1 Job reproves his friends for unmercifulness
17 He maintains his innocency

2 I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.

heard 6:6,25 11:2,3 13:5 19:2,3 26:2,3 Jas 1:19

miserable. or, troublesome 13:4 Ps 69:26 Php 1:16

3 Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?

vain words. Heb. words of wind 6:26 8:2 15:2

what emboldeneth 20:3 32:3-6 Mt 22:46 Tit 1:11 2:8

4 I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.

if your soul 6:2-5,14 Mt 7:12 Ro 12:15 1Co 12:26

up words 11:2 35:16 Pr 10:19 Ec 10:14

shake mine 2Ki 19:21 Ps 22:7 44:14 109:25 Jer 18:16 La 2:15 Mt 27:39,40

5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.

But I would 4:3,4 6:14 29:25 Ps 27:14 Pr 27:9,17 Isa 35:3,4 Ga 6:1

6 Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?

my grief 10:1 Ps 77:1-9 88:15-18

what am I eased. Heb. what goeth from me

7 But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.

he hath 3:17 7:3,16 10:1 Ps 6:6,7 Pr 3:11,12 Isa 50:4 Mic 6:13

hast made 1:15-19 29:5 *etc:

8 And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.

And thou hast, etc. (Some render, 'thou has fettered me,' as kamat signifies in Arabic; but as it signifies in Syriac to be wrinkled, the common version seems, from the connexion, to be more correct; and if Job's disease were the elephantiasis, these words would apply most forcibly to the wrinkled state of the skin in that disorder.)

is a witness 10:17 Ru 1:21 Eph 5:27

my leanness Ps 106:15 Isa 10:16 24:16

9 He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

teareth me 10:16,17 18:4 Ps 50:22 La 3:10 Ho 5:14

he gnasheth Ps 35:16 37:12 La 2:16

mine 13:24,27 19:11 Mic 7:8

10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.

gaped Ps 22:13,16,17 35:21 Lu 23:35,36

they have smitten 1Ki 22:24 2Ch 18:23 Isa 50:6 La 3:30 Mic 5:1 Mt 26:67 Joh 18:22 Ac 23:2 2Co 11:20

gathered Ps 35:15 94:21 Ac 4:27

11 God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.

delivered me. Heb. shut me up 1Sa 24:18 *marg: Ps 31:8 Ro 11:32 *marg:

to the ungodly 1:13-19 2:7 Ps 7:14 Joh 19:16 2Co 12:7

turned Ps 27:12

12 I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.

at ease 1:2,3 3:26 29:3,18,19

broken me 4:10 Ps 44:19 La 3:4 Mt 21:44

by my neck 15:26 Ro 16:4

shaken La 3:11 Eze 29:7

set me up 7:12,20 La 3:12

13 His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.

archers 6:4 Ge 49:23 Ps 7:12,13

he cleaveth 19:27 La 3:13

doth 6:10 De 29:20 Eze 5:11 Ro 8:32 2Pe 2:5

poureth 20:25 La 2:11

14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.

breaketh La 3:3-5

runneth Jud 15:8 Ps 42:7

15 I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.

sewed 1Ki 21:27 Isa 22:12

defiled my horn 30:19 1Sa 2:10 Ps 7:5 75:5,10

16 My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

thy face Ps 6:6,7 31:9 32:3 69:3 102:3-5,9 Isa 52:14 La 1:16

on my eyelids 17:7 Ps 116:3 Jon 2:1-10 Mr 14:34

17 Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.

Not for 11:14 15:20,34 21:27,28 22:5-9 27:6,7 29:12-17 31:1 *etc: Ps 7:3-5 44:17-21

my prayer 8:5,6 Ps 66:18,19 Pr 15:8 1Ti 2:8

18 O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.

O earth Jer 22:29

cover not Ge 4:11 Ne 4:5 Isa 26:21 Eze 24:7

let my cry 27:9 Ps 66:18,19 Isa 1:15 58:9,10 Jas 4:3,4

19 Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.

my witness 1Sa 12:5 Ro 1:9 9:1 2Co 1:23 11:31 1Th 2:10

on high. Heb. in the high places 25:2 Ps 113:5

20 My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.

scorn me. Heb. are my scorners 4 12:4,5 17:2

poureth Ps 109:4 142:2 Ho 12:4,5 Lu 6:11,12 Heb 5:7

21 O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!

plead 9:34,35 13:3,22 23:3-7 31:35 40:1-5 Ec 6:10 Isa 45:9 Ro 9:20

neighbour. or, friend

22 When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

a few years. Heb. years of number 14:5,14

whence 7:9,10 14:10 Ec 12:5