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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
Two Centuries of Reception
3 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.
The grace of the Gospel testifies that these words have been said about the Lord in truth. John, in fact, says, “His brothers did not believe in him,” when they said to him, “Leave from here, and go into Judea, so that your disciples may also see the works that you do. For there is no man that does anything in secret, and he himself seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” They said that because they did not know his ability and “recognized strangers rather than” him. This certainly referred to the Jews, that is, they looked after their own interests, and when he had to be admired, they despised him.
47. For the Jews; ‘kinsfolk’ in the flesh, ‘acquaintance’ by the teaching of the Law, as it were forgot Him, Whom they had foretold, in that Him they both sung of in the words of the Law, as destined to be made Incarnate, and when made Incarnate denied Him by the words of unbelief.
We shall show this more effectively if we introduce the testimony of John, who says, “He came to his own, and his own did not receive him.” For his “brothers were put far from him,” and his “acquaintances were estranged” from him, concerning whom the Hebrews that held the law were taught to prophesy and never realized they should acknowledge when present. Thus it is rightly said, “My relatives and my close friends have failed me.” The Jews, “relatives” in the flesh, an “acquaintance” by the teaching of the law, forgot him whom they had foretold. They sang of him in the words of the law as destined to become incarnate. When he was made incarnate, they denied him with words of unbelief. The text continues, “The guests in my house have forgotten me; my serving girls count me as a stranger.” The inhabitants of God’s house were the priests, whose race was once set apart in the service of God and continued henceforth by office in that state. But the “serving girls” are not improperly taken as the souls of the Levites, servants to the hidden parts of the tabernacle, as it were, by a more familiar service to the interior of the bedchamber. Therefore, let Job say of the priests, serving with diligent care, let him say of the Levites attending in the interior of the house of God, “The guests in my house have forgotten me; my serving girls count me as a stranger.” For they refused to acknowledge and reverence the incarnate Lord, whom they had for long foretold in the words of the law. And yet, Job more plainly shows that he was not understood by their wicked will when he adds, “I have become an alien in their eyes.” This prefigures our Redeemer who, because he was not recognized by the synagogue, was rendered, “as it were, an alien” in his own house. The prophet plainly witnesses to this, saying, “Wherefore shall you be as a settler in the land and as a wayfaring man that turns aside to tarry?” When Christ was not heard as the Lord, he was not accepted as the owner but as “a settler of the land.” He only “turned aside to tarry as a wayfaring man,” in that he bore away only a few people out of Judea, and proceeding to the calling of the Gentiles finished the journey that he had begun.
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Summary
Job 19:14 offers a profound and heart-wrenching lament from Job, articulating the devastating experience of complete human abandonment amidst his immense suffering. He expresses the crushing reality that even his closest relatives and most trusted companions, those from whom he might expect unwavering loyalty and comfort, have utterly withdrawn their support and forgotten his plight, leaving him in a state of profound isolation and despair.
Context
Literary Context
Job 19:14 is situated within Job's third cycle of speeches, specifically his impassioned response to Bildad (Job 19:1-29). Having already expressed his feeling of being attacked and forsaken by God, as seen in passages like Job 19:6, Job turns his lament toward the human dimension of his suffering. Verses Job 19:13-19 detail a comprehensive catalog of human desertion, including his brothers, acquaintances, servants, and even his wife and children. This particular verse focuses on the most intimate circles—his kinsfolk and familiar friends—underscoring the unexpected and deeply painful nature of their betrayal. This deep human abandonment serves as a stark backdrop against which Job's remarkable declaration of faith in his living Redeemer, found later in Job 19:25-27, shines with even greater brilliance and theological significance.
Historical & Cultural Context
In ancient Near Eastern societies, kinship and friendship were not merely social constructs but fundamental pillars of identity, security, and survival. Family (the mishpachah) provided a primary safety net, while trusted friends were considered "brothers" in loyalty, as articulated in texts like Proverbs 18:24. To be abandoned by one's kinsfolk and familiar friends was a catastrophic social and emotional blow, often tantamount to social death, leaving an individual utterly vulnerable and disgraced. Job, once a man of immense wealth, status, and respect, as vividly described in Job 1, now experiences the ultimate reversal. He is stripped not only of his material possessions and health but also of the very human connections that defined his place in society. This profound abandonment would have been profoundly shameful and isolating in his cultural setting, intensifying his suffering exponentially.
Key Themes
Job 19:14 powerfully articulates several key themes pervasive throughout the entire Book of Job. Foremost is the theme of profound abandonment and betrayal, where those who should offer solace instead inflict further pain through their absence and forgetfulness. This highlights the fragility of human relationships when subjected to extreme duress; even the strongest bonds can falter in the face of prolonged suffering or societal stigma. The verse also underscores the crushing weight of loneliness that accompanies physical and emotional pain when all human solace is withdrawn. It speaks to the inadequacy of human comfort in the face of ultimate suffering, subtly pointing towards the need for a more steadfast and divine source of hope and companionship, which Job ultimately finds in his Redeemer. This deep human isolation serves to magnify the unique nature of Job's trial and the ultimate faithfulness of God.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term (קָרוֹב, H7138) derives from a root meaning "to draw near." It refers to those who are "near" in place, kindred, or time, specifically signifying blood relatives or those bound by a strong familial tie. The use of this word emphasizes that the betrayal comes from the very people expected to be most loyal and supportive due to natural, inherent bonds. Their failure represents a deep violation of societal and familial expectations, a profound collapse of the most fundamental support system.
The verb (חָדַל, H2308) is a primitive root meaning "to be flabby," which by implication means "to desist." It conveys the sense of ceasing, ending, forsaking, or leaving off. In this context, it implies not merely an inability to help, but an active withdrawal or disappearance of their presence and support. Their failure is not passive but an intentional or neglectful cessation of their role in Job's life, leaving him utterly bereft and abandoned.
The verb (שָׁכַח, H7911) is a primitive root meaning "to mislay" or "to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention." In Hebrew thought, "to forget" often implies more than a simple lapse of memory; it can signify a deliberate act of disregard, neglect, or even rejection. Here, it suggests that his friends have actively chosen to erase him from their minds and hearts, treating him as if he no longer exists or matters to them, a deeply painful form of emotional and social excision.
Verse Breakdown
"My kinsfolk have failed"
This clause expresses the shocking and painful reality that Job's closest blood relatives, those from whom he had every right to expect unwavering support and loyalty, have actively withdrawn their presence and assistance. The natural bonds of family, which should be the most resilient and foundational, have dissolved under the immense pressure of his suffering, leaving him without his primary support system and compounding his agony.
"and my familiar friends have forgotten me"
This second clause deepens the sense of isolation and betrayal, extending beyond the immediate family. It refers to those trusted companions with whom Job shared intimate knowledge and camaraderie. They have not merely abandoned him but have seemingly erased him from their memory and concern. This "forgetting" implies a callous disregard, a deliberate act of emotional and social excision, leaving Job utterly alone in his profound pain and despair.
Literary Devices
Job 19:14 employs several powerful literary devices to convey the depth of Job's despair and the totality of his abandonment. Parallelism is prominently featured in the two balanced clauses, "My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me." This synonymous parallelism intensifies the message of abandonment by presenting two facets of the same devastating reality, reinforcing the comprehensive nature of his isolation. The language also utilizes Hyperbole to emphasize the perceived completeness of his desertion; while perhaps not every single relative or friend had literally vanished, Job's experience feels absolute and overwhelming. This exaggeration effectively communicates the profound emotional impact of his situation. Furthermore, the verse is steeped in Pathos, skillfully evoking deep sympathy and pity for Job's plight. His raw, honest lament taps into universal human fears of betrayal and loneliness, making his suffering relatable and profoundly moving to the reader. The Irony of Job, a man of immense standing and influence, being reduced to such social destitution further amplifies the tragic nature of his circumstances.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 19:14 stands as a stark testament to the profound limitations and inherent fragility of human relationships, especially when subjected to the crucible of extreme suffering. While the Bible consistently affirms the value and importance of human connection, Job's experience underscores that even the most intimate bonds can falter or fail when confronted with overwhelming adversity, societal stigma, or fear. This highlights a crucial theological truth: ultimate and unwavering faithfulness resides solely with God. When human comfort, loyalty, and memory cease, divine steadfastness remains. Job's lament, therefore, serves not only as a cry of profound despair but also as an implicit pointer to the desperate human need for a transcendent source of hope and companionship—a theme that will powerfully culminate in his declaration of faith in his living Redeemer. It serves as a poignant reminder that while we are called to be faithful friends and family, our ultimate security and solace must rest in the One who never leaves or forsakes His own.
Reflection and Application
Job's poignant cry in Job 19:14 resonates deeply with the universal human experience of betrayal, loneliness, and the profound pain of feeling forgotten by those we love and trust. In a world where relationships can be fragile and loyalty often conditional, Job's lament serves as a powerful reminder of the profound vulnerability inherent in human connection. It challenges us to cultivate empathy for those who suffer in isolation, whether due to illness, loss, social stigma, or other forms of adversity, and to actively resist the temptation to withdraw from them. This verse calls us to be the kind of friends and family who "love at all times," even when circumstances are difficult or uncomfortable, echoing the spirit of Proverbs 17:17. Furthermore, Job's experience highlights the ultimate limitation of human support; while vital and necessary, it can never fully satisfy our deepest need for unwavering faithfulness. This profound realization should drive us to seek our ultimate refuge and steadfast companion in God, who promises never to leave or forsake His people (Hebrews 13:5). For those who have experienced similar abandonment, Job's raw honesty validates their pain, encouraging them to bring their brokenness and despair to the One who understands, sympathizes, and remains eternally faithful.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is Job's abandonment by kinsfolk and friends so significant in the larger narrative?
Job's abandonment by his kinsfolk and familiar friends is profoundly significant because it completes the cycle of his suffering, moving beyond material and physical loss to include the deepest emotional and social pain. In ancient Near Eastern culture, kinship and community were paramount for identity, security, and social standing. To be forsaken by one's closest relations and trusted companions was a form of social death, adding immense psychological and emotional agony to his already unbearable physical and financial calamities. This total isolation underscores the absolute nature of his trial, making his eventual declaration of faith in his Redeemer (Job 19:25) all the more remarkable and powerful, as it emerges from a place of utter human desolation, highlighting the divine as his only remaining hope.
Does this verse imply that all human relationships are unreliable or not worth investing in?
No, this verse does not imply that all human relationships are inherently unreliable or that we should not invest in them. Rather, it highlights their inherent fragility and limitations, especially when tested by extreme adversity. The Bible consistently values and promotes healthy human relationships, emphasizing the importance of family, friendship, and community (e.g., Proverbs 17:17; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). Job's experience serves as a sobering reminder that while human bonds are precious, they are ultimately finite and can fail. This realization then directs our gaze to God, whose faithfulness and love are absolute and unwavering, providing the ultimate and unfailing source of comfort and companionship when all human support proves insufficient (Hebrews 13:5). It is a call to anchor our ultimate hope in God, not to abandon human connection.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job's lament of abandonment by his kinsfolk and familiar friends in Job 19:14 finds its profoundest echo and ultimate fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Just as Job, though righteous in his generation, was forsaken by those closest to him in his suffering, so too was Jesus, the perfectly righteous Son of God, abandoned by His disciples in His hour of greatest need. His closest followers scattered at His arrest, as recorded in Matthew 26:56; Peter, His most vocal disciple, denied Him three times (Matthew 26:69-75); and Judas, one of His familiar friends, tragically betrayed Him with a kiss (Matthew 26:48-49). The ultimate abandonment came on the cross, as Jesus cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46), bearing the full weight of humanity's sin and the Father's wrath. In experiencing this profound human and divine abandonment, Jesus perfectly identifies with Job's suffering and the deepest human pain of isolation. Yet, unlike Job's friends who failed him, Christ's faithfulness to us never fails. His perfect solidarity in suffering means that in our moments of feeling forgotten or betrayed, we have a High Priest who understands and sympathizes with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). Through His atoning work, He offers us an unbreakable bond and an eternal friendship that transcends all human limitations, promising never to leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Thus, Job's cry foreshadows the ultimate suffering of the Lamb of God, who, through His abandonment, secures for us an everlasting and faithful communion with God Himself.