Chapter 16

"Job's reply to Eliphaz's second address."

Satan's children, the Kenites were part of the mixing up of this book of Job, and we see that there are many places where they have completely changed the meanings from the text. There is much pollution in these writings, when noted scholars take verses and say that this verse simply cannot be understood. The thought is lost? This is why the Massorah is important, for it helps us pick up the thought and keep focused on the topic at hand. This is why it is important to get the full tools of study as needed to try to understand what has been changed by those Kenites scribes.

Job 16:1 "Then Job answered and said,"

Job is now going to answer Eliphaz and the lashing he has been given.

Job 16:2 "I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all."

Job had no good words to say about those lies from this miserable comforter, Eliphaz.

Job 16:3 "Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?"

Job 16:4 "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."

Job is saying that If he were in their place, and they were in great pain, having the boils and lost everything, I could also find words to heap on you.

Job 16:5 "But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?"

But instead, I would not do that, but I would strengthen you with kind words from my mouth. "Asswaged" means to "give words to make suffering bearable".

Job 16:6 "Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbare, what am I eased?"

The translation here is completely lost from the original text. Job is telling them that he uses self-control and restraint over my grief. I am the same in and out of my suffering.

Job 16:7 "But now He hath made me weary: Thou hast made desolate all my company."

Job still has not figured out that it is Satan that is doing this to him. He says that God has made him weary, and family dead and gone. "Company" as used here is "family".

Job 16:8 "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."

The wrinkles that have come over me is a false witness against me. These sores and the great loss that has come over me is presenting a false witness to my faithfulness to God. Job is now asking God, how can you allow my leanness and my bones showing through my skin bear this false witness against me. I'm not guilty Father; and Job continues to place the blame on God and not the one that is doing the evil against him. He doesn't know that Satan is the offender.

Job 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."

This expression has to do with how a cat destroys it's prey. It picks it's prey up with its teeth, and gnashes it and then toys with it for a while before it seeks its death. Job is saying that God is doing that with him, making it appear that there is a way of escape when all the while there is no hope.

Job 16:10 "They have gaped upon me with their mouth: they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me."

"They" are these so-called friends of Job. It will be quite clear that not only are these three taking aim at Job, but there are others that come along and toy with Job's mind.

Job 16:11 "God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked."

Job is saying that he had the riches to make his life at ease. When Job was living in comfort, out of nowhere came this trouble that "broke me asunder". Then Job relates this to a cat toys with its prey before the kill; To "set up for a mark" means he is "set to be a target."

Job 16:13 "His archers compass me round about, He cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; He poureth out my gall upon the ground."

Again, a sense of toying with the prey. Archers are experts, and when they shoot their arrows, their arrows land all around me, aiming at near points but not Job directly.

Job 16:14 "He breaketh me with breach upon breach, He runneth upon me like a giant."

"Giant" as given in the Hebrew is "gibbor", a mighty man, a man of war.

Job 16:15 "I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust."

The "horn" is the pride of an animal, and it is the weapon that is used against it's enemy. Horn in the Hebrew text represents "strength or power". When the horn is in the dust it means that the animal or man of war is dead, for horns are never allowed to get into the dirt. Job is saying that as he stands before God, he knows that he is almost finished in this flesh life.

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

Job is saying that he can almost see the grave as he looks through his tear filled eyes.

Job 16:17 "Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure."

As Job is standing there ready to die, he acknowledges that this trouble is an injustice to him for he knows that his thoughts and deeds are pure and innocent.

Job 16:18 "O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place."

In the Hebrew text it is an expression which means; "Don't let my body be covered over without revenge being taken on those responsible."

Job 16:19 "Also now, behold, my Witness is in heaven, and my record is on high."

Pay close attention to these verses, for it is what we came here for. Job knows that the only pure Witness is in heaven, for God knows all things that happen and the intent of each person's mind. Job knew that his name was in the book in heaven, and there is no wrong judgments before the throne of God.

Job 16:20 "My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God."

Even when my friends bad gossip about me, I still serve and reverence my God. My friends can do what they want to, but I chose to follow Him, in innocence before God.

Job 16:21 "O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!"

Oh that I may just talk to God and tell Him how I feel and plead with him. It is a very beautiful thing to hold a person in prayer before God, the well being of his neighbor. This is in reference to the Son of man, Jesus Christ, pleading for His neighbor. Job is asking and pleading that God would send someone to be a go between and arbitrate the problems between man and God. This of course has happened, for God sent his only Son to suffer and die the sacrifice, so that all mankind would have an arbitrator to stand before the throne of God. That didn't take place until fifteen hundred years had passed after this writing in the Book of Job.

Job earned his reward, and God granted him a long life as we shall see before the end of this book.