TRV
Translation
King James Version
Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then I would feel consoled; so that even in the face of unending pain, I would be able to rejoice; for I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
Berean Standard Bible
It still brings me comfort, and joy through unrelenting pain, that I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
American Standard Version
And be it still my consolation, Yea, let me exult in pain that spareth not, That I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
World English Bible Messianic
Be it still my consolation, yes, let me exult in pain that doesn’t spare, that I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Then should I yet haue comfort, (though I burne with sorowe, let him not spare) because I haue not denyed the wordes of the Holy one.
Young's Literal Translation
And yet it is my comfort, (And I exult in pain--He doth not spare,) That I have not hidden The sayings of the Holy One.
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In the KJVVerse 12,989 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Job 6 verses 8–13
8 ¶ Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!
9 Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!
10 Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.
11 What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass?
13 Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?
Ungoverned passion often grows more violent when it meets with some rebuke and check. The troubled sea rages most when it dashes against a rock. Job had been courting death, as that which would be the happy period of his miseries, ch. 3. For this Eliphaz had gravely reproved him, but he, instead of unsaying what he had said, says it here again with more vehemence than before; and it is as ill said as almost any thing we meet with in all his discourses, and is recorded for our admonition, not our imitation.
I. He is still most passionately desirous to die, as if it were not possible that he should ever see good days again in this world, or that, by the exercise of grace and devotion, he might make even these days of affliction good days. He could see no end of his trouble but death, and had not patience to wait the time appointed for that. He has a request to make; there is a thing he longs for (Job 6:8); and what is that? One would think it should be, "That it would please God to deliver me, and restore me to my prosperity again;" no, That it would please God to destroy me, Job 6:9. "As once he let loose his hand to make me poor, and then to make me sick, let him loose it once more to put an end to my life. Let him give the fatal stroke; it shall be to me the coup de grace - the stroke of favour," as, in France, they call the last blow which dispatches those that are broken on the wheel. There was a time when destruction from the Almighty was a terror to Job (Job 31:23), yet now he courts the destruction of the flesh, but in hopes that the spirit should be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Observe, Though Job was extremely desirous of death, and very angry at its delays, yet he did not offer to destroy himself, nor to take away his own life, only he begged that it would please God to destroy him. Seneca's morals, which recommend self-murder as the lawful redress of insupportable grievances, were not then known, nor will ever be entertained by any that have the least regard to the law of God and nature. How uneasy soever the soul's confinement in the body may be, it must by no means break prison, but wait for a fair discharge.
II. He puts this desire into a prayer, that God would grant him this request, that it would please God to do this for him. It was his sin so passionately to desire the hastening of his own death, and offering up that desire to God made it no better; nay, what looked ill in his wish looked worse in his prayer, for we ought not to ask any thing of God but what we can ask in faith, and we cannot ask any thing in faith but what is agreeable to the will of God. Passionate prayers are the worst of passionate expressions, for we should lift up pure hands without wrath.
III. He promises himself effectual relief, and the redress of all his grievances, by the stroke of death (Job 6:10): "Then should I yet have comfort, which now I have not, nor ever expect till then." See, 1. The vanity of human life; so uncertain a good is it that it often proves men's greatest burden and nothing is so desirable as to get clear of it. Let grace make us willing to part with it whenever God calls; for it may so happen that even sense may make us desirous to part with it before he calls. 2. The hope which the righteous have in their death. If Job had not had a good conscience, he could not have spoken with this assurance of comfort on the other side death, which turns the tables between the rich man and Lazarus. Now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
IV. He challenges death to do its worst. If he could not die without the dreadful prefaces of bitter pains and agonies, and strong convulsions, if he must be racked before he be executed, yet, in prospect of dying at last, he would make nothing of dying pangs: "I would harden myself in sorrow, would open my breast to receive death's darts, and not shrink from them. Let him not spare; I desire no mitigation of that pain which will put a happy period to all my pains. Rather than not die, let me die so as to feel myself die." These are passionate words, which might better have been spared. We should soften ourselves in sorrow, that we may receive the good impressions of it, and by the sadness of the countenance our hearts, being made tender, may be made better; but, if we harden ourselves, we provoke God to proceed in his controversy; for when he judgeth he will overcome. It is great presumption to dare the Almighty, and to say, Let him not spare; for are we stronger than he? Co1 10:22. We are much indebted to sparing mercy; it is bad indeed with us when we are weary of that. Let us rather say with David, O spare me a little.
V. He grounds his comfort upon the testimony of his conscience for him that he had been faithful and firm to his profession of religion, and in some degree useful and serviceable to the glory of God in his generation: I have not concealed the words of the Holy One. Observe, 1. Job had the words of the Holy One committed to him. The people of God were at that time blessed with divine revelation. 2. It was his comfort that he had not concealed them, had not received the grace of God therein in vain. (1.) He had not kept them from himself, but had given them full scope to operate upon him, and in every thing to guide and govern him. He had not stifled his convictions, imprisoned the truth in unrighteousness, nor done any thing to hinder the digestion of this spiritual food and the operation of this spiritual physic. Let us never conceal God's word from ourselves, but always receive it in the light of it. (2.) He had not kept them to himself, but had been ready, on all occasions, to communicate his knowledge for the good of others, was never ashamed nor afraid to own the word of God to be his rule, nor remiss in his endeavours to bring others into an acquaintance with it. Note Those, and those only, may promise themselves comfort in death who are good, and do good, while they live.
VI. He justifies himself, in this extreme desire of death, from the deplorable condition he was now in, Job 6:11, Job 6:12. Eliphaz, in the close of his discourse, had put him in hopes that he should yet see a good issue of his troubles; but poor Job puts these cordials away from him, refuses to be comforted, abandons himself to despair, and very ingeniously, yet perversely, argues against the encouragements that were given him. Disconsolate spirits will reason strangely against themselves. In answer to the pleasing prospects Eliphaz had flattered him with, he here intimates, 1. That he had no reason to expect any such thing: "What is my strength, that I should hope? You see how I am weakened and brought low, how unable I am to grapple with my distempers, and therefore what reason have I to hope that I should out-live them, and see better days? Is my strength the strength of stones? Are my muscles brass and my sinews steel? No, they are not, and therefore I cannot hold out always in this pain and misery, but must needs sink under the load. Had I strength to grapple with my distemper, I might hope to look through it; but, alas! I have not. The weakening of my strength in the way will certainly be the shortening of my days," Psa 102:23. Note, All things considered, we have no reason to reckon upon the long continuance of life in this world. What is our strength? It is depending strength. We have no more strength than God gives us; for in him we live and move. It is decaying strength; we are daily spending the stock, and by degrees it will be exhausted. It is disproportionable to the encounters we may meet with; what is our strength to be depended upon, when two or three days' sickness will make us weak as water? Instead of expecting a long life, we have reason to wonder that we have lived hitherto and to feel that we are hastening off apace. 2. That he had no reason to desire any such thing: "What is my end, that I should desire to prolong my life? What comfort can I promise myself in life, comparable to the comfort I promise myself in death?" Note, Those who, through grace, are ready for another world, cannot see much to invite their stay in this world, or to make them fond of it. That, if it be God's will, we may do him more service and may get to be fitter and riper for heaven, is an end for which we may wish the prolonging of life, in subservience to our chief end; but, otherwise, what can we propose to ourselves in desiring to tarry here? The longer life is the more grievous will its burdens be (Ecc 12:1), and the longer life is the less pleasant will be its delights, Sa2 19:34, Sa2 19:35. We have already seen the best of this world, but we are not sure that we have seen the worst of it.
VII. He obviates the suspicion of his being delirious (Job 6:13): Is not my help in me? that is, "Have I not the use of my reason, with which, I thank God, I can help myself, though you do not help me? Do you think wisdom is driven quite from me, and that I am gone distracted? No, I am not mad, most noble Eliphaz, but speak the words of truth and soberness." Note, Those who have grace in them, who have the evidence of it and have it in exercise, have wisdom in them, which will be their help in the worst of times. Sat lucis intus - They have light within.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 8–13. Public domain.
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Didymus the BlindAD 398
COMMENTARY ON JOB 6:8-9
He who asks to be wounded does not pray out of exhaustion that his prayer might be granted but in order to fulfill his task. This task was to fulfill the right deeds or to make visible to the friends for their benefit the reason for the hardships, [namely,] that they had been imposed as a test. Then they would not make mistakes against the righteous. Instead, with divine zeal they would be committed to emulate the endurance and steadfastness that the holy one exhibited and that led him to say, “O that I might have my request,” rather than … “that God would grant my desire.” Job prays for two reasons. On the one hand, he prays that he himself may win the crown in the competition. On the other hand, Job prays that his friends may not consider his endurance in hardship as meaningless. His steadfastness even in such great hardships can be seen and admired in the fact that Job did not deny his friend an answer, even though preoccupation with his hardships could have served as an excuse. But even now Job speaks like a brave athlete who warlike meets his opponent, and with the consciousness that the imposed suffering did not occur without God’s compliance. “That it would please God to crush me,” yet “may he not extinguish me entirely,” instead of, “May God mercifully allow me to endure the affliction until the end.” Similar to this is the expression “and lead us not into temptation,” which often has been interpreted in this way: “May it not come so far that we fall prey to the temptations.”
John ChrysostomAD 407
COMMENTARY ON JOB 6:10A
“I do not care to oppose your words,” Job says. “It seems to me, in fact, that I have committed nothing resembling what you say. I don’t state this openly. I simply say that I am suffering punishments that go beyond what human nature can endure. The vastness of my temptations extends far beyond what human bodies can actually bear.” However, observe how, even in the midst of such grief, Job has not decided, in any case, to come and relate his good actions. He has hidden them so far. In addition, he who often with great honesty exposed his fault to public mockery before a brilliant audience is silent about his good actions, even while living in such misery. In fact, Job does not say, “I experienced these sufferings, even though I am righteous.” Rather, Job says he cannot bear them.… His language is not that of a man who asserts that he is unjustly punished but that of one who recognizes, on the contrary, the justness of his punishment. He simply cannot bear any more punishment and therefore demands that he obtain forgiveness.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
22. The Elect, when they know that they have done unlawful things, but find upon careful examination that they have met with no afflictions in return for those unlawful deeds, with the immense force of their fear, are in a ferment with alarm, and labour and travail with dark misgivings, lest grace should have forsaken them for ever, seeing that no recompensing of their ill-doing keeps them safe in the present life; they fear lest the vengeance which is suspended be stored to be dealt in heavier measure at the end; they are eager to be stricken with the correction of a Father's hand, and they reckon the pain of the wound to be the medicine of saving health. Therefore it is rightly said in this place, Let this be my consolation, that afflicting me with grief He spare not. As if it were in plain words, ‘May He, Who spares people here for this cause, that He may strike them for ever and ever, therefore strike me here, that, by not sparing me, He may spare me for ever. For I console myself in being afflicted, in that conscious of the rottenness of human corruption, by being wounded I gain assurance for the hope of saving health.’ And that he uttered it not with a swoln but with a humble mind, he makes plain, as we have before said, by the addition, in the words,
Neither will I gainsay the words of the Holy One.
23. Most often the words of God to us are not the sounds of speech, but the enforcement of deed. For He speaks to us in that which He works upon us in silence. Blessed Job then would be gainsaying the words of God, if he murmured at His blows; but what feelings he entertains for his smiter is shown by him, who, as we have already said, calls Him ‘Holy One’ from whom he is submitting to blows.
Ishodad of MervAD 850
COMMENTARY ON JOB 6:9
“He would let loose his hand and finish me!” That is, may he put an end to my life by his intervention. Again Job speaks, “I would be finished again with violence and no mercy.” In a word, “I desire that God inflict death on me violently and mercilessly.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Job 6:10 powerfully encapsulates Job's profound despair and unwavering integrity amidst his unimaginable suffering. In this poignant declaration, Job expresses a desperate longing for death, viewing it not as an end to existence but as the ultimate comfort and release from his relentless agony. Paradoxically, even in this plea for cessation, he boldly asserts his blamelessness and faithfulness, declaring that he has not denied, hidden, or compromised the words of the Holy One, thereby maintaining his righteousness in the face of his friends' accusations and God's seemingly inexplicable actions.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Job 6:10 is situated within Job's first extensive and emotionally charged response (Job 6-7) to his friend Eliphaz's initial speech in Job 4-5. Eliphaz, operating under the prevailing conventional wisdom of retributive justice, subtly implies that Job's immense suffering must be a direct consequence of hidden sin. Job's reply is not a theological debate but a raw, unvarnished outpouring of his soul, articulating the depth of his physical and emotional pain, his desperate longing for death, and his fervent need for vindication. This specific verse follows Job's lament about the bitterness of his words being a mere reflection of his overwhelming grief and his fervent wish for God to swiftly and decisively end his life (compare Job 6:1-9). His resolute declaration of integrity in verse 10 serves as a foundational assertion of his blamelessness, setting the stage for his continued defense against his friends' accusations and his direct, often challenging, appeals to God throughout the remainder of the book.
Historical & Cultural Context: The Book of Job is set in the land of Uz, a region generally identified as being east of Palestine, suggesting a non-Israelite yet monotheistic cultural milieu. The narrative deeply engages with ancient Near Eastern wisdom traditions, which frequently explored profound themes of justice, suffering, and divine retribution. The arguments put forth by Job's friends largely align with the widespread belief that suffering is a direct punitive consequence of sin, a common theological tenet in many ancient cultures, including certain aspects of Israelite thought (e.g., Deuteronomy 28). However, Job's personal experience profoundly challenges this simplistic and deterministic understanding of divine justice, pushing the boundaries of conventional theology and wisdom. His intense lamentations and direct appeals to God, even his desperate desire for death, resonate deeply with a broader human experience of profound grief and an existential quest for meaning in the face of inexplicable adversity, sentiments widely found in ancient laments and wisdom literature across various cultures.
Key Themes: Job 6:10 powerfully contributes to several central and enduring themes woven throughout the Book of Job. Firstly, it starkly underscores the theme of intense suffering and the longing for ultimate relief, vividly illustrating the extreme physical and psychological torment Job endures, to the point where death is perceived as the only true and welcome comfort (compare Job 3:20-22). Secondly, and arguably most significantly, it highlights Job's unwavering integrity and profound righteousness despite his immense suffering. His emphatic declaration, "for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One," serves as a foundational assertion of his blamelessness, directly countering his friends' accusations and establishing the central theological dilemma of the book: why does a truly righteous person suffer so profoundly? This theme of steadfast integrity in the face of overwhelming adversity is absolutely crucial to understanding Job's character and the ultimate vindication he receives from God in Job 42:7-9). Finally, the verse powerfully touches on the theme of bold lament and wrestling with God, as Job, even in his deepest despair, directly addresses God, challenging Him to bring about his end, thereby demonstrating a profound, albeit painful, and deeply personal engagement with the divine.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 6:10 employs several potent literary devices that profoundly amplify its emotional and theological weight. Irony is prominently featured, as Job seeks "comfort" in death, a state typically feared and avoided, thereby highlighting the extreme and unbearable nature of his suffering. His intense longing for death as a means of release functions as a form of hyperbole, emphasizing the overwhelming and excruciating intensity of his physical and emotional pain. The direct and forceful plea, "let him not spare," serves as an apostrophe, a direct address to God, even though God is not explicitly present in this immediate conversation, powerfully showcasing Job's bold, personal, and deeply engaged relationship with the divine. Finally, his concluding statement, "for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One," acts as a powerful declaration or confession of his unwavering integrity and blamelessness, a central and recurring theme that undergirds the entire narrative of the Book of Job.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 6:10 offers profound theological insights into the nature of suffering, the unwavering resilience of human integrity, and the complex, often challenging, relationship between the believer and God. It boldly challenges simplistic notions of divine retribution by presenting a truly righteous individual who suffers inexplicably, thereby forcing a deeper, more nuanced exploration of God's justice, sovereignty, and wisdom. Job's desperate plea for death, coupled with his resolute declaration of integrity, powerfully underscores the legitimacy of raw, honest, and unvarnished lament before God, even in the darkest and most despairing moments of life. It affirms that authentic faith can and often does wrestle with God's mysterious ways without abandoning His fundamental truth, demonstrating a profound, albeit painful, trust that God is indeed the "Holy One," even when His actions appear inscrutable or His presence seems absent. This verse sets the stage for the book's larger theological argument that God's wisdom and ways transcend human comprehension, and that genuine faith can endure even when answers are withheld or suffering persists.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 6:10 provides a powerful and deeply validating message for anyone undergoing intense suffering, reminding us that it is not only permissible but often spiritually healthy to express raw, unvarnished emotions to God. Job's desperate longing for an end to his pain, far from being a sign of weak faith or spiritual failure, is a profound testament to the depth of his humanity and the extremity of his affliction. His unwavering declaration of integrity in the face of such agony offers a profound and enduring model for believers: even when life makes no sense, and God's hand seems heavy or His presence distant, maintaining one's commitment to God's truth and refusing to compromise one's faith is paramount. This verse encourages us to bring our whole selves—our pain, our questions, our despair, and our deepest convictions—before God, trusting that He is vast enough to handle our honest cries and that our integrity, rooted in His revealed word, will ultimately be vindicated, even if not on our timetable or in our expected manner. It teaches us that authentic faith often involves a profound wrestling with God, not just passive acceptance, and that such wrestling can paradoxically deepen and strengthen our relationship with the Holy One.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is it acceptable for a believer to wish for death, as Job does here?
Answer: Job's longing for death in Job 6:10 and elsewhere in the book (e.g., Job 3) reflects the extreme, unbearable nature of his suffering and despair, not a desire to escape God or His will. The Bible, in its honest portrayal of human experience, presents a wide range of emotions, including profound sorrow, intense grief, and even a longing for release from unbearable pain. While suicide is unequivocally condemned, expressing a wish for the cessation of suffering, even if it means death, is portrayed as a raw, honest lament before God. It validates the human experience of agony and reminds us that God is big enough and compassionate enough to handle our darkest thoughts and deepest cries. It's an expression of desperation, a cry for relief, and not necessarily a sinful desire. It highlights the profound need for compassion and understanding for those in deep distress.
What does it mean that Job has "not concealed the words of the Holy One"?
Answer: When Job declares, "I have not concealed the words of the Holy One," he is making a powerful assertion of his unwavering spiritual integrity and profound faithfulness. The Hebrew word for "concealed" (kâchad) means to deny, hide, or repudiate. Job is emphatically stating that he has not denied God's truth, nor has he hidden any secret sin or acted in any way that would justify his current, inexplicable suffering. He has lived in accordance with God's revealed will and commands, holding fast to divine truth and upholding his blamelessness even as his world collapses around him. This declaration is central to the book's argument, as it firmly establishes Job as a truly righteous man, whose suffering cannot be adequately explained by the conventional wisdom of retributive justice. It speaks to his deep commitment to live by God's word, much like the psalmist who declares, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You" in Psalm 119:11.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job's desperate longing for comfort in death, coupled with his unwavering declaration of integrity, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. While Job sought death as an escape from his personal agony, Jesus, the perfect and sinless Son of God, willingly embraced suffering and death, not for any sin of His own (for He had none, having "not concealed the words of the Holy One" but perfectly fulfilled every jot and tittle of God's law, as He Himself declared in Matthew 5:17), but for the sins of all humanity. Jesus, the true "Holy One of God" (Mark 1:24), experienced an agony far deeper than Job's, even crying out from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46), a lament that echoes Job's profound despair. Yet, in His perfect obedience and absolute integrity, Jesus did not conceal, deviate from, or compromise the Father's will, even to the point of a humiliating death on the cross (Philippians 2:8). His death, unlike Job's desired release, was not an end to suffering for Himself, but the divine means by which true and eternal comfort is offered to all who believe, providing ultimate release from the ultimate sorrow of sin and the bondage of death (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). Through Christ, the "words of the Holy One" are not merely preserved or declared, but embodied, perfectly fulfilled, and made effective, bringing everlasting life and salvation to a world consumed by sorrow and sin.