Job 6:11 kjv
What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?
Job 6:11 nkjv
"What strength do I have, that I should hope? And what is my end, that I should prolong my life?
Job 6:11 niv
"What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient?
Job 6:11 esv
What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I should be patient?
Job 6:11 nlt
But I don't have the strength to endure.
I have nothing to live for.
Job 6 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 31:10 | For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth... | Lack of physical and emotional strength due to affliction. |
| Ps 38:8 | I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. | Deep personal anguish leading to brokenness and roaring cries. |
| Ps 42:11 | Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: | Questioning self's despair but then urging hope in God. |
| Ps 88:15 | I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. | Profound and prolonged affliction, bordering on death, causing distraction. |
| Ps 90:10 | The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. | Human life's brevity and the futility of even extended years filled with sorrow. |
| Ps 119:49 | Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. | Reminding God of a basis for hope rooted in His word. |
| Prov 13:12 | Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. | The debilitating effect of prolonged unfulfilled hope. |
| Eccl 1:2-3 | Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? | The general futility and meaninglessness of human endeavor apart from God. |
| Isa 40:29-31 | He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. ... But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength... | God as the divine source of strength for the weary and those who wait. |
| Jer 14:19 | Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul loathed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? | A plea of hopelessness when no healing or end to affliction is apparent. |
| Lam 3:21-22 | This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. | Finding hope in God's unfailing mercies, despite current suffering. |
| Hab 1:2-3 | O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou shew me iniquity...? | A prophet's anguished cry for divine intervention and explanation of prolonged evil. |
| Rom 5:3-4 | And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: | Suffering as a pathway to developing Christian hope. |
| Rom 8:24-25 | For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. | Defining biblical hope as a patient waiting for the unseen future. |
| Rom 15:13 | Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. | God as the origin of hope, bestowing it through faith and the Spirit. |
| 1 Cor 15:19 | If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. | Emphasizing the eternal nature of Christian hope; life without it is miserable. |
| 2 Cor 1:8-9 | For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: | Experiencing trouble so overwhelming it exceeds natural strength, leading to despair. |
| 2 Cor 12:9-10 | And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. ... Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches...for when I am weak, then am I strong. | God's power made manifest through human weakness, providing strength to endure. |
| Heb 6:18-19 | That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast... | The steadfast, anchoring nature of hope in God's immutable promises. |
| James 1:2-3 | My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. | Suffering as a test of faith that produces steadfastness. |
| Rev 21:4 | And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. | The ultimate divine promise of an end to all suffering and sorrow. |
Job 6 verses
Job 6 11 Meaning
Job 6:11 is a poignant lament expressing the utter despair of Job, who finds no reason to continue living in his extreme suffering. He questions what remaining strength he possesses to justify hoping for an improvement, and what purpose there is in prolonging his life when his agony has no apparent end or resolution. It reveals a deep sense of futility, exhaustion, and the perceived absence of any future prospect worth enduring his current state.
Job 6 11 Context
Job 6:11 is part of Job’s desperate and emotionally raw response to Eliphaz the Temanite in Job chapters 6-7. Eliphaz, following traditional wisdom, had suggested that Job’s suffering must be due to his sin, implying that true repentance would lead to restoration. Job vehemently rejects this simplistic theological framework. In this verse, Job pours out his immense frustration and sense of abandonment, arguing that his agony is beyond human endurance, his strength completely depleted, and his life without any foreseeable end to the suffering. He expresses a desire for release, even death, as his physical and mental state offers no rational basis for hoping or continuing his struggle. He feels misunderstood by his friends and seems to perceive no way out from his unbearable situation, either through his own efforts or divine intervention.
Job 6 11 Word analysis
What is my strength,: This translates from the Hebrew "מַה־כֹּחִי" (mah-kō·ḥî).
- מַה (mah): Interrogative particle meaning "what?" It conveys an rhetorical question of futility, emphasizing that the answer is "none" or "nothing significant."
- כֹּחִי (kō·ḥî): From כֹּחַ (koach), meaning "strength," "power," "ability," "force," or "might." The suffix '-i' indicates "my." Job is stating he has no remaining power or vitality. It signifies physical and emotional stamina, and his plea highlights its utter depletion. In biblical thought, true strength often comes from the Lord (Isa 40:29). Job feels disconnected from this divine source of power.
that I should hope?: This is "כִּי אֲיַחֵל" (kî a·ya·ḥêl).
- כִּי (kî): Can mean "that," "because," "for," "when," or introduce a rhetorical question. Here it frames the reason or purpose.
- אֲיַחֵל (a·ya·ḥêl): From יחל (yahal), meaning "to wait," "to hope," "to linger," "to endure patiently." It implies looking forward to something, often with anticipation or trust. Job uses it here to convey a complete absence of a reason to anticipate anything better, or any foundation for patient endurance. His current state leaves no ground for future expectation or waiting. Hope, for Job, is no longer a theological virtue but an abstract concept stripped of all meaning.
and what is mine end,: This is "וּמַה־קִּצִּי" (ū·mah-qits·tsî).
- וּ (ū): Conjunction "and," connecting the two rhetorical questions.
- מַה (mah): Again, the rhetorical "what?", signifying "none."
- קִּצִּי (qits·tsî): From קֵץ (qets), meaning "end," "limit," "completion," "cessation," "boundary." The suffix '-i' means "my." This refers to the endpoint of his suffering, the conclusion of his life, or perhaps a definite termination to his predicament. Job perceives no end in sight to his torment, and therefore no relief or finality to look forward to. He wants to know if there is a purpose, a definite point where all this agony will conclude.
that I should prolong my life?: This is "כִּי אַאֲרִיךְ נַפְשִׁי" (kî a·’a·rîḵ nap̄·šî).
- כִּי (kî): Again, "that" or "for the reason that."
- אַאֲרִיךְ (a·’a·rîḵ): From ארך (arak), "to be long," "to lengthen," "to prolong." This is the causative form, "that I should cause to be long." Job is questioning the intentional act of maintaining his existence.
- נַפְשִׁי (nap̄·šî): From נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh), meaning "soul," "life," "person," "self," "being." The suffix '-i' indicates "my." It refers to his very being, his vitality, his conscious existence. Job sees no point in drawing out, or intentionally sustaining, his agonizing existence.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "What is my strength, that I should hope?": This rhetorical question highlights Job's spiritual and physical bankruptcy. He feels completely depleted, physically unable to bear more, and emotionally void of any foundation upon which to build hope. Hope, in biblical terms, is usually connected to divine faithfulness, but Job, at this moment, perceives none for himself. His current suffering has consumed all capacity for optimistic expectation.
- "and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?": This phrase underscores the futility and hopelessness of his condition. If there is no end to his suffering (no "end" or relief), why should he continue living or make any effort to extend his life? It is a raw expression of desiring an exit from his pain, with death seeming preferable to continuing a life without strength or a discernible end to his anguish.
Job 6 11 Bonus section
This verse offers a glimpse into the raw human experience of profound grief and incomprehensible suffering. It emphasizes that real biblical faith is not always expressed through triumphant declarations but can also manifest through honest questioning and desperate cries to God. Job is not questioning God's existence, but the reason for his continued existence and the purpose of his agony. His challenge is deeply theological for him, pushing against the rigid retribution theology (good deeds rewarded, sin punished) held by his friends and common at the time. He feels he is unjustly suffering, making the continuation of his life senseless to him.
Job 6 11 Commentary
Job 6:11 serves as a profound cry from the depths of human despair, showcasing Job's candid and unfiltered anguish. It dismantles the shallow comfort offered by his friends and confronts the traditional understanding of divine justice prevalent at the time. Job's rhetorical questions are not seeking answers but articulating the absence of reasons for endurance. He lacks physical and emotional capacity ("strength") to sustain his hope for a better future, and perceives no "end" to his relentless suffering. Therefore, he questions the very purpose of clinging to life. This verse exemplifies the spiritual honesty that permeates the book of Job, reminding us that even the righteous can experience profound periods of doubt, weariness, and despair, openly questioning God's purposes without abandoning Him entirely, albeit in agonizing complaint. It validates the legitimacy of raw lament in faith and reveals suffering can feel purposeless without a revelation of God's broader plan.