Job 13:4

KJV

But ye [are] forgers of lies, ye [are] all physicians of no value.

KJV (with Strong's)

But {H199} ye are forgers {H2950} of lies {H8267}, ye are all physicians {H7495} of no value {H457}.

Complete Jewish Bible

But you, what you do is whitewash with lies; you are all witch doctors!

Berean Standard Bible

You, however, smear with lies; you are all worthless physicians.

American Standard Version

But ye are forgers of lies; Ye are all physicians of no value.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
In Job 13:4, Job unleashes a powerful and scathing indictment against his three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. He accuses them of being fabricators of falsehoods and utterly worthless healers, whose counsel, far from offering comfort or genuine insight into his profound suffering, only compounds his distress. This verse encapsulates Job's deep frustration with their rigid, accusatory theology and their unhelpful attempts to explain his calamities, asserting that their words are not only unhelpful but actively harmful, akin to a deceptive charlatan or an ineffective physician.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Job 13:4 is situated within Job's impassioned and increasingly direct response to his friends' speeches, specifically following Eliphaz's second discourse in [Job 15](/job/15 "Job 15 - Eliphaz's Second Speech") and Bildad's second in [Job 18](/job/18 "Job 18 - Bildad's Second Speech"). From [Job 4](/job/4 "Job 4 - Eliphaz's First Speech") through [Job 12](/job/12 "Job 12 - Job's Response"), the friends have consistently argued that Job's immense suffering must be a direct consequence of his sin, based on their conventional understanding of divine retribution. Job, maintaining his integrity and innocence before God, perceives their arguments not as divine truth but as a distortion of reality and a misrepresentation of God's character. He feels they are offering false comfort and unsound theological advice, which only adds to his misery and deepens his sense of isolation. This verse marks a turning point where Job moves from lamenting his condition to directly challenging the validity and integrity of his friends' counsel, asserting his right to speak directly to God, as indicated in [Job 13:3](/job/13-3 "Job 13:3 - Job Desires to Reason with God").
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In the ancient Near East, suffering was often directly correlated with sin, a common theological framework known as Deuteronomic theology, where obedience brought blessing and disobedience brought curses. Job's friends operate rigidly within this framework, assuming Job's suffering *must* be due to hidden sin. The cultural expectation was that friends would offer comfort and wisdom in times of distress, often through proverbs and traditional teachings. However, Job's friends fail in this role. The concept of "physicians" (Hebrew: `rophe'im`) existed, but their understanding of medicine was rudimentary compared to modern science, often intertwined with spiritual or ritualistic practices. Job's accusation of them being "physicians of no value" would have resonated as a severe insult, implying their counsel was not only ineffective but potentially harmful, much like a charlatan doctor. This context highlights the clash between Job's lived experience and the rigid, often uncompassionate, traditional wisdom of his contemporaries, who, like the friends, struggled to comprehend suffering outside of a retributive framework.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes within the Book of Job. Firstly, it underscores the theme of **false wisdom and inadequate counsel**. Job's friends, despite their initial good intentions, offer simplistic and ultimately harmful advice, demonstrating the limits of human wisdom when confronted with profound suffering and the mysteries of divine providence. Their words, intended to bring clarity, instead obscure the truth and deepen Job's anguish, echoing his later lament in [Job 16:2](/job/16-2 "Job 16:2 - Job's Lament About Miserable Comforters") where he calls them "miserable comforters." Secondly, the verse highlights the theme of **truth versus deception**. Job accuses his friends of being "forgers of lies," implying they are fabricating falsehoods or presenting distorted truths about his situation and God's ways. This challenges the very foundation of their arguments and raises questions about the nature of truth, especially concerning theological explanations of suffering. Finally, it speaks to the **sovereignty of God and the mystery of suffering**. The friends' inability to grasp the deeper spiritual battle and God's sovereign purposes at play leads them to offer empty words, contrasting sharply with the divine wisdom that is "far superior to human understanding" as explored in [1 Corinthians 1:25](/1_corinthians/1-25 "1 Corinthians 1:25 - God's Wisdom vs. Human Wisdom").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Forgers (Hebrew, _ṭâphal'_):** Derived from H2950, this word means "to stick on as a patch" or "to impute falsely." It vividly portrays the friends as those who are not merely speaking untruths but are actively fabricating or "plastering over" reality with falsehoods. It conveys a sense of intentional misrepresentation, creating a false narrative or patching up a weak argument with deceit, rather than offering genuine insight.
* **Lies (Hebrew, _sheqer'_):** This term (H8267) refers to an untruth, deceit, or that which is without substance. It encompasses not only outright falsehoods but also misleading statements or vain things. When Job calls his friends "forgers of lies," he is stating that their counsel is fundamentally devoid of truth and substance, built upon a foundation of deceit or error, and therefore utterly unreliable and spiritually bankrupt.
* **No value (Hebrew, _ʼĕlîyl'_):** This significant term (H457) means "good for nothing," "vain," or "vanity," and specifically refers to an idol or a thing of naught. When applied to "physicians," it means they are "worthless healers" or "physicians of futility." Their counsel is as useless as worshipping an idol—it provides no real help, no cure, and no genuine comfort, only empty promises or false diagnoses, highlighting their utter impotence in Job's dire situation.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"But ye [are] forgers of lies":** Job directly confronts his friends, accusing them of being fabricators of falsehoods. This is not merely an accusation of error, but of active deception. Their theological arguments, which they present as divine truth, are, in Job's eyes, nothing more than human constructs designed to fit their rigid worldview, even if it means misrepresenting God's character or Job's integrity. They are "plastering" over the complex reality of suffering with simplistic, untrue explanations, effectively creating a false narrative about Job's condition and God's dealings with him.
* **"ye [are] all physicians of no value":** This second, parallel accusation amplifies the first. If they are "forgers of lies," then their attempts to "heal" Job's spiritual and emotional anguish are utterly futile. They offer no genuine remedy, no balm for his wounds, and no accurate diagnosis of his condition. Their counsel, far from bringing relief, only exacerbates his pain, proving them to be utterly useless, like doctors whose prescriptions are ineffective or even harmful. Their supposed wisdom is worthless, offering no true comfort or path to healing.

#### Literary Devices
Job 13:4 is rich in literary devices that amplify Job's profound frustration and the severity of his indictment. The most prominent device is **Metaphor**, where Job powerfully likens his friends to "forgers of lies" and "physicians of no value." The first metaphor vividly portrays their words as fabricated falsehoods, suggesting they are not merely mistaken but actively constructing deceptive narratives that obscure the truth. The second metaphor, "physicians of no value," is particularly cutting, as it directly attacks their supposed role as comforters and counselors, declaring their efforts utterly useless and impotent in providing relief or healing. This also contains elements of **Irony**, as the very people who came to "comfort" Job are now the source of his greatest anguish and are deemed utterly incapable of providing any true healing. The direct address, "But ye," functions as an **Apostrophe**, a sudden and forceful turning to directly confront his audience, emphasizing his personal indignation and the depth of his exasperation. Furthermore, the two parallel clauses, "ye are forgers of lies" and "ye are all physicians of no value," create a strong form of **Parallelism**, reinforcing the central accusation of their worthlessness and deceit through a balanced and emphatic structure.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 13:4 speaks profoundly to the nature of truth, wisdom, and compassionate ministry. It challenges the simplistic notion that all suffering is a direct result of sin, a theological error that often leads to judgmentalism and a misrepresentation of God's complex character. Job's friends, operating from a rigid framework, fail to recognize the multifaceted nature of divine providence and the reality of unmerited suffering. This verse highlights the danger of speaking presumptuously about God's motives or judging others without full understanding, emphasizing that even well-intentioned counsel can be harmful if it lacks truth, empathy, or humility. True wisdom, unlike the "forged lies" of Job's friends, acknowledges mystery, embraces compassion, and points beyond human explanations to the sovereign, yet often inscrutable, ways of God, reminding us that God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts ([Isaiah 55:8-9](/isaiah/55-8-9 "Isaiah 55:8-9 - God's Thoughts Are Higher")).

* [Proverbs 12:22](/proverbs/12-22 "Proverbs 12:22 - Lying Lips Are an Abomination")
* [Psalm 119:69](/psalms/119-69 "Psalm 119:69 - The Proud Forge a Lie Against Me")
* [Luke 5:31-32](/luke/5-31-32 "Luke 5:31-32 - Jesus, the Physician")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 13:4 serves as a potent reminder for us today of the critical importance of truth, empathy, and humility in our interactions, especially when ministering to those in distress. It challenges us to examine the source and substance of our counsel: are our words truly helpful, compassionate, and grounded in truth, or are they merely "forged lies" born of presumption, simplistic theology, or a lack of genuine understanding? We are called to be listeners first, to sit with others in their pain, rather than rushing to offer easy answers or imposing our own theological frameworks onto their suffering. True comfort often comes through empathetic presence and humble discernment, recognizing the limits of our own wisdom in the face of life's profound mysteries. This verse pushes us to cultivate a posture of grace, acknowledging that not all suffering is a direct result of personal sin, and that God's ways are often far beyond our comprehension. It compels us to speak truth in love, remembering that genuine comfort is not about fixing but about faithfully walking alongside, even when answers are elusive.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what ways might I, like Job's friends, be tempted to offer "forged lies" or "physician of no value" counsel to others, even with good intentions?**
* **How can I cultivate deeper empathy and humility when encountering someone else's suffering, resisting the urge to offer simplistic explanations or judgmental advice?**
* **What does this verse teach me about the nature of true wisdom versus human presumption, especially concerning God's sovereignty and the mystery of suffering?**

### FAQ
**Why does Job call his friends "forgers of lies" and "physicians of no value"?**

Answer: Job uses these strong accusations to express his profound frustration and disappointment with his friends' counsel. He calls them "forgers of lies" because he believes their arguments about his suffering being a direct consequence of his sin are false and misleading. They are not speaking truth about his situation or about God's character, but rather fabricating a narrative that fits their rigid theological framework, even if it means misrepresenting Job's integrity or God's justice. Their words are not genuine or accurate but deceptive, effectively "plastering over" the complex reality with simplistic untruths. He calls them "physicians of no value" because their attempts to "heal" or comfort him have been utterly useless and even harmful. Instead of bringing relief or understanding, their advice has only deepened his anguish and added to his misery. They are like doctors whose remedies are ineffective, or worse, detrimental to the patient. Job feels their counsel offers no true cure or solace for his spiritual and physical pain, highlighting their utter incompetence as comforters in his time of need.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 13:4, with its stark portrayal of false counsel and ineffective comfort, finds its ultimate fulfillment and contrast in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While Job's friends offered "forged lies" and proved to be "physicians of no value," Jesus is the embodiment of truth and the Great Physician who brings genuine healing. Unlike the friends who misdiagnosed Job's suffering, Jesus perfectly understands the human condition, having "borne our griefs and carried our sorrows" ([Isaiah 53:4](/isaiah/53-4 "Isaiah 53:4 - Christ Bears Our Sorrows")). He is the "way, the truth, and the life" ([John 14:6](/john/14-6 "John 14:6 - Jesus is the Way, Truth, Life")), never fabricating falsehoods but speaking divine truth with authority and grace, as demonstrated in His teachings in the [Sermon on the Mount](/matthew/5 "Matthew 5 - The Sermon on the Mount"). When confronted with suffering, Jesus did not offer simplistic, accusatory explanations but demonstrated profound compassion, healing the sick and comforting the afflicted, as seen in His ministry where He declared, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick" ([Luke 5:31](/luke/5-31 "Luke 5:31 - Jesus the Physician for the Sick")). Furthermore, in His own suffering, Jesus faced false accusations and unhelpful counsel, yet He endured, ultimately offering the true remedy for humanity's deepest ailment—sin and separation from God—through His atoning sacrifice on the cross. He is the ultimate Comforter, sending the Holy Spirit to be our advocate and guide ([John 14:16](/john/14-16 "John 14:16 - The Promise of the Holy Spirit")), a stark contrast to the "miserable comforters" Job endured, providing perfect wisdom and unfailing love.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Psalms 119:69

¶ The proud have forged a lie against me: [but] I will keep thy precepts with [my] whole heart.

Jeremiah 8:22

[Is there] no balm in Gilead; [is there] no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

Jeremiah 6:14

They have healed also the hurt [of the daughter] of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when [there is] no peace.

Mark 2:17

When Jesus heard [it], he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Jeremiah 30:13

[There is] none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines.

Job 16:2

I have heard many such things: miserable comforters [are] ye all.

Jeremiah 46:11

Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; [for] thou shalt not be cured.