TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!
Complete Jewish Bible
"If only I could have my wish granted, and God would give me what I'm hoping for -
American Standard Version
Oh that I might have my request; And that God would grantmethe thing that I long for!
World English Bible Messianic
“Oh that I might have my request, that God would grant the thing that I long for,
Geneva Bible (1599)
Oh that I might haue my desire, and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!
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In the KJVVerse 12,987 of 31,102
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Commentary on Job 6 verses 8–13
8 ¶ Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!
9 Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!
10 Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.
11 What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass?
13 Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?
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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Didymus the BlindAD 398
COMMENTARY ON JOB 6:8-9
He who asks to be wounded does not pray out of exhaustion that his prayer might be granted but in order to fulfill his task. This task was to fulfill the right deeds or to make visible to the friends for their benefit the reason for the hardships, [namely,] that they had been imposed as a test. Then they would not make mistakes against the righteous. Instead, with divine zeal they would be committed to emulate the endurance and steadfastness that the holy one exhibited and that led him to say, “O that I might have my request,” rather than … “that God would grant my desire.” Job prays for two reasons. On the one hand, he prays that he himself may win the crown in the competition. On the other hand, Job prays that his friends may not consider his endurance in hardship as meaningless. His steadfastness even in such great hardships can be seen and admired in the fact that Job did not deny his friend an answer, even though preoccupation with his hardships could have served as an excuse. But even now Job speaks like a brave athlete who warlike meets his opponent, and with the consciousness that the imposed suffering did not occur without God’s compliance. “That it would please God to crush me,” yet “may he not extinguish me entirely,” instead of, “May God mercifully allow me to endure the affliction until the end.” Similar to this is the expression “and lead us not into temptation,” which often has been interpreted in this way: “May it not come so far that we fall prey to the temptations.”
John ChrysostomAD 407
COMMENTARY ON JOB 6:10A
“I do not care to oppose your words,” Job says. “It seems to me, in fact, that I have committed nothing resembling what you say. I don’t state this openly. I simply say that I am suffering punishments that go beyond what human nature can endure. The vastness of my temptations extends far beyond what human bodies can actually bear.” However, observe how, even in the midst of such grief, Job has not decided, in any case, to come and relate his good actions. He has hidden them so far. In addition, he who often with great honesty exposed his fault to public mockery before a brilliant audience is silent about his good actions, even while living in such misery. In fact, Job does not say, “I experienced these sufferings, even though I am righteous.” Rather, Job says he cannot bear them.… His language is not that of a man who asserts that he is unjustly punished but that of one who recognizes, on the contrary, the justness of his punishment. He simply cannot bear any more punishment and therefore demands that he obtain forgiveness.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
19. But perchance he entreats such things through stubbornness, perchance, in that he wishes to be entirely annihilated, he charges the injustice of the smiter. Far be the thought! For with what feeling he begs it, he shows in the following words, saying, Nor will I gainsay the speech of the Holy One. So then he never murmurs against the injustice of Him that dealeth the blow, who even amidst the strokes calls his smiter ‘the Holy One.’ But we ought to know that it is sometimes the adversary, and sometimes God that bruises us with affliction. Now by the bruising of the adversary, we are made defaulters in virtue; but when we are broken by the bruising of the Lord, from vicious habits we are made strong in virtue. This bruising the Prophet had foreseen when he said, Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron, Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. [Ps. 2, 9] The Lord ‘rules and breaks us with a rod of iron,’ in that by the strong rule of righteousness in His dispensation, while He reanimates us within, He distresses us without. For as He abases the power of the flesh, He exalts the purpose of the spirit; and hence this bruising is compared to a potter's vessel, as is also delivered by Paul, But we have this treasure in earthen vessels. [2 Cor. 4, 7] And describing at the same time the dashing in pieces and the ruling [Vulg. has, Thou shalt rule them, for, Thou shalt break them], he saith, Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. Let the holy man who is eager to draw near to God even through strokes, exclaim in the spirit of humility.
Ishodad of MervAD 850
COMMENTARY ON JOB 6:9
“He would let loose his hand and finish me!” That is, may he put an end to my life by his intervention. Again Job speaks, “I would be finished again with violence and no mercy.” In a word, “I desire that God inflict death on me violently and mercilessly.
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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SUMMARY
Job 6:8 captures the raw, unvarnished cry of a man pushed to the absolute limits of human endurance by unimaginable suffering. In this intensely personal lament, Job addresses God directly, articulating a fervent, desperate desire not for healing or restoration, but for the ultimate cessation of his profound agony through death, revealing the crushing weight of his despair and the radical nature of his plea.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 6:8 is rich with literary devices that powerfully amplify Job's profound despair and the radical nature of his plea. The most prominent device is Lament, a pervasive form of poetic expression in biblical literature that provides a channel for voicing suffering, grief, and complaint, often directly addressed to God. Job's entire speech in this chapter functions as an extended lament, articulating his overwhelming pain and his desperate desire for an end to it. The verse also exhibits clear Parallelism, where the two clauses—"Oh that I might have my request" and "that God would grant [me] the thing that I long for"—express a singular, intensifying idea through distinct yet reinforcing phrases, emphasizing the desperate desire for release. The opening phrase "Oh that" functions as an Exclamatory Wish or Supplication, conveying the immense depth and urgency of Job's yearning. Furthermore, the verse employs a poignant Irony in the use of "long for" or "hope" (tiqvâh), as Job's ultimate "hope" is for death, a stark and tragic inversion of the typical human desire for life. This paradoxical hope underscores the extreme nature of his suffering, where death is not feared but earnestly desired as the ultimate, merciful relief.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 6:8 serves as a profoundly poignant testament to the raw human experience of suffering and the complex theological questions it inevitably raises. It powerfully affirms the biblical permission to lament, demonstrating that believers are free to bring their most raw emotions, deepest pains, and even their darkest desires for release directly before God. Job's cry, born of utter despair, is not a rejection of God but rather a deeply honest and desperate engagement with Him, revealing that authentic faith can indeed coexist with profound anguish, confusion, and even a longing for death. This verse challenges simplistic notions of divine justice and the retribution principle, reminding us that suffering is not always a direct consequence of sin. It compels us to wrestle with the mystery of pain and God's sovereignty, inviting deep empathy for those who suffer and acknowledging the immense psychological and emotional toll that prolonged affliction can exact, pushing individuals to the very brink of endurance.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 6:8 serves as a profound mirror, reflecting both our own potential experiences of suffering and the way we ought to approach those in deep distress. It grants us invaluable permission to be utterly honest and transparent with God about our pain, our confusion, and even our darkest, most desperate desires for escape. The biblical narrative, far from sanitizing human experience, unflinchingly validates the reality of overwhelming anguish and the desperate thoughts it can engender. For those who feel abandoned, misunderstood, or unheard in their suffering, Job's raw cry powerfully reminds us that God hears, even when He seems silent or when His answers are not what we expect. This verse challenges us to cultivate a profoundly compassionate heart, recognizing that others' despair may lead them to desperate expressions, and to respond with genuine empathy rather than offering simplistic theological platitudes or unhelpful advice. Ultimately, Job 6:8 encourages us to bring our whole selves—our pain, our questions, our longing, and our brokenness—before the God who is intimately acquainted with suffering and who invites us into honest dialogue.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is it acceptable for a believer to wish for death, as Job does here?
Answer: Job 6:8, along with numerous other passages in the Book of Job and the Psalms (e.g., Psalm 88), demonstrates that the Bible does not shy away from depicting the raw, unfiltered emotions of human suffering, including a longing for death as an escape from unbearable pain. While Scripture unequivocally condemns suicide, expressing a desperate desire for release from suffering to God is presented as a legitimate, albeit agonizing, form of lament. Job's cry is a profound testament to the extreme limits of human endurance and the crushing depth of his anguish. It is not an endorsement of taking one's own life, but rather a powerful affirmation that God is vast enough to handle our most desperate and honest prayers, even when they are born of profound despair. This passage invites deep empathy and understanding for those who reach such a breaking point, reminding us that God is intimately present even in the darkest valleys of human experience, and that honest lament can be a pathway to divine encounter.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 6:8, with its poignant cry for an end to suffering through death, finds its profound and redemptive fulfillment in the person and atoning work of Jesus Christ. While Job longed for death as an escape from his overwhelming personal agony, Jesus willingly embraced suffering and death, not as an escape from pain, but as the divinely ordained means to conquer sin, death, and the power of the grave itself. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus expressed an anguish that resonates deeply with Job's despair, crying out, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death" (Matthew 26:38), and pleading for the cup of suffering to be taken from Him (Luke 22:42). Yet, unlike Job's desire for an end to his own life, Jesus' ultimate submission to the Father's will led to His crucifixion—a death that was not a personal escape but a singular, redemptive act for all humanity. Through His voluntary death, Jesus entered into the deepest depths of human suffering, validating every tear and every cry of pain, and ultimately triumphed over the very power of death itself, offering true and lasting hope beyond the grave (Hebrews 2:14-15). Thus, Job's desperate longing for release is ultimately answered not by a merciful end to his earthly life, but by the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and promises eternal life to all who believe (John 3:16).