Job 16:2 kjv
I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.
Job 16:2 nkjv
"I have heard many such things; Miserable comforters are you all!
Job 16:2 niv
"I have heard many things like these; you are miserable comforters, all of you!
Job 16:2 esv
"I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all.
Job 16:2 nlt
"I have heard all this before.
What miserable comforters you are!
Job 16 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 69:20 | "Reproach has broken my heart... I looked for sympathy, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none." | Feeling forsaken and uncomforted. |
| Lam 1:2 | "Among all her lovers, there is none to comfort her." | No true comforter found in distress. |
| Nah 3:7 | "All who hear news about you will clap their hands over you. For who has ever escaped your endless malice?" | Lack of sympathy for the afflicted. |
| Isa 40:1 | "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God." | God's call for true comfort. |
| 2 Cor 1:3-4 | "Blessed be... the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction." | God as the source of true comfort. |
| Rom 15:4 | "Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." | Scripture provides genuine comfort and hope. |
| 1 Thess 5:14 | "Admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all." | Exhortation to offer appropriate support. |
| Ps 119:50 | "This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life." | God's Word brings comfort in suffering. |
| Ps 71:21 | "You will increase my greatness and comfort me again." | Expectation of God's renewed comfort. |
| John 9:1-3 | Jesus corrects disciples' belief that suffering implies sin. | Jesus correcting retribution theology. |
| Luke 13:1-5 | Jesus challenges the idea that those who suffer are greater sinners. | Misconception of suffering and sin. |
| Job 19:2 | "How long will you torment me and break me in pieces with words?" | Job's enduring pain from friends' words. |
| Job 13:4 | "You are all physicians of no value." | Similar indictment of their inadequacy. |
| Prov 10:19 | "When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent." | Danger of excessive, unhelpful talk. |
| Prov 17:28 | "Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is thought intelligent." | Wisdom of silence when unhelpful. |
| Ecc 6:11 | "The more words, the more vanity; and what is the advantage to man?" | Futility of much talk without substance. |
| Ps 7:14 | "Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies." | Amal (misery/trouble) linked to sin. |
| Ecc 1:13 | "I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with." | Life's toil (amal) and inherent difficulty. |
| Gen 3:17 | "Cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life." | Original "toil" (amal) upon humanity. |
| Ps 90:10 | "The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble, soon gone, and we fly away." | Life often marked by "toil and sorrow" (amal). |
| Heb 12:5-11 | Discipline of the Lord may bring pain for growth, not punishment. | Suffering as refinement, not punitive judgment. |
| Prov 15:23 | "To make an apt answer is a joy, and a word in season, how good it is!" | Contrast with untimely/unhelpful words. |
Job 16 verses
Job 16 2 Meaning
Job, in chapter 16, verse 2, expresses his profound exasperation and frustration with his friends' repetitive and unhelpful counsel. He declares that he has heard "many such things" before, implying their arguments are unoriginal, tiresome, and fail to address his true plight. He then delivers a cutting indictment, calling them "miserable comforters," suggesting that their attempts to console him only add to his pain and misery rather than alleviating it. This highlights his perception that their words, rooted in a flawed understanding of divine justice, compound his suffering.
Job 16 2 Context
Job 16:2 initiates Job's third response, following Eliphaz's speech in chapter 15. At this point in the narrative, Job's suffering has deepened, and his patience with his friends' theological arguments has worn thin. His friends have repeatedly asserted that Job's suffering must be a direct consequence of unconfessed sin, based on the conventional wisdom of their time regarding divine retribution. Instead of offering true comfort, they have effectively accused him and piled guilt upon him. Job perceives their "comfort" as an exacerbation of his torment. This verse underscores Job's isolation and his profound weariness from their continuous, unwavering insistence on his culpability. He desires genuine empathy and understanding, but instead receives theological condemnation, pushing him further into despair.
Job 16 2 Word analysis
"I have heard" (שָׁמַעְתִּי shama'ti): From the Hebrew verb shamah, meaning "to hear," "listen," "understand." The perfect tense emphasizes a completed action with continuing relevance; Job has heard their arguments repeatedly, and their impact remains. It implies deep weariness from this repeated discourse.
"many such things" (כְּאֵלֶּה רַבּוֹת k'eleh rabbot): Literally "like these, many." K'eleh means "like these," directly referring to the nature of their previous speeches. Rabbot signifies "many" or "numerous." This phrase indicates that their arguments are unoriginal, redundant, and lack any novel wisdom or true comfort for Job's unique situation. It highlights the oppressive monotony of their accusatory rhetoric.
"miserable comforters" (מְנַחֲמֵי עָמָל m'naḥamei amal): This is a deeply ironic and condemning phrase.
- M'naḥamei: The plural form of "comforter," derived from the root naḥam, meaning "to comfort," "console," or "regret." This term establishes the expected role of Job's friends.
- Amal: A crucial word meaning "toil," "labor," "trouble," "misery," "sorrow," "pain," or "distress," and sometimes associated with wickedness or futility. By using amal, Job does not just imply they are ineffective comforters, but "comforters of misery" or "comforters who create misery." Their so-called comfort, ironically, serves to increase Job's suffering rather than alleviating it. This is the core of Job's sharp accusation, asserting that their words intensify his pain and distress.
"are you all" (כֻּלְּכֶם kull'khem): Kul translates to "all" or "every," and the suffix -khem denotes "you" (plural). This construction delivers a sweeping indictment, encompassing Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. Job's condemnation spares none of them, grouping them together in their collective failure to offer genuine consolation and instead compounding his distress.
Words-group analysis:
- "I have heard many such things": This expression conveys Job's profound sense of boredom and frustration. It acts as a dismissive declaration, emphasizing that their advice is stale, predictable, and provides no actual solace. It underscores the psychological burden placed upon him by their repetitive and unhelpful theological explanations.
- "miserable comforters are you all": This is the piercing accusation at the heart of the verse. The profound irony lies in the stark contrast between the intended role of "comforters" (those who relieve pain) and the effect of their actions (aggravating "misery"). Job articulates that his friends, far from bringing relief, have actually deepened his suffering, thereby justifying his initial feeling that their presence only served to exacerbate his anguish.
Job 16 2 Bonus section
The Hebrew word amal, translated here as "miserable" (as in 'miserable comforters'), is versatile. It can refer to physical toil, painful labor, but also to "trouble," "misery," and sometimes "wickedness" or "iniquity." This ambiguity enhances Job's charge; his friends either add to his painful labor/misery, or their "comfort" is ironically "comforters of wickedness"—implying their counsel itself is flawed, or that they associate Job's suffering with a presumed iniquity. The friends embody the common ancient Near Eastern wisdom belief that suffering directly correlates with sin, a belief the Book of Job profoundly challenges. This verse critiques the very foundation of their counsel, not just its delivery. It highlights how a misinformed application of spiritual truth can be more damaging than outright malice.
Job 16 2 Commentary
Job 16:2 signifies a turning point in Job's emotional state, from initial lament to overt indignation against his friends. His assertion of having heard "many such things" conveys extreme weariness and an almost palpable frustration with their persistent, unvarying theological framework that insists suffering is direct punishment for sin. These men, while attempting to fulfill a cultural role of comforters, instead became accusers, turning their visit into a platform for condemning Job based on a rigid, insufficient understanding of divine justice. Their words, far from healing, functioned like salt on a wound, adding to his internal "amal"—his deep-seated pain and sorrow. This verse encapsulates the tragic failure of misplaced theological conviction over empathetic human connection, highlighting how ill-timed or ill-conceived counsel, even from those with good intentions, can intensify suffering rather than ease it. True comfort is not about providing quick answers or applying theological formulas, but about patient listening, unwavering presence, and unconditional compassion for the afflicted.