Job 15:6 kjv
Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.
Job 15:6 nkjv
Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; Yes, your own lips testify against you.
Job 15:6 niv
Your own mouth condemns you, not mine; your own lips testify against you.
Job 15:6 esv
Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; your own lips testify against you.
Job 15:6 nlt
Your own mouth condemns you, not I.
Your own lips testify against you.
Job 15 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 64:8 | So they will make their own tongue stumble against them... | Self-incrimination by speech. |
| Prov 12:13 | An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips... | Speech leads to downfall. |
| Prov 18:7 | A fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips a snare to his soul. | Foolish words cause destruction. |
| Prov 18:20-21 | From the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach is satisfied... Death and life are in the power of the tongue... | Power of speech to bring life or death. |
| Prov 10:32 | The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked what is perverse. | Contrast: righteous vs. wicked speech. |
| Prov 15:2 | The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. | Wise vs. foolish use of words. |
| Isa 3:8 | For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, because their tongue and their deeds are against the Lord... | Actions and words condemn. |
| Mt 12:37 | For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. | Words as basis for divine judgment. |
| Jas 1:26 | If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. | Uncontrolled tongue exposes false faith. |
| Jas 3:6 | The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body... | Destructive nature of the tongue. |
| Lk 19:22 | He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant!'... | Condemnation by one's own speech. |
| 2 Sam 1:16 | So David said to him, "Your blood be on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you..." | Direct self-confession and condemnation. |
| Ps 37:12 | The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him; | Enmity and evil intentions manifest in words. |
| Jer 2:19 | Your own evil will discipline you, and your apostasies will reprove you... | Actions/attitudes bring self-judgment. |
| Job 9:20 | Though I am innocent, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse. | Job's ironic reflection on divine power to condemn based on any words. |
| Job 13:2-3 | What you know, I also know... But I would speak to the Almighty; I desire to argue my case with God. | Job's desire to speak vs. friends' interpretation. |
| Num 22:28-30 | Balaam's donkey speaks, indirectly condemning Balaam's folly. | Unconventional means of revealing fault. |
| Tit 3:10-11 | As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. | Self-condemnation through divisive words and actions. |
| Jude 1:16 | These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires... Their mouths utter swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. | Grumbling words as a sign of inner depravity. |
| Ps 50:19-20 | You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother... | Slanderous speech as self-incrimination. |
| Rom 3:13-14 | "Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they keep practicing deceit." "The poison of asps is under their lips." "Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." | Corrupt speech as evidence of unrighteousness. |
Job 15 verses
Job 15 6 Meaning
Job 15:6 declares that a person's own words can be their condemnation, functioning as evidence against them. In this context, Eliphaz the Temanite is accusing Job, claiming that Job's laments and protests of innocence do not demonstrate his righteousness but rather serve as a self-incrimination of his wickedness. Eliphaz asserts that it is not he (Eliphaz) who condemns Job, but Job's very own speech and arguments. This verse reflects the belief that one's words are a direct window into their heart and actions, capable of revealing inner guilt or fault.
Job 15 6 Context
Job 15:6 is part of Eliphaz the Temanite's second discourse to Job. In this speech, Eliphaz has adopted a much harsher tone than his first, largely due to Job's continued assertions of innocence and his passionate appeals to God. Eliphaz, growing increasingly frustrated and firm in his traditional theological framework, now directly accuses Job not just of speaking "unprofitable wind" (v. 2) or abandoning fear of God (v. 4), but that Job's very words confirm his guilt. From Eliphaz's perspective, Job's lamentations and accusations against God’s perceived injustice are clear signs of a rebellious heart and a departure from divine wisdom. The historical and cultural context involves the prevalent ANE (Ancient Near Eastern) belief in retributive justice, where suffering was almost universally attributed to specific sin. Job's friends, including Eliphaz, operate firmly within this worldview, and Job's inexplicable suffering drives them to invent reasons for his sin, concluding that his words must betray him since external signs (his suffering) confirm guilt. Eliphaz's words here are a polemic against Job's assertion of blamelessness, reframing Job's righteous indignation as evidence of wickedness.
Job 15 6 Word analysis
- Your own mouth (פִיךָ - pīḵā): From peh, meaning "mouth." This emphasizes personal responsibility. In ancient Near Eastern thought, the mouth was the instrument of both life-giving truth and destructive falsehood. Eliphaz claims Job's mouth is not a channel for truth about his innocence but rather a betrayer. The possessive "your own" is highly accusatory, pointing to self-implicated guilt.
- condemns you (יִרְשִׁעֲךָ - yiršīʿaḵā): From the verb rashaʿ (רָשַׁע), meaning "to act wickedly," "to condemn," "to declare guilty." This term is a strong legal accusation, not merely a statement of fault but a judicial declaration of wickedness or guilt. It suggests a verdict is being pronounced based on Job's speech.
- and not I (וְלֹא־אָנֹכִי - wə·lō-ʾānōḵî): Eliphaz explicitly distances himself from the role of the accuser, despite actively condemning Job. This rhetorical device attempts to give his accusation more weight, implying the evidence is so undeniable that Job condemns himself. It absolves Eliphaz of responsibility for his harsh judgment, placing the burden entirely on Job.
- your own lips (שְׂפָתֶיךָ - səp̄āṯeḵā): From saphah, meaning "lip" or "language." This term functions as a poetic parallel to "mouth," reinforcing the source of the self-incrimination. Lips are the physical instruments that form and articulate words.
- testify against you (יַעֲנוּ־בָךְ - yaʿanū-ḇāḵ): From the verb ʿanah (עָנָה), meaning "to answer," "to respond," and crucially, "to bear witness" or "testify." This further reinforces the legalistic framework of Eliphaz's argument. It portrays Job's words as witnesses providing damning testimony against himself in a divine courtroom.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "Your own mouth condemns you": This phrase asserts direct self-incrimination. Eliphaz claims that Job’s words (specifically his claims of innocence and complaints against God) are not truthful or justifiable, but rather the very thing that exposes his unrighteousness and warrants divine judgment. It reverses the expected outcome of a defense, turning Job's speech into his prosecutor.
- "and not I": This short, emphatic denial by Eliphaz attempts to elevate his condemnation beyond personal opinion. He positions himself as a neutral observer, merely stating a self-evident truth: Job's guilt is revealed by his own speech, not by Eliphaz's subjective judgment. This rhetorical move highlights Eliphaz's certainty in his rigid theology and his perception of Job's profound error.
- "your own lips testify against you": This parallelism echoes and strengthens the first part of the verse. "Lips" (a part) representing the "mouth" (the whole) deepens the sense that every utterance Job makes contributes to the accumulating evidence against him. "Testify" continues the legal imagery, presenting Job’s words as direct, undeniable witness accounts. The repetition emphasizes the inexorable nature of this self-condemnation from Eliphaz's viewpoint.
Job 15 6 Bonus section
The legalistic language used by Eliphaz (condemn, testify) reflects the structured nature of ancient judicial proceedings, where oral testimony was paramount. By attributing Job's "condemnation" to his own mouth and lips, Eliphaz invokes a self-curse or a self-indictment. This concept, known as suis digesta (self-digested/devoured) in legal rhetoric, posits that an individual's own words or actions turn against them, consuming their defense. Eliphaz, convinced of Job's secret sin, interprets Job's eloquent and passionate speeches as unintended admissions of guilt, similar to how a person might accidentally confess by saying too much. This also serves as a polemic against any notion that Job could be right in his suffering and maintain innocence; for Eliphaz, if Job speaks, he confirms his guilt. This rigid theological stance stands in stark contrast to the deeper revelation of God's sovereignty and Job's eventual vindication that the book presents.
Job 15 6 Commentary
Job 15:6 encapsulates the friends' deep-seated conviction that Job's suffering must be a consequence of his sin, and that his very defense serves to prove it. Eliphaz asserts a false equivalency: Job's vehement protestations of innocence and his arguments with God are taken as proof of arrogance and impiety, rather than a genuine struggle with inexplicable pain. This verse is a classic example of blaming the victim. From the human perspective of Job's friends, Eliphaz speaks a truth, believing that a righteous man would never express such anguish or question God's ways in such terms. However, from a divine perspective, and as the narrative unfolds, we know Job is righteous, and his words, while born of immense pain, are not sinful. The verse serves as a crucial point of divergence between human conventional wisdom and God's true assessment, revealing the limitations and flawed judgment of Job's accusers. It highlights how quickly one can move from concern to condemnation based on presupposed theology rather than understanding or compassion.