Job 19:10

He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.

He hath destroyed {H5422} me on every side {H5439}, and I am gone {H3212}: and mine hope {H8615} hath he removed {H5265} like a tree {H6086}.

He tears every part of me down - I am gone; he uproots my hope like a tree.

He tears me down on every side until I am gone; He uproots my hope like a tree.

He hath broken me down on every side, and I am gone; And my hope hath he plucked up like a tree.

Commentary

Context

Job 19:10 is a poignant cry from the patriarch Job, embedded within his prolonged lament and defense against the accusations of his friends. At this point in the narrative, Job has lost virtually everything: his children, his wealth, his health, and even the support of his wife and close companions. He attributes his immense suffering directly to God, believing that the Almighty Himself has turned against him. This verse expresses the depth of his despair and the completeness of his ruin, coming just before his remarkable declaration of faith in a living Redeemer later in the same chapter (Job 19:25).

Key Themes

  • Utter Devastation and Ruin: Job describes himself as "destroyed on every side," indicating a comprehensive and inescapable calamity. Every aspect of his life—physical, social, financial, and emotional—has been utterly dismantled. This reflects a state of complete personal ruin, where there is no corner left untouched by affliction.
  • Profound Loss of Hope: The powerful imagery, "mine hope hath he removed like a tree," vividly portrays the eradication of all future prospects and comfort. Just as a tree uprooted cannot grow again in its former place, Job feels his hope has been violently torn from its roots, leaving no chance for regrowth or recovery. This speaks to the absolute finality he perceives in his current situation, a deep spiritual anguish often experienced in severe trials.
  • Attribution of Suffering to God: Job explicitly states, "He hath destroyed me" and "mine hope hath he removed." This highlights his conviction that God is the direct agent of his suffering, a perspective consistent with his honest, albeit limited, understanding throughout the book. While the full theological explanation of Job's suffering is complex, his raw attribution here underscores the intensity of his personal wrestling with divine sovereignty and justice.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word translated "destroyed" is haras (הָרַס), meaning to break down, overthrow, demolish, or ruin. It conveys a sense of thorough and complete demolition, echoing the widespread destruction Job feels. The word for "removed" is natash (נָתַשׁ), which specifically means to pluck up, pull down, or root out, commonly used in the context of plants or trees. This choice of word perfectly complements the metaphor of the uprooted tree, emphasizing the violent and permanent nature of his hope's removal.

Reflection and Application

Job 19:10 offers profound insight into the human experience of extreme suffering and despair. It validates the raw honesty of lament, demonstrating that it is permissible to express deep pain and even question divine actions when in the throes of affliction. For those who feel their lives have been "destroyed on every side" and their "hope removed," Job's words resonate deeply. His journey reminds us that even in the darkest moments, when hope seems utterly eradicated, faith can still cling to a deeper truth, as seen in his subsequent declaration of a living Redeemer (Job 19:25). This verse encourages empathy for those in despair and highlights that true hope, ultimately found in God, can persist even when all earthly foundations are shaken, much like the promise of Romans 5:5 that hope does not disappoint.

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Cross-References

  • Job 24:20 (6 votes)

    The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.

  • Psalms 37:35 (4 votes)

    I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

  • Psalms 37:36 (4 votes)

    Yet he passed away, and, lo, he [was] not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

  • Job 12:14 (3 votes)

    Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.

  • 2 Corinthians 4:8 (3 votes)

    ¶ [We are] troubled on every side, yet not distressed; [we are] perplexed, but not in despair;

  • 2 Corinthians 4:9 (3 votes)

    Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

  • Job 1:13 (2 votes)

    ¶ And there was a day when his sons and his daughters [were] eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: