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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 6:1–7. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Eliphaz, in the beginning of his discourse, had been very sharp upon Job, and yet it does not appear that Job gave him any interruption, but heard him patiently till he had said all he had to say. Those that would make an impartial judgment of a discourse must hear it out, and take it entire. But, when he had concluded, he makes his reply, in which he speaks very feelingly.
I.He represents his calamity, in general, as much heavier than either he had expressed it or they had apprehended it, Job 6:2, Job 6:3.
He could not fully describe it; they would not fully apprehend it, or at least would not own that they did; and therefore he would gladly appeal to a third person, who had just weights and just balances with which to weigh his grief and calamity, and would do it with an impartial hand. He wished that they would set his grief and all the expressions of it in one scale, his calamity and all the particulars of it in the other, and (though he would not altogether justify himself in his grief) they would find (as he says, Job 23:2) that his stroke was heavier than his groaning; for, whatever his grief was, his calamity was heavier than the sand of the sea: it was complicated, it was aggravated, every grievance weighty, and all together numerous as the sand. "Therefore (says he) my words are swallowed up;" that is, "Therefore you must excuse both the brokenness and the bitterness of my expressions. Do not think it strange if my speech be not so fine and polite as that of an eloquent orator, or so grave and regular as that of a morose philosopher: no, in these circumstances I can pretend neither to the one nor to the other; my words are, as I am, quite swallowed up." Now,
1.He hereby complains of it as his unhappiness that his friends undertook to administer spiritual physic to him before they thoroughly understood his case and knew the worst of it. It is seldom that those who are at ease themselves rightly weigh the afflictions of the afflicted. Every one feels most from his own burden; few feel from other people's.
2.He excuses the passionate expressions he had used when he cursed his day. Though he could not himself justify all he had said, yet he thought his friends should not thus violently condemn it, for really the case was extraordinary, and that might be connived at in such a man of sorrows as he now was which in any common grief would by no means be allowed.
3.He bespeaks the charitable and compassionate sympathy of his friends with him, and hopes, by representing the greatness of his calamity, to bring them to a better temper towards him. To those that are pained it is some ease to be pitied.
II.He complains of the trouble and terror of mind he was in as the sorest part of his calamity, Job 6:4.
Herein he was a type of Christ, who, in his sufferings, complained most of the sufferings of his soul. Now is my soul troubled, Joh 12:27. My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, Mat 26:38. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Mat 27:46. Poor Job sadly complains here,
1.Of what he felt The arrows of the Almighty are within me. It was not so much the troubles themselves he was under that put him into this confusion, his poverty, disgrace, and bodily pain; but that which cut him to the heart and put him into this agitation, was to think that the God he loved and served had brought all this upon him and laid him under these marks of his displeasure. Note, Trouble of mind is the sorest trouble. A wounded spirit who can bear! Whatever burden of affliction, in body or estate, God is pleased to lay upon us, we may well afford to submit to it as long as he continues to the use of our reason and the peace of our consciences; but, if in either of these we be disturbed, our case is sad indeed and very pitiable. The way to prevent God's fiery darts of trouble is with the shield of faith to quench Satan's fiery darts of temptation. Observe, He calls them the arrows of the Almighty; for it is an instance of the power of God above that of any man that he can with his arrows reach the soul. He that made the soul can make his sword to approach to it. The poison or heat of these arrows is said to drink up his spirit, because it disturbed his reason, shook his resolution, exhausted his vigour, and threatened his life; and therefore his passionate expressions, though they could not be justified, might be excused.
2.Of what he feared. He saw himself charged by the terrors of God, as by an army set in battle-array, and surrounded by them. God, by his terrors, fought against him. As he had no comfort when he retired inward into his own bosom, so he had none when he looked upward towards Heaven. He that used to be encouraged with the consolations of God not only wanted those, but was amazed with the terrors of God.
III.He reflects upon his friends for their severe censures of his complaints and their unskilful management of his case.
1.Their reproofs were causeless. He complained, it is true, now that he was in this affliction, but he never used to complain, as those do who are of a fretful unquiet spirit, when he was in prosperity: he did not bray when he had grass, nor low over his fodder, Job 6:5. But, now that he was utterly deprived of all his comforts, he must be a stock or a stone, and not have the sense of an ox or a wild ass, if he did not give some vent to his grief. He was forced to eat unsavoury meats, and was so poor that he had not a grain of salt wherewith to season them, nor to give a little taste to the white of an egg, which was now the choicest dish he had at his table, Job 6:6. Even that food which once he would have scorned to touch he was now glad of, and it was his sorrowful meat, Job 6:7. Note, It is wisdom not to use ourselves or our children to be nice and dainty about meat and drink, because we know not how we or they may be reduced, nor how that which we now disdain may be made acceptable by necessity.
2.Their comforts were sapless and insipid; so some understand Job 6:6, Job 6:7. He complains he had nothing now offered to him for his relief that was proper for him, no cordial, nothing to revive and cheer his spirits; what they had afforded was in itself as tasteless as the white of an egg, and, when applied to him, as loathsome and burdensome as the most sorrowful meat. I am sorry he should say thus of what Eliphaz had excellently well said, Job 5:8, etc. But peevish spirits are too apt thus to abuse their comforters.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
4 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Eliphaz believed that Job said all this out of desperation. Since Eliphaz’s first words to Job were trustworthy—words that insisted that Job suffered because of sin—Job responds, “It seems my words are valueless and lack faith.” Consequently, Job adds the reason why Eliphaz does not believe in him when he says, “For the arrows of the Almighty are in me,” thus making the following clear, “This is why my words are valueless. The Lord’s arrows are in my body.” For most people usually disregard words uttered by people in distress, those aggrieved by poverty, even if their words are understandable. This is expressed in the words, “The poor person speaks and they say, ‘Who is this fellow?’ ”
4. For by the epithet of ‘arrows’ sometimes the utterances of preaching, sometimes the arrows of visitation are denoted. Now the utterances of preaching are represented by ‘arrows;’ for in this, that they smite men's vices, they pierce the hearts of evil doers. Concerning which arrows it is said to the Redeemer at His coming, Thine arrows are sharp, O Thou Most Mighty; the people shall fall under Thee in the heart. [Ps. 45, 5. lxx.] Of Him Isaiah saith, I will send those that escape of them to the nations, into the sea, into Africa, and into Lydia, holding the arrow, into Italy, and into Greece. [Is. 66, 19] Again by ‘arrows’ is represented the stroke of visitation, as where Elisha bids king Joash, ‘shoot an arrow,’ and when he shoots, says, For thou shalt smite the Syrians, till thou hast consumed them. [2 Kings 13, 17] Whereas then the holy man surveys the sorrows of his pilgrimage, because he groans under the strokes of the visitation of the Lord, let him say, Therefore my words are filled with grief. For the arrows of the Almighty are within me. As though he said in plain words, ‘I being under curse of exile have no joy, but as laid under the Judgment, I am full of pain, for I see and know the force of the stroke.’ But there are a great number that are chastised with tortures, but not amended. Contrary to which it is fitly subjoined,
The indignation whereof drinketh up my spirit.
5. For what else is the ‘spirit of man,’ but the spirit of pride? Now ‘the arrows of the Lord drink up the spirit of man,’ when the awards of heavenly visitation keep back the chastened soul from self-elation. ‘The arrows of the Lord drink up the spirit of man,’ in that, when he is intent upon outward things, they draw him within. For the spirit of David was drunk up when he said, When my spirit failed within me, Thou knewest my ways. [Ps. 142, 3] And again, My soul refused to be comforted, I remembered God and was troubled, I complained and my spirit failed. Therefore ‘the indignation of the arrows drinketh up the spirit’ of the righteous, for the decrees from above, in wounding, work a change in the Elect, whom they find in any sins; so that the soul being pierced, quits its hardness or heart, and the blood of confession runs down from the wound that brings health. For they consider whence and whereunto they have been cast down, they consider from how high bliss they have fallen, and to what miseries of their corrupt condition, and they not only groan in the midst of the things which they are suffering, but furthermore dread that which the strict Judge threatens sinners with concerning the fires of hell. Whence the words are rightly subjoined;
And the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.
6. The mind of the righteous not only considers well what it is now undergoing, but also dreads what is in store. It sees all that it suffers in this life, and fears lest hereafter it suffer still worse things. It mourns that it has fallen into the exile of this blind state away from the joys of Paradise; it fears, lest, when this exile is quitted, eternal death succeed. And thus it already undergoes sentence in suffering chastisement, yet still dreads the threats of the Judge to come as the consequence of sin. Hence the Psalmist says, Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; Thy terrors cut me off. [Ps. 88, 16] For after that ‘the fierce wrath of the Internal Judge goeth over, His terrors still do cut us off,’ in that we already suffer one evil by condemnation, and still dread another from everlasting vengeance. Let the holy man then, weighing well the ills that he is subject to, exclaim, The arrows of the Lord are within me, the indignation whereof drinketh up my spirit. But being in dread of worse things to last for ever, let him add, The terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. As if he said in plain words, ‘Being stricken indeed I feel grief for my present circumstances, but this is the worst feature in my grief, that even in the midst of punishment I still fear eternal woes.’ But forasmuch as he already longs for the bringing in of the balances, he already weighs the evils into which the human race has fallen, though he was placed among a Gentile people, yet because he was full of the gift of prophetic inspiration, in the following words he shows with what ardent desire the coming of the Redeemer is thirsted for, whether by the Gentile world or by Judaea.
13. Now see, as has been remarked above, we are at the same time pierced by the stroke of Divine correction, and yet that is still worse, which we apprehend of the terribleness of the Judge to come, and of His everlasting visitation. Whence the words are thereupon introduced, And the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. But the mind ought to be dispossessed of fear and sadness, and be drawn out in aspirations after the eternal land alone. For we then show forth the noble birth of our Regeneration, if we love Him as a Father, Whom with slavish soul we now dread as a Master. And hence it is spoken by Paul, For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of the adoption of sons, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. [Rom. 8, 15] Therefore let the soul of the Elect lay aside the weight of fear, exercise itself in the virtue of love, long for the worthiness of its renewal, pant after the likeness or its Maker; whom so long as it is unable to behold, it must needs await hungering after His eternal Being, i.e. after its own internal meat.
He who loves to sojourn abroad instead of in his own country does not know how to grieve, even in the midst of grief. But the words of the righteous person are full of grief. For as long as Job is subject to present ills, he sighs after something else in his speech. All that Job brought upon himself by sinning is set before his eyes. So that Job may return to the state of blessedness, he weighs carefully the judgments that afflict him.
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Summary
Job 6:4 is a raw, heart-wrenching lament from Job, articulating the profound and multifaceted nature of his suffering. He perceives his torment not as mere misfortune, but as a direct, active assault from God, describing "arrows of the Almighty" and "terrors of God" as forces that have penetrated his innermost being, consuming his spirit and leaving him utterly besieged. This verse powerfully conveys Job's conviction that his pain is divinely inflicted, underscoring his desperate plea for understanding and relief in the face of inexplicable and overwhelming calamity.
Context
Literary Context
Job 6:4 is a central component of Job's impassioned response to Eliphaz's initial speech, found in Job 4-5. Eliphaz had presented a conventional theological framework, suggesting that suffering is a direct consequence of sin, thereby implying Job's guilt. Job vehemently rejects this simplistic explanation, asserting that his anguish is too immense and consuming to be dismissed by such a formula. Chapters Job 6-7 serve as Job's passionate defense of his lamentations, where he articulates the overwhelming nature of his affliction and his profound desire for death as an escape from his torment. This verse, therefore, stands as a pivotal declaration of his perceived divine antagonism, setting the stage for the protracted and complex theological debate between Job and his friends regarding the nature of suffering, divine justice, and human righteousness.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Book of Job is set in the ancient Near East, a region where the "retribution principle" was a deeply ingrained theological concept. This principle posited a direct correlation between human actions and divine response: righteousness led to prosperity, while wickedness resulted in suffering and punishment. Job's experience fundamentally challenges this prevailing worldview, as he is depicted as a righteous man who endures immense and inexplicable suffering. The vivid imagery of "arrows" and "terrors" aligns with ancient warfare and the common understanding of divine judgment or affliction in the region, where deities were often depicted as wielding weapons or unleashing destructive forces against their perceived enemies. Job's lament reflects the universal human struggle with the problem of evil and suffering, particularly when it appears to contradict established theological norms and personal experience.
Key Themes
This verse contributes significantly to several major themes explored throughout the Book of Job. Firstly, it vividly portrays the theme of Profound Suffering and Despair, depicting pain not as an external circumstance but as an internal, consuming force that "drinketh up my spirit." This emphasizes the holistic nature of Job's affliction—physical, emotional, and spiritual—leading to utter depletion. Secondly, it powerfully underscores the theme of Perceived Divine Antagonism. Job does not merely feel abandoned by God; he feels actively targeted, believing the "Almighty" is directly assailing him. This perception is crucial to understanding Job's intense confusion and sense of injustice, a central tension throughout the book, echoed in other biblical laments such as Psalm 38:2. Lastly, the verse brings to the forefront the theme of Spiritual and Emotional Anguish, demonstrating that the "terrors of God" are not just external threats but internal psychological and spiritual torments that "set themselves in array against me," like an overwhelming army, leaving him in utter desolation and without refuge.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Properly, a piercer, an arrow; by implication, a wound; figuratively, (of God) thunderbolt; the shaft of a spear. In Job 6:4, "arrows" symbolize the swift, penetrating, and acutely painful afflictions Job endures. They represent a targeted, sharp, and relentless form of suffering, suggesting that his pain is not diffuse but strikes deep into his being, akin to divine judgment or sudden calamity.
This term refers to God, emphasizing His omnipotence and overwhelming power. Job's use of "Shadday" is poignant; he perceives his suffering as emanating directly from the all-sufficient and all-powerful God, making his torment feel inescapable and divinely ordained, rather than a random misfortune.
This word denotes heat, figuratively anger, or poison (from its fever). In this context, "poison" describes the consuming, corrosive, and debilitating effect of the divine "arrows." It signifies not merely physical pain but a spiritual and emotional toxicity that "drinketh up my spirit," implying a life-draining force that leaves Job utterly depleted and despairing.
This plural noun refers to alarms or terrors. In Job 6:4, "terrors" signifies the profound psychological and spiritual dread that overwhelms Job. These are not just external threats but internal anxieties and fears that besiege him, contributing to his sense of being utterly assailed and without refuge.
A primitive root meaning to set in a row, i.e., arrange, put in order, or put (set) (the battle, self) in array. This verb vividly portrays the "terrors of God" as an organized, hostile army actively opposing Job. This imagery underscores the relentless, strategic, and all-encompassing nature of his torment, leaving him feeling besieged and without refuge.
Verse Breakdown
"For the arrows of the Almighty [are] within me"
Job attributes his suffering directly to God, using the powerful name "Almighty" (Shaddai) to emphasize the divine source and overwhelming force of his affliction. The "arrows" are a potent metaphor for the sharp, piercing pains and calamities he endures, which he feels have penetrated deep into his inner being, not merely affecting him externally. This highlights his perception of God as an active, formidable antagonist.
"the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit"
This clause describes the devastating and internal effect of these perceived divine "arrows." The "poison" (or venom/wrath) signifies a consuming, corrosive force that drains Job's vitality, inner strength, and will to live. "My spirit" refers to his very life force, his inner essence, indicating that his suffering is not just physical but profoundly spiritual and emotional, leading to utter despair and depletion.
"the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me"
Job experiences not just pain but profound psychological and spiritual dread. The "terrors of God" are overwhelming fears and anxieties that he perceives as an organized, hostile army ("set themselves in array") actively opposing him. This vivid military imagery underscores the relentless, strategic, and all-encompassing nature of his torment, leaving him feeling besieged and without refuge.
Literary Devices
Job 6:4 is rich in Metaphor, primarily employing military imagery to convey the intensity of Job's suffering. The "arrows of the Almighty" serve as a potent metaphor for the sharp, penetrating pains and afflictions Job endures, directly linking them to divine agency. This imagery is further extended by the Personification of "terrors of God" which "set themselves in array against me," portraying fear and dread as an organized, attacking army. This device emphasizes the relentless and overwhelming nature of his psychological and spiritual torment. Furthermore, the phrase "the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit" employs a vivid Metaphor for the consuming, debilitating effect of his suffering on his inner being, suggesting a draining of his very life force. The cumulative effect of these devices is a dramatic and visceral portrayal of extreme anguish, bordering on Hyperbole to underscore the incomprehensible depth of his pain and the feeling of being utterly overwhelmed.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 6:4 profoundly articulates the human experience of inexplicable suffering, particularly when it feels divinely inflicted. It challenges simplistic notions of cause and effect in divine justice, forcing a deeper theological inquiry into God's sovereignty, human innocence, and the nature of evil. Job's raw honesty in blaming God, even in his despair, underscores a foundational biblical truth: God can handle our anger, our questions, and our deepest laments. This verse invites empathy for those who feel abandoned or targeted by God in their suffering, validating their anguish and providing a voice for their cries. It points to the mystery of divine providence, which often defies human understanding, and sets the stage for the profound theological dialogue that unfolds throughout the book, ultimately revealing a God who is sovereign, just, and merciful, even when His ways are inscrutable.
Reflection and Application
Job 6:4 offers a profound validation for the human experience of suffering, particularly when it feels overwhelming and inexplicable. It reminds us that it is permissible, even necessary, to voice our deepest anguish and confusion to God, even when those feelings are directed at God. Job's lament is not a sign of faithlessness but a desperate cry for understanding from the very source of his perceived pain. For those enduring chronic illness, mental health struggles, profound grief, or spiritual desolation, this verse provides a mirror for their own internal battles, acknowledging that suffering can indeed feel like a direct, consuming assault on one's spirit. It challenges us to move beyond simplistic explanations for pain and to cultivate deep empathy for those in distress, recognizing that their journey may involve wrestling with God Himself. Ultimately, Job's experience teaches us that even in the darkest valleys, honesty with God, though painful, is often the path to eventual, though often delayed, understanding, healing, and restoration.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Job truly believe God is actively attacking him, or is this just hyperbole?
Job's language in Job 6:4 and throughout his speeches strongly suggests he genuinely perceives God as the direct cause of his suffering. While there is certainly hyperbole in his expressions of anguish, his conviction that the "arrows of the Almighty" are within him and the "terrors of God" are arrayed against him is deeply felt. He doesn't see his suffering as random misfortune or merely permitted by God, but as an active, targeted assault from the divine. This perception is central to his lament and his struggle with the problem of evil, as he cannot reconcile his righteousness with what he believes is divine hostility. The book's narrative framework, where God allows Satan to test Job Job 1:12, provides an external perspective that Job himself does not have at this stage, making his perception understandable from his limited viewpoint.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job's agonizing cry in Job 6:4, where he feels the "arrows of the Almighty" and "terrors of God" consuming his spirit, finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. While Job was a righteous man suffering inexplicably, Jesus, the perfectly righteous Son of God, truly bore the full weight of divine wrath against sin. On the cross, Jesus experienced a suffering far deeper than Job's, not merely physical or emotional, but spiritual, as He was "made to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" 2 Corinthians 5:21. His cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46, echoes Job's sense of divine abandonment and antagonism, yet it was for a redemptive purpose—to "drink up" the poison of sin and death on our behalf. The "terrors of God" that Job felt arrayed against him were fully unleashed upon Christ, who willingly endured them to disarm the powers of darkness and reconcile humanity to God Colossians 2:15. Thus, Job's lament foreshadows the unique suffering of the Lamb of God, who, by enduring the ultimate divine judgment, became the source of eternal comfort and hope for all who suffer, offering true peace that surpasses all understanding Philippians 4:7.