Job 16:13

KJV

His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.

KJV (with Strong's)

His archers {H7228} compass me round about {H5437}, he cleaveth {H6398} my reins {H3629} asunder {H6398}, and doth not spare {H2550}; he poureth out {H8210} my gall {H4845} upon the ground {H776}.

Complete Jewish Bible

his archers surrounded me. He slashes my innards and shows no mercy, he pours my gall on the ground.

Berean Standard Bible

His archers surround me. He pierces my kidneys without mercy and spills my gall on the ground.

American Standard Version

His archers compass me round about; He cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; He poureth out my gall upon the ground.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 16:13 is a profoundly visceral lament from Job's third speech, articulating his overwhelming conviction that God Himself is the direct source of his excruciating and relentless suffering. Through stark and graphic imagery, Job portrays himself as being under siege by divine "archers" and experiencing the violent tearing apart of his innermost being, culminating in the public spillage of his very life force. This verse encapsulates Job's desperate cry of perceived divine hostility, highlighting his utter physical and spiritual devastation and his profound crisis of faith in the face of what he believes is unjust and merciless affliction.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Job 16:13 is situated within Job's third response to his friends (Job 16-17), following Eliphaz's second speech in Job 15. Weary and exasperated by his friends' unhelpful and accusatory counsel, Job turns his lament directly to God. He rejects their simplistic theology of retribution, where suffering is always a direct consequence of sin, and instead perceives God as his primary adversary. This verse intensifies the imagery of divine assault introduced earlier in his speech (e.g., [Job 16:9](/job/16-9 "Job 16:9 - God's Anger Tears Job") where God is depicted as tearing him in anger), escalating the portrayal of God's actions from a distant observer to an active, merciless assailant. It marks a deepening of Job's despair and his desperate plea for a hearing before God, even as he feels utterly crushed by Him.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In the ancient Near East, suffering was often interpreted through the lens of divine retribution, a common belief system that Job's friends rigorously uphold. However, the book of Job challenges this simplistic view. The imagery of "archers" and the cleaving of internal organs reflects a brutal reality of warfare and physical violence in the ancient world, making Job's lament intensely relatable to his contemporaries. The "reins" (kidneys) and "gall" were considered vital organs, often associated not just with physical life but also with the seat of emotions, conscience, and inner vitality. To have them "cleaved asunder" or "poured out" signifies not merely physical pain but a complete spiritual and existential undoing, a public humiliation, and the draining of one's very essence. This understanding underscores the profound depth of Job's agony, which extends beyond the physical into the very core of his being.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the book of Job. Firstly, it amplifies the theme of **unjust suffering**, as Job, a righteous man, grapples with inexplicable pain that he attributes directly to God. This challenges the conventional wisdom of his time and forces a deeper theological inquiry into the nature of divine justice. Secondly, it highlights the theme of **perceived divine hostility**, where God, instead of being a comforter or protector, is experienced as an active antagonist. This profound crisis of faith is central to Job's struggle, as he wrestles with a God who seems to have abandoned His just character (see [Job 13:24](/job/13-24 "Job 13:24 - God Hides His Face from Job")). Thirdly, the graphic imagery underscores the theme of **utter vulnerability and despair** in the face of overwhelming affliction. Job's body and spirit are depicted as utterly broken, his life force spilling out, conveying a sense of complete depletion and hopelessness, a common experience for those enduring profound and prolonged distress.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Archers (Hebrew, _qeshet_):** While literally meaning "bow" or "bowmen," here it functions as a metaphor for the agents of God's wrath or the relentless, targeted afflictions Job experiences. The plural "archers" suggests a multi-pronged, inescapable assault, emphasizing the overwhelming nature of his suffering. It evokes a sense of being hunted, with no escape from the divine onslaught.
* **Reins (Hebrew, _kilyah_):** This term refers to the kidneys, which in ancient Hebrew thought were often considered the seat of the deepest emotions, conscience, and inner being, much like the heart. To have them "cleaved asunder" (split apart) signifies a tearing apart of Job's very core, his inner self, indicating profound psychological, emotional, and spiritual anguish, not merely physical pain. It speaks to a shattering of his identity and integrity.
* **Gall (Hebrew, _marerah_):** This refers to bile, a bitter fluid. In biblical literature, "gall" is often associated with bitterness, poison, or intense sorrow and affliction. Its "pouring out upon the ground" signifies not only the draining of life, vitality, and inner peace but also a public display of his internal suffering, humiliation, and utter defeat. It represents the complete emptying of his inner resources and the public exposure of his agony.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"His archers compass me round about":** Job feels completely surrounded and besieged by forces he attributes to God. The imagery of "archers" suggests a deliberate, precise, and inescapable attack, with arrows (afflictions) coming from every direction, leaving him no refuge. This conveys a sense of being trapped and relentlessly targeted.
* **"he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare":** This clause directly attributes the internal, core-shattering pain to God ("he"). The "cleaving" of his "reins" (kidneys, representing his innermost being) signifies a violent, internal tearing apart, a profound violation of his essence. The phrase "doth not spare" emphasizes the merciless and unrelenting nature of this divine assault, indicating a complete lack of compassion or restraint from God's part, as Job perceives it.
* **"he poureth out my gall upon the ground":** Continuing the direct attribution to God, this vivid image depicts the spillage of his bile (gall), a substance associated with bitterness and vital fluids. "Poured out upon the ground" suggests a public, irreversible, and wasteful draining of his life force, his vitality, and his inner peace. It conveys a sense of utter destruction, public humiliation, and the complete loss of his inner resources, leaving him empty and exposed.

#### Literary Devices
Job 16:13 is rich in **Imagery**, employing vivid and visceral descriptions to convey Job's profound suffering. The depiction of "archers" surrounding him, the "cleaving" of his "reins," and the "pouring out" of his "gall" creates a powerful and disturbing mental picture of a body under siege and an inner being violently undone. **Metaphor** is central, as "archers" are not literal bowmen but represent the relentless afflictions Job experiences, which he attributes to God. The "reins" and "gall" are also used metaphorically to represent his deepest emotions, inner vitality, and spiritual essence, rather than just physical organs. **Hyperbole** is evident in the extreme nature of the suffering described; while Job is in immense pain, the language exaggerates the extent of the internal destruction to convey the magnitude of his despair and the feeling of being utterly consumed. Finally, **Personification** is subtly present as suffering itself, or God's actions, are given active, violent agency, relentlessly pursuing and destroying Job.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 16:13 powerfully encapsulates the profound theological dilemma at the heart of the book of Job: how can a righteous God permit, or even inflict, such intense and seemingly unjust suffering upon a blameless individual? Job's lament here challenges the simplistic retribution theology prevalent in his time, forcing a deeper exploration of divine sovereignty, human suffering, and the nature of faith in the midst of inexplicable pain. It highlights the often-uncomfortable reality that human experience of God can, at times, feel adversarial, even when God's ultimate purposes are good. This verse validates the raw honesty of lament, demonstrating that genuine faith does not preclude expressing profound anguish, even anger, towards God, but rather incorporates it into a relationship of trust that ultimately seeks understanding and vindication.
* [Psalm 22:1](/psalms/22-1 "Psalm 22:1 - My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?")
* [Lamentations 3:1-18](/lamentations/3-1 "Lamentations 3:1-18 - The Prophet's Lament")
* [Job 7:11](/job/7-11 "Job 7:11 - Job's Complaint to God")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 16:13 offers a profound space for empathy and understanding for those experiencing deep, inexplicable suffering. It reminds us that faith is not a denial of pain, but often a wrestling with it, even when the source of that pain feels ambiguous or, as in Job's case, directly attributable to God. This verse validates the raw, unvarnished expression of lament, demonstrating that it is permissible and, indeed, biblical to voice our deepest anguish, confusion, and even anger to God. It challenges us to move beyond simplistic explanations for suffering and to cultivate compassion for those who feel utterly broken, abandoned, or attacked by life's circumstances, or even by a God they perceive as hostile. Job's honesty in his agony serves as a powerful model for bringing our whole selves, including our darkest fears and most desperate cries, before the divine, trusting that even in the midst of our brokenness, God hears.
#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Job's raw honesty in lament challenge my own understanding of what it means to be faithful in suffering?**
* **In what ways might I, like Job's friends, be tempted to offer simplistic answers to complex suffering, and how can Job 16:13 help me cultivate deeper empathy?**
* **When I feel "attacked" or "cleaved asunder" by life's circumstances, how can I bring those feelings honestly before God, even if I perceive Him as distant or hostile in that moment?**

### FAQ
**Does Job truly believe God is his enemy, or is this just hyperbole born of pain?**

Answer: Job's expressions in Job 16:13 and throughout his speeches are not merely hyperbole; they reflect his genuine, albeit temporary, conviction that God has become his adversary. While Job never fully abandons his faith in God's ultimate justice or sovereignty, his immediate experience is one of profound divine hostility. He perceives God as actively inflicting his suffering, hunting him down like an enemy, and showing him no mercy. This intense perception is a core element of his crisis of faith. It's a testament to the depth of his pain and the integrity of his lament that he voices these raw, unsettling thoughts directly to God. The book of Job ultimately shows that God allows such honest questioning and wrestling, even when the human perception of divine action is flawed or incomplete. Job's struggle is precisely about reconciling his knowledge of God's character with his experience of suffering, a tension that is central to the narrative and makes his cries profoundly real.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 16:13, with its harrowing depiction of innocent suffering and perceived divine abandonment, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Job's cry of being surrounded by "archers" and having his "reins cleave asunder" foreshadows the complete physical and spiritual desolation experienced by the [Lamb of God](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God") on the cross. Jesus, the truly blameless and righteous one (as affirmed in [Hebrews 4:15](/hebrews/4-15 "Hebrews 4:15 - Jesus, Our High Priest")), endured not merely the suffering inflicted by human hands but the ultimate experience of being "forsaken" by God (as He cried out in [Matthew 27:46](/matthew/27-46 "Matthew 27:46 - Jesus' Cry of Dereliction")). On the cross, Jesus became sin for us (as described in [2 Corinthians 5:21](/2_corinthians/5-21 "2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ Became Sin for Us")), experiencing the full outpouring of divine wrath against sin that Job only feared. His "gall" was truly poured out, not just in physical agony but in the spiritual anguish of bearing the world's sin, leading to his cry of dereliction that echoed Job's lament. In Christ, God Himself entered into the depths of human suffering, experiencing the very abandonment and hostility that Job felt, thereby validating the pain of the innocent and providing the ultimate answer to the problem of suffering. Through His sacrifice, Jesus transforms Job's lament of perceived divine hostility into the ultimate act of divine love, demonstrating that God is not an indifferent or cruel adversary, but one who fully identifies with our pain to bring about our redemption (as seen in [Isaiah 53:4-5](/isaiah/53-4 "Isaiah 53:4-5 - The Suffering Servant")).

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

Job 6:4

For the arrows of the Almighty [are] within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.

Job 20:25

It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors [are] upon him.

Lamentations 2:11

Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.

2 Peter 2:5

And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth [person], a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

Ezekiel 5:11

Wherefore, [as] I live, saith the Lord GOD; Surely, because thou hast defiled my sanctuary with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also diminish [thee]; neither shall mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity.

Romans 8:32

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Job 6:10

Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.