American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Job 6
2
Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!
3
For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up.
Reference
Parallel theme
Proverbs 27:3
4
For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinks up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 38:2
Job 30:15
Job 9:17
References God
Mark 15:34
Spirit
Psalm 143:7
Proverbs 18:14
5
Does the wild ass bray when he has grass? or lows the ox over his fodder?
6
Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
Reference
7
The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat.
8
Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 119:81
9
Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Kings 19:4
Jonah 4:3
Revelation 9:6
Psalm 32:4
Job 14:13
References God
Jonah 4:8
Job 19:21
10
Then should I yet have comfort; yes, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.
Reference
11
What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is my end, that I should prolong my life?
Reference
12
Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass?
14
To him that is afflicted pity should be showed from his friend; but he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
Reference
15
My brothers have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away;
Reference
16
Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid:
17
What time they wax warm, they vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.
18
The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish.
20
They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed.
21
For now you are nothing; you see my casting down, and are afraid.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 38:11
22
Did I say, Bring to me? or, Give a reward for me of your substance?
25
How forcible are right words! but what does your arguing reprove?
26
Do you imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind?
Reference
Summary of Job 6
Job Chapter 6 is Job's first major response to Eliphaz, and it makes clear that Job believes his friend has failed to understand the depth of his suffering. Eliphaz has offered a theological explanation: suffering generally follows wrongdoing, so Job should seek God's correction. Job responds by explaining that his words and despair must be understood in light of the extraordinary burden he is carrying.
Job begins by asking that his suffering be carefully measured. He says that his grief is heavier than the sand of the sea. His emotional words in chapter 3 were not simply dramatic expressions or foolish complaints; they came from a man whose suffering has become almost impossible to bear.
He describes his pain using the imagery of arrows from the Almighty. He feels as though he has been wounded by forces beyond his control. His physical illness, the death of his children, the loss of his wealth, and the collapse of his former life have combined into one overwhelming burden.
Job then uses several everyday images to explain why he is complaining. Animals cry out when they lack food, and unpleasant food is difficult to swallow. In the same way, Job's circumstances are so painful that he cannot simply remain silent.
He openly admits that he wishes for death. Job asks God to crush him and bring an end to his life. This is not presented as a rejection of God. In fact, Job says that even death would bring some comfort because he knows that he has not denied God or abandoned his faith.
This distinction is important. Job is suffering so intensely that he wants the suffering to end, but he is not saying that God is meaningless or that he has stopped believing in Him.
Job then challenges the assumption that he should simply be able to endure everything. He asks whether his strength is made of stone or bronze. He is human, not indestructible. He has reached a point where he feels that he has no resources left with which to continue.
The most personal part of the chapter begins when Job discusses friendship.
He says that someone who is suffering should receive kindness from a friend. Instead, Job feels that his friends have become like seasonal streams in the desert. From a distance, such streams appear to promise water. Travelers may depend upon them, only to discover that the water has disappeared.
Job compares this disappointment to what has happened with his friends.
Eliphaz and the others came to Job because they intended to comfort him. But after listening to Job's lament, they have begun explaining his suffering and implying that he must have done something wrong.
Job feels betrayed.
He emphasizes that he did not ask them for money, livestock, or physical rescue. He did not ask them to fight his enemies or pay a ransom for him. He simply needed compassion and understanding.
Job then makes a direct challenge: if his friends believe he has sinned, they should tell him exactly what he has done wrong.
This is a crucial moment in the book.
Job is not claiming that he has never made a mistake in his entire life. Rather, he is challenging the friends to provide a real explanation for the extraordinary suffering he is experiencing. General statements about the wicked suffering are not enough.
He asks them to look directly at him and judge whether he is lying.
The friends are treating his suffering as evidence of guilt. Job wants them to consider another possibility: perhaps a righteous person can suffer even when he has done nothing to deserve it.
The final verses emphasize Job's frustration with their judgment. He asks whether they really believe there is injustice in his speech and whether he is incapable of recognizing evil. Job insists that he understands right and wrong and does not accept their assumption that his suffering automatically proves his guilt.
This chapter therefore begins to expose the fundamental disagreement between Job and his friends.
Eliphaz starts with a theological principle and applies it to Job. Job starts with his actual experience and challenges the principle.
Eliphaz believes that God's justice can be understood through a relatively simple pattern: people reap what they sow. Job's experience does not fit that pattern. He has lived faithfully, yet he is suffering catastrophically.
There is also an important emotional dimension to the chapter. Job is not simply debating theology. He is grieving. He has lost his children. His health has collapsed. His wealth has disappeared. His social position has been destroyed. He is sitting in ashes and experiencing constant physical pain.
From Job's perspective, Eliphaz's words feel less like comfort and more like another burden placed on an already suffering man.
The water-stream metaphor captures this perfectly. A friend should be like a dependable source of water in a desert. Instead, Job feels that his friends have disappeared emotionally just when he needs them most.
The chapter also shows that Job is still engaged in a relationship with God. Even while asking for death, he continues to speak about God. His struggle is not indifference. It is the struggle of someone who believes in God but cannot understand God's treatment of him.
Historically, the imagery in this chapter reflects the ancient Near Eastern environment. Water was precious, particularly for travelers crossing dry regions. References to Tema and Sheba point toward the world of Arabian trade routes and caravans. Agricultural, pastoral, and desert imagery all help establish the ancient setting.
The chapter's central lesson is that suffering people do not always need explanations first; sometimes they need compassion first. Job's friends may believe they are defending God's justice, but their approach causes additional pain because they assume they understand Job's situation.
Job's challenge remains unanswered: If he has done something that deserves this suffering, what exactly is it?
Until his friends can answer that question, Job refuses to accept their conclusion.
Job Chapter 6 therefore deepens both Job's emotional struggle and the theological debate. Job acknowledges his weakness, expresses his desire for relief, defends his integrity, and challenges his friends to replace assumptions with evidence. His central complaint is not simply that he is suffering, but that the people who came to comfort him are now judging him instead.
Job begins by asking that his suffering be carefully measured. He says that his grief is heavier than the sand of the sea. His emotional words in chapter 3 were not simply dramatic expressions or foolish complaints; they came from a man whose suffering has become almost impossible to bear.
He describes his pain using the imagery of arrows from the Almighty. He feels as though he has been wounded by forces beyond his control. His physical illness, the death of his children, the loss of his wealth, and the collapse of his former life have combined into one overwhelming burden.
Job then uses several everyday images to explain why he is complaining. Animals cry out when they lack food, and unpleasant food is difficult to swallow. In the same way, Job's circumstances are so painful that he cannot simply remain silent.
He openly admits that he wishes for death. Job asks God to crush him and bring an end to his life. This is not presented as a rejection of God. In fact, Job says that even death would bring some comfort because he knows that he has not denied God or abandoned his faith.
This distinction is important. Job is suffering so intensely that he wants the suffering to end, but he is not saying that God is meaningless or that he has stopped believing in Him.
Job then challenges the assumption that he should simply be able to endure everything. He asks whether his strength is made of stone or bronze. He is human, not indestructible. He has reached a point where he feels that he has no resources left with which to continue.
The most personal part of the chapter begins when Job discusses friendship.
He says that someone who is suffering should receive kindness from a friend. Instead, Job feels that his friends have become like seasonal streams in the desert. From a distance, such streams appear to promise water. Travelers may depend upon them, only to discover that the water has disappeared.
Job compares this disappointment to what has happened with his friends.
Eliphaz and the others came to Job because they intended to comfort him. But after listening to Job's lament, they have begun explaining his suffering and implying that he must have done something wrong.
Job feels betrayed.
He emphasizes that he did not ask them for money, livestock, or physical rescue. He did not ask them to fight his enemies or pay a ransom for him. He simply needed compassion and understanding.
Job then makes a direct challenge: if his friends believe he has sinned, they should tell him exactly what he has done wrong.
This is a crucial moment in the book.
Job is not claiming that he has never made a mistake in his entire life. Rather, he is challenging the friends to provide a real explanation for the extraordinary suffering he is experiencing. General statements about the wicked suffering are not enough.
He asks them to look directly at him and judge whether he is lying.
The friends are treating his suffering as evidence of guilt. Job wants them to consider another possibility: perhaps a righteous person can suffer even when he has done nothing to deserve it.
The final verses emphasize Job's frustration with their judgment. He asks whether they really believe there is injustice in his speech and whether he is incapable of recognizing evil. Job insists that he understands right and wrong and does not accept their assumption that his suffering automatically proves his guilt.
This chapter therefore begins to expose the fundamental disagreement between Job and his friends.
Eliphaz starts with a theological principle and applies it to Job. Job starts with his actual experience and challenges the principle.
Eliphaz believes that God's justice can be understood through a relatively simple pattern: people reap what they sow. Job's experience does not fit that pattern. He has lived faithfully, yet he is suffering catastrophically.
There is also an important emotional dimension to the chapter. Job is not simply debating theology. He is grieving. He has lost his children. His health has collapsed. His wealth has disappeared. His social position has been destroyed. He is sitting in ashes and experiencing constant physical pain.
From Job's perspective, Eliphaz's words feel less like comfort and more like another burden placed on an already suffering man.
The water-stream metaphor captures this perfectly. A friend should be like a dependable source of water in a desert. Instead, Job feels that his friends have disappeared emotionally just when he needs them most.
The chapter also shows that Job is still engaged in a relationship with God. Even while asking for death, he continues to speak about God. His struggle is not indifference. It is the struggle of someone who believes in God but cannot understand God's treatment of him.
Historically, the imagery in this chapter reflects the ancient Near Eastern environment. Water was precious, particularly for travelers crossing dry regions. References to Tema and Sheba point toward the world of Arabian trade routes and caravans. Agricultural, pastoral, and desert imagery all help establish the ancient setting.
The chapter's central lesson is that suffering people do not always need explanations first; sometimes they need compassion first. Job's friends may believe they are defending God's justice, but their approach causes additional pain because they assume they understand Job's situation.
Job's challenge remains unanswered: If he has done something that deserves this suffering, what exactly is it?
Until his friends can answer that question, Job refuses to accept their conclusion.
Job Chapter 6 therefore deepens both Job's emotional struggle and the theological debate. Job acknowledges his weakness, expresses his desire for relief, defends his integrity, and challenges his friends to replace assumptions with evidence. His central complaint is not simply that he is suffering, but that the people who came to comfort him are now judging him instead.