Job 6:13

Translation
King James Version
Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?
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KJV (with Strong's)
Is not my help H5833 in me? and is wisdom H8454 driven quite H5080 from me?
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Complete Jewish Bible
Clearly, I have no help in myself; common sense has been driven from me.
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Berean Standard Bible
Is there any help within me now that success is driven from me?
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American Standard Version
Is it not that I have no help in me, And that wisdom is driven quite from me?
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World English Bible Messianic
Isn’t it that I have no help in me, That wisdom is driven quite from me?
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Is it not so, that there is in me no helpe? and that strength is taken from me?
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Young's Literal Translation
Is not my help with me, And substance driven from me?
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See also
2 Corinthians 1:12Job 26:2Job 12:2Job 12:3Job 19:28Job 13:2Galatians 6:4
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SUMMARY

Job 6:13 encapsulates the raw anguish and profound sense of abandonment felt by Job amidst his unparalleled suffering. In this poignant rhetorical question, Job expresses a complete depletion of internal resources, questioning whether any "help" or "wisdom" remains within him to navigate his unbearable circumstances. It is a cry of utter despair, revealing a man pushed to the brink of physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion, feeling isolated even from his own inner strength and clarity of thought, highlighting the overwhelming nature of his trials.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Job 6:13 is situated within Job's first extended response to Eliphaz the Temanite, which spans Job 6 and Job 7. This response follows Eliphaz's counsel, which subtly accuses Job of sin as the cause of his suffering (Job 4:7-9). In contrast, Job vehemently defends his innocence and laments the severity of his pain, expressing a fervent wish for death as a release (Job 6:8-9). He also conveys deep disappointment in his friends' lack of true empathy (Job 6:14-23) and protests the injustice of his situation. Verse 13 specifically articulates his internal desolation, a feeling of being utterly bereft of personal resilience or understanding, which underscores his desire for an end to his agony and sets the stage for his subsequent pleas to God.

  • Historical & Cultural Context: The Book of Job is set in the land of Uz, a region likely east of Palestine, and portrays a patriarchal society where wealth was measured in livestock and servants, and wisdom was highly valued. The cultural expectation among Job's friends, common in ancient Near Eastern thought, was a direct correlation between sin and suffering (the "retribution principle"). This belief system dictated that great suffering must be the result of great sin, implying that Job's immense suffering must stem from equally immense, though hidden, transgressions. Job's friends, therefore, approached him not with unreserved compassion but with a theological framework that led them to accuse him. Job's lament in verse 13 must be understood against this backdrop of societal expectation and theological pressure, where his internal collapse is exacerbated by external judgment, leaving him feeling utterly alone and without internal or external support.

  • Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes in the book. It highlights the theme of profound human suffering and the psychological toll it takes, pushing an individual to the limits of endurance where even internal resources seem to vanish. It also touches upon the theme of the inadequacy of human wisdom in the face of divine mystery, as Job's own "wisdom" is "driven quite from him," and his friends' conventional wisdom proves utterly unhelpful in explaining his plight or offering true comfort. Furthermore, it foreshadows the broader theme of divine hiddenness and the struggle to comprehend God's ways, as Job's internal crisis reflects his inability to reconcile his suffering with his understanding of a just God, a struggle that permeates his entire discourse in the Book of Job. This verse underscores the deep human need for understanding and the pain of its absence, a sentiment echoed later in Job's longing for an audience with God.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Help (Hebrew, ‘ezrâh', H5833): This term typically refers to external assistance or aid, often from God or another person. However, in this context, Job uses it reflexively, asking if any internal capacity for resilience, strength, or self-support remains within him. The rhetorical question implies a resounding "no," signifying that he feels completely depleted, unable to draw upon any inner fortitude to cope with his immense trials. It speaks to a profound sense of personal collapse, a feeling that all personal resources have been exhausted.
  • Wisdom (Hebrew, tûwshîyâh', H8454): This word denotes sound wisdom, good judgment, practical understanding, or even substance and success. Job's query, "is wisdom driven quite from me?", suggests a loss of perspective, clarity of thought, or the ability to make sense of his situation. He feels his capacity for rational thought, for finding solutions, or for understanding the meaning of his suffering has entirely deserted him, leaving him in a state of intellectual and spiritual disorientation, unable to grasp the "substance" or reality of his predicament.
  • Driven quite (Hebrew, nâdach', H5080): This verb, a primitive root, means "to push off," "to expel," "to banish," or "to thrust away." Its use here emphasizes the forceful, involuntary nature of the loss Job describes. His wisdom isn't merely absent; it has been actively expelled or banished from him, suggesting an external force or overwhelming circumstances have stripped him of his mental and spiritual equilibrium, leaving him feeling utterly helpless and disoriented.

Verse Breakdown

  • "[Is] not my help in me?": This first clause is a rhetorical question expressing Job's utter internal depletion. He is not genuinely asking for information but lamenting the absence of any remaining personal strength, resilience, or capacity to endure. It conveys a feeling of being completely emptied, with no inner resource left to draw upon, highlighting the overwhelming nature of his affliction and the profound sense of abandonment he feels even from himself.
  • "and is wisdom driven quite from me?": This second rhetorical question extends Job's lament to his intellectual and spiritual faculties. He feels that his ability to reason, to understand his circumstances, or to find any sense or purpose in his suffering has been utterly removed or expelled from him. It speaks to a profound disorientation and a loss of clarity, suggesting that his trials have stripped him not only of physical well-being but also of mental and spiritual equilibrium, leaving him in a state of intellectual and existential bewilderment.

Literary Devices

Job 6:13 is a masterful example of a Rhetorical Question, a figure of speech in which a question is asked not to elicit an answer but to make a forceful statement or produce a dramatic effect. Here, Job's questions are not seeking information from his friends but are powerful expressions of his deep despair and the perceived absence of internal resources. The questions serve to emphasize the extremity of his condition, conveying his feeling of utter helplessness more vividly than a direct statement could. Furthermore, the verse employs Hyperbole, as Job exaggerates his condition to convey the intensity of his suffering. While he may not be literally devoid of all wisdom or help, his feeling of being "driven quite from me" emphasizes the overwhelming nature of his pain, which has consumed his perception of his own capabilities. This dramatic language underscores the profound psychological and spiritual impact of his trials, making his lament all the more poignant.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Job 6:13 resonates with the universal human experience of profound suffering, where individuals may feel utterly depleted and question their own internal capacity to cope. Theologically, it highlights the limits of human self-reliance and the deep need for a source of strength beyond oneself, particularly when faced with trials that defy understanding. Job's lament underscores the mystery of suffering and God's sovereignty, as his plight is not due to personal sin but part of a divine drama beyond his comprehension. This verse invites empathy for those in deep despair, reminding us that even the most righteous can feel abandoned and utterly without internal solace, prompting a re-evaluation of simplistic theological explanations for suffering. It points to the reality that true help and wisdom often come from outside ourselves, from a divine source.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Job 6:13 offers a profound and sobering look into the human psyche under extreme duress. It validates the experience of feeling utterly depleted, where one's own inner resilience and clarity seem to have vanished. In moments of overwhelming grief, loss, injustice, or spiritual dryness, it is natural to question one's capacity to continue, to feel that "help" and "wisdom" have been "driven quite from me." This verse reminds us that such feelings are not a sign of spiritual failure but a common, albeit painful, aspect of the human condition when confronted with suffering beyond our control. For those ministering to the afflicted, Job's cry serves as a crucial reminder to approach with empathy, patience, and a willingness to simply bear witness to their pain, rather than offering quick solutions or theological platitudes. It calls us to create space for raw lament, acknowledging that true comfort often begins with validating the depth of despair, trusting that even in the darkest valleys, God is present, even if His presence is not immediately felt or understood. Our role is often to point to the steadfast presence of God, even when it feels absent.

Questions for Reflection

  • In what ways have you experienced a feeling of your "help" or "wisdom" being "driven quite from you" during times of intense suffering or crisis?
  • How does Job's raw honesty challenge our assumptions about how believers "should" respond to pain?
  • What does this verse teach us about the importance of lament and expressing genuine despair in our walk with God?
  • How can we better support others who feel utterly depleted, avoiding the pitfalls of Job's friends?

FAQ

Does Job 6:13 suggest that Job had lost his faith or was questioning God's existence?

Answer: While Job 6:13 certainly reveals Job's profound despair and a sense of internal collapse, it does not necessarily indicate a loss of faith in God's existence. Rather, it reflects a deep crisis of understanding and a struggle with God's justice and ways. Job is questioning his own capacity to cope and understand, not necessarily God's reality. Throughout the book, even in his most bitter laments, Job continues to address God, to appeal to Him, and to long for an encounter with Him (Job 13:3; Job 23:3). His questions are born out of intense pain and confusion, not outright atheism. He is grappling with the disconnect between his righteous life and his overwhelming suffering, feeling abandoned by his own inner resources in the face of a seemingly indifferent or hidden God. His lament is a desperate plea from a man who still believes in God, but is utterly bewildered by His actions.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Job 6:13, with its cry of internal depletion and the feeling of wisdom being "driven quite from me," finds a profound echo and ultimate answer in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Job's experience of utter abandonment and the loss of internal "help" and "wisdom" foreshadows the ultimate suffering of the Lamb of God, who, on the cross, cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). In that moment, Christ truly experienced the ultimate spiritual abandonment, bearing the sin of the world and feeling the full weight of separation from God, a desolation far deeper than Job's. Yet, unlike Job, whose wisdom was driven from him, Christ is the very embodiment of divine wisdom, the "power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24). He is the true "help" that Job longed for, not an internal, finite human resource, but the infinite, divine source of strength and understanding. For those who feel their own help and wisdom have vanished, Christ offers the ultimate solace and restoration, becoming our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30), and promising that His grace is sufficient, and His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). In Him, the deepest human despair meets divine compassion and a never-failing source of help and wisdom, ensuring that we are never truly abandoned.

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Commentary on Job 6 verses 8–13

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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Gregory the DialogistAD 604
27. It is now made clear to whom the mind of the stricken man had recourse for hope, seeing that he declares that there was no hope to him in himself; but because he intimates that in himself he was weak, for the earning [or ‘to (shew) the merit of.’] of yet greater strength, let him add how he was even forsaken by his neighbours, My friends also departed from me [V. thus]. But mark, he that was despised without, is seated within upon the throne of judgment. For at the moment that he declares himself forsaken.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
MORALS ON THE BOOK OF JOB 7.24-28
“What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I should be patient?” It is necessary to bear in mind that the “strength” of the righteous is of one sort and the strength of the reprobate of another. For the strength of the righteous is to subdue the flesh, to thwart our own wills, to annihilate the gratification the present life offers, to be in love with the roughness of this world for the sake of eternal rewards, to consider as nothing the allurements of prosperity, to overcome in our hearts the dread of adversity. But the strength of the reprobate is to set their affection unceasingly on transitory things. To endure insensibly the strokes of our Creator (not even by adversity to be brought to cease loving temporal things); to attain vain glory even with a wasted life; to search out ever more wickedness; to attack the life of the good (not only with words and by behavior but even with weapons); to put their trust in themselves; to perpetrate iniquity daily without any diminution of desire.… “Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh bronze?” … Let the holy one, then, who amid the scourges eschewed the reprobate’s hardness, exclaim, “Neither is my strength the strength of stones, nor is my flesh made of brass.” It is as though Job openly confessed in plain words, “Under discipline’s lash I keep clear of acting like the reprobate. For neither have I become like stones so hardened that under the lash’s impulse I remained silent when I should have confessed, nor again have I like brass echoed the voice of confession, while not understanding the meaning of what I was saying. Yet under the scourge, the reprobate manifest a strength that is actually weakness and the elect a weakness that is actually strength. Blessed Job, while declaring that he is not strong due to the disease, makes it plain that he is strong in his state of saving health. So let him inform us as to the source from whom he received this same strength, lest Job ascribe to himself the powers that he possesses … “Those who withhold kindness from a friend forsake the fear of the Almighty.” Who else is here denoted by the name of a friend except every neighbor who is united to us in a faithful attachment proportionate to the good service received from us in this present time? Is this not he who effectually aids us in attaining hereafter the eternal country? For charity possesses two key principles: the love of God and the love of our neighbor. It is through the love of God that the love of our neighbor is born, and by the love of our neighbor the love of God is fostered. For one who does not care to love God truly knows nothing about how to love his neighbor. In turn, we advance more perfectly in the love of God if in the bosom of this love we first be suckled with the milk of charity toward our neighbor. For the love of God begets the love of our neighbor. The Lord, when proceeding to speak in the voice of the law the words “you shall love your neighbor” prefaced it by saying, “You shall love the Lord your God.” The Lord desires to first plant the root of his love in our breast so that afterwards the love of our brothers should blossom in the branches. Again, the love of God grows strong through the love of our neighbor. John testifies to this truth when he says, “For he that does not love his brother, whom he has seen, how can he love God, whom he has not seen?” This love of God, though it is born in fear, is transformed by growing into affection.
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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