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Commentary on Job 19 verses 1–7
1 ¶ Then Job answered and said,
2 How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?
3 These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.
4 And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.
5 If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach:
6 Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.
7 Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.
Job's friends had passed a very severe censure upon him as a wicked man because he was so grievously afflicted; now here he tells them how ill he took it to be so censured. Bildad had twice begun with a How long (Job 8:2, Job 18:2), and therefore Job, being now to answer him particularly, begins with a How long too, Job 19:2. What is not liked is commonly thought long; but Job had more reason to think those long who assaulted him than they had to think him long who only vindicated himself. Better cause may be shown for defending ourselves, if we have right on our side, than for offending our brethren, though we have right on our side. Now observe here,
I. How he describes their unkindness to him and what account he gives of it. 1. They vexed his soul, and that is more grievous than the vexation of the bones, Psa 6:2, Psa 6:3. They were his friends; they came to comfort him, pretended to counsel him for the best; but with a great deal of gravity, and affectation of wisdom and piety, they set themselves to rob him of the only comfort he had now left him in a good God, a good conscience, and a good name; and this vexed him to his heart. 2. They broke him in pieces with words, and those were surely hard and very cruel words that would break a man to pieces: they grieved him, and so broke him; and therefore there will be a reckoning hereafter for all the hard speeches spoken against Christ and his people, Jde 1:15. 3. They reproached him, (Job 19:3), gave him a bad character and laid to his charge things that he knew not. To an ingenuous mind reproach is a cutting thing. 4. They made themselves strange to him, were shy of him now that he was in his troubles, and seemed as if they did not know him (Job 2:12), were not free with him as they used to be when he was in his prosperity. Those are governed by the spirit of the world, and not by any principles of true honour or love, who make themselves strange to their friends, or God's friends, when they are in trouble. A friend loves at all times. 5. They not only estranged themselves from him, but magnified themselves against him (Job 19:5), not only looked shy of him, but looked big upon him, and insulted over him, magnifying themselves to depress him. It is a mean thing, it is a base thing, thus to trample upon those that are down. 6. They pleaded against him his reproach, that is, they made use of his affliction as an argument against him to prove him a wicked man. They should have pleaded for him his integrity, and helped him to take the comfort of that under his affliction, and so have pleaded that against his reproach (as St. Paul, Co2 1:12); but, instead of that, they pleaded his reproach against his integrity, which was not only unkind, but very unjust; for where shall we find an honest man if reproach may be admitted for a plea against him?
II. How he aggravates their unkindness. 1. They had thus abused him often (Job 19:3): These ten times you have reproached me, that is, very often, as Gen 31:7; Num 14:22. Five times they had spoken, and every speech was a double reproach. He spoke as if he had kept a particular account of their reproaches, and could tell just how many they were. It is but a peevish and unfriendly thing to do so, and looks like a design of retaliation and revenge. We better befriend our own peace by forgetting injuries and unkindnesses than by remembering them and scoring them up. 2. They continued still to abuse him, and seemed resolved to persist in it: "How long will you do it?" Job 19:2, Job 19:5. "I see you will magnify yourselves against me, notwithstanding all I have said in my own justification." Those that speak too much seldom think they have said enough; and, when the mouth is opened in passion, the ear is shut to reason. 3. They were not ashamed of what they did, Job 19:3. They had reason to be ashamed of their hard-heartedness, so ill becoming men, of their uncharitableness, so ill becoming good men, and of their deceitfulness, so ill becoming friends: but were they ashamed? No, though they were told of it again and again, yet they could not blush.
III. How he answers their harsh censures, by showing them that what they condemned was capable of excuse, which they ought to have considered. 1. The errors of his judgment were excusable (Job 19:4): "Be it indeed that I have erred, that I am in the wrong through ignorance or mistake," which may well be supposed concerning men, concerning good men. Humanum est errare - Error cleaves to humanity; and we must be willing to suppose it concerning ourselves. It is folly to think ourselves infallible. "But be it so," said Job, "my error remaineth with myself," that is, "I speak according to the best of my judgment, with all sincerity, and not from a spirit of contradiction." Or, "If I be in an error, I keep it to myself, and do not impose it upon others as you do. I only prove myself and my own work by it. I meddle not with other people, either to teach them or to judge them." Men's errors are the more excusable if they keep them to themselves, and do not disturb others with them. Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself. Some give this sense of these words: "If I be in an error, it is I that must smart for it; and therefore you need not concern yourselves: nay, it is I that do smart, and smart severely, for it; and therefore you need not add to my misery by your reproaches." 2. The breakings out of his passion, though not justifiable, yet were excusable, considering the vastness of his grief and the extremity of his misery. "If you will go on to cavil at every complaining word I speak, will make the worst of it and improve it against me, yet take the cause of the complaint along with you, and weigh that, before you pass a judgment upon the complaint, and turn it to my reproach: Know then that God has overthrown me," Job 19:6. Three things he would have them consider: - (1.) That his trouble was very great. He was overthrown, and could not help himself, enclosed as in a net, and could not get out. (2.) That God was the author of it, and that, in it, he fought against him: "It was his hand that overthrew me; it is in his net that I am enclosed; and therefore you need not appear against me thus. I have enough to do to grapple with God's displeasure; let me not have yours also. Let God's controversy with me be ended before you begin yours." It is barbarous to persecute him whom God hath smitten and to talk to the grief of one whom he hath wounded, Psa 69:26. (3.) That he could not obtain any hope of the redress of his grievances, Job 19:7. He complained of his pain, but got no ease - begged to know the cause of his affliction, but could not discover it - appealed to God's tribunal for the clearing of his innocency, but could not obtain a hearing, much less a judgment, upon his appeal: I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard. God, for a time, may seem to turn away his ear from his people, to be angry at their prayers and overlook their appeals to him, and they must be excused if, in that case, they complain bitterly. Woe unto us if God be against us!
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–7. Public domain.
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Gregory the DialogistAD 604
MORALS ON THE BOOK OF JOB 14.29
The sayings of the holy man, as we have already often said, are to be understood as spoken sometimes in his own person, as sometimes in the voice of the Head and sometimes as a prefigurement of the universal church. Now the soul of the righteous is deeply distressed when people launch severe sentences against the good; they have not learned to lead good lives. By their words they claim righteousness for themselves, while in their actions they prove to be its enemies. To the friends of blessed Job, who bear the type of heretics, he rightly answers, “How long will you torment me and break me in pieces with words?” For good people are “broken into pieces” by the words of the wicked. They come out against them with words of the lips while they lie low either in a corrupt faith or in bad habits.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Job 19:1 serves as a pivotal transitional verse, marking the commencement of Job's fifth profound discourse in his relentless dialogue with his three friends. Following Bildad's particularly harsh and accusatory second speech in Job 18, this concise introductory phrase signals Job's unwavering resolve to respond, maintaining his integrity and continuing his desperate plea for vindication and understanding from God, despite profound physical pain, emotional anguish, and relentless theological assault. It sets the stage for one of the most profound expressions of hope and faith in the Old Testament, where Job articulates his conviction in a future Redeemer.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 19:1, though brief, effectively employs several literary devices. Primarily, it functions as a Transitional Formula, a common narrative device in biblical literature (the wayya‘an wayyō'mer construction) that smoothly shifts the focus from one speaker to the next in a dialogue. This formulaic repetition creates a rhythmic structure throughout the book of Job, emphasizing the back-and-forth nature of the debate and signaling the beginning of a new, significant discourse. Furthermore, the verse uses Foreshadowing. While simple in its phrasing, it subtly hints at the profound theological declarations that are about to unfold in Job's subsequent speech, most notably his climactic statement of faith in a living Redeemer. The very act of Job "answering and saying" also contributes to the Dramatic Irony prevalent in the book; the reader knows Job's innocence (from Job 1:8), yet his friends relentlessly accuse him. Job's persistent voice, introduced by this verse, heightens the tension between his suffering and his unwavering integrity, challenging the simplistic theological framework of his accusers.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 19:1, in its simple declaration of Job's continued voice, carries profound theological weight. It speaks to the human need to lament, to question, and to seek understanding from God even in the deepest throes of suffering and misunderstanding. Job's refusal to be silenced, despite the theological bullying of his friends, is an act of profound faith and integrity. He does not abandon his dialogue with God or man, but persists in his plea for justice and vindication, demonstrating that authentic faith can wrestle with doubt and pain without collapsing. His "answering and saying" is a testament to the enduring human spirit's capacity to cry out to God from the depths, believing that an answer, or at least a hearing, is possible. This persistence is a vital aspect of a mature faith, acknowledging that God is big enough to handle our questions, our anger, and our rawest emotions. It underscores that true faith is not the absence of struggle, but the courage to struggle honestly before God.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 19:1, though a brief transitional phrase, offers profound insights for our own lives and our interactions with others. It reminds us of the critical importance of creating space for those who suffer to express their pain, doubts, and frustrations without immediate judgment or simplistic theological answers. Like Job's friends, we often rush to explain, advise, or even accuse, when what is truly needed is empathetic listening and patient presence. Job's continued "answering and saying" despite his friends' insensitivity and his own immense suffering serves as a powerful example of perseverance in faith. It challenges us to hold onto our integrity and hope, even when we feel profoundly misunderstood, abandoned, or when our experience of God seems to contradict our theological frameworks. This verse encourages us to continue speaking our truth, to God and to others, even when it is difficult, trusting that honesty in lament can be a pathway to deeper understanding and eventual vindication. It sets the stage for a message that transcends immediate circumstances, pointing to an ultimate hope beyond present suffering, urging us to never give up on the dialogue with the Divine, for even in our deepest anguish, God hears our cries.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is this verse so short, yet considered significant in the book of Job?
Answer: While brief, Job 19:1 is profoundly significant because it functions as a critical transitional marker. It signals the commencement of Job's fifth major discourse, a speech that will culminate in one of the most profound declarations of faith and hope in the entire Old Testament, particularly Job 19:25-27. The phrase "Then Job answered and said" emphasizes his unwavering resolve to continue engaging in the theological debate, refusing to be silenced or concede his guilt, despite the relentless accusations from his friends and his own intense suffering. It underscores his integrity and sets the stage for a pivotal moment in the narrative, highlighting the ongoing tension and the depth of Job's spiritual struggle.
What does the common biblical phrase "answered and said" tell us about Job's character here?
Answer: The phrase "answered and said" (Hebrew: wayya‘an wayyō'mer) is a standard formula in biblical narrative for introducing a new speaker's words. In Job's case, its repeated use throughout the book highlights his remarkable resilience and determination. Despite his immense physical and emotional anguish, and the theological pressure from his friends to confess sin, Job consistently "answers." This demonstrates his refusal to be silenced, his unwavering commitment to his integrity, and his persistent desire to seek understanding and vindication from God. It showcases a character who, even in the depths of despair, actively engages in dialogue, wrestling with profound questions of justice and suffering, rather than succumbing to silence or despair. This active "answering" underscores his profound faith that God is still a God with whom one can contend.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 19:1, though a simple transitional verse, subtly points forward to the ultimate "answer" to human suffering and the problem of evil found in Jesus Christ. Job's persistent "answering and saying," his refusal to be silenced in the face of false accusation and profound suffering, foreshadows the steadfastness of Christ. While Job longed for a Redeemer who would stand upon the earth and vindicate him, as expressed in Job 19:25, Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of that longing. Christ, the innocent sufferer, did not "answer and say" to defend His own sin, for He had none (2 Corinthians 5:21), but rather to bear the sins of the world. Though at times silent before His accusers, fulfilling prophecies like Isaiah 53:7, Jesus also "answered and said" with divine authority and truth, ultimately speaking the decisive word of salvation from the cross: "It is finished!" His suffering was not for His own transgression but for ours, providing the true and ultimate answer to the problem of suffering and injustice that Job wrestled with. Job's persistent voice, seeking a vindicator, finds its echo and ultimate triumph in the voice of the resurrected Christ, who has overcome death and secured eternal vindication for all who believe (Hebrews 2:14-15), offering the ultimate hope beyond present suffering.