Job 19 28

Job 19:28 kjv

But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

Job 19:28 nkjv

If you should say, 'How shall we persecute him?'? Since the root of the matter is found in me,

Job 19:28 niv

"If you say, 'How we will hound him, since the root of the trouble lies in him,'

Job 19:28 esv

If you say, 'How we will pursue him!' and, 'The root of the matter is found in him,'

Job 19:28 nlt

"How dare you go on persecuting me,
saying, 'It's his own fault'?

Job 19 verses

Job 19 28 Meaning

Job 19:28 presents a stern warning from Job to his friends, challenging their relentless pursuit and judgment of him. He asserts that if they continue to accuse and seek fault in him, treating him as one deserving of divine punishment, it is because "the root of the matter" – the underlying truth or cause of his affliction – is found within him, indicating his integrity and unjust suffering, or that the cause of his trial (his davar, "case" or "cause") is indeed his alone, belonging to him in a way they fail to comprehend. Their judgmental attitude, implying that a 'root of sin' must be found in him, will provoke God's just retribution upon them.

Job 19 28 Context

Job 19:28 falls within Job’s third and final response to his three friends, specifically responding to Bildad. This chapter marks a profound turning point for Job. Immediately preceding verse 28, Job delivers his celebrated confession of faith in a living Redeemer (Job 19:25-27), anticipating future vindication, perhaps even a bodily resurrection to witness his divine vindicator. After this incredible theological ascent, Job dramatically pivots to issue a stark warning to his friends. The friends' "conventional wisdom" held that severe suffering directly correlated with egregious sin, and thus, they relentlessly pursued Job for a confession. Verse 28 serves as Job's prophetic counsel: their continued "persecution" of him, driven by their erroneous assumption that he must have a "root of evil" within him to justify his suffering, will backfire. It is a polemic against their rigid retribution theology, indicating that their condemnation of him—who, from his perspective, is innocent—is an offense against God Himself and will invite divine judgment upon them. The "historical/cultural context" shows Job's friends upholding the Deuteronomic covenant framework (blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience) in a mechanistic and judgmental way, failing to grasp the complexities of suffering beyond direct causality for sin.

Job 19 28 Word analysis

• If you say: (Hebrew: אִם תֹּאמְרוּ, im tomru) – "If you say" or "If you think." This is a conditional statement indicating a hypothetical scenario, but in this dialogue, it points to the very real mindset and ongoing verbal persecution of Job's friends. It captures their unspoken (or previously spoken) intent and collective accusation.
• How shall we persecute him?: (Hebrew: מַה נִּרְדָּף לֽוֹ, mah nirdof lo) – This phrase, rendered "how shall we persecute him," indicates a determination to hunt or chase down Job, seeking out his supposed hidden sins.
  • Persecute (נִּרְדָּף, nirdof): The root רדף (radaph) means to chase, pursue, hunt, run after. It is often used in hostile contexts, implying malicious intent, aggression, and relentless hounding. For example, Pharaoh's pursuit of Israel (Ex 14:4). Here, it captures the friends' relentless accusations and badgering, portraying Job as their prey whom they are determined to prove guilty.
  • Him (לֽוֹ, lo): Refers directly to Job himself, highlighting the personal nature of their ongoing attack.
• since: (Hebrew: וְכֵן, veken or often understood implicitly as 'because' or 'seeing that') – This conjunction serves to connect their hostile intent with the foundational "root of the matter." It implies a causal link: because the truth is in Job, therefore their pursuit of him is misplaced and will lead to their undoing.
• the root (שֹׁרֶשׁ, shoresh): This term denotes origin, source, foundation, or basis. It implies something deep-seated and fundamental. In other biblical contexts, "root" can symbolize stability (Pr 12:3), life (Isa 11:1), or a hidden cause. Here, it refers to the core truth or cause of the dispute concerning Job’s suffering.
• of the matter (דָּבָר, davar): A broad Hebrew term meaning word, thing, affair, case, reason, cause, or substance. Combined with "root," it signifies the fundamental issue or the very ground of the dispute concerning Job’s suffering and innocence. It refers to the core of the ongoing theological and existential debate about why Job is suffering.
• is found (נִמְצָא, nimtza): This is a Niphal (passive) perfect form of the verb "to find." It means "it has been found" or "it exists." The passive voice emphasizes that this truth is not something to be sought and proven, but something that inherently is. It speaks to an established reality.
• in me (בִּי, bi): This crucial phrase means "in me" or "with me." It points to Job himself as the repository or subject of this "root of the matter." It has several significant layers of meaning, often debated by scholars:
  • Job's integrity: The truth ("the root of the matter") that he is innocent and blameless (as declared in Job 1:1, 8), resides "in him." Their search for hidden sin is futile because the foundational truth of his suffering is not due to wickedness in him.
  • Job's cause/case: The ultimate "root of the matter," meaning the truth or justification of his entire situation (his davar, his legal case before God and man), resides "in him." This implies that his suffering is not a punitive result of hidden sin, but something else entirely, whose cause rests ultimately with God and is understood through Job’s unwavering trust, as stated in verses 25-27.
  • The source of trouble for them: Less common, but it could also suggest that the 'root' (cause) of their own impending judgment will be found in Job (because they have wrongly accused an innocent man). The immediate context of warning strongly supports this.
  The prevalent interpretation, especially considering verses 25-27, is that "in me" refers to Job's enduring integrity or the divinely orchestrated trial itself, the true cause of which is known to Job and God, but not understood by the friends who mistakenly accuse him of sin. His true state—innocence in God's sight, awaiting vindication—is the real "root of the matter" that defies their flawed theological paradigm.

Words-group analysis:

• "If you say, 'How shall we persecute him?": This captures the friends' relentless, active hostility and determination to uncover Job's alleged sin, stemming from their retributive theological framework. They are "hunting" Job's presumed iniquity.
• "since the root of the matter is found in me": This profound statement underscores Job's counter-argument. He challenges their faulty premise. The 'root of the matter' is not hidden sin for them to find; rather, the fundamental truth about Job's suffering, his blamelessness in God’s sight, is embedded within him. Alternatively, the very cause (root) of his present circumstances is truly with him and God, something they cannot perceive through their limited worldview. Their continued 'persecution' based on a false premise (Job's guilt) will provoke a divine response. This is a dramatic assertion of his innocence against their persistent accusations.

Job 19 28 Bonus section

The "root of the matter" (shoresh davar) in this verse has been a point of scholarly discussion, with some ancient versions (e.g., LXX) rendering it as "the word against me." However, the Hebrew "in me" strongly points to Job himself as the locus of this foundational truth. This specific phrase showcases the literary genius of the book of Job, where a seemingly simple statement carries profound theological weight, challenging the established wisdom of the day and setting the stage for divine intervention. It subtly suggests that their judgment not only misses the mark on Job's character but also misinterprets the very nature of God's dealings with humanity. This verse is an indirect polemic against rigid theological systems that leave no room for innocent suffering or divine mysteries, and directly against the friends’ legalistic, merit-based view of suffering.

Job 19 28 Commentary

Job 19:28 is a climactic warning delivered by Job to his friends, directly following his magnificent declaration of hope in a living Redeemer (Job 19:25-27). This verse reveals a shift in Job’s posture from personal lament and theological declaration to a direct confrontation and a prophetic warning. The friends, adhering to a strict retribution theology, were convinced that Job’s immense suffering could only be a result of egregious, perhaps hidden, sin. Therefore, their ongoing dialogue involved badgering Job to confess. Job sees their relentless accusations as a malicious "persecution" (literally, hunting or pursuing him).

By stating "the root of the matter is found in me," Job throws their theological framework back at them. He's implying, "You think you're searching for the root (my sin), but the actual root of this entire situation—my blamelessness, my true condition, or the very case of my unjust suffering—is within me, an integrity you refuse to acknowledge." Because they are actively persecuting someone whom God knows is righteous, their actions cross a divine boundary. The verse implicitly states that their relentless pursuit of a fault that does not exist in him, or their rejection of his declared integrity (Job 19:25-27), will draw the very divine judgment they assume is reserved for the wicked—onto themselves. It is a potent foreshadowing of God's later rebuke of the friends in Job 42, where He explicitly states they have not spoken rightly of Him, unlike Job. The warning is not out of malice, but perhaps a final act of compassion or an attempt to shake them from their spiritual arrogance before divine judgment falls upon them for slandering a righteous man.