Job 6 26

Job 6:26 kjv

Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind?

Job 6:26 nkjv

Do you intend to rebuke my words, And the speeches of a desperate one, which are as wind?

Job 6:26 niv

Do you mean to correct what I say, and treat my desperate words as wind?

Job 6:26 esv

Do you think that you can reprove words, when the speech of a despairing man is wind?

Job 6:26 nlt

Do you think your words are convincing
when you disregard my cry of desperation?

Job 6 verses

Job 6 26 Meaning

Job 6:26 is Job’s pointed response to his friend Eliphaz, expressing deep frustration with their judgmental and unhelpful "comfort." In this verse, Job questions his friends' intention to critically analyze his words, emphasizing that statements uttered by someone in profound despair should not be subjected to rigid logical or theological scrutiny, but rather seen as mere expressions of overwhelming suffering, fleeting and insubstantial like the wind. He argues that their intellectual dissection misses the agony of his state.

Job 6 26 Context

Job 6:26 forms part of Job's deeply pained response to Eliphaz the Temanite, one of his three friends. In chapters 4-5, Eliphaz had presented the conventional wisdom of his time: suffering is a direct consequence of sin, implying Job's great affliction must be due to hidden transgressions. Job's suffering was overwhelming, yet he maintained his integrity, not understanding the reason for his plight. In chapter 6, Job refutes Eliphaz, highlighting the immense physical and emotional anguish he endures. He expresses a desire for death as an escape from his agony. His friends' "comfort" is perceived as harsh, judgmental, and lacking true empathy. In verse 26, Job challenges their self-appointed role as analysts of his words, essentially telling them that to critically dissect the lamentations of a man in utter despair is absurd; such words are not rational discourse to be weighed and rebuked, but the desperate cries of a tortured soul, as fleeting and weightless as wind.

Job 6 26 Word analysis

• הֲלְדַבֵּר (ha-le-dab-bêr): "Do you intend to speak/rebuke?" The interrogative particle 'ha' initiates a question, highlighting Job's incredulity. The verb 'dabber' (דָּבַר), meaning "to speak," in this context implies a critical or censorious speech, suggesting "to criticize" or "to rebuke."
• תַּחְשְׁבוּ (takh-shə-vû): "You (plural) intend/think/plan." This word comes from the root חָשַׁב (chashav), "to think, to calculate, to devise." Job is challenging their deliberated action: are they consciously choosing to act in this manner? It points to their calculated, rather than compassionate, approach.
• מִלִּים (mil-lîm): "Words." This term is a less common synonym for "words" compared to 'davarim.' Some scholars suggest it carries a nuance of "empty talk" or "mere utterance" or highlights the speech itself as an outpouring. Job uses it here to refer to his own distraught expressions.
• וּדְבָרִים (u-ḏə-ḇā-rîm): "And words." This word, דָּבָר (davar), is the more common Hebrew word for "word" or "matter." Its usage after 'milim' suggests a broader, more general reference to the kind of words being spoken—those of "him who is in despair." It marks a transition from Job's specific words (milim) to a general truth about all words of the despairing.
• לְרוּחַ (le-rūaḥ): "To/as wind." The preposition 'le' indicates purpose or transformation. 'רוּחַ' (ruach) can mean wind, breath, or spirit. Here, it functions metaphorically to describe something lacking substance, weight, or logical coherence; it is fleeting, insignificant, not meant for rigorous judgment.
• נִמְאָשׁ (nim-ʾāsh): "Of him who is in despair/loathing/rejected." This is a Niph'al participle of מָאַס (ma'as), "to reject, to despise, to spurn." The Niph'al voice suggests a passive or reflective sense: someone who is despised, rejected, or whose life has become a burden, thereby causing them deep despair. Job refers to himself, or any person, in such a dire, desperate state.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Do you intend to rebuke my words": Job directly challenges his friends' judgmental approach. He sees their interaction not as comforting dialogue, but as a deliberate effort to scrutinize and condemn what he has uttered from his suffering. This exposes the heart of their misunderstanding.
• "when the words of him who is in despair are but wind?": This rhetorical question powerfully defends Job's unedited lament. He argues that words born of extreme suffering ("him who is in despair") are inherently formless and insubstantial, like "wind." Such words should not be subjected to typical standards of logic, wisdom, or morality, but understood as the spontaneous expression of an overwhelmed soul, deserving of compassion rather than criticism. This reveals a profound truth about relating to the deeply afflicted.

Job 6 26 Bonus section

This verse subtly critiques the limitations of rigid retribution theology. Job is not arguing against truth or wisdom generally, but against the application of a narrow theological framework to his specific, unprecedented suffering. His friends’ approach, rooted in their established wisdom, prevented them from extending genuine compassion. The phrase "words of him who is in despair are but wind" echoes earlier themes in wisdom literature regarding the futility of certain pursuits or the insubstantial nature of fleeting things, but Job reappropriates it to argue for mercy in human communication, especially towards the afflicted. This verse foreshadows the larger biblical message that divine justice is far more complex and multifaceted than human wisdom can fully grasp, particularly concerning suffering that is not directly tied to personal sin.

Job 6 26 Commentary

Job 6:26 is a pivotal verse, encapsulating Job's indictment of his friends' lack of empathy. Job, overwhelmed by unspeakable suffering, observes that his companions are engaging in a philosophical debate rather than offering true comfort. He views their analytical approach to his raw expressions of agony as fundamentally misguided. He contends that words uttered from the depths of despair are not sober pronouncements or carefully constructed arguments suitable for rebuke or logical deconstruction. Rather, they are spontaneous outpourings, insubstantial like the wind, a reflection of the utter desolation of the one speaking. This verse serves as a crucial reminder within the biblical narrative that while theological accuracy and sound doctrine are vital, the context of human suffering often demands compassion and grace before, or even instead of, intellectual critique or condemnation. It emphasizes the sacred space of lament and the need for wisdom to discern when to speak, and more importantly, how to listen.