Job 6 8

Job 6:8 kjv

Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

Job 6:8 nkjv

"Oh, that I might have my request, That God would grant me the thing that I long for!

Job 6:8 niv

"Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for,

Job 6:8 esv

"Oh that I might have my request, and that God would fulfill my hope,

Job 6:8 nlt

"Oh, that I might have my request,
that God would grant my desire.

Job 6 verses

Job 6 8 Meaning

Job 6:8 expresses Job's desperate and intense yearning for God to fulfill a deeply personal and specific desire. It is a heartfelt cry for an end to his profound suffering, implicitly revealing his wish for death, as further elucidated in the verses that follow (Job 6:9). He appeals directly to God, seeing Him as the ultimate power capable of granting such a request.

Job 6 8 Context

Job chapter 6 begins Job's poignant response to Eliphaz the Temanite, who had subtly accused Job of secret sin. Having patiently listened to Eliphaz’s speech, Job refutes the implied condemnation, justifying the bitter words he has uttered (Job 6:1-7). He claims his words are not baseless but a direct consequence of the immense grief and suffering that "outweighs the sands of the seas." The suffering has led him to despair, which is what motivates his cry in verse 8. His specific "request" and "longing" is explicitly clarified in verse 9: to be "crushed" and "cut off" by God, indicating a plea for death. This plea stems from the intensity of his anguish and the feeling that continued life in such pain is unbearable. Historically, in the ancient Near East, health and prosperity were generally seen as divine blessings, while severe affliction was often interpreted as divine punishment for sin. Job's suffering, despite his innocence, directly challenged this common theological understanding, making his lament and unique plea to God even more striking within its cultural milieu.

Job 6 8 Word analysis

• Oh that: The Hebrew mî yitten (מִי יִתֵּן), literally "who will give?" or "who would grant?". This idiomatic expression denotes an earnest, often mournful wish, a longing for something desperately desired but seemingly out of reach. It functions as an impassioned plea, reflecting Job's deep emotional distress and profound desire for relief. It implies an appeal to a sovereign power capable of fulfilling such a weighty request.
• I might have: Implicit in mî yitten which expresses the possibility and the wish for possession or fulfillment.
• my request: The Hebrew shē'ēlātî (שְׁאֵלָתִי). This term signifies a specific petition or prayer, a deep personal desire laid before God. It indicates that Job's current state of despair has solidified into a focused and desperate plea, not merely a vague longing.
• and that God: The Hebrew 'ĕlôah (אֱלוֹהַ). This is a singular form for "God," distinct from the more common plural 'ělōhîm. Its use in poetic and wisdom literature often emphasizes God's majesty, uniqueness, and power as the sovereign ruler and creator. Here, it underscores Job's recognition that only the singular, supreme God has the authority and power to grant such a profound and life-ending desire. It implies that Job still believes in God's ultimate control, even as he wrestles with Him.
• would grant me: The Hebrew yitten (יִתֵּן), meaning "would give" or "would grant." This verb reinforces the "Oh that" expression (mî yitten), stressing the active imparting of the desired outcome by God. It shows Job isn't hoping for a natural end, but a direct, deliberate act of God.
• the thing that I long for: The Hebrew tôḥelet (תּוֹחֶלֶת). This word typically translates as "hope" or "expectation." In the biblical context, "hope" often signifies a positive anticipation, frequently rooted in trust in God. However, in Job's dire situation, this positive word is ironically applied to his longing for death, twisting its conventional meaning. This striking contrast reveals the extreme depths of Job's suffering and how it has perverted his very concept of hope from life to oblivion. It highlights the profound irony and anguish of his spiritual state, where death becomes his only "hope." This stands in stark contrast to the Israelite theological expectation of hope (tôḥelet) in God's provision and a long, blessed life, potentially signaling a polemic against superficial understandings of divine recompense.

Job 6 8 Bonus section

Job's daring directness in requesting something so profound as death from God itself highlights his profound theology concerning God's omnipotence and absolute control over life. He doesn't attribute his suffering to chance, fate, or any other lesser deity; his eyes are fixed solely on God. While Job's longing for death is understandable in his immense pain, it subtly challenges the ideal of enduring faith found elsewhere in Scripture. His desire is an honest human expression of utter despair, distinct from righteous petitions for spiritual growth or divine provision. This particular use of tôḥelet for death reveals the profound psychological and spiritual toll his suffering has taken, warping even fundamental concepts like hope.

Job 6 8 Commentary

Job 6:8 is a piercing lament that reveals the raw intensity of human suffering. It is a direct appeal to God from a soul pushed to its utter limit. Job's words are not a sophisticated theological argument but an unvarnished cry from the heart, indicating his firm conviction that God alone possesses the ultimate power over life and death. The "request" and "longing" he mentions, soon to be identified as a longing for death, demonstrate the overwhelming nature of his pain—a pain so great that it perverts the natural human desire for life into a longing for cessation of being. This verse sets the stage for the depths of Job’s agony and his unwavering, though struggling, acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty even in what feels like divine abandonment. It showcases that true faith, even in moments of despair, can still articulate its deepest wishes, even if those wishes appear contrary to conventional piety, to the One it believes holds all power.