Job 19:5

If indeed ye will magnify [yourselves] against me, and plead against me my reproach:

If indeed {H551} ye will magnify {H1431} yourselves against me, and plead {H3198} against me my reproach {H2781}:

"You may take a superior attitude toward me and cite my disgrace as proof against me;

If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me and use my disgrace against me,

If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, And plead against me my reproach;

This verse is part of Job's passionate speech in chapter 19, where he expresses his deep anguish over his suffering and, especially, the lack of understanding and harsh judgment from his friends. He feels utterly abandoned and attacked by those who should be his comforters.

Context

Job 19 is a poignant expression of Job's suffering and his struggle to understand why God has afflicted him. He feels like God has besieged him and stripped him of everything. Following the accusations from his friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar) who insist his suffering must be due to hidden sin, Job responds with increasing desperation and a sense of betrayal. In this section, he turns directly to his friends, highlighting the cruelty of their words. Verse 5 specifically addresses their attitude and the nature of their arguments against him, seeing them as exalting themselves and using his misery as grounds for reproach.

Key Themes

  • False Accusation and Judgment: Job sees his friends not as offering comfort, but as actively judging him and using his suffering as proof of his guilt (his "reproach").
  • Lack of Empathy: Instead of sympathizing with his plight, the friends are perceived as "magnifying themselves" against him, elevating their own wisdom or perceived righteousness above his pain.
  • Isolation and Betrayal: This verse underscores Job's feeling of being attacked by those closest to him, adding another layer to his profound sense of isolation.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "magnify yourselves against me" comes from the Hebrew word gadal (גָּדַל), meaning to be or become great. Here, used reflexively or in a way implying self-exaltation *against* someone, it conveys the idea of the friends puffing themselves up, asserting their own perspective or righteousness in opposition to Job. The word "reproach" (חֶרְפָּה - cherpah) signifies shame, disgrace, or a taunt. Job feels they are using his very state of suffering as an insult and a basis for their arguments against him.

Significance and Application

Job 19:5 powerfully illustrates the pain caused by being judged and accused during times of suffering, especially by those expected to offer support. It serves as a stark reminder for us to approach those who are hurting with empathy and humility rather than quick judgment or self-righteous pronouncements. Job perceives his friends as making themselves great at his expense, turning his misfortune into a weapon against him. This contrasts sharply with the hope Job later expresses in a Redeemer who will stand upon the earth, a hope rooted in faith rather than the judgment of men. The verse challenges us to consider how we speak to and about those who are struggling, ensuring our words build up rather than "magnify ourselves" and "plead reproach" against them.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Psalms 55:12

    For [it was] not an enemy [that] reproached me; then I could have borne [it]: neither [was it] he that hated me [that] did magnify [himself] against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

  • Psalms 38:16

    For I said, [Hear me], lest [otherwise] they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify [themselves] against me.

  • Psalms 35:26

    Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify [themselves] against me.

  • Nehemiah 1:3

    And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province [are] in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also [is] broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

  • Micah 7:8

    Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD [shall be] a light unto me.

  • John 9:2

    And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

  • Zephaniah 2:10

    This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified [themselves] against the people of the LORD of hosts.

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