Job 6 16

Job 6:16 kjv

Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid:

Job 6:16 nkjv

Which are dark because of the ice, And into which the snow vanishes.

Job 6:16 niv

when darkened by thawing ice and swollen with melting snow,

Job 6:16 esv

which are dark with ice, and where the snow hides itself.

Job 6:16 nlt

when it is swollen with ice and melting snow.

Job 6 verses

Job 6 16 Meaning

Job 6:16 describes the characteristics of seasonal streams (wadis) in mountainous regions that Job likened to his unsupportive friends. These streams appear full and strong in the cold season, drawing their dark, murky water from melting ice and snow. The verse highlights their deceptive appearance of abundance and their transient nature, dependent on a fleeting, unseen source. It foreshadows the profound disappointment when these seemingly robust sources of water disappear during warmer times.

Job 6 16 Context

Job 6:16 is part of Job’s passionate response to Eliphaz the Temanite (Job 6-7). Eliphaz had just suggested that Job’s suffering was a result of his own sin, prompting Job to express the overwhelming anguish of his affliction. Job defends his vehement outcry, asserting it is commensurate with his unbearable pain (vv. 2-7). He then turns his lament to his friends, criticizing their lack of empathy and true comfort. Verses 15-20 specifically employ the vivid metaphor of a deceitful desert wadi (seasonal stream). Job explains that these wadis, filled with the temporary run-off from ice and snow in the winter (v. 16), become parched and vanish during the summer heat. Travelers who rely on them are left stranded and perish (vv. 17-19). His friends, who appeared promising sources of wisdom and comfort, have proven just as unreliable, failing him precisely when he is most in need (v. 20).

Job 6 16 Word analysis

• "Which" (אֲשֶׁר, asher): This serves as a connector, referring back to the "streams" or "torrents" (נַחֲלֵי, naḥă·lê - wadis) mentioned in the preceding verse (Job 6:15). It points to the specific water courses that are the subject of Job’s disillusionment.
• "are dark" (קֹדְרִים, qōḏərîm): From the root קָדַר (qadar), meaning to be gloomy, to mourn, to become black. Here, it describes the turbid, opaque appearance of the water in these wadis, often due to sediment or the slush of melting ice and snow. It evokes a sense of obscure depths and uninviting coldness, subtly hinting at their treacherous nature despite apparent fullness.
• "by reason of the ice" (מִנִּי קָרַח, minnî qāraḥ):
  • מִנִּי (minnî): A preposition meaning "from," "because of," or "by reason of." It indicates the cause or source of the water's characteristic.
  • קָרַח (qāraḥ): Refers to "ice" or "frost." This identifies the cold-weather origin of the stream's waters, marking them as seasonal. The presence of ice underscores the harshness of the winter source and its eventual disappearance in heat.
• "and wherein" (עָלֵימוֹ, ʿālêymō): Literally "upon them" (the wadis). In this context, it functions idiomatically to mean "in them" or "therein," describing the contents of the streams.
• "the snow is hid" (יִתְעַלַּם שָׁלֶג, yiṯʿal·lam šāleḡ):
  • יִתְעַלַּם (yiṯʿal·lam): A Niphal (passive/reflexive) form of the verb עָלַם (ʿālam), meaning "to conceal," "to be hidden," "to be unperceived." It indicates that the snow, the very source of the water, is concealed within the dark flow or hidden from direct view, implying a latent and unobserved power. The hiddenness underscores its transient nature; once conditions change, this source will no longer "reveal" itself.
  • שָׁלֶג (šāleḡ): Means "snow." This completes the picture of a cold-weather phenomenon feeding the wadi.
• Word Group: "are dark by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid": This collective phrase constructs a powerful visual. It portrays the wadi as deceptively full: its darkness and murkiness hint at hidden elements (ice, snow) which are both its source of present abundance and the sign of its eventual vanishing. This dependency on temporary meteorological conditions renders the stream utterly unreliable for those in desperate need, paralleling Job's friends whose perceived depth of comfort disappears in his time of distress.

Job 6 16 Bonus section

• The detailed imagery of the seasonal stream showcases Job’s profound understanding of his environment and his skill in weaving vivid natural metaphors into his speech, making his lament both universal and deeply culturally resonant for his audience.
• This specific imagery serves as a direct contrast to concepts of perennial springs or "living waters" found elsewhere in the Scriptures, which symbolize God's unchanging and ever-present provision. The "hiddenness" of the snow underscores the subtle, imperceptible ways these streams are sustained, making their eventual failure all the more shocking to someone reliant upon them.
• The portrayal of the "dark" streams might also reflect the darkness of Job's own outlook; his physical and emotional agony is paralleled by the gloomy and unsettling nature of the very "comfort" offered to him.

Job 6 16 Commentary

Job 6:16 functions as a critical component in Job’s profound lament against his friends, illustrating the fleeting and unreliable nature of their purported comfort and counsel. By describing the winter wadis that derive their dark, imposing appearance from melting ice and concealed snow, Job draws an eloquent analogy to his companions. These streams, seemingly abundant in the cold season, are in fact intrinsically transient, dependent on sources that inevitably vanish with the rising heat. The "darkness" of the water points not only to its turbid appearance but also to an underlying ambiguity or potential for deception; its depth of character, like that of his friends' comfort, is questionable. Just as a desert traveler places perilous trust in these streams only to find them dry and mocking in drought, Job expresses his bitter disappointment in friends who, instead of offering the expected refreshing balm, have provided only accusation and judgment. The verse underlines a fundamental truth: human resources and comfort, if not anchored in true, abiding wisdom and compassion, are ephemeral and ultimately incapable of sustaining one through deep suffering, pushing the suffering individual toward the only reliable source, God himself.