Job 19 11

Job 19:11 kjv

He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.

Job 19:11 nkjv

He has also kindled His wrath against me, And He counts me as one of His enemies.

Job 19:11 niv

His anger burns against me; he counts me among his enemies.

Job 19:11 esv

He has kindled his wrath against me and counts me as his adversary.

Job 19:11 nlt

His fury burns against me;
he counts me as an enemy.

Job 19 11 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Ex 32:10"...Let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them..."God's righteous wrath.
Deut 29:20"...then the anger of the LORD and His jealousy will burn against that man..."Divine anger against transgression.
Ps 7:11"God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day."God's righteous judgment and wrath.
Ps 18:25-26"With the blameless You show Yourself blameless...with the crooked You make Yourself seem tortuous."God's justice reflects behavior.
Ps 38:3"There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation..."Physical suffering linked to divine anger.
Ps 74:3-4"...The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary."God's allowing adversaries to harm His people.
Ps 89:38"But You have cast off and rejected, You have shown Yourself incensed against Your anointed."Feeling rejected by God's anger.
Lam 2:5"The Lord has become like an enemy; He has swallowed up Israel..."God appearing as an adversary to His people.
Is 30:27"Behold, the name of the LORD comes from a distant place, burning with His anger..."Manifestation of God's consuming anger.
Is 42:25"So He poured out on him the heat of His anger and the fury of war..."God pouring out wrath.
Is 53:3-4"...a man of sorrows...we considered Him stricken by God, smitten and afflicted."Suffering Servant identified with affliction.
Is 55:8-9"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways..."God's ways are beyond human comprehension.
Jer 12:1"...Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?"Questioning God's justice regarding suffering.
Job 27:2"As God lives, who has taken away my right, and the Almighty, who has embittered my soul..."Job's persistent accusation against God.
Job 13:24"Why do You hide Your face and consider me Your enemy?"Direct parallel to being considered an enemy.
Job 16:9"His anger has torn me and persecuted me..."God tearing Job in anger.
Prov 17:15"He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination..."Condemnation of the righteous is wrong.
1 Pet 2:23"and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats..."Christ suffering unjustly.
1 Pet 4:19"...let those who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator..."Suffering unjustly, entrusting to God.
Heb 12:6"For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives."God's discipline vs. perceived wrath.
Rom 5:1"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God..."Peace instead of enmity with God.
Eph 2:13"...you who were formerly far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ."Reconciliation instead of spiritual enmity.

Job 19 verses

Job 19 11 Meaning

Job 19:11 is a lament by Job, expressing his deep conviction that God has actively turned against him, treating him as an enemy rather than a righteous servant. Job perceives God's severe affliction as a direct manifestation of divine wrath, wrongly kindled towards him. He feels utterly forsaken and misjudged by God, who, from Job's perspective, imputes to him the status of an adversary, unjustly targeting him with the same severity one would reserve for an opponent.

Job 19 11 Context

Job 19:11 is part of Job’s third and most profound speech in response to his friends' accusations, specifically aimed at Bildad’s arguments. Having just been labeled an oppressor of the poor by Bildad, Job counters with a desperate cry of innocence, highlighting his blameless life while describing the incomprehensible nature of his suffering. This verse immediately follows Job’s poignant description of his complete isolation, abandonment by family, servants, and even his closest friends (Job 19:1-10). In the immediate verses (19:6-10), Job directly attributes his calamity to God, who has 'subverted' his cause and 'laid him waste.' Verse 11 escalates this perception, moving from mere physical devastation to a theological conviction that God views him as a hostile opponent, completely misjudging his character and integrity. The historical context reflects an Ancient Near Eastern worldview where misfortune was often directly linked to divine punishment for sin. Job’s lament deeply challenges this common retribution theology, as he maintains his righteousness despite being subjected to the most extreme divine wrath.

Job 19 11 Word analysis

  • He: Refers to God, identified throughout Job’s speech as the ultimate cause of his suffering, the unseen opponent and judge.
  • has also kindled: The Hebrew verb is חרה (chārâh), meaning "to be hot, to be angry, enraged." It describes a furious, blazing anger, often leading to destructive action. Job views this anger as specifically ignited and directed at him. This word is often used for God's wrath against Israel's disobedience or human wickedness, making Job's experience particularly confounding to him.
  • His wrath: The Hebrew noun is אף ('ap), literally "nose," often meaning "anger" or "wrath" derived from the image of the nose flaring or snorting in anger. This signifies the intense displeasure of God. Job perceives divine fury that has consumed his life.
  • against me: Direct, personal target. Job feels God’s intense wrath is not generally against sin or a deserving party, but specifically and unjustly aimed at him.
  • and counts me: The Hebrew verb is חשׁב (châshav), meaning "to think, reckon, devise, impute, esteem." It implies a deliberate assessment or decision made by God. Job believes God has specifically appraised his status and determined him to be something he is not.
  • as one of His adversaries: The Hebrew noun is צר (tsar), meaning "adversary, enemy, foe," often implying one who restricts or causes distress. This is the culmination of Job's perception: God has identified him not just as someone who deserves punishment, but as an active opponent, a rebellious enemy, someone to be defeated. This deepens the sting of his suffering, as he truly sees himself as God’s loyal servant.
  • "He has also kindled His wrath against me": This phrase highlights Job’s conviction that his suffering is not random or a test, but a direct, deliberate act of divine displeasure. It portrays God as actively engaged in causing Job's distress, fueling the perception of God as an antagonistic force.
  • "and counts me as one of His adversaries": This expresses Job’s deepest pain: God views him as an enemy. For a faithful worshipper like Job, being branded an 'adversary' by the very God he serves is the ultimate accusation and source of spiritual anguish. It represents a fundamental mischaracterization from his perspective, challenging his understanding of God's justice. This specific imputation implies a false judgment, an arbitrary assignment of guilt where Job perceives none.

Job 19 11 Bonus section

This verse reflects a recurring theme in the Book of Job: the disparity between Job's perception of his righteousness and God's perceived action against him. It's a key example of how suffering can lead one to re-evaluate their relationship with God, even to the point of questioning divine character and justice. Job’s statement, while harsh, is not an abandonment of faith but a desperate plea from within it. It demonstrates that true lament, even in its raw and accusatory form, can be a valid expression of relationship with God, born out of deep devotion that struggles with profound spiritual paradox. The entire book ultimately provides a broader perspective, showing that God is sovereign even over human suffering and that His ways are inscrutable, transcending human understanding of justice, while never affirming that Job was genuinely God's adversary.

Job 19 11 Commentary

Job 19:11 encapsulates Job’s core anguish and the theological crisis he faces: his unwavering conviction of personal innocence is juxtaposed against his perception of God's relentless and irrational hostility. From Job's vantage point, the sheer magnitude and nature of his suffering cannot be reconciled with a just God who deals righteously with His faithful servants. He is not merely experiencing hardship; he is enduring what he perceives as a personal vendetta from God, being cast into the role of a rebel or foe, an imputation that utterly negates his identity and faith. This verse vividly portrays Job's feeling of being trapped in a divine misunderstanding, wherein the righteous are treated as the wicked, challenging the very fabric of retributive justice prevalent in his time. It highlights the profound suffering of spiritual alienation and the torment of being fundamentally misjudged by the highest authority.