
Meaning "to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by); chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or), pursue(-r)." This verb carries strong connotations of relentless, often hostile, tracking or persecution. Job feels as though God is actively hunting him down, treating him as a dangerous enemy worthy of sustained, aggressive pursuit, rather than a helpless, suffering individual.
Verse Breakdown
"Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro?"
This first rhetorical question encapsulates Job's profound sense of vulnerability and the perceived disproportionate nature of God's actions. A "leaf driven to and fro" (Hebrew: ʻâleh nâdaph) is an image of extreme fragility, instability, and lack of control, tossed about by external forces (like the wind) with no inherent power or direction. Job asks why God, with His infinite might, would bother to "terrify," "harass," or "oppress" such an insignificant, helpless entity, implying that such an action is beneath God's dignity or power. It's a desperate plea for God to consider his frailty and the perceived absurdity of His intense focus on him.
"and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?"
The second rhetorical question reinforces and intensifies the first. "Dry stubble" (Hebrew: qash yâbêsh) refers to the worthless, brittle remnants of grain left after harvest, easily scattered by wind or consumed by fire. It represents something utterly devoid of strength, value, or resistance. By asking if God would "pursue" such a thing, Job is expressing his bewilderment and despair. He feels targeted as if he were a significant threat, yet he sees himself as nothing more than disposable, easily destroyed refuse. The question highlights the perceived absurdity and cruelty of God's intense focus on him, further emphasizing his perceived insignificance.
Literary Devices
Job 13:25 is rich in literary devices that amplify Job's desperate plea. The entire verse is structured as a Rhetorical Question, not seeking a direct answer but powerfully conveying Job's bewilderment, protest, and profound sense of injustice. He uses two striking Metaphors to describe himself: "a leaf driven to and fro" and "dry stubble." Both are potent images of extreme fragility, insignificance, and helplessness. These metaphors create vivid Imagery that appeals to the reader's senses, allowing them to visualize Job's perceived state of vulnerability against an overwhelming divine force. The use of these particular images also employs Understatement regarding his own perceived threat, while simultaneously implying Hyperbole in describing God's actions toward him. Job is essentially saying, "I am nothing, why are you treating me as if I am everything?" The Parallelism between the two clauses ("Wilt thou break...?" and "wilt thou pursue...?") reinforces the central idea of God's relentless and seemingly excessive attention to Job's suffering, creating a rhythmic and emphatic lament that underscores his perceived plight.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 13:25 serves as a profound theological statement on the human condition in the face of divine sovereignty and suffering. It encapsulates the tension between God's immense power and humanity's inherent frailty, a theme woven throughout Scripture. Job's rhetorical question forces a confrontation with the mystery of why God permits or inflicts suffering, especially on those who perceive themselves as innocent and insignificant. It underscores the biblical truth that human life is fleeting and vulnerable, yet simultaneously challenges the notion that God's justice always operates in ways immediately comprehensible to human understanding. While Job's lament is born of pain and a limited perspective, it implicitly acknowledges God's absolute power, even as it questions His methods, setting the stage for a deeper revelation of divine wisdom later in the book.
Reflection and Application
Job 13:25 offers a powerful invitation for us to honestly engage with our own experiences of suffering and vulnerability. Job's raw, unvarnished lament reminds us that it is not only permissible but often necessary to bring our deepest questions, frustrations, and feelings of injustice directly to God. He can handle our doubts and our pain, even when they seem to challenge His character. This verse also serves as a poignant reminder of our inherent human frailty and dependence. Like the "leaf" and "stubble," we are transient, susceptible to forces beyond our control, and utterly reliant on God's sustaining grace. While Job uses this imagery to protest, we can embrace it as a truth that fosters humility and prompts us to lean into God's strength. Ultimately, Job's persistent desire to reason with God, despite his despair, teaches us to cling to hope and trust in God's ultimate wisdom and justice, even when His immediate actions remain shrouded in mystery.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does Job use such weak and transient imagery for himself?
Job uses the imagery of a "leaf driven to and fro" and "dry stubble" to emphasize his extreme vulnerability, insignificance, and lack of power in contrast to God's overwhelming might. He feels utterly helpless, tossed about by forces beyond his control, and easily destroyed. By portraying himself as something so weak and worthless, he is rhetorically asking God why He would expend such immense divine power and attention to "break" or "pursue" him. It's a desperate plea for God to recognize his frailty and to cease treating him as a formidable enemy, highlighting the perceived injustice of his suffering. This imagery underscores his profound despair and bewilderment at the intensity of God's perceived opposition.
Does God actually "break" or "pursue" people like Job suggests?
Job's words reflect his perception and experience of God's actions in his suffering, not necessarily a definitive theological statement about God's character in all circumstances. From Job's limited perspective, God's hand feels heavy and relentlessly against him, as if God is actively pursuing and destroying him. While God is sovereign and can bring about trials, the Book of Job ultimately reveals that God's purposes are far more complex and loving than Job initially understands. God does not delight in crushing the weak, but sometimes uses suffering for refining, testing, or revealing His greater glory. The New Testament clarifies that God's ultimate posture towards humanity is one of redemptive love through Christ, even when discipline or trials occur. Job's lament is a human cry from the depths of pain, expressing how divine sovereignty can feel to a suffering individual, even if it doesn't fully capture God's full nature or intent.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job's desperate plea in Job 13:25, where he, as a frail "leaf" and "stubble," questions God's relentless pursuit, finds its ultimate and paradoxical fulfillment in Jesus Christ. While Job felt unjustly pursued by God, Christ was truly pursued for us. The strong Son of God, who was not a "leaf driven to and fro" but the very Word by whom all things were made (John 1:3), willingly humbled Himself, taking on the form of a servant and becoming obedient to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8). He, the sinless Lamb of God (John 1:29), allowed Himself to be "broken" and "pursued" by the forces of sin and death, bearing the full weight of divine judgment that we deserved (2 Corinthians 5:21). Unlike Job, who maintained his innocence, Jesus truly was innocent, yet He identified fully with our human frailty and suffering, becoming "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3). Through His voluntary suffering and death, Christ transformed the experience of being "broken" and "pursued" from a symbol of despair into the means of our redemption, offering hope and ultimate vindication to all who, like Job, feel like insignificant dust before the Almighty (Hebrews 4:15).