Job 6 30

Job 6:30 kjv

Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?

Job 6:30 nkjv

Is there injustice on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern the unsavory?

Job 6:30 niv

Is there any wickedness on my lips? Can my mouth not discern malice?

Job 6:30 esv

Is there any injustice on my tongue? Cannot my palate discern the cause of calamity?

Job 6:30 nlt

Do you think I am lying?
Don't I know the difference between right and wrong?

Job 6 verses

Job 6 30 Meaning

Job 6:30 is Job's fervent assertion of his blamelessness and clear moral discernment in response to his friends' accusations. He rhetorically questions if his speech or actions originate from unrighteousness, and equally, if his inner judgment fails to recognize or distinguish wickedness. It is a declaration of his spiritual integrity and ability to discern truth from evil.

Job 6 30 Context

Job chapter 6 opens with Job's anguished reply to Eliphaz. Job expresses the overwhelming burden of his suffering, stating it outweighs the sands of the sea (Job 6:2-3). He wishes for death (Job 6:8-9) and questions his friends' loyalty, likening them to deceitful wadis that fail travelers in times of need (Job 6:15-21). Throughout this emotional outpouring, Job reiterates his cry for genuine comfort rather than condemnation. He asserts that he has not denied God's holy words (Job 6:10). His friends had accused him of sin, operating under the assumption that his intense suffering must be a direct result of hidden iniquity. In Job 6:28-29, Job directly challenges them to "look at him" and consider whether he is lying, implying that their judgment is flawed. Verse 30 follows immediately, serving as the capstone of his defense, where he explicitly denies any moral crookedness in his speech or a lack of moral discernment. He believes his internal moral compass and external expression of words are sound, implying that the fault lies not with him but with his accusers' flawed interpretation of his suffering.

Job 6 30 Word analysis

• Is there (הֲיֵשׁ, hā-yēš): This is an interrogative particle combined with a verb of existence. It poses a direct, emphatic question, essentially challenging the listener to confirm or deny. Job is not asking meekly but forcefully, implying the obvious answer is "no."
• unrighteousness (עַוְלָה, ‘aw-lāh): This significant Hebrew term denotes "perversity," "injustice," "iniquity," or "crookedness." It goes beyond mere error, signifying a deliberate deviation from what is right, just, or straight. It refers to a moral distortion or a twist from ethical uprightness. Job vehemently denies this fundamental moral flaw in his words.
• on my tongue (בִּלְשׁוֹנִי, bil-šō-wnî): The tongue metaphorically represents speech, words, and thus, by extension, Job's actions and public declaration. In ancient thought, words were not mere sounds but conveyed truth, lies, blessings, or curses, and often reflected the heart's condition. Job denies that his verbal expressions, or anything stemming from them, are inherently perverted.
• Cannot (אִם־לֹא, ʾim-lōʾ): The particle ʾim acts here emphatically, intensifying the following negative, forming a rhetorical question that expects a negative answer. It means "surely not" or "it is not the case that."
• my palate (חִכִּי, ḥik-kî): Literally referring to the "roof of the mouth" or "sense of taste." Metaphorically, it represents the faculty of discernment, judgment, and spiritual perception, much like one distinguishes tastes (sweet from bitter), Job asserts his ability to distinguish good from evil. This extends beyond mere intellectual understanding to a spiritual sensibility.
• discern (יָבִין, yā-ḇîn): To "understand," "perceive," "distinguish," or "have insight." It implies not just superficial knowing but deep comprehension and the ability to differentiate between subtle moral qualities. Job asserts his full mental and spiritual capacity for moral judgment.
• evil (הַוּוֹת, haw-wōwṯ): This term carries a strong connotation of "destruction," "ruin," "calamity," but also refers to "wickedness" or "depravity" that causes such ruin. It implies acts or intentions that lead to chaos or breaking down of moral order. Job insists that his discernment would immediately recognize and reject such things.

Words-group analysis:

• "Is there unrighteousness on my tongue?": This phrase directly challenges the accusation that Job's speech or overall conduct is marked by moral perversion. Job is asserting the ethical purity of his words and actions. He rejects the idea that his current suffering is a just consequence of an inherent moral flaw expressed through his life.
• "Cannot my palate discern evil?": This parallel question delves deeper, asserting Job's internal faculty of judgment. It signifies that his moral compass is intact; he can taste, differentiate, and therefore reject what is genuinely wicked. This isn't merely a denial of outward sin but a claim to a functional and upright inner moral sensibility that would recognize and reject destructive wickedness if it were present in himself or others.

Job 6 30 Bonus section

The close connection between "tongue" and "palate" in this verse suggests a holistic claim of integrity from Job. The tongue represents the outward manifestation – what is spoken and, by extension, done. The palate represents the inward faculty – the discernment or perception. By linking the two, Job emphasizes that not only are his words and deeds free from moral defect, but his internal capacity for distinguishing good from evil is also fully operational. This means he's not just claiming ignorance of sin, but rather an active moral judgment that would have identified and rejected unrighteousness or wickedness if it were truly part of him. This subtle distinction elevates his defense from merely "I am innocent" to "I am a discerning individual whose outward expressions align with an inward commitment to righteousness."

Job 6 30 Commentary

Job 6:30 serves as Job's firm declaration of his moral integrity and acute spiritual discernment. Faced with his friends' implied accusations that his suffering proves his sin, Job powerfully refutes the notion that either his words (reflecting his outward life and character) are filled with perversity, or that his inner judgment (his moral compass) is so clouded that he cannot recognize what is truly evil or destructive. He challenges them to find any trace of 'awlah (crookedness or injustice) in his speech, thereby claiming that his verbal expressions are free from moral fault. Moreover, his question regarding his palate implies an acute and intact capacity to discern hawwot (wickedness or ruin-causing evil), suggesting he would immediately detect such depravity if it were present within himself or his circumstances. This verse underscores Job's central argument throughout the book: that his suffering is not a direct consequence of unconfessed sin, and that his character remains righteous despite the inexplicable calamity that has befallen him. It's a statement not just of innocence but of an unimpaired moral and spiritual faculty.