Job 21:2

KJV

Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations.

KJV (with Strong's)

Hear {H8085} diligently {H8085} my speech {H4405}, and let this be your consolations {H8575}.

Complete Jewish Bible

"Listen carefully to my words; let this be the comfort you give me.

Berean Standard Bible

“Listen carefully to my words; let this be your consolation to me.

American Standard Version

Hear diligently my speech; And let this be your consolations.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 21:2 serves as a deeply poignant and ironically charged opening to Job's third and final discourse, specifically directed at Zophar and his companions. In this verse, Job makes a desperate and direct plea for his friends to genuinely listen to his words, implying that the only true "consolation" they can offer him is the simple, yet profound, act of attentive and empathetic hearing, rather than their continued, unhelpful pronouncements of conventional wisdom. It powerfully underscores Job's profound frustration with their judgmental and unsympathetic approach, highlighting their abject failure to provide authentic comfort amidst his immense and inexplicable suffering.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Job 21:2 initiates Job's final and most comprehensive response to his three friends, specifically following Zophar's second discourse in [Job 20](/job/20 "Job 20 - Zophar's Second Speech"). The overarching structure of the Book of Job is a series of intricate poetic dialogues where Job and his friends engage in a profound debate concerning the nature of suffering, divine justice, and human righteousness. Throughout these cycles of speeches, Job's friends consistently adhere to the rigid retribution principle—that suffering is a direct consequence of sin—while Job vehemently denies this simplistic correlation in his own case, maintaining his innocence. This verse marks a critical turning point where Job, exasperated by their repetitive, accusatory, and ultimately unhelpful "comfort," makes a direct, almost desperate appeal for a true hearing. This plea sets the stage for his powerful and challenging arguments in the subsequent verses of [Job 21](/job/21 "Job 21 - Job's Final Response to Zophar"), where he will present evidence of the prosperity of the wicked, further complicating their neat theological framework and emphasizing the mysterious ways of God.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In the ancient Near East, the role of friends and comforters for one in mourning or severe suffering was a highly significant social and religious obligation. It was customary to offer solace, often through expressions of sympathy, lament, and theological explanations that sought to make sense of the tragedy within a prevailing worldview. However, the dominant wisdom tradition, particularly in ancient Israel, often strongly linked prosperity and well-being to righteousness, and suffering or misfortune to sin. This principle, often termed the "retribution principle," is prominently featured in parts of [Proverbs](/proverbs "Proverbs - Wisdom Literature") and the Deuteronomic covenant blessings and curses found in [Deuteronomy 28](/deuteronomy/28 "Deuteronomy 28 - Blessings and Curses"). Job's friends represent this conventional wisdom, applying it rigidly and dogmatically to Job's situation without room for nuance or exception. Job 21:2, therefore, highlights a cultural expectation of comfort that is being profoundly and tragically unmet. Job's plea for "diligently" hearing suggests a scathing critique of their cultural performance as comforters, indicating that their rigid theological framework has overridden their capacity for genuine empathy and active listening, which would have been a more appropriate and truly comforting form of solace.

* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes that are central to the Book of Job. Firstly, it underscores the theme of **true versus false comfort**. Job's friends offer what they believe to be comfort, but their words are rooted in a flawed theological premise that only exacerbates Job's pain, making their counsel "physicians of no value," as Job later laments in [Job 13:4](/job/13-4 "Job 13:4 - Job's Accusation of His Friends"). Secondly, it highlights the **inadequacy of human wisdom** when confronted with profound suffering and divine mystery. The friends' neat theological formulas fail to account for Job's inexplicable experience, forcing a deeper exploration of God's ways beyond simplistic retribution. Thirdly, and perhaps most poignantly, the verse emphasizes the **critical importance of empathetic listening**. Job's plea for his friends to "hear diligently" is a desperate call for a listening that transcends mere auditory reception, demanding an understanding and compassionate engagement with his plight. This theme resonates deeply with wisdom literature's call for attentive ears and patient understanding, as seen in passages like [Proverbs 18:13](/proverbs/18-13 "Proverbs 18:13 - The Folly of Answering Before Hearing"), which warns against answering before hearing.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Hear (Hebrew, _shâmaʻ'_):** This primitive root means "to hear intelligently," often carrying the implication of attention, obedience, or understanding. The KJV's translation "Hear diligently" accurately captures the intensified force of Job's imperative. It is not merely a request for the physical act of hearing sounds, but a fervent plea for attentive, discerning, and empathetic listening—a listening that seeks to truly understand, to receive, and to acknowledge Job's experience without immediate rebuttal or judgment. Job desires a quality of hearing that validates his pain and perspective, rather than dismissing it with preconceived notions or theological dogma.
* **Speech (Hebrew, _millâh'_):** Derived from a root meaning "to speak," this noun refers to a "word," "discourse," or "topic." In this context, it signifies Job's entire argument, his narrative of suffering, and his defense of his innocence. Job is asking for a full and fair hearing of his complete discourse, not just isolated phrases or ideas that can be easily dismissed or twisted. It emphasizes the intellectual and emotional weight of what he is about to say, demanding serious consideration.
* **Consolations (Hebrew, _tanchûwm'_):** This noun, also appearing in its feminine form _tanchûwmâh_, comes from the root _nâcham_ (to comfort, console). It refers to compassion, solace, or comfort. In Job 21:2, its use by Job is profoundly ironic and bitter. His friends have positioned themselves as providers of "consolations," yet their words have been accusatory, condemning, and utterly unhelpful, only adding to his distress. Job is sarcastically suggesting that if they cannot offer genuine comfort, then the bare act of them listening to him—without interruption or judgment—is the only "comfort" they are capable of providing, a stinging indictment of their failure to offer true solace.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Hear diligently my speech":** This is Job's desperate, direct, and emotionally charged plea. The imperative "Hear," intensified by the adverbial force of "diligently" (implied by the Hebrew verbal form), reveals Job's profound frustration with his friends' previous responses. He feels unheard, misunderstood, and unjustly judged. He is not asking for agreement with his perspective, but for a fair, attentive, and open-minded hearing of his arguments and his lived experience, free from their predetermined theological framework and the urge to immediately contradict him. It is a cry for intellectual honesty and empathetic engagement.
* **"and let this be your consolations":** This clause carries the heavy weight of Job's irony, bitterness, and deep disappointment. He is not genuinely asking for actual comfort from them, as their prior attempts at comfort have proven to be anything but; they have been "miserable comforters" ([Job 16:2](/job/16-2 "Job 16:2 - Miserable Comforters")). Instead, he is sarcastically suggesting that the only "consolation" they can offer him, or perhaps the only "comfort" they are truly capable of giving given their prior failures, is the simple act of listening to him speak without interruption, immediate condemnation, or the imposition of their flawed theology. It highlights the vast chasm between Job's desperate need for genuine empathy and his friends' rigid, unfeeling theological pronouncements.

#### Literary Devices
The primary literary device at play in Job 21:2 is **Irony**. Job's request for "consolations" is deeply ironic, as his friends' previous attempts at comfort have only exacerbated his suffering and proven utterly devoid of true solace. He is not genuinely seeking their comfort but rather highlighting their profound failure to provide it, suggesting that the most they can offer is the mere act of listening to him. This irony serves to underscore the profound disconnect between Job and his friends, emphasizing their lack of empathy and the inadequacy of their conventional wisdom in the face of inexplicable suffering. Additionally, the verse functions as a direct **Plea** or **Supplication**, a fervent and earnest request from Job to his companions, revealing his emotional state of desperation and his desire for a fundamentally different kind of interaction. The phrase also contains an element of **Rhetorical Challenge**, subtly questioning the value and authenticity of their previous "consolations" and challenging them to respond in a more meaningful, empathetic way.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 21:2 resonates deeply with the biblical emphasis on true empathy, the nature of genuine comfort, and the limitations of human wisdom when confronting divine mystery. While Job's friends fail spectacularly to provide genuine solace, the Scriptures consistently portray God as the ultimate source of comfort and call believers to extend that comfort to others, reflecting His character. This verse highlights that true comfort often begins not with ready answers or theological explanations, but with the humble, patient, and loving act of listening and bearing witness to another's pain. It challenges any simplistic theology that reduces suffering to a direct consequence of sin, urging a more nuanced, compassionate, and humble understanding of God's complex ways and the profound depths of human experience. The inability of Job's friends to truly hear him underscores the inherent limitations of human wisdom and the profound mystery of divine providence, which cannot be neatly contained within human categories or rigid theological formulas.

* [2 Corinthians 1:3-4](/2_corinthians/1-3-4 "God of All Comfort")
* [Romans 12:15](/romans/12-15 "Weep with Those Who Weep")
* [Job 13:4](/job/13-4 "You Are All Physicians of No Value")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 21:2 serves as a timeless and powerful reminder of the profound importance of empathetic listening, especially when interacting with those who are suffering or in distress. In a world often quick to offer solutions, judgments, or pat theological explanations, Job's desperate plea calls us to a deeper, more compassionate, and humble engagement. It challenges us to resist the pervasive urge to "fix" or "explain away" another's pain and instead to offer the invaluable gift of our authentic presence and our undivided attention. True comfort, as Job implicitly teaches, often lies not primarily in what we say, but in our willingness to simply be with someone in their distress, to hear their story without interruption, to validate their experience, and to bear witness to their suffering. This verse compels us to examine our own listening habits: Do we truly hear, or do we merely wait for our turn to speak, formulating our rebuttal before the other person has finished? Are we quick to offer simplistic answers, or are we patient enough to sit with complexity, mystery, and unresolved pain, trusting that God is at work even when we don't understand?

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What does it truly mean to "hear diligently" someone's speech, particularly when they are in deep emotional or physical distress?**
* **In what specific ways might our well-intentioned attempts to "console" others inadvertently add to their burden, mirroring the actions of Job's friends?**
* **How can we intentionally cultivate a posture of empathetic listening that prioritizes understanding and validation over offering immediate solutions or judgments?**
* **When are we most tempted to offer simplistic theological explanations for suffering, and how can Job's profound experience challenge us to resist this tendency and embrace mystery?**

### FAQ
**Why is Job's request for his friends to "hear diligently" so significant?**

Answer: Job's request is profoundly significant because it highlights his deep frustration with his friends' previous responses. They have been quick to speak, to judge, and to offer conventional wisdom, but they have consistently failed to truly listen to Job's experience or his arguments. The term "diligently" implies a listening that is attentive, empathetic, non-prejudicial, and open to understanding—a quality of hearing that seeks to grasp the speaker's perspective rather than merely waiting for an opportunity to rebut. Job is asking for the basic human courtesy of being heard and validated, something his "comforters" have consistently denied him, instead imposing their own rigid theological framework upon his suffering.

**What is the powerful irony in Job saying, "and let this be your consolations"?**

Answer: The powerful irony lies in the stark contrast between the friends' stated purpose and their actual impact. Job's friends came to "console" him, but their words have only deepened his anguish and added to his burden. Their "comfort" has been accusatory and unhelpful, based on a rigid theological framework that blames Job for his suffering. By saying, "let this be your consolations," Job is sarcastically suggesting that the only true "comfort" they can offer him, or perhaps the only meaningful contribution they are capable of making, is the simple act of listening to him speak without interruption or immediate condemnation. It's a stinging indictment of their failure to provide genuine solace and underscores the vast gap between their intentions and Job's desperate need for true empathy and understanding.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job's desperate plea for a true hearing and genuine consolation finds its ultimate and perfect fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While Job's friends proved to be "miserable comforters" ([Job 16:2](/job/16-2 "Job 16:2 - Miserable Comforters")), Jesus is the perfect Comforter, the one who truly hears, understands, and enters into the depths of human suffering. Unlike Job's friends, who offered simplistic theological explanations and judgment from a distance, Christ entered into the full scope of human pain, misunderstanding, and abandonment. He is our sympathetic High Priest, who "in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" ([Hebrews 4:15](/hebrews/4-15 "Hebrews 4:15 - Our Sympathetic High Priest")), meaning He fully comprehends our weaknesses, sorrows, and the profound mystery of suffering. When Job cried out for someone to truly listen, he unknowingly foreshadowed the one who would invite all who are weary and burdened to "come to me, and I will give you rest" ([Matthew 11:28](/matthew/11-28 "Matthew 11:28 - Come to Me, All Who Are Weary")). The Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised as "another Helper" or "Comforter" (Greek: _Paraclete_) ([John 14:16](/john/14-16 "John 14:16 - The Promise of the Holy Spirit")), is the ultimate divine answer to Job's longing for true solace, providing abiding presence and understanding. In Christ, we find not only a listening ear but also perfect empathy, redemptive suffering on our behalf, and the promise of eternal comfort that transcends all earthly pain and misunderstanding, offering true peace that surpasses all comprehension ([Philippians 4:7](/philippians/4-7 "Philippians 4:7 - The Peace of God")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Hebrews 2:1

¶ Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let [them] slip.

Job 18:2

How long [will it be ere] ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.

Judges 9:7

¶ And when they told [it] to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

Job 13:3

Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

Job 13:4

But ye [are] forgers of lies, ye [are] all physicians of no value.

Job 34:2

Hear my words, O ye wise [men]; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

Job 33:1

¶ Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words.