Job 6 3

Job 6:3 kjv

For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up.

Job 6:3 nkjv

For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea? Therefore my words have been rash.

Job 6:3 niv

It would surely outweigh the sand of the seas? no wonder my words have been impetuous.

Job 6:3 esv

For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; therefore my words have been rash.

Job 6:3 nlt

they would outweigh all the sands of the sea.
That is why I spoke impulsively.

Job 6 verses

Job 6 3 Meaning

Job here passionately defends the intensity of his previous laments, asserting that the overwhelming weight of his suffering far exceeds anything measurable, like the vastness of the sand of the seas. Consequently, his "rash" words—expressions often deemed unrestrained or wild—are not gratuitous but are a natural, indeed necessitated, outcome of this immeasurable anguish. He claims proportionality between his profound internal distress and his outward, desperate cries.

Job 6 3 Context

Job 6 begins Job's immediate, anguished reply to Eliphaz’s speech (Job 4-5). Eliphaz had implied that Job’s suffering was due to some hidden sin and urged repentance. In verse 3, Job responds by validating the extreme nature of his distress. The immense burden he feels is the justification for the wild, unrestrained nature of his words in earlier laments. He argues that his intense outpouring is not unwarranted sin but a natural expression of an unbearable internal reality. Culturally, while there was an expectation for the afflicted to display stoicism, Job subverts this, directly challenging the conventional wisdom of his friends that severe suffering is direct evidence of severe sin and therefore warrants no complaint.

Job 6 3 Word analysis

• For now (kī-‘attāh): "Kī" introduces a justification or explanation for what follows. "Attāh" emphasizes the present state of overwhelming affliction, suggesting that the reason for his rash words is a current, ongoing reality. It indicates immediacy and underscores the pressing nature of his torment.
• it would be heavier (kāvəḏâ): From the root kābēd, meaning "heavy," "weighty," "difficult," or "severe." While this root also gives us kābôd (glory, weightiness), here it clearly denotes an oppressive, unbearable burden. The verb is in the feminine, agreeing with "my vexation" from the previous verse, emphasizing the qualitative and physical sense of this burden pressing down on him. His suffering isn't merely extensive, but crushingly oppressive.
• than the sand of the seas (mêḥôl yammîm): This is a powerful hyperbole. "Sand of the seas" is a common biblical idiom for an uncountable, vast quantity (Gen 22:17). However, Job here uniquely applies it to weight rather than sheer number or quantity, intensifying the scale of his suffering beyond any human measurement. It also implies that just as individual grains of sand are innumerable and collectively immense, so too is the burden of his woes beyond precise reckoning or control.
• therefore (‘al-kēn): This conjunction indicates a direct causal relationship. Because of the immeasurable weight of his suffering, his words necessarily follow a certain character. It frames his seemingly reckless speech not as sin, but as a logical, proportionate reaction to extraordinary pain.
• my words (dəvārāy): Refers to Job's previous laments and protests, specifically his complaints about his lot and God (e.g., Job 3). This word also highlights Job’s deep connection to speaking as a reflection of his inner state.
• have been rash (lā‘û): From the root lā‘ā, meaning to "swallow," "utter," "babble," or "behave madly/wildly." This verb is quite strong; it depicts an uncontrollable, almost violent outpouring of speech. It suggests words gushing forth, not carefully weighed or considered, perhaps like an internal pressure bursting out. It characterizes his words as an involuntary reaction, rather than a deliberate, measured act. This term can even carry a connotation of wildness, indicating the extreme and unsettling nature of his lament for his friends.

Words-group analysis

• "For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas": This phrase encapsulates the unquantifiable and crushing nature of Job's affliction. It challenges his friends’ simplistic understanding of suffering, stating that his pain surpasses conventional comparison or human comprehension, hence cannot be contained by conventional decorum.
• "therefore my words have been rash": This is Job’s self-justification. He is not apologizing for his words but rather explaining them as a legitimate, necessary overflow from the preceding immeasurable anguish. He is implicitly accusing his friends of underestimating the weight of his torment and consequently misinterpreting his reactions to it. The "rashness" of his words is a direct consequence and reflection of the magnitude of his internal struggle.

Job 6 3 Bonus section

The uniqueness of "heavier than the sand of the seas" as opposed to "numerous as the sand of the seas" (a more common idiom for multitude) highlights a deliberate shift by Job. He is not just suffering many woes, but a single, oppressive weight so vast it is unfathomable. This inverted usage strengthens his rhetorical defense, pointing to an experiential depth of sorrow that mere quantity cannot convey. This indicates his precise and profound grasp of language, even amidst despair, counteracting the idea that he is simply babbling without sense. His words are desperate, yet strategically chosen.

Job 6 3 Commentary

Job 6:3 is a pivotal verse where Job vehemently justifies his unrestrained cries of agony. He posits a direct proportionality between the sheer magnitude of his internal suffering—described as heavier than all the sands of the sea—and the "rash" or uncontrolled nature of his verbal expressions. This verse powerfully conveys that Job's laments are not born of sin or defiance, as his friends suggested, but are an authentic and proportionate outburst against an unbearable weight of pain that no human being could endure silently. It underlines his deep, almost physical, burden and asserts that his words, far from being wrong, are the natural and indeed only possible outlet for such an immense, crushing sorrow. He thus challenges his friends to grasp the depth of his anguish before criticizing his complaints.Practical usage example: When experiencing intense, unexplainable grief or pain, this verse helps us understand that profound suffering can naturally lead to intense, even raw, expressions. It gives permission to acknowledge and voice distress when it feels immeasurable, rather than suppress it out of a fear of impropriety.