Chapter Overview
Summary
Job 16 begins Job's response to Eliphaz's second speech — calling the friends 'miserable comforters' (v. 2) and developing the WITNESS-IN-HEAVEN theme (v. 19): 'Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me is on high.' This anticipates the heavenly-advocate Christology of 1 John 2:1.
Notable Variants
16:2 'miserable comforters are you all' famous-rebuke; 16:19 'my witness is in heaven' → 1 John 2:1 ('we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous'); 16:21 'that he might argue the case of a man with God' mediator-anticipation.
Structural Notes
MT Job 16 = LXX Job 16. 22 verses.
Then responded:
'Then Job answered and said' tracks MT.
I have heard plenty of this before. You are all miserable comforters.
'I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all' tracks MT. MISERABLE-COMFORTERS — Job's-iconic-rebuke. The 'menachem amal' / 'paraklētores kakōn' phrase has become a catch-phrase for unhelpful-counsel.
Is there no end to these windy speeches? What provokes you to keep answering?
'Shall windy words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?' tracks MT.
I could speak the way you do — if your soul were in my soul's place, I could pile up words against you and shake my head at you.
'I also could speak as you do, if you were in my place; I could join words together against you and shake my head at you' tracks MT.
Instead I would strengthen you with my mouth; the comfort of my lips would ease your pain.
'I could strengthen you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips would assuage your pain' tracks MT.
If I speak, my pain is not eased. If I hold back, what relief do I gain?
'If I speak, my pain is not assuaged, and if I forbear, how much of it leaves me?' tracks MT.
But now God has worn me out. You have destroyed my entire household.
'Surely now God has worn me out; he has made desolate all my company' tracks MT.
You have shriveled me up — and it testifies against me. My wasting body rises as a witness, accusing me to my face.
'And he has shriveled me up, which is a witness against me, and my leanness has risen up against me; it testifies to my face' tracks MT.
His anger tears me apart; he hates me. He gnashes his teeth at me. My enemy sharpens his eyes against me.
'He has torn me in his wrath and hated me; he has gnashed his teeth at me; my adversary sharpens his eyes against me' tracks MT.
They gape at me with open mouths; they strike my cheeks in contempt. They mass together against me.
'Men have gaped at me with their mouth; they have struck me insolently on the cheek; they mass themselves together against me' tracks MT. STRUCK-ON-CHEEK. Matthew 26:67 (Jesus 'struck him on the face') and 27:30 (struck-on-the-head) — the Christological-typology of unjust-mockery.
God hands me over to the unjust and throws me into the hands of the wicked.
'God gives me up to the ungodly and casts me into the hands of the wicked' tracks MT.
I was at peace, and he shattered me. He seized me by the neck and smashed me to pieces. He set me up as his target.
'I was at ease, and he broke me apart; he seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces; he set me up as his target' tracks MT.
His archers surround me. He splits open my kidneys without mercy; he pours my bile out on the ground.
'His archers surround me. He slashes open my kidneys and does not spare; he pours out my gall on the ground' tracks MT.
He breaks through me, breach after breach; he charges at me like a warrior.
'He breaks me with breach upon breach; he runs upon me like a warrior' tracks MT.
I have sewn sackcloth over my raw skin and buried my dignity in the dust.
'I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin and have laid my strength in the dust' tracks MT.
My face is raw from weeping, and death-shadow covers my eyelids.
'My face is red with weeping, and on my eyelids is deep darkness' tracks MT.
Yet there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.
'Although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure' tracks MT. Innocence-claim.
O earth, do not cover my blood! Let there be no resting place for my cry!
'O earth, cover not my blood, and let my cry find no resting place' tracks MT. EARTH-COVER-NOT-MY-BLOOD. Genesis 4:10 (Abel's blood crying from the ground) Christologically extends to Hebrews 12:24's 'sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.'
Even now — look! — my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high.
'Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me is on high' tracks MT. WITNESS-IN-HEAVEN. Christologically read as anticipating-the-Advocate. 1 John 2:1 ('we have an ADVOCATE with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous') Christologically-fulfills Job's-cry. Romans 8:34 ('Christ Jesus … who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us') extends.
My friends mock me, but my eye pours out tears to God.
'My friends scorn me; my eye pours out tears to God' tracks MT.
Let him argue the case of a mortal before God, as one argues for a neighbor.
'That he would argue the case of a man with God, as a son of man does with his neighbor' tracks MT. ARGUE-THE-CASE-OF-MAN — divine-arbitration request. // Job 9:33 mesitēs Christology anticipation.
For only a few years remain, and I will walk the road of no return.
'For when a few years have come I shall go the way from which I shall not return' tracks MT. WAY-FROM-WHICH-NOT-RETURN — death-finality. Hebrews 9:27 ('it is appointed for man to die once') extends.