Job 6 23

Job 6:23 kjv

Or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?

Job 6:23 nkjv

Or, 'Deliver me from the enemy's hand'? Or, 'Redeem me from the hand of oppressors'?

Job 6:23 niv

deliver me from the hand of the enemy, rescue me from the clutches of the ruthless'?

Job 6:23 esv

Or, 'Deliver me from the adversary's hand'? Or, 'Redeem me from the hand of the ruthless'?

Job 6:23 nlt

Have I asked you to rescue me from my enemies,
or to save me from ruthless people?

Job 6 verses

Job 6 23 Meaning

Job 6:23 is a rhetorical question posed by Job to his friends, essentially asking if he ever implored them for material help or intervention against his foes. He declares that he did not ask them to deliver him from any oppressor or redeem him from any tyrant's hand. This statement underscores Job's integrity and his refutation of any implied accusations that he might have resorted to base means or sought improper worldly aid due to his afflictions. It emphasizes that his current suffering is not a result of any such actions on his part.

Job 6 23 Context

Job 6:23 falls within Job's initial response (chapters 6-7) to Eliphaz's accusations in Job 4-5. Eliphaz suggested Job's suffering was due to hidden sin, implying a simple cause-and-effect for suffering. Job, however, vehemently maintains his innocence and refutes his friends' attempts to 'comfort' him, which only deepened his distress. In Job 6, Job laments the intensity of his suffering, criticizes his friends for their lack of genuine empathy and help, and asserts that his words are not baseless complaints but true reflections of immense anguish. Specifically, in verses 21-23, Job questions his friends' value as companions, stating they had failed to provide any real assistance or understanding. He rhetorically asks if he ever sought their charity or physical protection, highlighting that his crisis is spiritual and existential, not a simple worldly problem demanding a physical or financial bailout. This specific verse emphasizes that Job had no ulterior motive in his speech; he was not begging for material aid or rescue from an external human enemy. His true desire was understanding and vindication from God, not succor from his limited human companions.

Job 6 23 Word analysis

• Or (וְלֹא - vê-lōʾ): This is a conjunction meaning "and not" or "nor," but in rhetorical questions, it can introduce an alternative or a negation, implying "Was it not so that...?" or "Did I not ask for...?" Here, it functions to initiate Job's series of denials, reinforcing that he did not do what is implied. It establishes a strong rhetorical "no."
• Deliver (פַּלְּטוּ - palleṭū): A Hifil imperative, meaning "cause to escape," "bring to safety," or "deliver." This denotes a forceful or active rescue from a dangerous situation or the grasp of an oppressor. It implies direct intervention and liberation.
• Me (לי - lî): Implied object, meaning "for me" or "to me."
• from the hand (מִיַּד - miyyad): The word yad (hand) often signifies power, authority, control, or agency. To be delivered "from the hand of" indicates being freed from the grasp or domination of another.
• of the adversary (צָר - ṣār): Meaning "foe," "adversary," "enemy," or "one who causes distress." It speaks of an individual or force that imposes hardship or tight circumstances, akin to a 'strait.'
• Or (וּמִיַּד - ûmiyyad): Again, "and from the hand," serving as a parallel structure to the previous phrase.
• Redeem (פְדוּ - p̄eḏû): This is a verb indicating "to redeem," "to ransom," "to liberate," often by payment of a price. In the ancient Near East, redemption could involve buying back a relative from slavery or a property from another's possession. It signifies a profound act of liberation, sometimes implying a transfer of ownership or responsibility.
• of the oppressor (עָרִיץ - ʿārîṣ): Meaning "tyrant," "ruthless," "violent one." This term implies someone who exerts cruel and overbearing power, often without justice, holding others captive or under subjugation.

Words-group analysis:

• "Deliver me from the hand of the adversary": This phrase speaks to Job's experience of facing immense personal distress, perhaps hinting at Satan's affliction or the oppressive hand of his overwhelming circumstances. It specifically refers to an active rescue from an immediate threat or enemy's power. Job asserts he did not ask his friends to undertake this type of military or legal intervention on his behalf.
• "Redeem me from the hand of the oppressor": This second parallel phrase extends the meaning of deliverance. "Redeem" implies a cost or effort, suggesting freedom from bondage or a coercive situation imposed by a tyrant. It evokes images of someone being held captive or subjected to unjust dominion. Job is emphasizing that he didn't seek his friends to pay a "ransom" or secure his freedom from a powerful, cruel master. Both phrases serve to emphasize that Job's need was not for material or physical intervention from his friends, but for understanding, vindication, and divine justice.

Job 6 23 Bonus section

The rhetorical questions in Job 6:21-23 expose the fundamental flaw in the friends' approach: they had reduced Job's profound spiritual crisis to a simplistic formula of sin-suffering-solution. Job's assertion that he did not seek worldly relief points to his elevated focus. He did not seek human intervention for a human problem but divine revelation for a divine mystery (his suffering). This prefigures his ultimate direct appeal to God in later chapters, bypassing the limitations of his friends' understanding and their flawed theological frameworks. This passage also showcases Job's profound sense of abandonment by human support (Job 6:14-20) and serves as a powerful testament to self-reliance upon God's justice, even amidst utter despair, rather than succumbing to human pleas.

Job 6 23 Commentary

Job 6:23 functions as a profound counter-argument to the unspoken accusation that Job was either impoverished by his own sin or had sought their worldly intervention in a way that warranted their judgmental stance. By rhetorically asking if he ever solicited their material aid, protection from foes, or payment of ransom, Job underscores his spiritual autonomy and dignity. He highlights the true nature of his crisis: not a need for physical deliverance from earthly enemies or financial relief, but an overwhelming desire for God's vindication in the face of suffering and misunderstanding. This verse implicitly dismisses the transactional theology of his friends, affirming that his integrity remains despite his agony and that his appeals are directed towards God, not the limited capacity or misplaced judgments of men. His pain is real, his plea for relief is real, but it is not a plea for human charity or a mercenary rescue.