Job 6:23

Or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?

Or, Deliver {H4422} me from the enemy's {H6862} hand {H3027}? or, Redeem {H6299} me from the hand {H3027} of the mighty {H6184}?

or, 'Save me from the enemy's grip,'or, 'Redeem me from the clutches of oppressors'?

deliver me from the hand of the enemy; redeem me from the grasp of the ruthless’?

Or, Deliver me from the adversary’s hand? Or, Redeem me from the hand of the oppressors?

Job 6:23 is part of Job's fervent and heart-wrenching lament in response to his friend Eliphaz, who has just suggested that Job's immense suffering is a consequence of hidden sin. In this verse, Job rhetorically asks if he ever sought rescue from conventional dangers or powerful oppressors, implying that his current profound agony is not due to such circumstances, nor is he requesting a typical form of human or military deliverance.

Context

Chapter 6 presents Job's raw expression of his unbearable pain and frustration. He describes his words as a cry born of anguish, not impatience, and wishes for death as a merciful end to his torment (Job 6:8-9). Job feels utterly misunderstood by his friends, who adhere to a rigid theology of retribution. By asking if he ever sought rescue from an "enemy's hand" or from "the hand of the mighty," Job emphasizes that his suffering is not a typical human conflict or a punishment for conventional wrongdoing; his crisis is deeper, involving God's inexplicable actions against him.

Key Themes

  • Job's Assertion of Innocence: Job is denying that his current distress stems from having wronged powerful people or having been caught in some political or military conflict. He hasn't asked for protection from such external human threats.
  • The Unconventional Nature of His Suffering: This verse highlights that Job's agony is not a common ailment or a conventional punishment. He is not seeking material or physical rescue from typical adversaries, but rather an answer to the profound spiritual and existential crisis he faces with God.
  • Despair and Misunderstanding: Job's rhetorical questions underscore his feeling of isolation and the burden of his unmerited pain. His friends' simplistic explanations fail to grasp the depth of his suffering.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew terms employed in this verse are significant:

  • "Deliver" (Hebrew: הַצִּילֵנִי, hattzileni) means to rescue, save, or snatch away, often from imminent danger or oppression. It is a common plea in the Psalms for divine intervention against human foes, as seen in prayers for deliverance from fears and troubles.
  • "Redeem" (Hebrew: פְּדֵנִי, p'deni) carries the sense of ransoming, buying back, or setting free, typically from bondage, debt, or a perilous situation. This concept is central to God's act of redeeming Israel from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 15:13).

By using these terms, Job emphasizes that his current plight is not one from which these conventional forms of rescue are relevant. He is not asking for typical salvation from human enemies, but for an explanation or end to his suffering from the hand of God.

Practical Application

Job 6:23 offers valuable insight into the nature of suffering. It reminds us that not all pain is a direct consequence of sin or a call for conventional rescue from human adversaries. Sometimes, suffering is inexplicable, and the deepest need is not for material deliverance but for understanding, vindication, or simply the sustaining presence of God. This verse encourages empathy for those whose suffering doesn't fit neatly into traditional explanations, fostering a deeper understanding of human anguish and divine sovereignty.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Job 5:20

    In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.

  • Psalms 107:2

    Let the redeemed of the LORD say [so], whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

  • Psalms 49:7

    None [of them] can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

  • Psalms 49:8

    (For the redemption of their soul [is] precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)

  • Jeremiah 15:21

    And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.

  • Psalms 49:15

    ¶ But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

  • Leviticus 25:48

    After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:

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