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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 19:8–22. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Bildad had very disingenuously perverted Job's complaints by making them the description of the miserable condition of a wicked man; and yet he repeats them here, to move their pity, and to work upon their good nature, if they had any left in them.
I.He complains of the tokens of God's displeasure which he was under, and which infused the wormwood and gall into the affliction and misery.
How doleful are the accents of his complaints! "He hath kindled his wrath against me, which flames and terrifies me, which burns and pains me," Job 19:11. What is the fire of hell but the wrath of God? Seared consciences will feel it hereafter, but do not fear it now. Enlightened consciences fear it now, but shall not feel it hereafter. Job's present apprehension was that God counted him as one of his enemies; and yet, at the same time, God loved him, and gloried in him, as his faithful friend. It is a gross mistake, but a very common one, to think that whom God afflicts he treats as his enemies; whereas, on the contrary, as many as he loves he rebukes and chastens; it is the discipline of his sons. Which way soever Job looked he thought he saw the tokens of God's displeasure against him.
1.Did he look back upon his former prosperity? He saw God's hand putting an end to that (Job 19:9): "He has stripped me of my glory, my wealth, honour, power, and all the opportunity I had of doing good. My children were my glory, but I have lost them; and whatever was a crown to my head he has taken it from me, and has laid all my honour in the dust." See the vanity of worldly glory: it is what we may be soon stripped of; and, whatever strips us, we must see and own God's hand in it and comply with his design.
2.Did he look down upon his present troubles? He saw God giving them their commission, and their orders to attack him. They are his troops, that act by his direction, which encamp against me, Job 19:12. It did not so much trouble him that his miseries came upon him in troops as that they were God's troops, in whom it seemed as if God fought against him and intended his destruction. God's troops encamped around his tabernacle, as soldiers lay siege to a strong city, cutting off all provisions from being brought into it and battering it continually; thus was Job's tabernacle besieged. Time was when God's hosts encamped round him for safety: Hast thou not made a hedge about him? Now, on the contrary, they surrounded him, to his terror, and destroyed him on every side, Job 19:10.
3.Did he look forward for deliverance? He saw the hand of God cutting off all hopes of that (Job 19:8): "He hath fenced up my way, that I cannot pass. I have now no way left to help myself, either to extricate myself out of my troubles or to ease myself under them. Would I make any motion, take any steps towards deliverance? I find my way hedged up; I cannot do what I would; nay, if I would please myself with the prospect of a deliverance hereafter, I cannot do it; it is not only out of my reach, but out of my sight: God hath set darkness in my paths, and there is none to tell me how long," Psa 74:9. He concludes (Job 19:10), "I am gone, quite lost and undone for this world; my hope hath he removed like a tree cut down, or plucked up by the roots, which will never grow again." Hope in this life is a perishing thing, but the hope of good men, when it is cut off from this world, is but removed like a tree, transplanted from this nursery to the garden of the Lord. We shall have no reason to complain if God thus remove our hopes from the sand to the rock, from things temporal to things eternal.
II.He complains of the unkindness of his relations and of all his old acquaintance.
In this also he owns the hand of God (Job 19:13): He has put my brethren far from me, that is, "He has laid those afflictions upon me which frighten them from me, and make them stand aloof from my sores." As it was their sin God was not the author of it; it is Satan that alienates men's minds from their brethren in affliction. But, as it was Job's trouble, God ordered it for the completing of his trial. As we must eye the hand of God in all the injuries we receive from our enemies ("the Lord has bidden Shimei curse David"), so also in all the slights and unkindnesses we receive from our friends, which will help us to bear them the more patiently. Every creature is that to us (kind or unkind, comfortable or uncomfortable) which God makes it to be. Yet this does not excuse Job's relations and friends from the guilt of horrid ingratitude and injustice to him, which he had reason to complain of; few could have borne it so well as he did. He takes notice of the unkindness,
1.Of his kindred and acquaintance, his neighbours, and such as he had formerly been familiar with, who were bound by all the laws of friendship and civility to concern themselves for him, to visit him, to enquire after him, and to be ready to do him all the good offices that lay in their power; yet these were estranged from him, Job 19:13. They took no more care about him than if he had been a stranger whom they never knew. His kinsfolk, who claimed relation to him when he was in prosperity, now failed him; they came short of their former professions of friendship to him and his present expectations of kindness from them. Even his familiar friends, whom he was mindful of, had now forgotten him, had forgotten both his former friendliness to them and his present miseries: they had heard of his troubles, and designed him a visit; but truly they forgot it, so little affected were they with it. Nay, his inward friends, the men of his secret, whom he was most intimate with and laid in his bosom, not only forgot him, but abhorred him, kept as far off from him as they could, because he was poor and could not entertain them as he used to do, and because he was sore and a loathsome spectacle. Those whom he loved, and who therefore were worse than publicans if they did not love him now that he was in distress, not only turned from him, but were turned against him, and did all they could to make him odious, so to justify themselves in being so strange to him, Job 19:19. So uncertain is the friendship of men; but, if God be our friend, he will not fail us in a time of need. But let none that pretend either to humanity or Christianity ever use their friends as Job's friends used him: adversity is the proof of friendship.
2.Of his domestics and family relations. Sometimes indeed we find that, beyond our expectation, there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother; but the master of a family ordinarily expects to be attended on and taken care of by those of his family, even when, through weakness of body or mind, he has become despicable to others. But poor Job was misused by his own family, and some of his worst foes were those of his own house. He mentions not his children; they were all dead, and we may suppose that the unkindness of his surviving relations made him lament the death of his children so much the more: "If they had been alive," would he think, "I should have had comfort in them." As for those that were now about him,
(1.)His own servants slighted him. His maids did not attend him in his illness, but counted him for a stranger and an alien, Job 19:15. His other servants never heeded him; if he called to them they would not come at his call, but pretended that they did not hear him. If he asked them a question, they would not vouchsafe to give him an answer, Job 19:16. Job had been a good master to them, and did not despise their cause when they pleaded with him (Job 31:13), and yet they were rude to him now, and despised his cause when he pleaded with them. We must not think it strange if we receive evil at the hand of those from whom we have deserved well. Though he was now sickly, yet he was not cross with his servants, and imperious, as is too common, but he entreated his servants with his mouth, when he had authority to command; and yet they would not be civil to him, neither kind nor just. Note, Those that are sick and in sorrow are apt to take things ill, and be jealous of a slight, and to lay to heart the least unkindness done to them: when Job was in affliction even his servants' neglect of him troubled him.
(2.)But, one would think, when all forsook him, the wife of his bosom should have been tender of him: no, because he would not curse God and die, as she persuaded him, his breath was strange to her too; she did not care for coming near him, nor took any notice of what he said, Job 19:17. Though he spoke to her, not with the authority, but with the tenderness of a husband, did not command, but entreated her by that conjugal love which their children were the pledges of, yet she regarded him not. Some read it, "Though I lamented, or bemoaned myself, for the children," that is, "for the death of the children of my own body," an affliction in which she was equally concerned with him. Now, it appeared, the devil spared her to him, not only to be his tempter, but to be his tormentor. By what she said to him at first, Curse God and die, it appeared that she had little religion in her; and what can one expect that is kind and good from those that have not the fear of God before their eyes and are not governed by conscience?
(3.)Even the little children who were born in his house, the children of his own servants, who were his servants by birth, despised him, and spoke against him (Job 19:18); though he arose in civility to speak friendly to them, or with authority to check them, they let him know that they neither feared him nor loved him.
III.He complains of the decay of his body; all the beauty and strength of that were gone.
When those about him slighted him, if he had been in health, and at ease, he might have enjoyed himself. But he could take as little pleasure in himself as others took in him (Job 19:20): My bone cleaves now to my skin, as formerly it did to my flesh; it was this that filled him with wrinkles (Job 16:8); he was a perfect skeleton, nothing but skin and bones. Nay, his skin too was almost gone, little remained unbroken but the skin of his teeth, his gums and perhaps his lips; all the rest was fetched off by his sore boils. See what little reason we have to indulge the body, which, after all our care, may be thus consumed by the diseases which it has in itself the seeds of.
IV.Upon all these accounts he recommends himself to the compassion of his friends, and justly blames their harshness with him. From this representation of his deplorable case, it was easy to infer,
1.That they ought to pity him, Job 19:21. This he begs in the most moving melting language that could be, enough (one would think) to break a heart of stone: "Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O you my friends! if you will do nothing else for me, be sorry for me, and show some concern for me; have pity upon me, for the hand of God hath touched me. My case is sad indeed, for I have fallen into the hands of the living God, my spirit is touched with the sense of his wrath, a calamity of all other the most piteous." Note, It becomes friends to pity one another when they are in trouble, and not to shut up the bowels of compassion.
2.That, however, they ought not to persecute him; if they would not ease his affliction by their pity, yet they must not be so barbarous as to add to it by their censures and reproaches (Job 19:22): "Why do you persecute me as God? Surely his rebukes are enough for one man to bear; you need not add your wormwood and gall to the cup of affliction he puts into my hand, it is bitter enough without that: God has a sovereign power over me, and may do what he pleases with me; but do you think that you may do so too?" No, we must aim to be like the Most Holy and the Most Merciful, but not like the Most High and Most Mighty. God gives not account of any of his matters, but we must give account of ours. If they did delight in his calamity, let them be satisfied with his flesh, which was wasted and gone, but let them not, as if that were too little, wound his spirit, and ruin his good name. Great tenderness is due to those that are in affliction, especially to those that are troubled in mind.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 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.
“No speech,” Job says, “can describe my misfortunes. As those who are surrounded on every side by a wall or are oppressed by darkness, I cannot proceed any further. So, it is impossible for me to escape these calamities.” He says that his crown was taken away from him, that is, he also was a king before, or … “He tore me off,” he says, “and like a tree he cut away all my hopes from the roots. Like an enemy who is inflamed with anger, he destroyed all my prosperity.” Job correctly says “like an enemy,” because God does not inflict torments with an angry or hostile mind. He says these things in order to persuade his friends and himself that his punishment exceeds the limits of human crimes. Indeed, that righteous man was suffering not because of his crimes but in order that his patience might be tested.
44. The Church is, as it were, ‘destroyed on every side,’ and undone in her weak members, when those very ones that seemed strong, are brought to ruin; when ‘the crown is taken away from the head,’ i.e. when the rewards of eternity are neglected even by those set at the head; and it is well added concerning weak ones falling, And mine hope hath He removed like as with a tree torn away; for a tree is pushed by the wind that it falls, and with him whom threats so terrify, as to make him go headlong into unrighteousness, what else is it, but that a tree met with a blast of the wind, and lost the standing of its uprightness? For he has, as it were, lost hope by the wind, who, subdued by the threats and persuasions of the wicked, has parted with those eternal rewards, which he looked forward to; and because it very often happens that a person, from fear of punishment, gives over righteousness, it is brought to pass by God’s decreeing it, that even in giving up righteousness he does not get quit of the punishments, which he was afraid of, and that he who did not fear at all the destruction of the soul, meets even with the ills of the flesh, which he apprehended.
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Summary
Job 19:10 is a profound lament from the patriarch Job, articulating his perception of complete and comprehensive ruin directly at the hand of God. Having endured the catastrophic loss of his children, wealth, health, and social standing, Job here expresses the utter dismantling of his existence and the violent eradication of his deepest hopes, vividly comparing this removal to a tree forcibly uprooted from the ground. This verse encapsulates the crushing weight of his despair and his conviction of divine agency in his suffering, serving as a stark backdrop against which his subsequent, remarkable declaration of faith in a living Redeemer will emerge.
Context
Literary Context
Job 19:10 is situated within Job's third cycle of speeches, specifically in his impassioned response to Bildad's second speech. This chapter represents a critical turning point in the book, as Job transitions from merely defending his innocence and lamenting his condition to making a profoundly theological and prophetic assertion. Preceding this verse, Job has meticulously detailed the ways in which his friends, family, and even God Himself (as he perceives it) have seemingly conspired against him, leaving him isolated and utterly broken, as seen in his poignant description of divine siege and betrayal in Job 19:1-9. The verse immediately precedes his desperate plea for pity from his friends in Job 19:21-22 and, most significantly, sets the stage for his iconic declaration of faith in a living Redeemer who will ultimately vindicate him, a declaration found in Job 19:25-27. Thus, Job 19:10 starkly portrays the nadir of his despair, making his subsequent, unexpected declaration of hope all the more powerful and resonant.
Historical & Cultural Context
The narrative of the Book of Job unfolds in the ancient land of Uz, a region generally understood to be outside the geographical boundaries of Israel, possibly in Edom or northern Arabia. This setting, coupled with the absence of any specific references to Mosaic Law, suggests a patriarchal era, potentially predating or contemporary with the time of Abraham. Within this cultural milieu, a prevalent theological framework, often termed "retribution theology," posited a direct correlation between prosperity and divine favor, and conversely, between suffering and divine punishment for sin. Job's friends rigorously adhere to this framework, convinced that Job's immense suffering must be a direct consequence of some hidden transgression. For Job to attribute his suffering directly to God, as he does in this verse, is not merely a raw outpouring of pain but a profound challenge to the dominant theological understanding of his time. The imagery of an uprooted tree would have been immediately comprehensible and deeply impactful in an agrarian society, symbolizing complete, irreversible, and often violent destruction, particularly for a mature, deeply rooted specimen.
Key Themes
Job 19:10 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes that permeate the Book of Job. Firstly, it intensely underscores the theme of unjust suffering, presenting a righteous man experiencing inexplicable and overwhelming calamity, thereby compelling a re-evaluation of simplistic notions of divine justice. Secondly, it vividly portrays the human experience of lament and despair, demonstrating the profound honesty with which one can express agonizing pain and even accuse God in the crucible of affliction. This verse stands as a testament to the depth of human anguish when faced with the perceived abandonment or antagonism of the divine. Thirdly, it touches upon the sovereignty of God, albeit from Job's limited, suffering perspective, as he attributes his comprehensive destruction directly to the Almighty. Finally, by graphically depicting Job's complete loss of earthly hope, this verse serves as a crucial, dark canvas against which the later, radical declaration of faith in a Redeemer found in Job 19:25 shines forth as an extraordinary and unexpected beacon. This introduces the profound theme of redemption and future vindication, suggesting that ultimate hope can transcend immediate circumstances and find its anchor in a divine intervention beyond human comprehension, even in the face of utter ruin.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root means "to tear down," "to beat down," "to break down (out)," "to cast down," "to overthrow," or "to pull down." It conveys a sense of violent and thorough demolition, often used for dismantling structures like walls or cities. In Job 19:10, its application to Job's person signifies not mere damage but a comprehensive and violent dismantling of his life, his standing, and his very being, suggesting an irreversible ruin where nothing is left intact.
A primitive root meaning "to walk" (literally or figuratively), and causatively, "to carry." In this context, "I am gone" signifies a profound sense of being utterly finished, extinguished, or having vanished. It reflects an existential despair where Job perceives his former self and life as having ceased to exist, having been carried away or completely removed from his previous state of being.
This primitive root properly means "to pull up," especially tent-pins, and by extension, "to start on a journey," "to remove," or "to set aside." When applied to hope "like a tree," it emphasizes a forceful, violent, and permanent extraction. It suggests that Job's hope was not merely diminished but violently torn from its very foundations, leaving no possibility of natural regrowth or re-establishment.
Derived from a root meaning "to wait" or "to expect," this noun literally refers to a "cord" (as an attachment) and figuratively to "expectancy." In Job 19:10, "mine hope" refers to Job's expectation of a better future, his confidence in restoration, his reason to continue living, or any prospect of comfort and well-being. Its removal signifies the cutting of the very lifeline of his future.
Verse Breakdown
"He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone:"
Job attributes his suffering directly and emphatically to God ("He"), reinforcing his conviction that God is the primary agent of his calamity. The phrase "on every side" (מִסָּבִיב, missāvîv) powerfully emphasizes the totality and comprehensiveness of his destruction, indicating that every aspect of his existence—his family, wealth, health, social standing, and emotional well-being—has been utterly dismantled. The subsequent declaration "and I am gone" (וָאֵלֵךְ, wā'ēlēḵ) conveys a profound sense of existential annihilation; Job feels utterly finished, extinguished, or as though his former self and life have completely vanished, reflecting a deep, pervasive despair.
"and mine hope hath he removed like a tree."
This powerful simile vividly illustrates the obliteration of Job's future prospects and inner fortitude. "Mine hope" (תִּקְוָתִי, tiqwātî) refers to his expectation of a better future, his confidence in restoration, or simply his reason to continue. The agent remains "He" (God), reinforcing Job's conviction that God is the direct cause of his agony. The comparison "like a tree" (כָּעֵץ, kā‘ēṣ) draws on the imagery of a tree violently uprooted. Just as a mature, deeply rooted tree, once severed from its life source, cannot grow again in its former place, Job feels his hope has been irrevocably torn from its roots, leaving no possibility of natural recovery or regrowth.
Literary Devices
Job 19:10 is replete with literary devices that powerfully amplify Job's profound despair and his perception of divine antagonism. The most striking is the Simile, where Job explicitly compares the violent removal of his hope to the uprooting of a tree ("like a tree"). This vivid imagery immediately conveys the brutal, complete, and irreversible nature of his loss, drawing on a common, relatable experience of destruction in an agrarian society. The phrase "destroyed me on every side" functions as Hyperbole, emphasizing the overwhelming and inescapable totality of his ruin; while not literally destroyed on every single side, the expression conveys the comprehensive and inescapable nature of his suffering. Furthermore, the verse is a quintessential example of Lament, a significant biblical literary form characterized by expressions of intense grief, sorrow, and often a direct, unvarnished complaint to God. Job's raw, unfiltered accusation against God ("He hath destroyed me," "mine hope hath he removed") is a hallmark of this genre, demonstrating the permissible honesty and emotional depth within biblical expressions of suffering.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 19:10, though a piercing cry of despair, offers profound theological insights into the nature of suffering and the complex human relationship with God. It challenges simplistic retribution theology by portraying a righteous individual experiencing inexplicable and total ruin, thereby compelling a deeper reflection on divine justice and sovereignty that transcends human understanding. The verse powerfully validates the raw honesty of lament, affirming that it is permissible—even necessary—to express profound pain, confusion, and even question God in the throes of affliction, without necessarily implying a fundamental lack of faith. It serves as a crucial preamble for the Book of Job's ultimate revelation that God's ways are indeed beyond human comprehension, and that true, enduring faith can persist even when all earthly foundations are shattered and hope seems utterly eradicated. This deep despair functions as a dark canvas upon which Job's subsequent declaration of a living Redeemer shines forth, highlighting that ultimate hope transcends immediate circumstances and points to a future divine intervention and vindication.
Reflection and Application
Job 19:10 resonates deeply with anyone who has experienced overwhelming loss and the crushing weight of despair that seems to dismantle their very existence. It provides a biblical precedent for expressing the raw, unfiltered agony of a soul that feels utterly demolished and abandoned, even by God. For those whose lives feel "destroyed on every side"—whether by chronic illness, financial ruin, relational breakdown, profound grief, or spiritual desolation—this verse offers a powerful validation of their pain and confusion. It reminds us that lament is not a sign of weak faith but a legitimate, even necessary, expression of human suffering before a sovereign God who can bear our complaints. The vivid image of hope "removed like a tree" speaks to the feeling of absolute finality, where all future prospects seem violently severed and growth impossible. In such moments, Job's journey encourages us to hold space for deep sorrow while also, remarkably, pointing towards a deeper, transcendent hope that can emerge even from the ashes of despair. It challenges us to cultivate profound empathy for those in the throes of suffering and to remember that true, enduring hope is not rooted in fleeting circumstances but ultimately in the unchanging character and unfailing promises of God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Job truly believe God is his enemy in this verse?
In Job 19:10, Job certainly perceives God as the direct agent of his suffering and destruction. He explicitly states, "He hath destroyed me" and "mine hope hath he removed," attributing these devastating actions to the Almighty. From Job's limited and pain-filled perspective, God has indeed turned against him, acting as an adversary rather than a protector. This theme of God as an apparent antagonist is woven throughout many of Job's laments (e.g., Job 13:24, Job 16:11-14). However, it is crucial to understand that Job's accusations stem from his profound pain, confusion, and the limits of his understanding, not from a settled theological conviction that God is inherently evil or unjust. His faith, though severely tested and expressed in raw, honest complaint, never completely abandons God. This deep tension between his perception of God's actions and his underlying, albeit strained, trust is a central dynamic of the book, ultimately culminating in his remarkable declaration of a Redeemer who will vindicate him in Job 19:25.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job 19:10, with its stark portrayal of utter destruction and the violent uprooting of hope, finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound reversal in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Job's experience of being "destroyed on every side" and having his hope "removed like a tree" serves as a poignant foreshadowing of the suffering of the perfectly innocent Christ, who, though righteous, was indeed "smitten by God, and afflicted" (Isaiah 53:4). On the cross, Jesus fully entered into the ultimate abandonment and destruction, crying out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). The hope of humanity, like Job's, was seemingly "removed" as Christ died and was buried, descending into the depths of the earth. However, unlike Job's temporary despair, Christ's death was a redemptive act, leading not to final destruction but to glorious resurrection. The uprooted "tree" of hope in Job 19:10 is transformed into the "tree" of the cross, through which new life and eternal hope blossom. Through Christ's resurrection, the ultimate "uprooting" of death and sin occurred, ensuring that those who trust in Him will never have their hope permanently removed. Instead, they will experience a living hope that "does not put us to shame" (Romans 5:5) and an inheritance that is "imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven" (1 Peter 1:3-4). Thus, Job's lament of despair becomes a profound prophetic echo of the suffering and ultimate triumph of the Lamb of God, who turns utter ruin into eternal redemption.