Job 19 4

Job 19:4 kjv

And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.

Job 19:4 nkjv

And if indeed I have erred, My error remains with me.

Job 19:4 niv

If it is true that I have gone astray, my error remains my concern alone.

Job 19:4 esv

And even if it be true that I have erred, my error remains with myself.

Job 19:4 nlt

Even if I have sinned,
that is my concern, not yours.

Job 19 verses

Job 19 4 Meaning

Job 19:4 expresses Job's profound anguish and frustration with his friends' relentless accusations. He declares that even if he has erred or strayed, the consequence or accountability for that error pertains solely to himself. It is a poignant assertion of personal responsibility and an indignant rejection of his companions' right to judge or to leverage his suffering as proof of his supposed wrongdoing. Job suggests that his situation, even if related to a personal mistake, is a matter strictly between him and God, not something for human critique or theological condemnation from those who offer no true comfort.

Job 19 4 Context

Job 19:4 is part of Job's third response to his friends, specifically answering Bildad's harsh and condemnatory words in Job chapter 18. The immediate context sees Job feeling completely forsaken by God and ridiculed by his companions. He perceives himself as surrounded by enemies – both divine and human. Job has pleaded for pity (Job 19:21-22), lamented his total isolation (Job 19:13-20), and questioned the justice of his suffering while clinging to the hope of a Redeemer (Job 19:25-27). This verse comes after he decries his friends' persistence in tormenting him (Job 19:2-3). Job challenges their understanding of suffering and their right to declare his guilt. He is exasperated by their simplistic theology of retribution, which posits that intense suffering directly implies great sin. Job's assertion in verse 4 is both a defensive plea and an almost defiant statement that, even hypothetically admitting to an error, it is a matter of personal accountability and not a basis for their judgment.

Job 19 4 Word analysis

• וְאַף־אָמְנָה (Ve'af-omnâ): Literally "And indeed/verily."

  • וְאַף (Ve'af): "And even," "and indeed," "moreover." The particle "ve'af" introduces an emphatic conditional clause, highlighting a strong concession or hypothetical scenario. It intensifies the subsequent "omnâ," stressing the weight of Job's thought.
  • אָמְנָה (omnâ): From the root "אמן" (aman), meaning "to be firm, faithful, true." Used here as an adverb, "truly," "indeed," "verily." It strengthens the concession, giving a sense of genuine consideration to the possibility, even if hypothetical for Job. It's related to the concept of steadfastness, which Job remarkably embodies despite his suffering.

• שָׁגִיתִי (shâgîṯî): "I have erred," "I have strayed," "I have gone astray."

  • From the verb "שָׁגָה" (shagah), which typically denotes unintentional error, wandering, or making a mistake. It is often used for sins of inadvertence (e.g., Lev 4:2, Num 15:27), contrasting with deliberate, presumptuous sin. This choice of word is crucial for Job's argument; he is not admitting to grave, wilful transgression, but merely conceding the universal human capacity for error or straying, which might include intellectual error, misjudgment, or minor lapses, not necessarily a sin that deserves his current extreme suffering.

• מַגִּי (maggî): "my error," "my going astray."

  • This is a noun form derived from the same root "שָׁגָה" (shagah), here with a first-person possessive suffix ("my"). It solidifies the previous verb into a concrete concept – my specific instance of error or straying. The focus remains squarely on Job's personal conduct, emphasizing its intrinsic relation to himself.

• לִי (lî): "to me," "with me," "on me," "for myself."

  • A dative pronoun emphasizing personal ownership and effect. It directs the consequence of the error exclusively towards Job himself, preventing its external attribution or the drawing of conclusions by others. It is deeply personal.

• תָלִין (tâlîn): "it remains," "it lodges," "it stays," "it dwells," "it spends the night."

  • From the verb "לִין" (lin), meaning "to lodge, abide, stay overnight." This verb implies a continuous or enduring presence, not a fleeting mistake. "Lodges" conveys the idea that the error and its accompanying consequences settle or reside permanently with him. It emphasizes that if there is an error, its implications remain uniquely his burden and his concern, not transferable to others, nor justifying their external judgment or meddling.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "וְאַף־אָמְנָה שָׁגִיתִי" (Ve'af-omnâ shagiti): "And if indeed I have erred/strayed." This phrase conveys a conditional and concessive admission. Job is not necessarily confessing to sin, but hypothesizing his fallibility. The strength of "ve'af-omnâ" combined with "shagiti" highlights Job's defensive stance: even if (though he's not truly conceding) he made an unintentional mistake, what business is it of theirs?
  • "מַגִּי לִי תָלִין" (maggi li talin): "my error lodges with myself." This powerful phrase asserts Job's autonomy and the intensely private nature of any hypothetical misstep. The possessive "my error" coupled with "with myself" (li) and the enduring nature implied by "lodges" or "remains" signifies that any consequence of error is internal to Job. It's a clear declaration that his potential failings, and any suffering that might derive from them, belong uniquely to him and are not subjects for external scrutiny or theological interpretation by his friends. This underscores his feeling of being judged unjustly.

Job 19 4 Bonus section

• Human Sovereignty in Suffering: This verse hints at a profound human longing for autonomy and privacy even in profound suffering. Job, stripped of everything, fiercely guards the one thing remaining: his relationship with his perceived "error" and its consequence, which he asserts is a domain for himself alone, beyond the prying eyes and judgmental words of men.
• A Precursor to Individual Responsibility: The verse prefigures the greater emphasis on individual accountability seen in later Old Testament prophets (like Jeremiah and Ezekiel) who moved away from the more corporate guilt emphasized earlier in Israelite history, highlighting that personal actions lead to personal consequences. Job applies this to the realm of "error" versus public judgment.
• The Problem of "Proof": Job challenges his friends to present empirical "proof" of his error that aligns with the severity of his suffering. This verse suggests he offers them no such evidence, making the point that if an error exists, it's not demonstrable or leverageable by them to fit their retributive framework.

Job 19 4 Commentary

Job 19:4 is a powerful expression of Job's wounded integrity and his exasperation with the simplistic theology of his friends. It's not a direct confession of sin, but rather a hypothetical, almost sarcastic, concession of human fallibility. By stating "And if indeed I have erred," Job subtly highlights the unproven nature of their accusations, while simultaneously challenging their authority to pronounce judgment. The word "shagiti," implying an unintentional straying rather than deliberate rebellion, is crucial. It asserts that even in the realm of human imperfection, his errors are not of a magnitude that warrants the cosmic upheaval he experiences. The core of the verse, "my error lodges with myself," encapsulates Job's deep personal suffering and his desire for his inner world and struggles to remain private. He means that any moral or theological reckoning, if necessary, is an issue between him and God alone. It firmly rebukes his friends' meddlesome and judgmental intrusion into his agony, essentially telling them, "My errors are my own; they concern no one else and certainly don't justify your cruelty or validate your shallow theology." It's a plea for solitude in his suffering, a protest against the invasion of his grief with unhelpful theological accusations.