Job 19:11

Commentary on Job 19:11 (KJV)

Job 19:11 captures the intense despair and profound misunderstanding Job experiences amidst his overwhelming suffering. He perceives God not merely as distant or indifferent, but as actively hostile towards him, viewing him as an adversary.

Context

This verse is part of Job's third cycle of speeches, specifically his response to his friend Bildad. Throughout the book of Job, Job's friends consistently argue that his suffering must be a direct consequence of his sin, adhering to a rigid theology of retribution. Job, however, steadfastly maintains his innocence, refusing to confess a sin he hasn't committed. His lament in chapter 19 is particularly poignant, as he feels completely isolated—abandoned by his friends, family, and even God Himself. This verse reflects Job's raw anguish and his desperate attempt to reconcile his blameless life with the immense calamities that have befallen him, leading him to accuse God of treating him as an enemy. This perception stands in stark contrast to the divine assessment of Job's character at the beginning of the book, where God Himself commends Job as "a perfect and an upright man" (Job 1:8).

Key Themes

• The Anguish of Misunderstanding God: Job's suffering leads him to a deeply distorted perception of God. He views God's actions not as sovereign permission for testing (as revealed in Job 1:12 and Job 2:6), but as direct, personal animosity. This highlights the human tendency to project our pain and confusion onto our understanding of the divine.
• Feeling of Divine Enmity: The phrase "counteth me unto him as one of his enemies" reveals the depth of Job's despair. He doesn't just feel punished; he feels alienated and regarded as an adversary. This is a powerful expression of feeling utterly rejected and isolated, even by the Creator, which compounds his physical and emotional agony.
• The Problem of Innocent Suffering: This verse underscores the central theological dilemma of the book of Job: how can a just and loving God allow such profound suffering to befall a righteous person? Job's accusations stem from his inability to reconcile God's character with his current reality.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "kindled" is charah (חָרָה), which means to burn, to be incensed, or to be hot with anger. It conveys a strong, active display of wrath. The term "counteth" (chashav, חָשַׁב) means to reckon, to account, or to devise. Job perceives God as deliberately assigning him the status of an enemy, not merely as an accidental consequence of divine action. This choice of words intensifies Job's feeling of being deliberately targeted and misjudged.

Practical Application

Job's lament in this verse is deeply relatable to anyone who has experienced profound suffering, loss, or injustice and struggled to reconcile it with their faith in a just and loving God. It validates the raw human emotion of feeling abandoned or even targeted by the divine. While Job's perception of God was ultimately flawed—as revealed in God's eventual response in Job 38 and Job 40—his honest expression of pain teaches us that it is permissible to voice our deepest struggles and doubts to God.

This verse encourages empathy for those who doubt and reminds us that true faith often endures through periods of profound theological confusion and emotional distress. It points to the truth that even when we feel like God's enemy, His ultimate plan for us is often one of restoration and deeper understanding, as seen in Job 42:10, and that our relationship with Him is not defined by our temporary feelings of alienation.