Job 6:2

KJV

Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!

KJV (with Strong's)

Oh that {H3863} my grief {H3708} were throughly {H8254} weighed {H8254}, and my calamity {H1942}{H1962} laid {H5375} in the balances {H3976} together {H3162}!

Complete Jewish Bible

"I wish my frustration could be weighed, all my calamities laid on the scales!

Berean Standard Bible

“If only my grief could be weighed and placed with my calamity on the scales.

American Standard Version

Oh that my vexation were but weighed, And all my calamity laid in the balances!

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 6:2 encapsulates Job's desperate cry for his immense suffering to be objectively measured and validated. In response to Eliphaz's unhelpful and accusatory counsel, Job wishes his profound grief and calamity could be placed on a scale, convinced that their overwhelming weight would not only justify his bitter lament but also silence the misguided judgments of his friends. This verse powerfully conveys his longing for empathy and understanding in the face of incomprehensible anguish.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Job 6:2 marks the beginning of Job's first extensive monologue in response to his friends, specifically Eliphaz's speech in [Job 4](/job/4 "Job 4 - Eliphaz's First Speech") and [Job 5](/job/5 "Job 5 - Eliphaz's Continued Speech"). Eliphaz had presented a conventional theological framework, suggesting that suffering is a direct consequence of sin, subtly implying Job's guilt (e.g., [Job 4:7-9](/job/4-7 "Job 4:7-9 - Eliphaz's Argument on Suffering")). Job's immediate and passionate outburst in [Job 6](/job/6 "Job 6 - Job's Lament") and [Job 7](/job/7 "Job 7 - Job's Continued Lament") directly refutes this simplistic correlation, asserting his innocence and expressing the raw, unadulterated pain that defies such easy categorization. This verse serves as the emotional bedrock of his defense, articulating the overwhelming nature of his affliction that, in his view, far exceeds any possible transgression.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The book of Job is set in the land of Uz, a non-Israelite territory, suggesting a wisdom tradition that transcends specific national boundaries, though it deeply engages with universal questions of divine justice, human suffering, and the nature of faith. The cultural context revolves around the ancient Near Eastern understanding of divine retribution and blessing, where prosperity was often seen as a sign of divine favor and suffering as a sign of divine displeasure or punishment. This prevailing worldview forms the backdrop against which Job's friends operate, and against which Job himself struggles. The imagery of "weighing" and "balances" was deeply embedded in ancient commerce and justice systems, where scales were used to determine value, quantity, and fairness, making Job's plea for an objective measurement of his pain culturally resonant.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the book of Job. Firstly, it highlights the **unfathomable depth of human suffering**, challenging simplistic explanations for pain. Job's desire for his grief to be "weighed" underscores its immeasurable quality, pushing against the friends' attempts to reduce it to a formula. Secondly, it introduces the theme of **the inadequacy of conventional wisdom and human comfort** in the face of profound anguish. Eliphaz's well-intentioned but ultimately hurtful counsel prompts Job's desperate cry for validation, revealing the chasm between theoretical theology and lived experience. Finally, it foreshadows Job's persistent **demand for divine justice and vindication**, as he seeks an impartial assessment that he believes will exonerate him from the accusations of his friends and, implicitly, from the perceived judgment of God. This longing for an objective standard of truth permeates his subsequent arguments, as seen in his later desire for an arbiter in [Job 9:33](/job/9-33 "Job 9:33 - Job's Desire for an Arbiter") or a Redeemer in [Job 19:25](/job/19-25 "Job 19:25 - Job's Hope in a Redeemer").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Grief (Hebrew, _ka'as'_):** While often translated as "grief" or "vexation," _ka'as_ carries a stronger connotation of deep emotional distress, anger, or indignation. It implies a state of being profoundly troubled and provoked, suggesting not just passive sorrow but an active, almost indignant, response to his suffering. Job's "grief" is not merely sadness but a turmoil that demands to be acknowledged and understood in its full, oppressive weight.
* **Weighed (Hebrew, _shaqal'_):** This verb literally means "to weigh," often in the context of precious metals or goods on a scale. It denotes precision, accuracy, and an objective determination of value or quantity. By wishing his grief to be "throughly weighed," Job expresses a desire for a meticulous, undeniable assessment of his pain, as if it were a tangible substance whose immense density would be undeniably revealed by an impartial scale.
* **Calamity (Hebrew, _hawayah'_):** This term signifies ruin, destruction, or devastating misfortune. It is a strong word that emphasizes the catastrophic and destructive nature of Job's experience, far beyond mere trouble or difficulty. When Job asks for his "calamity" to be laid in the balances, he is referring to the totality of his ruin—his lost family, wealth, health, and reputation—all of which he perceives as an overwhelming, crushing burden.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Oh that my grief were throughly weighed":** This opening expresses an intense, almost desperate wish. Job desires an objective, precise measurement of his internal anguish, his deep emotional turmoil, and the indignation he feels. He believes that if his profound suffering could be quantified, its sheer magnitude would be evident to all, particularly to his friends who seem to minimize or misinterpret it. This is a cry for validation of his subjective experience by an external, impartial standard.
* **"and my calamity laid in the balances together!":** This second clause amplifies the first, extending the plea for objective assessment to the totality of his external misfortunes and ruin. "Calamity" refers to the devastating events that have befallen him—the loss of his children, his possessions, and his health. The imagery of "balances" (scales) reinforces the idea of a fair and accurate judgment, suggesting a legal or commercial context where truth is determined by precise measurement. Job implies that if his suffering were placed on one side of the scale, and perhaps his bitter complaints or even his friends' accusations on the other, the overwhelming weight of his affliction would tip the scales, justifying his lament and demonstrating his innocence.

#### Literary Devices
Job 6:2 is rich in **Imagery**, primarily that of weighing and balances. This **Metaphor** of a scale transforms Job's intangible grief and calamity into concrete, measurable entities, allowing him to articulate the overwhelming, almost physical, burden of his suffering. The use of a commercial or judicial scale (**Symbolism**) evokes a sense of fairness, precision, and an objective standard of truth, which Job desperately seeks in contrast to the subjective and judgmental interpretations of his friends. The opening "Oh that..." is an **Exclamation** or a **Lament**, immediately establishing the emotional intensity and desperate yearning of Job's plea.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 6:2 serves as a pivotal expression of Job's profound anguish and his longing for an objective assessment of his suffering, a theme that resonates throughout biblical literature. It challenges the simplistic retribution theology often espoused in ancient Near Eastern thought and by Job's friends, asserting that suffering is not always a direct consequence of personal sin. Job's cry for his pain to be "weighed" is, at its core, a plea for God to acknowledge the overwhelming reality of his affliction and to provide a just, impartial judgment that would vindicate him. This desire for divine intervention and validation in the face of unmerited suffering is a recurring motif for those who wrestle with the problem of evil and the justice of God.

* [Psalm 6:6](/psalm/6-6 "Psalm 6:6 - David's Weeping")
* [Lamentations 3:1-18](/lamentations/3-1 "Lamentations 3:1-18 - The Prophet's Deep Suffering")
* [Psalm 13:1-2](/psalm/13-1 "Psalm 13:1-2 - A Psalmist's Desperate Cry")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 6:2 offers profound insights into the human experience of suffering and the appropriate response to those in distress. It reminds us that grief and calamity can feel immeasurable and overwhelming, defying easy categorization or simplistic explanations. Job's raw, unfiltered cry for his pain to be "weighed" underscores the deep human need for validation, empathy, and understanding when facing profound loss and injustice. This verse challenges us to resist the urge to offer quick theological answers or judgmental assessments to those who suffer, instead calling us to a posture of compassionate listening and presence. It also assures us that honest lament, even bordering on complaint, is permissible before God; He is big enough to handle our deepest anguish and our most desperate questions, inviting us to bring our true selves, brokenness and all, into His presence.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Job's desire for his suffering to be "weighed" challenge our assumptions about the nature of grief and pain?**
* **In what ways might we, like Job's friends, inadvertently minimize or misinterpret the suffering of others?**
* **What does this verse teach us about the importance of validating another person's experience of pain, even if we don't fully understand it?**
* **How can we cultivate a space for honest lament in our own lives and in our communities of faith?**

### FAQ
**Why does Job want his grief "weighed"? Is he questioning God's justice?**

Job's desire for his grief to be "weighed" is not necessarily a direct questioning of God's justice in a rebellious sense, but rather an impassioned plea for objective validation and understanding. He feels his suffering is so immense and disproportionate to any sin he believes he has committed that it defies the simplistic explanations offered by his friends. By wishing for his pain to be put on a scale, Job is essentially saying, "If you could truly measure the depth of my anguish and the totality of my ruin, you would see that my complaints are justified, and my suffering is beyond human comprehension or easy explanation." It's a cry for a fair assessment, a desperate hope that the sheer weight of his affliction would silence the accusations and reveal his innocence. This longing for an impartial arbiter is a recurring theme for Job, as he later expresses a desire for someone to lay a hand on both him and God in [Job 9:33](/job/9-33 "Job 9:33 - Job's Desire for an Arbiter") and for a Redeemer who will stand upon the earth in [Job 19:25](/job/19-25 "Job 19:25 - Job's Hope in a Redeemer").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job's desperate cry for his grief to be "throughly weighed" and his calamity "laid in the balances" finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Job, in his suffering, longs for a just arbiter, an impartial judge who can truly understand and validate his pain. This longing is met in Christ, who is not only the righteous Judge but also the Suffering Servant who bore the full weight of human grief and calamity. The prophet Isaiah foretold of one who would be "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" ([Isaiah 53:3](/isaiah/53-3 "Isaiah 53:3 - The Suffering Servant")), a description perfectly embodied by Jesus. On the cross, Jesus fully entered into and experienced the immeasurable weight of sin, sorrow, and separation from God, a burden far exceeding anything Job endured. His cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" ([Matthew 27:46](/matthew/27-46 "Matthew 27:46 - Jesus' Cry of Dereliction")), echoes Job's lament, demonstrating that the very Son of God truly understood what it meant for His grief and calamity to be "weighed" in the divine balances of justice and mercy. Through His suffering, death, and resurrection, Christ not only validated the depth of human pain but also provided the ultimate vindication for the innocent and the path to redemption for the guilty, offering a hope and understanding that transcends Job's initial desperate plea for an earthly scale. He is the one who truly knows our suffering, for He has borne it all ([Hebrews 4:15](/hebrews/4-15 "Hebrews 4:15 - Jesus, Our Sympathetic High Priest")).

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

Cross-References

Job 4:5

But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

Job 23:2

Even to day [is] my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning.

Job 31:6

Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.