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Commentary on Job 13 verses 23–28
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.
64. For as a garment is eaten by the moth sprung out of itself, so man containeth rottenness in himself, whereby he consumeth, and that which he is, is that whereby he consumeth that he should not be. Which may be taken in another sense also, if it be said in the voice of man when tempted; And I as a rotten thing am to consume, as a garment that is moth eaten. For man ‘as a rotten thing consumeth,’ in that he is wasted by the corruption of his flesh. And because impure temptation springs up to him from no other source than from himself, like a moth, temptation consumes the flesh, as a garment from which it issues. For man contains in himself the occasion whence he is tempted. Therefore as it were ‘the moth consumeth the garment,’ whilst it proceeded from that very same garment. However, we ought to bear in mind that the moth digs its way through the garment without any sound, and it very often happens that thought pierces the mind in such a way, that the mind itself is not sensible of it, until after it has been pierced by its sting. Therefore it is well said that man ‘consumeth like a garment that is moth eaten,’ for sometimes we do not know the wounds of temptation, unless after we be pierced thereby within our souls.
“You observe the strength of my feet.” The words “you observe” signify God’s consideration, because we keep our eye on what we care for. And the words “my feet” refer to the firmness, because feet are supports. But these words are also analogous to the roots of the plants. That is, you have sent me tribulations and imposed them on me with force and care.
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SUMMARY
In Job 13:28, Job continues his impassioned plea and lament before his friends and, implicitly, before God, articulating the profound and relentless physical and emotional decay he experiences. He employs vivid similes, likening himself to a "rotten thing" that slowly consumes itself and to a "garment that is moth eaten," thereby expressing his overwhelming sense of vulnerability, his perceived imminent destruction, and the deep despair that has permeated his very being. This verse encapsulates Job's perception of his life wasting away under what he believes to be God's severe and unjust hand.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 13:28 is rich in Simile, employing two distinct comparisons to convey Job's profound suffering: "as a rotten thing" and "as a garment that is moth eaten." Both similes are forms of Imagery, creating vivid mental pictures of decay and destruction that appeal directly to the reader's senses and understanding of physical deterioration. The use of these particular images contributes to the overall Pathos of Job's lament, evoking sympathy for his plight. There is also an element of Parallelism between the two clauses, as they both express the same core idea of slow, internal consumption, reinforcing the intensity and pervasiveness of Job's suffering. The language also borders on Hyperbole, as Job uses extreme comparisons to articulate the depth of his physical and emotional agony, reflecting his perception that his suffering is beyond normal human experience.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job's lament in this verse, while deeply personal, resonates with universal theological truths about human mortality and the transient nature of earthly existence. It underscores the biblical understanding that the human body, formed from dust, is inherently perishable and subject to decay (Genesis 3:19). Job's experience serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of all creation to corruption and the pervasive effects of a fallen world. Yet, within this raw expression of despair, there is an implicit theological question: if God is sovereign and just, why does He allow such profound and seemingly meaningless decay to consume His faithful servant? This question drives much of the theological tension in the book, pushing beyond simplistic explanations of suffering and pointing towards a deeper, more mysterious understanding of God's ways.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 13:28 offers a profound invitation to acknowledge the brutal realities of suffering and the human experience of feeling utterly vulnerable and helpless. It validates the raw, honest expression of pain, even despair, before God. In moments of deep physical or emotional decay, when life feels like it is being consumed from within, Job's words provide a language for our own unvarnished laments. This verse reminds us that it is permissible, even necessary, to voice our deepest pains and questions to God, rather than pretending to be strong when we are weak. While Job's perspective here is one of profound despair and a misinterpretation of God's hand, his journey ultimately points us beyond human understanding of suffering to a deeper trust in God's sovereignty and wisdom, even when His ways are mysterious. It challenges us to find hope not in the absence of decay, but in the presence of a God who meets us in our brokenness and promises ultimate restoration.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Job's description of himself as "rotten" imply he believes he is morally corrupt?
Answer: Not necessarily. While "rotten" can have moral connotations, in Job 13:28, the context strongly suggests Job is referring to his physical and emotional state. He is describing the effect of his suffering, not the cause in terms of his own sin. Throughout his discourse, Job maintains his innocence against his friends' accusations of specific sin. He views his physical decay as a direct result of what he perceives as God's relentless hand upon him, making him feel like an object that is literally wasting away. His lament is about the experience of profound physical and existential deterioration, not an admission of moral decay. He feels his body is failing him, and his life is being consumed, much like a garment is consumed by moths, regardless of its original quality.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 13:28, with its raw depiction of human decay and vulnerability, finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While Job experiences decay as a consequence of suffering he doesn't understand, Jesus willingly embraced the full extent of human frailty and mortality, descending into the depths of human experience, even to the point of death. The Son of God, who knew no sin, became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) and bore the full weight of humanity's corruption and the consequences of sin in His own body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). He allowed His body to be broken and laid in a tomb, experiencing the very decay and consumption that Job laments. However, unlike Job's despairing outlook, Christ's decay was not final. His resurrection decisively triumphed over death and decay, demonstrating that the power of the "rotten thing" and the "moth-eaten garment" has been broken (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). Through His victory, believers are promised a future where "death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore" (Revelation 21:4), transforming the ultimate human fear of decay into a hope for incorruptible, resurrected life in Him.