Job 6:24 kjv
Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
Job 6:24 nkjv
"Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; Cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
Job 6:24 niv
"Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong.
Job 6:24 esv
"Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have gone astray.
Job 6:24 nlt
Teach me, and I will keep quiet.
Show me what I have done wrong.
Job 6 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 25:4-5 | Show me your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths... lead me in your truth and teach me... | A plea for divine teaching and guidance. |
| Ps 32:8 | I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go... | God promises to be the true instructor. |
| Ps 119:33-34 | Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes... Give me understanding, that I may keep your law... | Desire for understanding God's commands to live rightly. |
| Ps 19:12 | Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. | Acknowledgement of the possibility of unknown sin, echoing Job's "erred." |
| Prov 9:9 | Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser... | Willingness to learn and receive correction. |
| Prov 17:28 | Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is thought prudent. | The value of silence, especially after receiving truth or wisdom. |
| Prov 28:13 | Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. | The path to mercy through acknowledgment and forsaking sin. |
| Isa 1:18 | "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD... | God invites a rational discussion and plea for understanding. |
| Mic 6:8 | He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you?... | God's requirement is clarity, not vague accusation. |
| Matt 7:3-5 | "Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye but don't notice the plank in your own eye?" | Caution against judging others without self-reflection and true discernment. |
| Luke 6:41-42 | Parable of the speck and the plank. | Condemnation of hypocrisy in judgment. |
| James 1:5 | If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault... | Encouragement to seek wisdom from God who provides true understanding. |
| 1 John 1:9 | If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins... | Promise of forgiveness upon genuine confession, implying a need to know the sin. |
| Acts 17:11 | ...they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. | An example of eager reception of teaching combined with critical examination. |
| Ps 38:18 | For I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin. | Confession after recognizing sin. Job desires this opportunity. |
| Prov 15:32 | Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gets understanding. | Value of receiving reproof and instruction for gaining understanding. |
| Heb 12:11 | No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness for those who have been trained by it. | The painful but ultimately beneficial nature of discipline and instruction. |
| 1 Pet 3:15 | ...always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. | Requires clarity and understanding to articulate one's position. |
| John 7:24 | Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly. | A call for righteous and deep judgment, aligning with Job's request for "understanding." |
| Job 13:5 | Oh that you would altogether be silent! And that would be your wisdom! | Job ironically tells his friends to be silent because their words are unhelpful; here he promises silence if they are helpful. |
| Rom 3:20 | For no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. | The Law functions to expose sin; Job asks for his "law" to be applied to expose his sin. |
Job 6 verses
Job 6 24 Meaning
Job 6:24 expresses Job's fervent plea for his friends to provide specific, evidence-based instruction regarding his supposed error. He challenges them to teach him precisely where he has gone astray or sinned, asserting his willingness to cease his protests and admit fault if concrete proof of his wrongdoing can be presented. This verse encapsulates Job's desire for intellectual honesty and judicial clarity amidst his suffering, rather than vague accusations.
Job 6 24 Context
Job 6 opens with Job responding to Eliphaz’s speech (Job 4-5). While Eliphaz spoke of God's justice and warned against dismissing suffering as merely punitive, Job dismisses his friends' comfort as unhelpful and their wisdom as empty. Job 6:1-13 describes the unbearable weight of his suffering and his longing for death as a release. He feels his words, though rash due to agony, are understandable given his distress (v. 2-7). He reiterates his desire for God to crush him (v. 8-10) because he perceives no end to his suffering and sees no way out, having no inner strength left (v. 11-13).
In Job 6:14-23, Job condemns his friends as unreliable and faithless, likening them to seasonal streams that dry up when needed most. He claims they have been deceitful and afraid to genuinely support him in his calamity. They accuse him without understanding his pain or offering true help. Against this backdrop of their unhelpful "wisdom," Job, in verse 24, issues a direct challenge. He is not asking for mere sympathy or silence but for clear, factual demonstration of his supposed sin. He has already stated that he doesn't know of any specific, great sin for which he is being punished, implying their conventional "suffering equals sin" theology is inadequate for his case. His demand is therefore a challenge to the prevalent belief in retributive justice as simply applied and understood by humans.
Job 6 24 Word analysis
- Teach me: Hebrew: הוֹרוּנִי (hôrūnî), a Hiphil imperative from יָרָה (yarah), meaning "to instruct," "to direct," or "to point the way." It's the root of "Torah," meaning "instruction" or "law." This isn't a passive request for information but an active demand for authoritative and true guidance. Job wants genuine illumination, not vague accusations. It implies a desire for teaching that points towards a clear and discernible path, just as one teaches an archer to aim or a person the right way to walk. Job seeks specific, tangible direction regarding his error.
- and I will hold my tongue: Hebrew: וַאֲנִי אַחֲרִישׁ (wa'anî 'aḥarîš), literally "and I, I will be silent." The verb אַחֲרִישׁ (aḥarîš) from חָרַשׁ (ḥarash) means to be silent or still. It denotes cessation of speech or protest. Job isn't merely promising quietness; he implies he will stop arguing and complaining, accepting the verdict if the teaching is valid and convincing. This points to his deep yearning for truth and resolution, even if it means acknowledging personal fault. His silence would signify intellectual and emotional capitulation, a rare willingness from Job, highlighting his core conviction of innocence and desperation for truth.
- and cause me to understand: Hebrew: וְהָבִינוּ (wᵉhābînū), another Hiphil imperative from בִּין (bîn), meaning "to discern," "to perceive," "to understand," or "to distinguish between." This term signifies profound comprehension, moving beyond mere surface knowledge to a deep grasp of facts, distinctions, and implications. Job wants not just instruction, but also discernment and insight. He desires to grasp the root cause and specific nature of his supposed wrongdoing. This contrasts sharply with his friends' generalized accusations, revealing Job's intellectual rigor and demand for substantive engagement.
- wherein I have erred: Hebrew: מָה שָׁגִיתִי (mâ šāgîtî), meaning "what I have done mistakenly" or "how I have strayed." The verb שָׁגָה (shagah) specifically denotes to "err," "to stray," "to sin unwittingly" or "unintentionally." This is highly significant. Job doesn't ask for a demonstration of intentional, grave wickedness (like the sins his friends assume have caused his suffering), but for any instance where he might have unwittingly or mistakenly strayed from righteousness. This aligns with the biblical concept of unintentional sins, which required specific atonement (e.g., Lev 4). It indicates Job’s integrity—he knows he has not consciously acted wickedly, yet acknowledges the human possibility of error without malice.
- "Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred": This whole phrase encapsulates Job's intellectual integrity and his profound sense of injustice. He's not afraid to be wrong, but he refuses to be accused vaguely without concrete evidence. He lays down a challenge: his friends claim superior wisdom and insight into his suffering; Job invites them to demonstrate it by pinpointing his error. The combination of "teach" and "understand" suggests a demand for rational and demonstrable truth, a challenge to the superficial, judgmental rhetoric he has received. The promise "I will hold my tongue" emphasizes his commitment to concede if legitimate instruction and understanding are provided, contrasting with his prolonged, justifiable laments up to this point. His use of "erred" (shagah) highlights his defense: while not claiming sinless perfection, he denies any grave, deliberate sin that would warrant such catastrophic suffering, a central point of the book.
Job 6 24 Bonus section
- Job's demand here foreshadows God's ultimate direct instruction to Job in chapters 38-41. It is only after God speaks, offering overwhelming demonstration of His power and wisdom (teaching Job in a profound sense), that Job is truly silent and repentant (Job 42:2-6), confessing his former lack of understanding. This highlights that human wisdom often falls short in diagnosing divine purposes, and only God provides the ultimate teaching.
- The Hebrew terms used ('yarah' for "teach" and 'biin' for "understand") are often associated with divine instruction, wisdom, and the discernment required to live justly according to God's will. By using these terms, Job elevates his demand for correction to a level implying that his friends ought to speak with a wisdom akin to divine revelation if they are to genuinely instruct him regarding his unknown error.
- This verse can serve as a model for how believers should approach self-examination and seek wisdom from others and from God: a readiness to learn, a willingness to admit error, but also a demand for clarity and sound instruction rather than vague condemnation or unsubstantiated accusations.
Job 6 24 Commentary
Job 6:24 stands as a potent challenge to his comforters' hollow accusations and conventional wisdom. It articulates Job's earnest desire for genuine enlightenment concerning his plight. He is not stubbornly resisting correction; rather, he seeks truthful and precise guidance. Job's demand to be "taught" and "understood" implies that his friends have thus far failed to offer anything substantial beyond condemnation rooted in their simplistic theology of retribution. He recognizes the possibility of having "erred" in an unwitting manner, distinguishing such from the grave, deliberate sins his friends presume. This highlights his personal integrity while challenging the foundational assumption of his friends: that suffering directly and proportionately correlates with identifiable, intentional sin. His offer to "hold my tongue" if they can justly convict him underscores his conviction of innocence and willingness to submit to demonstrable truth, demanding that their counsel be founded on concrete understanding rather than speculative judgment. This verse lays bare Job's unwavering commitment to truth, even truth that would expose his own failings, so long as it is presented with clarity and substantiated by actual insight.