Job 6 29

Job 6:29 kjv

Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it.

Job 6:29 nkjv

Yield now, let there be no injustice! Yes, concede, my righteousness still stands!

Job 6:29 niv

Relent, do not be unjust; reconsider, for my integrity is at stake.

Job 6:29 esv

Please turn; let no injustice be done. Turn now; my vindication is at stake.

Job 6:29 nlt

Stop assuming my guilt,
for I have done no wrong.

Job 6 verses

Job 6 29 Meaning

Job desperately implores his friends to reconsider their harsh and erroneous judgment against him. He insists that their accusations of sin as the cause of his suffering are unjust, and his upright character and integrity in the eyes of God remain central to the matter. He seeks an honest re-evaluation of his situation, free from their presumptions.

Job 6 29 Context

Job 6:29 is part of Job’s passionate second response to Eliphaz’s initial accusations and counsel. Earlier in this chapter, Job has eloquently articulated the depth of his physical and emotional anguish, defending the legitimacy of his intense complaints (6:2-7) against any suggestion of impulsiveness or disrespect. He sharply critiques his friends for their lack of empathy and the futility of their wisdom, comparing their deceptive counsel to dried-up streams that offer no relief (6:14-23). Building on this, Job then directly challenges them (6:24-28) to point out any specific sin he has committed that would justify his suffering, as he cannot discern it himself. This verse (6:29) culminates Job's plea, acting as an earnest and desperate entreaty for them to abandon their predetermined theological stance. The historical and cultural context is crucial here; the prevailing belief system adhered to a rigid retribution theology where suffering was automatically indicative of unconfessed sin. Job’s friends fully embody this framework. Job's plea is thus a direct challenge to their superficial and damaging interpretation, urging them to recognize that his blamelessness concerning the immediate cause of his extraordinary afflictions remains central and untarnished.

Job 6 29 Word analysis

• Turn again (שׁוּבוּ - shuv•vu): This is an imperative verb, literally meaning "to turn back," "return," or "repent." Used twice for emphatic effect, it signifies Job's desperate, fervent plea for his friends to rethink, reconsider, and fundamentally change their position, arguments, and judgmental stance. It denotes a call for a profound shift in their intellectual and empathetic direction.
• I pray you: This phrase softens the imperative, adding an element of humble yet earnest entreaty. Job is appealing to them for reason and compassion rather than demanding.
• let there be no iniquity (אַל-תְּהִי עַוְלָה - ʾal-tih•i ʿav•lah): "Iniquity" (ʿav•lah) signifies wickedness, injustice, perversity, or wrong. Job's profound meaning here is that their accusations and judgment are themselves a form of "iniquity." He is effectively stating: "Do not act unjustly (towards me) through your flawed accusations and judgmental posture." He identifies their harsh and groundless pronouncements as a moral offense.
• yea, turn again (שׁוּבוּ - shuv•vu): The repetition of "turn again" intensifies the urgency of Job's appeal, highlighting his deep desire for them to abandon their harmful path of condemnation. It suggests that their current course of action is gravely erroneous and damaging.
• my righteousness (צִדְקָתִי - tzid•ka•ti): Derived from tzedeq, this term means "my justice," "my innocence," "my integrity," or "my vindication." Job does not claim absolute sinlessness (as he would acknowledge human fallibility elsewhere), but rather asserts his upright character and blamelessness concerning the specific severe sin that his friends presumed caused his catastrophic suffering. His relationship with God and his past conduct are intact regarding their accusations.
• is in it (בָהּ עוֹד - bah ʿod): "In it" refers to the current matter, the ongoing dispute about his suffering. "ʿod" means "still," "yet," or "further." Thus, Job is emphatically stating that his integrity remains or is still relevant and uncompromised within this conversation, despite their persistent efforts to nullify it. His righteous standing is fundamental to the discussion.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Turn again... yea, turn again": This passionate, almost agonizing repetition is a rhetorical device that highlights the desperate and sincere nature of Job's appeal. He yearns for his friends to shift their mental and emotional orientation from a stance of inflexible condemnation to one of understanding and open-mindedness. It implies their current position is wrong and spiritually harmful.
• "let there be no iniquity": This powerful plea directly confronts his friends, subtly yet powerfully accusing them of committing an "iniquity" through their baseless and uncharitable judgments. Job perceives their pronouncements not as comfort or truth, but as a perpetration of moral offense and a distortion of divine justice. He implores them to cease their wrongful and damaging accusations.
• "my righteousness is in it": This is a climactic and central declaration in Job's defense. He firmly states that his moral integrity and uprightness before God and people are fundamental to understanding his current situation. His point is not that he is perfect, but that he has not committed the kind of grave sin that would warrant such extraordinary, direct divine punishment as his friends assert. This phrase stands as the unwavering core of his protest against their faulty theology and accusations.

Job 6 29 Bonus section

This verse encapsulates the fundamental tension running through the entire Book of Job: the collision between a strict retribution theology and the reality of inexplicable suffering of the righteous. Job, described as "blameless and upright" (Job 1:1, 8), does not grasp the unseen, cosmic challenge orchestrated by Satan. His friends, however, assume their understanding of God's justice is exhaustive, reducing divine interaction to a simple transaction of sin equals punishment. Job's earnest call for them to "turn again" (a theme of shuv used throughout scripture for spiritual turning and repentance) is thus multifold: a request for them to repent of their flawed judgment, to return to compassion, and to reconsider their simplistic theological stance. His insistence on "no iniquity" refers both to his own lack of deserving the punishment they presume, and their own injustice in falsely accusing him. This struggle sets the stage for God's eventual appearance, where divine wisdom surpasses human understanding and superficial piety (Job 38-41), ultimately validating Job's character even while revealing His own unfathomable ways.

Job 6 29 Commentary

Job 6:29 distills Job's profound spiritual anguish and his determined stand against his friends' rigid theological assumptions. He issues a fervent, double plea for them to reconsider, challenging their judgmental stance directly as an act of "iniquity" or injustice against him. This demonstrates Job's discernment; he recognizes that their counsel, though framed within traditional piety, is actually perverse and devoid of truth regarding his specific case. His steadfast assertion, "my righteousness is in it," underscores his conviction that his integrity is not diminished by his suffering. He fundamentally rejects the simplistic cause-and-effect understanding of suffering promoted by his friends. The verse is a profound protest against ill-informed, compassionless theology and an impassioned cry for true, discerning justice and empathy. It exemplifies Job’s yearning for understanding and a true reckoning of his blameless character amidst incomprehensible suffering.

• In our own lives, when offering comfort or counsel, prioritize listening and empathy over immediate judgment or rigid explanations for suffering.
• Resist the temptation to project our theological frameworks onto others' complex trials, especially when specific sins are not apparent.
• Uphold truth and justice even when challenging popular or conventional wisdom.