Job 13:26 kjv
For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.
Job 13:26 nkjv
For You write bitter things against me, And make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
Job 13:26 niv
For you write down bitter things against me and make me reap the sins of my youth.
Job 13:26 esv
For you write bitter things against me and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
Job 13:26 nlt
"You write bitter accusations against me
and bring up all the sins of my youth.
Job 13 26 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 25:7 | Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions... | Prayer not to remember youthful sins |
| Jer 31:34 | "For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." | God's New Covenant promise of forgetting sin |
| Heb 8:12 | For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins...I will remember no more. | NT affirmation of forgotten sins under Christ |
| Eze 18:21-22 | if the wicked man turns from all his sins... none of the transgressions... shall be remembered against him. | Repentance leads to forgotten sins |
| Isa 43:25 | "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins." | God's initiative to blot out and forget sin |
| Micah 7:18-19 | He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us; He will...cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. | God's merciful pardon of iniquity |
| Ps 103:10-12 | He has not dealt with us according to our sins... As far as the east is from the west... | God's vast forgiveness of sin |
| Lam 3:19-20 | My soul still remembers and sinks within me. | Memory of affliction/bitterness |
| Jer 9:15 | "Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will feed them...bitter water to drink...’" | God bringing bitter consequences for sin |
| Lam 3:15 | He has filled me with bitterness... | Acknowledging internal bitterness |
| Rev 8:10-11 | the third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter. | Bitterness as a sign of divine judgment |
| Gal 6:7-8 | for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | Principle of sowing and reaping consequences |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death... | Ultimate consequence of sin |
| Deut 28:15ff | "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey...all these curses shall come upon you..." | Curses/punishment for disobedience |
| Job 34:10 | "Far be it from God to do wickedness, and from the Almighty to commit iniquity." | Affirmation of God's justice, challenged by Job's perception |
| Job 40:8 | "Will you indeed annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?" | God challenges Job's accusation of injustice |
| Ps 69:28 | Let them be blotted out of the book of the living... | Imagery of divine record/book |
| Dan 7:10 | A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. | Divine court where books are opened for judgment |
| Rev 20:12 | And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened...and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. | Books containing deeds and the book of life for final judgment |
| 1 Jn 1:9 | If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. | Confession leading to forgiveness |
| Heb 12:11 | For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. | Discipline perceived as painful |
Job 13 verses
Job 13 26 Meaning
Job 13:26 conveys Job's anguished perception that God is actively and rigorously recording or decreeing severe judgments against him ("You write bitter things against me"). He further believes that God is holding him accountable and inflicting punishment for sins committed much earlier in his life, which he considers to be long past and minor ("And make me inherit the iniquities of my youth"). In his deep suffering, Job sees God not as a merciful helper, but as a stern accuser and judge meticulously dredging up past faults to justify his present profound afflictions.
Job 13 26 Context
Job 13:26 is uttered in the midst of Job's profound suffering and his argument with his three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. The specific chapter, Job 13, is part of Job’s third and extensive monologue (Job 12-14) where he vigorously defends his righteousness against his friends' accusations and directly addresses God, even pleading for a hearing. He desires to debate his case before God, rather than being condemned by mere human pronouncements (Job 13:3-4). Job acknowledges God's absolute power (Job 12:13-25) but struggles deeply with His apparent injustice towards him. In Job 13:26, Job transitions from arguing with his friends to expressing his desperate anguish and confusion directly to God, attributing his suffering not to current sin but to a severe accounting of past youthful indiscretions, which he believes God is unjustly revisiting. The broader context of the book explores the nature of suffering, divine justice, human understanding of God, and the boundaries of righteous complaint.
Job 13 26 Word analysis
- For You write: The Hebrew word is katav (כָּתַב), meaning to write, inscribe, record, or decree. The choice of "write" suggests a formal, fixed, and deliberate action. It implies God has a meticulous record, almost a legal indictment or decree, against Job. This portrays God not as reacting impulsively but acting with a determined, considered judgment. Job perceives God as meticulously documenting his past faults to build a case against him, akin to a divine scribe or judge recording charges.
- bitter things: The Hebrew is m'rorot (מְרֹרוֹת), plural of m'rorah, meaning "bitterness," "gall," "poisonous or bitter things," or "painful experiences." This term is used elsewhere for poison, wormwood, or deep affliction. It conveys the idea of extreme suffering, hardship, and the sorrowful, caustic consequences that are sharp and agonizing to the soul and body. Job uses this vivid imagery to describe the intensity of the divine discipline he experiences.
- against me: This emphasizes Job’s personal targeting. He feels specifically singled out for this harsh, written judgment.
- And make me inherit: The Hebrew is torisheni (תּוֹרִישֵׁנִי), the Hiphil causative stem of yarash (יָרַשׁ), which means "to possess," "to inherit," or "to dispossess." In this causative form, it means "to cause to inherit," or "to make one possess/receive." Job feels compelled by God to receive the consequences as if they were an inheritance or a mandatory possession. It suggests that God is forcing him to take possession of a burden or a debt, rather than it being a natural or passive outcome.
- the iniquities: The Hebrew is avonot (עֲוֹנוֹת), plural of avon (עָוֹן), meaning "iniquity," "guilt," "punishment for iniquity," or "perversity." This term encompasses both the moral deviation and its incurred penalty. Job implies that the actual sins, which may have been minor, are less of a concern than the heavy penalty that God is making him "inherit."
- of my youth: The Hebrew is n'uray (נְעוּרָי), meaning "youth" or "the time of youth." This points to sins committed long ago, perhaps inexperience or foolishness associated with youth. Job suggests these were past, perhaps minor or repented-of errors, contrasting them with his present uprightness, and he perceives it as disproportionate that God would revisit and punish them with such severity now. This highlights his exasperation: why is God holding him accountable for ancient history, especially given his present integrity?
Job 13 26 Bonus section
The concept of "remembering" sin in the Old Testament can be nuanced. When God "remembers" sin (e.g., Ps 25:7), it can refer to bringing it to account or inflicting consequences. Conversely, God "not remembering" sin, particularly under the New Covenant, implies a complete forgiveness and a cessation of the charge against the forgiven one. Job's plea to God "remembering" his youthful sins aligns with the former sense. Job's address implies a legal process where God is the judge, and he feels disadvantaged. His protest of God digging up past offenses highlights his perception of God's rigor and potentially disproportionate justice, as opposed to the forgiveness and cleansing promised under later covenants. This verse implicitly sets up a longing for a mediator, as Job himself expressed in earlier chapters (Job 9:33).
Job 13 26 Commentary
Job 13:26 provides a profound insight into Job’s human struggle under inexplicable suffering. He grapples with a common theological dilemma: the relationship between sin and suffering. While Job insists on his present blamelessness, he can only logically conclude that his unprecedented suffering must be a consequence of sin, so he attributes it to the only remaining category: youthful transgressions. His words reveal a God perceived as meticulously adversarial, meticulously logging old errors and compelling Job to endure disproportionate penalties. This portrayal is not necessarily an objective truth about God, but a reflection of Job's tortured psyche and limited understanding as he tries to make sense of his overwhelming pain within his prevailing theological framework. His lament reflects a universal human inclination to assign fault and to question divine justice when suffering seems unwarranted or extreme. This verse underscores the raw and honest nature of Job's communication with God, voicing deep accusation from a place of intense despair, contrasting sharply with the later revelation of God's character and purposes.