TRV
Translation
Complete Jewish Bible
Their courses turn this way and that; they go up into the confusing waste and are lost.
Berean Standard Bible
Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go into the wasteland and perish.
American Standard Version
The caravansthat travelby the way of them turn aside; They go up into the waste, and perish.
World English Bible Messianic
The caravans that travel beside them turn aside. They go up into the waste, and perish.
Young's Literal Translation
Turn aside do the paths of their way, They ascend into emptiness, and are lost.
See on the biblical-era map
In the KJVVerse 12,997 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Job 6 verses 14–21
14 ¶ To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.
15 My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away;
16 Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid:
17 What time they wax warm, they vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.
18 The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish.
19 The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them.
20 They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed.
21 For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid.
I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points
Eliphaz had been very severe in his censures of Job; and his companions, though as yet they had said little, yet had intimated their concurrence with him. Their unkindness therein poor Job here complains of, as an aggravation of his calamity and a further excuse of his desire to die; for what satisfaction could he ever expect in this world when those that should have been his comforters thus proved his tormentors?
I. He shows what reason he had to expect kindness from them. His expectation was grounded upon the common principles of humanity (Job 6:14): "To him that is afflicted, and that is wasting and melting under his affliction, pity should be shown from his friend; and he that does not show that pity forsakes the fear of the Almighty." Note, 1. Compassion is a debt owing to those that are in affliction. The least which those that are at ease can do for those that are pained and in anguish is to pity them, - to manifest the sincerity of a tender concern for them, and to sympathize with them, - to take cognizance of their case, enquire into their grievances, hear their complaints, and mingle their tears with theirs, - to comfort them, and to do all they can to help and relieve them: this well becomes the members of the same body, who should feel for the grievances of their fellow-members, not knowing how soon the same may be their own. 2. Inhumanity is impiety and irreligion. He that withholds compassion from his friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. So the Chaldee. How dwells the love of God in that man? Jo1 3:17. Surely those have no fear of the rod of God upon themselves who have no compassion for those that feel the smart of it. See Jam 1:27. 3. Troubles are the trials of friendship. When a man is afflicted he will see who are his friends indeed and who are but pretenders; for a brother is born for adversity, Pro 17:17; Pro 18:24.
II. He shows how wretchedly he was disappointed in his expectations from them (Job 6:15): "My brethren, who should have helped me, have dealt deceitfully as a brook." They came by appointment, with a great deal of ceremony, to mourn with him and to comfort him (Job 2:11); and some extraordinary things were expected from such wise, learned, knowing men, and Job's particular friends. None questioned but that the drift of their discourses would be to comfort Job with the remembrance of his former piety, the assurance of God's favour to him, and the prospect of a glorious issue; but, instead of this, they most barbarously fall upon him with their reproaches and censures, condemn him as a hypocrite, insult over his calamities, and pour vinegar, instead of oil, into his wounds, and thus they deal deceitfully with him. Note, It is fraud and deceit not only to violate our engagements to our friends, but to frustrate their just expectations from us, especially the expectations we have raised. Note, further, It is our wisdom to cease from man. We cannot expect too little from the creature nor too much from the Creator. It is no new thing even for brethren to deal deceitfully (Jer 9:4, Jer 9:5; Mic 7:5); let us therefore put our confidence in the rock of ages, not in broken reeds - in the fountain of life, not in broken cisterns. God will out-do our hopes as much as men come short of them. This disappointment which Job met with he here illustrates by the failing of brooks in summer.
1.The similitude is very elegant, Job 6:15-20. (1.) Their pretensions are fitly compared to the great show which the brooks make when they are swollen with the waters of a land flood, by the melting of the ice and snow, which make them blackish or muddy, Job 6:16. (2.) His expectations from them, which their coming so solemnly to comfort him had raised, he compares to the expectation which the weary thirsty travellers have of finding water in the summer where they have often seen it in great abundance in the winter, Job 6:19. The troops of Tema and Sheba, the caravans of the merchants of those countries, whose road lay through the deserts of Arabia, looked and waited for supply of water from those brooks. "Hard by here," says one, "A little further," says another, "when I last travelled this way, there was water enough; we shall have that to refresh us." Where we have met with relief or comfort we are apt to expect it again; and yet it does not follow; for, (3.) The disappointment of his expectation is here compared to the confusion which seizes the poor travellers when they find heaps of sand where they expected floods of water. In the winter, when they were not thirsty, there was water enough. Every one will applaud and admire those that are full and in prosperity. But in the heat of summer, when they needed water, then it failed them; it was consumed (Job 6:17); it was turned aside, Job 6:18. When those who are rich and high are sunk and impoverished, and stand in need of comfort, then those who before gathered about them stand aloof from them, those who before commended them are forward to run them down. Thus those who raise their expectations high from the creature will find it fail them when it should help them; whereas those who make God their confidence have help in the time of need, Heb 4:16. Those who make gold their hope will sooner or later be ashamed of it, and of their confidence in it (Eze 7:19); and the greater their confidence was the greater their shame will be: They were confounded because they had hoped, Job 6:20. We prepare confusion for ourselves by our vain hopes: the reeds break under us because we lean upon them. If we build a house upon the sand, we shall certainly be confounded, for it will fall in the storm, and we must thank ourselves for being such fools as to expect it would stand. We are not deceived unless we deceive ourselves.
2.The application is very close (Job 6:21): For now you are nothing. They seemed to be somewhat, but in conference they added nothing to him. Allude to Gal 2:6. He was never the wiser, never the better, for the visit they made him. Note, Whatever complacency we may take, or whatever confidence we may put, in creatures, how great soever they may seem and how dear soever they may be to us, one time or other we shall say of them, Now you are nothing. When Job was in prosperity his friends were something to him, he took complacency in them and their society; but "Now you are nothing, now I can find no comfort but in God." It were well for us if we had always such convictions of the vanity of the creature, and its insufficiency to make us happy, as we have sometimes had, or shall have on a sick-bed, a death-bed, or in trouble of conscience: "Now you are nothing. You are not what you have been, what you should be, what you pretend to be, what I thought you would have been; for you see my casting down and are afraid. When you saw me in my elevation you caressed me; but now that you see me in my dejection you are shy of me, are afraid of showing yourselves kind, lest I should thereby be emboldened to beg something of you, or to borrow" (compare Job 6:22); "you are afraid lest, if you own me, you should be obliged to keep me." Perhaps they were afraid of catching his distemper or of coming within smell of the noisomeness of it. It is not good, either out of pride or niceness, for love of our purses or of our bodies, to be shy of those who are in distress and afraid of coming near them. Their case may soon be our own.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 14–21. Public domain.
Copy as
John ChrysostomAD 407
COMMENTARY ON JOB 6:16-18B
JOB MEANS TO SAY THIS: there is no memory or trace left of my former prosperity. And that is even worse than my misfortune itself. “Oh, that one would indeed weigh the wrath that is upon me and take up my sorrow in a balance together!” And Job now tries to describe his sorrows. “I perceive my food to be loathsome [as the smell of a lion].” I wish to die, but I do not die. I suffer so because I am a man and not a stone; I am an ephemeral human being, I do not enjoy the aid from above. Among my nearest relations, some pass me by without seeing me; others trample me underfoot. No trace of my former prosperity remains.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
34. All that is involved is folded back into itself. And there are some who as it were resolve, with all the purpose of their heart, to resist the vicious habits that mislead them, but when the crisis of the temptation comes full upon them, they do not hold out in their purposed resolution. For one swoln with the bad daring of pride, when he sees that the rewards promised to humility are great, lifts himself up against himself, and as it were puts away the swelling and turgid bigness of pride, and vows to prove himself humble under whatever insults; but when he has been suddenly assailed with the injuriousness of a single word, he straight-way returns to his accustomed haughtiness, and is brought into such a swelling temper of mind, that he does not at all remember that he had made it his object to win the blessed attainment of humility. Another, fired with avarice, is out of breath with eagerness in adding to his means. When he sees that all things speedily pass away, he arrests his mind, which is roaming abroad through covetous desires, he determines henceforth not to set his heart on any thing, and to hold what he has already gotten only under the reins of great control; but when objects that delight him are suddenly presented to his eyes, thereupon the heart beats high in the ambition to obtain them, the mind cannot contain itself, it looks about for an opportunity of getting them, and unmindful of the moderation which it had covenanted with itself, in longings for the attainment of them, disquiets itself with goading thoughts. Another is polluted by the corruption of lust, and is now bound and chained with long usage, but he sees how excellent is the pureness of chastity, and finds it a foul disgrace to be mastered by the flesh. Therefore he resolves to restrain the dissoluteness of his pleasures, and seems to set himself with all his powers to make a stand against habit; but upon the image being either presented to his eyes, or recalled to his recollection, when he is moved by a sudden temptation, at once he becomes all adrift from his former state of preparation; and the same man, that had set up against it the shield of resolution, lies pierced with the javelin of self-indulgence, and he being unstrung is overcome by lust, like as if he had never made ready any weapons of resolve against it. Another is set on fire with the flames of anger, and is uncontrolled even to the extent of offering insults to his neighbours, but when no occasion of rage comes across his spirit, he considers how excellent the virtue of mildness is, how high the loftiness of patience, and sets himself in order to be patient even against insult: but when any slight matter arises to ruffle him, he is in a moment kindled from his heart's core to words and insults. So that not only the patience he had promised never returns to his remembrance, but that the mind neither knows its own self, nor those revilings which it utters. And when he has fully satisfied his rage, it is as if he returned after exercise to a state of tranquillity, and then he calls himself in again into the chambers of silence, when not patience, but the gratification of its hastiness has given a check to the tongue. Therefore even late, and after the insults have been offered, he scarcely restrains himself, seeing that fiery horses too are often checked from their career, not by the hands of the controller, but by the limits of the ground. Therefore it is well said of the reprobate, The paths of their way are involved. For in resolve they aim at right courses indeed, but are ever doubling back into their accustomed evil ones, and being, as it were, drawn out without themselves, they return back to themselves in a round, who indeed desire good ways, but never depart from evil ways. For they wish to be humble, yet without being despised; to be content with their own, yet without suffering need; to be chaste, yet without mortification of the body; to be patient, yet without undergoing insults; and when they seek to make virtuous attainments, yet eschew the toils thereof, what else is this than that at one and the same time they know nothing of the conflicts of war in the field, and desire to have the triumphs for war in the city.
35. Not but that this, that their ways are described as ‘involved,’ may be further understood in another sense also; for it often happens with some people that they stoutly gird themselves up to encounter some vices, but neglect to overcome others, and while they never lift themselves up against these, they are reestablishing against themselves even those which they had subdued. For one has now subdued the flesh from the dominion of lust, but he has not yet reined in the mind from avarice; and while he keeps himself in the world for the practising of avarice, and does not quit earthly courses, when the juncture of the occasion breaks out, he falls into lust also, which sin he seemed to have already subdued. Another has overcome the violence of avarice, but he has never subdued the power of lust, and when he is providing the costs of fulfilling his lustful passion, he submits the neck of the heart to the yoke of avarice too, which he had for long got the mastery of. Another has now laid low rebellious impatience, but has not yet subdued vainglory; and when for this he winds himself into the honours of the world, being pierced with the irritation of cases that chance, he is brought back a captive to his impatience, and whilst vainglory lifts up the soul to the vindication of itself, being overcome it submits to that which it had got the upper hand over. Another has subdued vainglory, but has not yet brought down impatience. And when in impatience he utters a thousand threats to those that offer opposition, being ashamed not to execute what he says, he is brought back under the dominion of vainglory, and being subdued, by means of something else, he becomes liable to that, which he was rejoicing that he had fully conquered. Thus then the vices retain a hold over their runaway by mutual aid in turn, and they as it were receive him back, when already gone, under the rule of their dominion, and hand him over to each other by turns for vengeance. Thus ‘the paths of the ways of the wicked are involved,’ in that although by mastering one evil habit, they free the foot, yet, while another sways them, they entangle it in the very one, which they had conquered.
36. But sometimes while the paths of their ways are involved, at once not a single sin is overcome, and one sin is done by occasion of another. For oftentimes to theft there is joined the deceit of denial, and often the sin of deceit is increased by the guilt of perjury. Often a misdeed is committed with shameless assurance, and often (which becomes worse than any fault) there is even a glorying in the commission of the misdeed. For though self-exaltation is apt to arise on the score of virtue, yet sometimes the foolish mind exalts itself on the grounds of the wickedness it has done. And when transgression is joined to transgression, what else is this than that the steps of the froward are bound in involved ways and entangled chains? Hence it is rightly delivered by Isaiah against the froward soul, under the likeness of Judaea, And it shall be an habitation of dragons, and a pasture for ostriches, and the demons shall meet with the onocentaurs, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow. For what is denoted by the ‘dragons,’ saving malice, and what by the name of ‘ostriches,’ saving hypocrisy; as an ostrich has the appearance of flight, but has not the use of flying, for that hypocrisy too impresses upon all beholders an image of sanctity in connection with itself, but knows not to maintain the life of sanctity. Therefore in the perverse mind the dragon lies down and the ostrich feeds, in that both lurking malice is cunningly covered, and the guise of goodness is set before the beholder's eyes. But what is represented by the title of ‘onocentaurs,’ saving those that be both lecherous [d] and high-minded? for in the Greek tongue, ‘onos’ signifies ‘an ass,’ and by the designation of an ‘ass’ lust is denoted, according to the testimony of the Prophet, who says, Whose flesh is as the flesh of asses [Ezek. 23, 20]; but by the name of a ‘bull’ [e] the neck of pride is set forth, as it is spoken by the Psalmist in the voice of the Lord concerning the Jews in their pride, Many bulls have compassed me; strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. [Ps. 22, 19] Thus they are ‘onocentaurs,’ who, being subject to vicious habits of lust, lift up their neck on account of the very same cause for which they ought to have been abased, who, in serving their fleshly gratifications, all sense of shame being put far from them, not only do not grieve that they have lost the way of uprightness, but further even exult in the working of confusion. Now ‘the demons’ meet with the ‘onocentaurs,’ in that the evil spirits readily serve to their wish all those whom they see rejoicing in the things which they ought to have bewailed; and it is fitly subjoined there, And the hairy satyr [Lat. pilosus] shall cry to his fellow. Now what others are represented by the title of ‘the hairy one,’ saving they which the Greeks call ‘Pans,’ and the Latins ‘Incubi,’ [f] whose figure begins in the human form, but terminates in the extremity of a beast? Therefore by the designation of ‘the hairy one’ is denoted the ruggedness of every sin, which even if in any case it begins as if in a pretext of reason, yet always goes on to irrational motions; and it is like a man ending in a beast, whilst the sin, beginning in a copy of reason, draws him out even to a result devoid of reason. Thus often the pleasure of eating is subservient to gluttony, and it pretends to be subservient to the requirement of nature, and while it draws out the belly into gluttony, sets up the limbs in lasciviousness. Now ‘the satyr crieth to his fellow,’ when one wickedness perpetrated leads to the perpetration of another, and as if by a kind of voice of thought, a sin already committed invites another sin which yet remains to be committed. For oftentimes, as we have said, gluttony says, ‘If you do not sustain the body with plentiful support, you can hold on in no useful labours;’ and when it has kindled the mind by the desires of the flesh, immediately lust too in her turn forms words of her own prompting, saying, ‘if God would not have human creatures united together in a bodily sort, He would never have made members in themselves suited to the purposes of so uniting;’ and when it suggests these things as if in reason, it draws on the mind to unrestrained indulgence of the passions, and often when found out, immediately it looks out for the support of deceit and denial, and does not reckon itself guilty, if, by telling lies, its life may be protected. Thus ‘the satyr crieth to his fellow,’ when, under some semblance of reasoning, a sin following out of the occasion of a preceding sin ensnares the froward soul; and when harsh and rugged sins sink it low, it is as if ‘the satyrs’ ruled it, gathered together in it in concord; and thus it comes to pass that the ways of their paths are always involving themselves worse and worse, when sin taking occasion of sin enchains the lost soul.
37. But here it is necessary to know that sometimes the eye of the understanding is first dulled, and then afterwards the mind being taken captive roams at random amidst outward objects of desire, so that the blinded soul knows nothing where it is being led, and willingly surrenders itself to the allurements of the fleshly part; while at other times the desires of the flesh first burst forth, and after long custom in forbidden courses, they close the eye of the heart. For often the mind discerns light ways, but does not lift itself up fearlessly against bad practices, and it is overcome while offering resistance, when the very thing that it does in exercising discernment is outdone by the pleasurable emotion of its partner [carnis suae] the flesh. For that it very often happens that first the eye of contemplation is parted with, and afterwards the mind is subjected to the toils of the world through the desires of this our flesh, Samson is witness on being taken captive by the Philistines [Allophylis, as usual in V. and LXX.], who after he had lost his eyes was put to the mill, because the evil spirits, after that by the piercings of temptation they force out the eye of contemplation within, send it without into a round of labour. Again, that it often happens that both right practice is parted with externally, and yet the light of reason still retained in the heart, the Prophet Jeremiah instructs us, who, while he relates the captivity of Zedekiah, tells us the course of the captivity of the interior, in these words, Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Reblatha before his eyes; also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah. Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes. [Jer. 39, 6. 7.] The king of Babylon is our old enemy, the master of the confusion of the interior, who first slaughters the sons before the eyes of the parent beholding it, in that he oftentimes so destroys good works, that the very man who is taken captive perceives with terror that he is parting with them. For the soul very often groans, but yet being subdued by the enjoyments of its fellow the flesh, the good things which it begot it loses while it loves them; it sees the ills, which it undergoes, and yet never lifts the arm of virtue against that king of Babylon. But whilst having its eyes open it is struck with the doing of iniquity, by being used to sin it is one day brought to this, that it is bereft of the very light of reason itself also. Whence the king of Babylon, after his sons had been first put to death, plucked out Zedekiah's eyes, in that the evil spirit, after that good deeds have been first put away, afterwards takes away the light of understanding likewise. Which rightly befals Zedekjah in Reblatha, for ‘Reblatha’ is rendered ‘these many.’ For he at last has even the light of reason too closed, who is weighed down by bad habit in the multitude of his iniquities. But in whatever way sin may come forth, or from whatever occasion it may spring, yet the ways of the reprobate are always ‘involved,’ so that, being abandoned to depraved lusts, they either do not pursue good things at all, or pursuing them with a weak aim, they never stretch out the unimpeded steps of the mind in pursuit of them. For either they do not set out with right aims, or, breaking down in the very way, they never attain to them. Whence it generally happens that tiring of them they return to their own ways, prostrate themselves from their settled purpose of mind in the enjoyments of the flesh, mind only the things that are transitory, and take no heed of those which are calculated to abide with them. Whence it is fitly subjoined,
They shall walk unto emptiness, and perish.
38. For they all ‘walk unto emptiness,’ who bring with them nothing of the fruit of their labour. Thus one man spends himself in the attainment of honours, another is in a fever with multiplying his means, another pants after the obtaining of applause; but because everyone at his death leaves all such things here, he has lost his labour on emptiness, who has brought nothing with him before the presence of the Judge. Contrary whereto it is well delivered in the Law, Thou shalt not appear before the face of the Lord empty. [Ex. 23, 15] For he that has not provided for himself the wages of life earned by well doing, ‘appears before the Lord empty.’ [Deut. 16, 16] Hence it is said of the just by the Psalmist, But they shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with them. [Ps. 126, 6] For they come to the inquisition of Judgment, ‘bringing their sheaves with them,’ who exhibit in themselves those good works, whereby they may obtain life. Hence the Psalmist says again concerning every Elect person, Who hath not taken his soul in vain. [Ps. 24, 4] For everyone ‘takes his soul in vain,’ who, taking account of present things only, pays no heed to those that shall follow him to last for ever. He ‘takes his soul in vain,’ who, being unconcerned for the life thereof, prefers to it the care of the flesh; but the righteous do not ‘take their soul in vain,’ in that whatsoever they do through the instrumentality of the body, with stedfast purpose they make all tell to its weal, that even though the deed pass away, still the cause of the deed may never pass, in that after life it procures the rewards of life. But the reprobate are indifferent to take account of these; for verily ‘going walking into emptiness,’ in pursuing life they flee from it, and in finding it they lose it. But we are more effectually withheld from imitating the wicked, if we calculate their losses by the end.
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.
Copy as
Continue studying Job 6:18 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Job 6:18 powerfully articulates the devastating consequences of misplaced trust and the futility of relying on unreliable sources of comfort and support, a poignant lament from Job in response to his friends' unhelpful counsel. Drawing on the vivid imagery of deceitful wadis that betray parched desert travelers, the verse vividly portrays the dire fate of those who depend on such fleeting hope: their intended paths are disrupted, they encounter utter emptiness where sustenance was expected, and ultimately, they perish in their desperation. It highlights the profound disappointment and existential threat faced when expected aid vanishes, leaving one stranded and hopeless in a spiritual and emotional wilderness.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Job 6:18 is a pivotal statement within Job's impassioned and despairing response to Eliphaz's initial, unhelpful counsel (Job 4-5). Having been accused of hidden sin and urged to repent, Job shifts his focus in chapter 6 to articulate the depth of his suffering and his profound disappointment in his friends. Verses 15-17 immediately precede this verse, where Job employs a powerful metaphor, comparing his friends to "deceitful brooks" or "wadis" that swell with ice and melting snow in winter but vanish completely in the summer heat. This imagery sets the stage for verse 18, which describes the dire fate of travelers who, relying on these seemingly abundant water sources, find themselves utterly abandoned and lost when the wadis dry up. The verse thus serves as the devastating conclusion to Job's analogy, directly linking the unreliability of the wadis to the perceived betrayal of his friends, who, in his eyes, have failed to offer true comfort or understanding in his time of dire need. This deep sense of betrayal is a recurring theme throughout Job's lament.
Historical & Cultural Context: In the arid and semi-arid regions of the ancient Near East, wadis (seasonal riverbeds) were critical, yet notoriously unreliable, sources of water. Travelers, particularly merchants and caravans traversing the desert, depended heavily on these water sources, often planning their routes around them. The sudden disappearance of water in a wadi during the dry season, or its transformation into a treacherous flash flood, could mean the difference between life and death. Culturally, hospitality and steadfast friendship were highly valued virtues. Friends were expected to offer unwavering support, especially in times of distress. Job's comparison of his friends to deceitful wadis would have resonated deeply with his audience, evoking the profound sense of betrayal and existential danger associated with such a natural phenomenon. The despair of a traveler whose hope for water turns to dust mirrors Job's own despair as his friends, whom he expected to be a source of solace, instead offer condemnation and empty words, leaving him feeling utterly abandoned and vulnerable, much like a traveler in a parched land, as described in Job 6:15-17.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Job and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it underscores the theme of betrayal and disappointment, particularly from human sources. Job's friends, who should have been a source of unwavering support, instead become a source of further anguish, highlighting the fallibility of human comfort. Secondly, it emphasizes the futility of false hope and the danger of misplaced trust. The travelers' "paths... turned aside" and their ultimate "perish[ing]" illustrate the devastating consequences of relying on promises that cannot be kept. This theme implicitly points to the necessity of finding a truly reliable source of hope, a concept explored throughout the wisdom literature, such as in Proverbs 3:5-6. Thirdly, the verse, through its negative portrayal of unreliable support, implicitly points to the nature of true steadfastness and reliability. While Job's friends fail him, the narrative arc of the book ultimately guides Job (and the reader) toward the unwavering faithfulness of God, even in the midst of incomprehensible suffering. This contrast between human frailty and divine constancy is a central theological concern, echoing the wisdom found in passages like Psalm 118:8-9.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 6:18 is rich in Imagery, painting a vivid picture of parched travelers, deceitful wadis, and the desolation of the desert. This imagery evokes a strong emotional response, allowing the audience to viscerally feel the despair and betrayal Job describes. The verse functions as the devastating culmination of an extended Metaphor, where Job's friends are implicitly likened to unreliable wadis (introduced in verses 15-17). This sustained comparison effectively conveys the depth of Job's disappointment and the perceived treachery of his companions. There is also a clear sense of Parallelism in the escalating consequences presented: paths turned aside, going to nothing, and perishing. This structure emphasizes the inevitable and dire outcome of misplaced trust, building a sense of tragic inevitability. Furthermore, Job's language throughout this section, including this verse, often employs Hyperbole to express the extremity of his suffering and his profound sense of abandonment, amplifying the emotional impact of his lament.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 6:18, while rooted in Job's personal lament, resonates with profound theological truths about the nature of trust, the reality of human brokenness, and the ultimate source of true reliability. Job's experience of being betrayed by those he expected to offer comfort serves as a stark reminder that human support, however well-intentioned, is inherently fallible and can ultimately "go to nothing." This verse implicitly challenges the reader to consider where their ultimate trust lies—in fleeting human promises or in the steadfast character of God. It highlights the vulnerability of relying on anything less than the divine for true sustenance and guidance, especially in times of profound suffering. The despair of the perishing traveler mirrors the spiritual and emotional desolation that can result from misplaced hope, prompting a theological reflection on the necessity of a foundation that cannot be turned aside or vanish.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 6:18 offers a timeless and piercing reflection on the nature of trust and the profound disappointment that arises when our expectations of support are unmet. In our own lives, we often place our hope and reliance on various "wadis"—human relationships, financial security, professional success, or even our own strength and wisdom. This verse challenges us to critically evaluate the reliability of these sources, especially when navigating the "deserts" of suffering, uncertainty, or crisis. Are we building our lives and seeking our comfort from sources that are prone to "turn aside," "go to nothing," and leave us feeling lost and perishing? Furthermore, Job's lament calls us to consider our own role as friends and supporters. Are we consistently reliable sources of empathy and steadfastness for others, or do we, like Job's friends, inadvertently contribute to their despair through our insensitivity or failure to truly understand? This verse compels us to cultivate discernment in whom and what we trust, and to strive to be genuinely faithful and empathetic companions on life's often-treacherous journey, ultimately pointing us towards the only truly unfailing source of hope found in God alone.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does Job's comparison of his friends to deceitful wadis imply about his suffering?
Answer: Job's comparison of his friends to deceitful wadis in Job 6:15-17, culminating in the consequences described in Job 6:18, profoundly implies that his suffering is not only physical and material but also deeply relational and emotional. He feels utterly betrayed and abandoned by those he expected to offer comfort and understanding. Just as a traveler in the desert relies on a wadi for life-sustaining water, Job relied on his friends for empathy and support. When they failed to provide this, offering condemnation instead, his hope for human solace vanished, leaving him in a state of profound despair and feeling as if his very path was "turned aside" and he was left to "perish" from emotional and spiritual thirst. It underscores that the absence of true compassion can be as devastating as physical deprivation, adding another layer of anguish to his already immense trials.
What is the significance of the phrase "go to nothing" in Job 6:18?
Answer: The phrase "go to nothing" (KJV) is a potent translation of the Hebrew yitlahăvu (from H5927 'to go' and H8414 'nothing' or ʿtôhûw'). It carries the sense of being led astray, bewildered, or encountering a complete void where something substantial was expected. In the context of the wadi metaphor, it signifies that the anticipated water source has completely disappeared, leaving the traveler stranded in utter emptiness. Theologically and experientially, it speaks to the profound disillusionment and despair that comes when a source of hope or comfort proves to be utterly empty or non-existent. It's not just a lack, but an active experience of being led to a point of nothingness, where all expectations are shattered, and the seeker is left with a devastating void. This concept of emptiness and futility is central to Job's lament about the unreliability of human comfort.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 6:18, with its raw depiction of human unreliability and the devastating consequences of misplaced trust, poignantly foreshadows the ultimate need for a steadfast and unfailing source of hope—a need perfectly fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Job's lament over friends who "go to nothing" and cause one to "perish" highlights the inherent limitations of human comfort and the deep human longing for a reliable deliverer. In contrast to the deceitful wadis and unreliable friends, Jesus presents Himself as the Living Water who truly satisfies, declaring, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink" (John 7:37). He is the ultimate "path" that does not turn aside, but leads directly to life (John 14:6). While Job's friends failed him, Jesus is the "friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24), the one who laid down His life for His friends (John 15:13). His faithfulness is unwavering, even when we are faithless, for "He cannot deny Himself" (2 Timothy 2:13). Therefore, the despair of Job 6:18, born from the failure of human support, ultimately directs our gaze to Christ, the one true and reliable source of comfort, sustenance, and eternal life, who never "goes to nothing" but remains faithful yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).