Job 19 22

Job 19:22 kjv

Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

Job 19:22 nkjv

Why do you persecute me as God does, And are not satisfied with my flesh?

Job 19:22 niv

Why do you pursue me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh?

Job 19:22 esv

Why do you, like God, pursue me? Why are you not satisfied with my flesh?

Job 19:22 nlt

Must you also persecute me, like God does?
Haven't you chewed me up enough?

Job 19 verses

Job 19 22 Meaning

Job 19:22 is a poignant cry from Job to his three friends, accusing them of relentless persecution. After lamenting his utter isolation and profound suffering inflicted by God, Job turns to his friends, questioning their continuous harassment. He asks why they pursue him as if they were God Himself, adding to the divine affliction, and expressing dismay that their desire to see him utterly broken, or his very essence consumed, is still not satisfied. It conveys Job's feeling that his friends are mimicking divine judgment in their accusations and are relentlessly devouring his last vestiges of strength and reputation.

Job 19 22 Context

Job 19:22 appears in the midst of Job's extensive response (Job 19:1-29) to Bildad's final and brief speech. In this chapter, Job describes his utter devastation, the complete alienation from all his family and acquaintances, and the conviction that God Himself has afflicted him beyond measure. He feels like a spectacle of divine punishment. This lament then builds towards his profound declaration of faith in a living Redeemer who will ultimately vindicate him (vv. 25-27). Immediately following the description of his profound personal suffering and before his great statement of hope, Job pivots to his friends, expressing astonishment and deep hurt at their relentless pursuit and additional burden on his suffering, acting as agents of his misfortune rather than sources of comfort. He views their continued condemnation as a merciless addition to his divine affliction, essentially joining God in the hunt for his destruction.

Job 19 22 Word analysis

• Why: The Hebrew word is מָה (mah), serving as an interrogative. In this context, it functions as an intense expression of exasperation, bewilderment, and indignant complaint rather than a simple request for information. It underscores Job’s utter shock at his friends’ continued unkindness.
• do you pursue me: The verb is תִּרְדְּפוּנִי (tirdephuni), derived from the root רדף (radaph). This word implies an active, aggressive, and relentless pursuit, like hunting or chasing. It’s used elsewhere for a hunter pursuing prey (Lam 3:52) or an enemy pursuing a foe (Gen 14:15). Job feels hunted, as if his friends are constantly hounding him, driving him to the edge. This is not passive observation but active aggression through their words and accusations.
• like God: The Hebrew phrase is כָּאֵל (ka'el), a prefixed preposition כְּ (ke), meaning "as" or "like," attached to אֵל (El), which means "God" or "God Most High." This comparison is highly significant. Job isn't suggesting his friends literally are God, but that they are imitating or mirroring God's perceived destructive actions towards him. Job feels God has already pursued and afflicted him; for his friends to do likewise is an unbearable compounding of his misery, perhaps even suggesting they are claiming a divine mandate for their accusations. This carries a strong polemical element, as Job sees them overstepping their human bounds and usurping a role of divine judgment.
• And are not satisfied with my flesh?: The Hebrew is וּמִבְּשָׂרִי לֹא תִשְׂבָּעוּ (u'mibbsari lo tisba'u).
  • וּמִבְּשָׂרִי (u'mibbsari): From "my flesh." בָּשָׂר (basar) means "flesh," but it encompasses more than just the physical body. In Hebrew thought, "flesh" can represent the entire physical being, life, vitality, or even one's very existence, substance, or what is left of them. It speaks of the essence of Job.
  • לֹא תִשְׂבָּעוּ (lo tisba'u): "are not satisfied," or "will not be sated/full." The root is שׂבע (saba'), meaning "to be satisfied, full, sated." Job implies that despite his utterly ravaged state, both physically and emotionally, his friends' malicious hunger to condemn and further wound him remains insatiable. They desire to utterly consume him, leaving nothing. It points to a deep, devouring intent.

• "Why do you pursue me like God?": This phrase underscores Job’s feeling of being relentlessly hounded. He sees his friends not as comforting allies but as additional adversaries, aligning themselves with what he perceives as God's wrath against him. It highlights Job’s profound sense of abandonment and his perception that even those who should support him have joined his cosmic tormentor. The "pursuit" is primarily through their verbal accusations, condemnations, and arguments that seek to establish his guilt.
• "And are not satisfied with my flesh?": This vivid, almost cannibalistic image conveys the totality of the friends' destructive desire. "My flesh" refers to Job's entire being – his strength, health, reputation, standing, and dignity. Job feels they are intent on utterly devouring him, leaving nothing intact. This is not merely an attack on his well-being but on his very existence and everything he holds dear. Their accusations consume his very essence.

Job 19 22 Bonus section

The positioning of Job 19:22 is crucial. It appears before Job's iconic declaration in Job 19:25-27, where he affirms his hope in a living Redeemer. This indicates the profound depths of despair and accusation Job reaches before articulating his incredible statement of faith. His faith is not a simplistic escape from pain but emerges from the crucible of absolute abandonment by God and man, leading to such a bitter outcry against his friends. The language here ("pursue," "flesh," "not satisfied") uses strong, predatory imagery, elevating the friends' verbal assault to a near-violent, devouring act. This emphasizes the psychological and emotional trauma inflicted by their accusations, often as devastating as physical harm.

Job 19 22 Commentary

Job 19:22 is a deeply emotional outpouring from Job, revealing his despair over his friends' cruelty. Having already described the intense suffering he experiences from God, he is astonished and deeply hurt that his closest companions have joined in his perceived "hunt." His cry, "Why do you pursue me like God?", is less about divine equality for his friends and more about the devastating parallelism: God afflicts, and now his human friends continue the onslaught through their merciless accusations, amplifying his pain. The metaphor of being "not satisfied with my flesh" graphically portrays their desire to see him utterly consumed and ruined, leaving no part of him, whether his physical health, reputation, or dignity, intact. This highlights a fundamental betrayal, turning those who should offer solace into instruments of torment. Job is not asking for more suffering; he is asking for their persecution to cease, acknowledging his complete physical and spiritual devastation, as if there is nothing left to devour. Practically, this verse warns against adding to the burden of those who suffer and reminds believers to offer grace and compassion instead of judgment when others are afflicted.