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Commentary on Job 16 verses 1–5
Both Job and his friends took the same way that disputants commonly take, which is to undervalue one another's sense, and wisdom, and management. The longer the saw of contention is drawn the hotter it grows; and the beginning of this sort of strife is as the letting forth of water; therefore leave it off before it be meddled with. Eliphaz had represented Job's discourses as idle, and unprofitable, and nothing to the purpose; and Job here gives his the same character. Those who are free in passing such censures must expect to have them retorted; it is easy, it is endless: but cui bono? - what good does it do? It will stir up men's passions, but will never convince their judgments, nor set truth in a clear light. Job here reproves Eliphaz, 1. For needless repetitions (v. 2): "I have heard many such things. You tell me nothing but what I knew before, nothing but what you yourselves have before said; you offer nothing new; it is the same thing over and over again." This Job thinks as great a trial of his patience as almost any of his troubles. The inculcating of the same things thus by an adversary is indeed provoking and nauseous, but by a teacher it is often necessary, and must not be grievous to the learner, to whom precept must be upon precept, and line upon line. Many things we have heard which it is good for us to hear again, that we may understand and remember them better, and be more affected with them and influenced by them. 2. For unskilful applications. They came with a design to comfort him, but they went about it very awkwardly, and, when they touched Job's case, quite mistook it: "Miserable comforters are you all, who, instead of offering any thing to alleviate the affliction, add affliction to it, and make it yet more grievous." The patient's case is sad indeed when his medicines are poisons and his physicians his worst disease. What Job says here of his friends is true of all creatures, in comparison with God, and, one time or other, we shall be made to see it and own it, that miserable comforters are they all. When we are under convictions of sin, terrors of conscience, and the arrests of death, it is only the blessed Spirit that can comfort effectually; all others, without him, do it miserably, and sing songs to a heavy heart, to no purpose. 3. For endless impertinence. Job wishes that vain words might have an end, Job 16:3. If vain, it were well that they were never begun, and the sooner they are ended the better. Those who are so wise as to speak to the purpose will be so wise as to know when they have said enough of a thing and when it is time to break off. 4. For causeless obstinacy. What emboldeneth thee, that thou answerest? It is a great piece of confidence, and unaccountable, to charge men with those crimes which we cannot prove upon them, to pass a judgment on men's spiritual state upon the view of their outward condition, and to re-advance those objections which have been again and again answered, as Eliphaz did. 5. For the violation of the sacred laws of friendship, doing by his brother as he would not have been done by and as his brother would not have done by him. This is a cutting reproof, and very affecting, Job 16:4, Job 16:5. (1.) He desires his friends, in imagination, for a little while, to change conditions with him, to put their souls in his soul's stead, to suppose themselves in misery like him and him at ease like them. This was no absurd or foreign supposition, but what might quickly become true in fact. So strange, so sudden, frequently, are the vicissitudes of human affairs, and such the turns of the wheel, that the spokes soon change places. Whatever our brethren's sorrows are, we ought by sympathy to make them our own, because we know not how soon they may be so. (2.) He represents the unkindness of their conduct towards him, by showing what he could do to them if they were in his condition: I could speak as you do. It is an easy thing to trample upon those that are down, and to find fault with what those say that are in extremity of pain and affliction: "I could heap up words against you, as you do against me; and how would you like it? how would you bear it?" (3.) He shows them what they should do, by telling them what in that case he would do (Job 16:5): "I would strengthen you, and say all I could to assuage your grief, but nothing to aggravate it." It is natural to sufferers to think what they would do if the tables were turned. But perhaps our hearts may deceive us; we know not what we should do. We find it easier to discern the reasonableness and importance of a command when we have occasion to claim the benefit of it than when we have occasion to do the duty of it. See what is the duty we owe to our brethren in their affliction. [1.] We should say and do all we can to strengthen them, suggesting to them such considerations as are proper to encourage their confidence in God and to support their sinking spirits. Faith and patience are the strength of the afflicted; whatever helps these graces confirms the feeble knees. [2.] To assuage their grief - the causes of their grief, if possible, or at least their resentment of those causes. Good words cost nothing; but they may be of good service to those that are in sorrow, not only as it is some comfort to them to see their friends concerned for them, but as they may be so reminded of that which, through the prevalency of grief, was forgotten. Though hard words (we say) break no bones, yet kind words may help to make broken bones rejoice; and those have the tongue of the learned that know how to speak a word in season to the weary.
It is sometimes necessary that wicked minds, which are incapable of being corrected by human preaching, should have the comfort of God desired for them in a spirit of kindness; and while this is done with great earnestness in love, plainly not the punishment but the correction of the guilty person is the thing aimed at, and it is shown to be a prayer rather than a curse. In these words blessed Job is shown to aim at this, that the friends, who didn’t know how to sympathize with his grief through charity, might learn by experience how they ought to have pitied the affliction of another. Those subdued by grief may learn to draw from their own suffering a better way to minister consolation to others. They would then live ever more healthfully within as they are made more sensitive to frailty without.
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SUMMARY
In Job 16:5, Job articulates a profound contrast between the unhelpful, accusatory counsel he receives from his friends and the compassionate, strengthening words he would offer if their roles were reversed. This verse serves as a poignant expression of Job's yearning for genuine empathy and a powerful commentary on the true nature of comfort, highlighting how words possess the capacity to either alleviate sorrow or deepen distress.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 16:5 employs several literary devices to convey its powerful message. Foremost is Synonymous Parallelism, evident in the two clauses of the verse: "I would strengthen you with my mouth" and "the moving of my lips should asswage [your grief]." Both phrases express the same core idea—the use of words to provide comfort and relief—but with different phrasing, thereby intensifying the meaning and emphasizing the comprehensive nature of Job's proposed verbal solace. The verse also utilizes a Hypothetical Statement ("I would strengthen you..."), which serves as a rhetorical device. By presenting a counterfactual scenario, Job implicitly highlights the stark contrast between his ideal compassionate response and the actual, painful reality of his friends' unhelpful counsel. This creates a powerful Contrast between true empathy and false condemnation, exposing the inadequacy of his friends' approach through the lens of what genuine comfort should be.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 16:5 offers a profound theological statement on the nature of true comfort and the redemptive power of compassionate speech within a community of faith. It challenges the simplistic retribution theology prevalent in Job's time, asserting that genuine care for the suffering involves more than just intellectual explanations or theological pronouncements. Instead, it calls for an active, empathetic engagement that seeks to build up, strengthen, and alleviate the burden of grief. This verse underscores the biblical principle that words are not neutral; they carry life-giving or soul-crushing power. It points to a God who is not distant or judgmental in suffering, but one who calls His people to embody His own compassionate heart in their interactions, reflecting the divine attribute of being the "God of all comfort."
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 16:5 provides timeless and critical lessons for how we engage with those who are suffering in our own lives and communities. It calls us to a ministry of presence and empathetic listening, where our primary aim is to strengthen and soothe, rather than to accuse, judge, or offer facile solutions. In a world often quick to offer advice or theological explanations, Job's words remind us that true comfort often lies in the simple, yet profound, act of being present, listening deeply, and choosing words that build up and affirm the dignity of the suffering individual. Our speech should be seasoned with grace, designed to alleviate burdens and impart courage, reflecting the very heart of God who "comforts us in all our affliction." This requires humility, patience, and a willingness to enter into another's pain without feeling the need to "fix" it or explain it away, trusting that our compassionate presence can be a conduit of divine solace.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does Job use a hypothetical statement here ("I would strengthen you...")?
Answer: Job uses this hypothetical statement as a powerful rhetorical device to highlight the stark contrast between the compassionate, strengthening comfort he would offer his friends if their roles were reversed, and the unhelpful, accusatory counsel he is actually receiving from them. It serves to underscore their failure to provide genuine solace and to articulate Job's own profound understanding of what true empathy and support should look like in the face of suffering. It's a way for Job to lament his current situation while simultaneously demonstrating a higher standard of care and compassion, implicitly challenging his friends' rigid theological framework which prevented them from offering true comfort.
What does "asswage" mean in this context, and why is it significant?
Answer: In Job 16:5, "asswage" (from the Hebrew ḥāsakh) means to lessen, alleviate, or restrain grief. It's significant because it implies a proactive, intentional effort to diminish the intensity of someone's sorrow, rather than simply ignoring it or trying to make it disappear entirely. Job's desire is not to eradicate the pain but to actively work towards reducing its burden and providing relief through supportive speech. This highlights that comfort isn't about removing suffering but about accompanying the sufferer and helping to lighten their load, even if the suffering itself persists. It's about providing a measure of relief and strength in the midst of distress, demonstrating active compassion.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 16:5, with its poignant yearning for words that strengthen and assuage grief, finds its ultimate and perfect fulfillment in Jesus Christ. While Job could only hypothetically offer such comfort, Christ embodies it perfectly. He is the Word made flesh, whose very words bring life, healing, and profound solace. Unlike Job's friends, Jesus never offered simplistic explanations for suffering or condemned the afflicted. Instead, He consistently demonstrated radical empathy, weeping with those who wept, as seen when Jesus wept with Mary and Martha at Lazarus' tomb, even knowing He would raise him. His words, such as "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28), are the ultimate fulfillment of strengthening and assuaging grief, offering spiritual and emotional relief that transcends earthly circumstances. Through His atoning sacrifice, He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, truly taking away the sin that is the root of all suffering. Furthermore, Christ promised the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete or Comforter, who indwells believers, providing ongoing strength, comfort, and alleviation of spiritual and emotional distress, enabling them to also be ministers of the comfort they have received from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Thus, Christ is the perfect Comforter, whose mouth strengthens and whose very being assuages the deepest human grief, offering an eternal solace that Job's friends could never provide.