Job 16 6

Job 16:6 kjv

Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?

Job 16:6 nkjv

"Though I speak, my grief is not relieved; And if I remain silent, how am I eased?

Job 16:6 niv

"Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away.

Job 16:6 esv

"If I speak, my pain is not assuaged, and if I forbear, how much of it leaves me?

Job 16:6 nlt

Instead, I suffer if I defend myself,
and I suffer no less if I refuse to speak.

Job 16 verses

Job 16 6 Meaning

Job 16:6 profoundly articulates Job's profound despair and futility in his suffering. He declares that whether he chooses to voice his agony or remains silent, his torment continues unabated, providing him no relief, ease, or improvement in his grievous state. This highlights his inescapable predicament and the overwhelming nature of his pain.

Job 16 6 Context

Job 16:6 is part of Job's response to his friend Eliphaz, marking the second cycle of speeches (Job 15-21). Following Eliphaz's harsh accusation that Job's words are empty and wicked (Job 15:2-6) and his questioning of Job's integrity, Job delivers a biting retort. In Job 16:1-5, he laments his friends' inadequacy as "miserable comforters" whose words only aggravate his pain. This particular verse, 16:6, powerfully captures Job's unresolvable agony. His physical and emotional suffering is so profound that neither the act of expressing it (speaking) nor the attempt to suppress it (forbearing/silence) provides any amelioration. He feels entirely trapped by his anguish, with no human or internal remedy available, pushing him towards the divine (though often through complaint) as his only potential, albeit distant, recourse. Historically, such intense, unrelieved suffering would often be attributed to specific divine judgment for sin, which Job vigorously denies in his own case.

Job 16 6 Word analysis

• If I speak (כִּי־אֲדַבֵּר - kî-’ă·ḏab·bêr):

  • kî is a particle often translated as "for," "surely," or "if." Here, it establishes a condition.
  • ’ă·ḏab·bêr is from the verb דָּבַר (dābar), meaning "to speak," "declare," "say," or "discuss." In this context, it implies expressing his complaint, arguing his case, or verbalizing his distress, as Job often does (e.g., Job 7:11). The act of speaking out might typically be cathartic for some.
  • Significance: Job explores the traditional coping mechanism of vocalizing distress, which proves ineffective for him.

• my pain (כְּאֵבִי - kə·’ê·ḇî):

  • kə·’êḇ (from כְּאֵב) means "pain," "sorrow," "grief," "suffering." It refers to deep, pervasive physical and emotional anguish. The suffix -î indicates "my."
  • Significance: Emphasizes the deeply personal and visceral nature of his torment, encompassing both his physical sores and his mental/spiritual anguish. This is not mere discomfort but overwhelming affliction.

• is not relieved (לֹא יֵחָשֵׂךְ - lō’ yê·ḥā·śêḵ):

  • lō’ means "not."
  • yê·ḥā·śêḵ is the Niphal imperfect of חָשַׂךְ (ḥāśak), meaning "to hold back," "restrain," "spare," or "diminish." In the Niphal passive form, it means "is not held back," "is not diminished," or "is not assuaged."
  • Significance: Despite verbal expression, the pain does not recede or lessen. This contradicts a common expectation that venting anguish provides some measure of relief. It counters simplistic ideas about emotional catharsis, especially in the face of profound, God-ordained (as Job perceives it) suffering.

• and if I forbear (וְאֶחְדַּל - wə·’eḥ·dal):

  • wə is "and" or "but."
  • ’eḥ·dal is from the verb חָדַל (ḥāḏal), meaning "to cease," "desist," "stop," "forbear," or "refrain." Here, it means if he holds back his words, keeps silent, or stops complaining. This contrasts sharply with "if I speak."
  • Significance: Represents the opposite human coping strategy: suppression or silent endurance. It also proves fruitless. Job's friends initially observed silence with him (Job 2:13), but later their advice often implicitly called for his silence concerning his perceived innocence.

• what am I eased? (מַה־מִכֵּנִי - mah mik·kê·nî):

  • mah means "what," "how," or "why." It's an interrogative indicating futility or rhetorical questioning.
  • mik·kê·nî is derived from כּוּן (kūn), which in the Hiphil form often means "to establish," "to prepare," "to make straight," or "to confirm." It can also carry the nuance of "to find comfort," "to be eased," or "to benefit." The meaning is challenging. It conveys a lack of firming up, no establishment of a new, better state, or no true relief. Some scholars propose it could mean "what strength comes to me?" or "how am I bettered?"
  • Significance: The rhetorical question highlights the utter absence of any benefit, comfort, or restoration from silence. Job finds no solace, no improvement in his condition by withholding his words, confirming his utterly hopeless dilemma.

• Words-group Analysis: "If I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I forbear, what am I eased?"

  • This phrase masterfully uses a juxtaposition of two contrasting actions (speaking vs. remaining silent) to demonstrate a single, unalterable outcome: no relief or comfort for Job. This creates a powerful dilemma or catch-22, illustrating Job's total deadlock. He is trapped in an agonizing state where neither conventional human expression nor suppression offers a path to alleviate his deep suffering. This underlines the profound nature of his torment, implying that his suffering transcends typical human mechanisms for coping. It’s a statement of radical impotence, emphasizing that his problem demands a resolution beyond his own efforts or those of his friends. It indirectly points to a divine intervention as the only possible way out of such an intractable situation.

Job 16 6 Bonus section

• The profound lack of relief articulated in Job 16:6 challenges the commonly held belief that confession or venting immediately brings full release from suffering. While expressing grief can be beneficial, Job's experience shows there are depths of agony where immediate, tangible relief is not guaranteed through human effort alone.
• This verse can be understood as Job reaching the limit of human wisdom and human coping mechanisms. Neither psychological release through speech nor stoic endurance provides him with solace. This pushes the narrative towards a point where a non-human, i.e., divine, explanation or intervention becomes the only logical avenue.
• Job's words here resonate with others in the Bible who felt their pleas were unheard or ineffective, like the psalmists who cry out endlessly without immediate visible relief (e.g., Ps 22). It emphasizes a universal human experience of being overwhelmed and helpless in extreme circumstances.
• Culturally, expressing grievances (lamentation) was a recognized form of spiritual practice and social discourse in the Ancient Near East. Job participates in this, yet finds it ultimately hollow. This could be interpreted as a subtle polemic against the idea that ritualized lament automatically appeases a deity or alleviates suffering without genuine divine response or comfort.

Job 16 6 Commentary

Job 16:6 crystallizes Job's inescapable agony, where conventional human responses to suffering—verbal expression or silent endurance—prove equally futile. Job, confronting not just physical malady but intense spiritual and relational distress, finds no solace in speaking his complaint nor in refraining from it. His pain, symbolized by his relentless physical and mental torment, remains steadfast and unrelieved. This verse is key to understanding the depth of Job's predicament; he is caught in a profound existential bind, suggesting that his suffering surpasses human capacity for comfort or resolution. This poignant statement serves as a powerful refutation of his friends' simplistic advice, revealing their utter failure as comforters, and implicitly shifts the focus from human means of alleviation to the divine, emphasizing the uniqueness and intensity of Job's suffering which can only be truly addressed by God's wisdom or intervention.