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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 13:1–12. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Job here warmly expresses his resentment of the unkindness of his friends.
I.He comes up with them as one that understood the matter in dispute as well as they, and did not need to be taught by them, Job 13:1, Job 13:2. They compelled him, as the Corinthians did Paul, to commend himself and his own knowledge, yet not in a way of self-applause, but of self-justification. All he had before said his eye had seen confirmed by many instances, and his ear had heard seconded by many authorities, and he well understood it and what use to make of it. Happy are those who not only see and hear, but understand, the greatness, glory, and sovereignty of God. This, he thought, would justify what he had said before (Job 12:3), which he repeats here (Job 13:2): "What you know, the same do I know also, so that I need not come to you to be taught; I am not inferior unto you in wisdom." Note, Those who enter into disputation enter into temptation to magnify themselves and vilify their brethren more than is fit, and therefore ought to watch and pray against the workings of pride.
II.He turns from them to God (Job 13:3):
Surely I would speak to the Almighty; as if he had said, "I can promise myself no satisfaction in talking to you. O that I might have liberty to reason with God! He would not be so hard upon me as you are." The prince himself will perhaps give audience to a poor petitioner with more mildness, patience, and condescension, than the servants will. Job would rather argue with God himself than with his friends. See here,
1.What confidence those have towards God whose hearts condemn them not of reigning hypocrisy: they can, with humble boldness, appear before him and appeal to him.
2.What comfort those have in God whose neighbours unjustly condemn them: if they may not speak to them with any hopes of a fair hearing, yet they may speak to the Almighty; they have easy access to him and shall find acceptance with him.
III.He condemns them for their unjust and uncharitable treatment of him, Job 13:4.
1.They falsely accused him, and that was unjust: You are forgers of lies. They framed a wrong hypothesis concerning the divine Providence, and misrepresented it, as if it did never remarkably afflict any but wicked men in this world, and thence they drew a false judgment concerning Job, that he was certainly a hypocrite. For this gross mistake, both in doctrine and application, he thinks an indictment of forgery lies against them. To speak lies is bad enough, though but at second hand, but to forge them with contrivance and deliberation is much worse; yet against this wrong neither innocency nor excellency will be a fence.
2.They basely deceived him, and that was unkind. They undertook his cure, and pretended to be his physicians; but they were all physicians of no value, "idol-physicians, who can do me no more good than an idol can." They were worthless physicians, who neither understood his case nor knew how to prescribe to him - mere empirics, who pretended to great things, but in conference added nothing to him: he was never the wiser for all they said. Thus to broken hearts and wounded consciences all creatures, without Christ, are physicians of no value, on which one may spend all and be never the better, but rather grow worse, Mar 5:26.
IV.He begs they would be silent and give him a patient hearing, Job 13:5, Job 13:6.
1.He thinks it would be a credit to them if they would say no more, having said too much already: "Hold your peace, and it shall be your wisdom, for thereby you will conceal your ignorance and ill-nature, which now appear in all you say." They pleaded that they could not forbear speaking (Job 4:2, Job 11:2, Job 11:3); but he tells them that they would better have consulted their own reputation if they had enjoined themselves silence. Better say nothing than nothing to the purpose or that which tends to the dishonour of God and the grief of our brethren. Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is accounted wise, because nothing appears to the contrary, Pro 17:28. And, as silence is an evidence of wisdom, so it is a means of it, as it gives time to think and hear.
2.He thinks it would be a piece of justice to him to hear what he had to say: Hear now my reasoning. Perhaps, though they did not interrupt him in his discourse, yet they seemed careless, and did not much heed what he said. He therefore begged that they would not only hear, but hearken. Note, We should be very willing and glad to hear what those have to say for themselves whom, upon any account, we are tempted to have hard thoughts of. Many a man, if he could but be fairly heard, would be fairly acquitted, even in the consciences of those that run him down.
V.He endeavours to convince them of the wrong they did to God's honour, while they pretended to plead for him, Job 13:7, Job 13:8.
They valued themselves upon it that they spoke for God, were advocates for him, and had undertaken to justify him and his proceedings against Job; and, being (as they thought) of counsel for the sovereign, they expected not only the ear of the court and the last word, but judgment on their side. But Job tells them plainly,
1.That God and his cause did not need such advocates: "Will you think to contend for God, as if his justice were clouded and wanted to be cleared up, or as if he were at a loss what to say and wanted you to speak for him? Will you, who are so weak and passionate, put in for the honour of pleading God's cause?" Good work ought not to be put into bad hands. Will you accept his person? If those who have not right on their side carry their cause, it is by the partiality of the judge in favour of their persons; but God's cause is so just that it needs no such methods for the support of it. He is a God, and can plead for himself (Jdg 6:31); and, if you were for ever silent, the heavens would declare his righteousness.
2.That God's cause suffered by such management. Under pretence of justifying God in afflicting Job they magisterially condemned him as a hypocrite and a bad man. "This" (says he) "is speaking wickedly" (for uncharitableness and censoriousness are wickedness, great wickedness; it is an offence to God to wrong our brethren); "it is talking deceitfully, for you condemn one whom yet perhaps your own consciences, at the same time, cannot but acquit. Your principles are false and your arguings fallacious, and will it excuse you to say, It is for God?" No, for a good intention will not justify, much less will it sanctify, a bad word or action. God's truth needs not our lie, nor God's cause either our sinful policies or our sinful passions. The wrath of man works not the righteousness of God, nor may we do evil that good may come, Rom 3:7, Rom 3:8. Pious frauds (as they call them) are impious cheats; and devout persecutions are horrid profanations of the name of God, as theirs who hated their brethren, and cast them out, saying, Let the Lord be glorified, Isa 66:5; Joh 16:2.
VI.He endeavours to possess them with a fear of God's judgment, and so to bring them to a better temper.
Let them not think to impose upon God as they might upon a man like themselves, nor expect to gain his countenance in their bad practices by pretending a zeal for him and his honour. "As one man mocks another by flattering him, do you think so to mock him and deceive him?" Assuredly those who think to put a cheat upon God will prove to have put a cheat upon themselves. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. That they might not think thus to jest with God, and affront him, Job would have them to consider both God and themselves, and then they would find themselves unable to enter into judgment with him.
1.Let them consider what a God he is into whose service they had thus thrust themselves, and to whom they really did so much disservice, and enquire whether they could give him a good account of what they did. Consider,
(1.)The strictness of his scrutiny and enquiries concerning them (Job 13:9) "Is it good that he should search you out? Can you bear to have the principles looked into which you go upon in your censures, and to have the bottom of the matter found out?" Note, It concerns us all seriously to consider whether it will be to our advantage or no that God searches the heart. It is good to an upright man who means honestly that God should search him; therefore he prays for it: Search me, O God! and know my heart. God's omniscience is a witness of his sincerity. But it is bad to him who looks one way and rows another that God should search him out, and lay him open to his confusion.
(2.)The severity of his rebukes and displeasure against them (Job 13:10): "If you do accept persons, though but secretly and in heart, he will surely reprove you; he will be so far from being pleased with your censures of me, though under colour of vindicating him, that he will resent them as a great provocation, as any prince or great man would if a base action were done under the sanction of his name and under the colour of advancing his interest." Note, What we do amiss we shall certainly be reproved for, one way or other, one time or other, though it be done ever so secretly.
(3.)The terror of his majesty, which if they would duly stand in awe of they would not do that which would make them obnoxious to his wrath (Job 13:11): "Shall not his excellency make you afraid? You that have great knowledge of God, and profess religion and a fear of him, how dare you talk at this rate and give yourselves so great a liberty of speech? Ought you not to walk and talk in the fear of God? Neh 5:9. Should not his dread fall upon you, and give a check to your passions?" Methinks Job speaks this as one that did himself know the terror of the Lord, and lived in a holy fear of him, whatever his friends suggested to the contrary. Note,
[1.]There is in God a dreadful excellency. He is the most excellent Being, has all excellencies in himself and in each infinitely excels any creature. His excellencies in themselves are amiable and lovely. He is the most beautiful Being; but considering man's distance from God by nature, and his defection and degeneracy by sin, his excellencies are dreadful. His power, holiness, justice, yea, and his goodness too, are dreadful excellencies. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness.
[2.]A holy awe of this dreadful excellency should fall upon us and make us afraid. This would awaken impenitent sinners and bring them to repentance, and would influence all to be careful to please him and afraid of offending him.
2.Let them consider themselves, and what an unequal match they were for this great God (Job 13:12): "Your remembrances (all that in you for which you hope to be remembered when you are gone) are like unto ashes, worthless and weak, and easily trampled on and blown away. Your bodies are like bodies of clay, mouldering and coming to nothing. Your memories, you think, will survive your bodies, but, alas! they are like ashes which will be shovelled up with your dust." Note, the consideration of our own meanness and mortality should make us afraid of offending God, and furnishes a good reason why we should not despise and trample upon our brethren. Bishop Patrick gives another sense of this verse: "Your remonstrances on God's behalf are no better than dust, and the arguments you accumulate but like so many heaps of dirt."
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.
A worthless physician is literally one who applies curing strategies that are not useful for the suffering. This happens in two ways: either it is due to lack of experience in the physician or to his wickedness. The friends who are contradicted here speak out of a lack of knowledge rather than wickedness in saying, “You suffer due to your sins.” They think they are bringing words of comfort. They were worthless physicians since they did not discover the true reason. “Whitewash with lies,” Job says against them, who think highly of themselves as if they could cure the affliction that occurs in others. He wishes that they had knowledge of the right times, to speak when it is appropriate and to be silent when it is appropriate, since they have realized their mistake. For that would be the beginning and commencement of wisdom for them. For once they learn that one can also be suffering for a different reason, namely, for inherent virtue to become visible, then Job’s friends will possess wisdom. Even for those who long for insight, it is beneficial to restrain their speech. In Proverbs it is said, “Even fools who keep silent are considered wise.” For if someone realizes that he needs the illuminating teaching of a teacher, this will make him wise. As someone who can talk and teach about wisdom is wise and a teacher, likewise is the one partially wise, who is able to ask what needs to be asked. He did not call him “fool” because he lacked insight altogether but because he had deficiency of insight. The word “If you would only keep silent” is similar to “There is a time, when one has to be silent.” However, since one has to talk, when one has become wise, he adds, “But there is a time to speak.”
Indeed, when senseless words are spoken, it is better to remain in silence, and in being silent, one will show greater wisdom than in speaking.
34. By which same words it is clearly shown that his friends as in the likeness of heretics oppose the decisions of the holy man’s judgment. For it is clear that they do not hold the figure of Catholics, who are termed ‘votaries of wrong doctrines.’ Wherein this likewise ought to be marked, that they are called ‘builders of lies.’ For as an edifice is ‘built’ with stones, so a lie is ‘built’ with words. For when there is not deceitful speech, but a meaning of truth, it is like a fortified mound, arising not by fabrication, but by nature.
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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 and Bildad's second in Job 18. From Job 4 through Job 12, 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.
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 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.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
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.
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.
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).
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
FAQ
Why does Job call his friends "forgers of lies" and "physicians of no value"?
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). He is the "way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), never fabricating falsehoods but speaking divine truth with authority and grace, as demonstrated in His teachings in 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). 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), a stark contrast to the "miserable comforters" Job endured, providing perfect wisdom and unfailing love.