'Sorry comforters are you all.' Job describes the assault as from a wrestler: 'I was at ease, and He broke me asunder; Indeed, He has taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces; He has also set me up for His mark.' Yet in the same breath that accuses, faith finds a foothold above: 'O earth, cover not you my blood' — 'behold, my Witness is in heaven, And He who testifies of me is on high.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Verse structure: 3 words, 13 letters. The shortest word is "and·he·answered" (וַיַּ֥עַן, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·he·said" (וַיֹּאמַֽר, 5 letters). 3 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·he·said" (root אמר, 108x in Job); "and·he·answered" (root ענה, 60x in Job); "Job" (root איוב, 56x in Job). Full calculation: וַיַּ֥עַן [and·he·answered] (136) + אִיּ֗וֹב [Job] (19) + וַיֹּאמַֽר [and·he·said] (257) = 412.
Ralbag
Explanation of the words of this response — 'Then Job answered and said.'
Malbim
Introduction to the Ninth Response: Job’s Response As for the answer Eliphaz gave about the prosperity of the wicked, Job does not argue with it now — nor with Bildad’s approach to the same matter — for he waits until all three disputants have spoken on this, and then answers them all together with one comprehensive response that refutes the words of all of them, in chapter 21. Likewise, as for Eliphaz’s having gone back a second time to say what he had already said in his first response about the cause of the sufferings of the righteous — attributing it to a prophetic vision — Job does not answer this now, for he had already answered it the first time. He only protests against Eliphaz for returning to speak again about matters they had already argued over, adding nothing new to them, as though he only wanted to wear Job out with a multitude of words — which is not the way of the wise (16:2-5). Nor does he answer what Eliphaz said about free will, for the same reason: so as not to needlessly repeat things already said. Rather, he now sets out to answer him on two matters: The first: that Eliphaz has now set out to condemn him as an utterly wicked man, and to pass upon him the sentence and punishment of the wicked — for everything Eliphaz had said about the terror of the wicked man and his downfall was a finger pointed straight at Job, as though all of it had come to pass in him. Job cries out and protests strongly against this (chapter 16:7-21). The second: Eliphaz’s wish to reinforce his earlier position, that the essential reward is the survival of the soul after death, as he said (Job 15:11), ‘Are the consolations of God too small for you, seeing that you turn your spirit back to God?’ About this Job argues at length. For since the essence of the soul is a hidden matter, and most people cannot grasp this mystery, and see only what is tangible — that the righteous person is afflicted with sufferings in this perceptible life — while regarding that other, spiritual life, there is no one who can vouch to them that the soul lives on after death, since these things lie beyond what is perceptible, and even the intellect cannot grasp them with understanding, as he says, ‘for their heart He has hidden from understanding’ (17:4). And since all people look only to the life that is seen and felt, when they see the righteous person afflicted with suffering, some pass a crooked judgment on him and conclude from it that he is wicked, as happened with Job; and others maintain that he is righteous, and so complain against providence. If so, this order — of the sufferings of the righteous and the ease of the wicked — leads a person to denial, complaint, and bewilderment of mind; it is a shadow of death in governance, without order. It would have been fitting for the righteous to receive their righteousness and the wicked their wickedness in this world, so that people would see and gain wisdom and take a lesson to heart, and wrongdoing would shut its mouth.
I have heard many such things; Sorry comforters are you all.
verse value 1882
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "toil" (עָמָ֣ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·have·heard" (שָׁמַ֣עְתִּי, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "I·have·heard" (שָׁמַ֣עְתִּי), "like·these" (כְאֵ֣לֶּה), "comforters·of" (מְנַחֲמֵ֖י). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·have·heard" (root שמע, 42x in Job); "all·of·you" (root כל, 31x in Job); "many" (root רב, 23x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'many', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: שָׁמַ֣עְתִּי [I·have·heard] (820) + כְאֵ֣לֶּה [like·these] (56) + רַבּ֑וֹת [many] (608) + מְנַחֲמֵ֖י [comforters·of] (148) + עָמָ֣ל [toil] (140) + כֻּלְּכֶֽם [all·of·you] (110) = 1882.
Ibn Ezra
'I have heard many such things' — [see] chapter 3.
Ralbag
'Sorry' [amal] — meaning: vanity and falsehood.
Metzudat David
"I have heard" — I have heard words like these many times over; what benefit is there in repeating them? For you are all comforters who offer empty comfort, saying that after repentance my end will be great. But if I have no sin on my hands, what room is there for repentance? And why do you recount to me the punishment of the wicked, to rouse my heart to repentance?
Malbim
‘I have heard many such things’ — said against Eliphaz for having repeated a second time what he had already said in his earlier response: for what he said, ‘What is man, that he should be pure’ and so on, is the very thing he had said in chapter 4, ‘Shall mortal man be more just than God’ and so on; and likewise, in what he answered about free will, he added nothing new. Job answers him: why repeat things already said? I have already heard many such things — what have you added now in your words? ‘Sorry comforters are you all’ — you are like someone who cannot comfort with words that settle the heart, and so multiplies words until the mourner grows too weary to keep replying and is forced into silence — and then you think you have comforted him.
Shall windy words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
verse value 1632
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "or" (א֥וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·words·of·wind" (לְדִבְרֵי־ר֑וּחַ, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "is·end" (הֲקֵ֥ץ), "to·words·of·wind" (לְדִבְרֵי־ר֑וּחַ), "what·provokes·you" (מַה־יַּ֝מְרִֽיצְךָ֗). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root כי, 75x in Job); "you·answer" (root ענה, 60x in Job); "to·words·of·wind" (root דבר, 58x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·words·of·wind', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: הֲקֵ֥ץ [is·end] (195) + לְדִבְרֵי־ר֑וּחַ [to·words·of·wind] (460) + א֥וֹ [or] (7) + מַה־יַּ֝מְרִֽיצְךָ֗ [what·provokes·you] (415) + כִּ֣י [that] (30) + תַֽעֲנֶֽה [you·answer] (525) = 1632.
Rashi
Job’s Reply will bring clarity to you Heb. ימרצך. Your mouth will make you evaluate to think clear words with proper basis.
Ibn Ezra
'Or what provokes you that you answer' — [continuing from 'I have heard many such things'] the sense is: who is stronger than you and has overcome you, [that you must respond]?
Ralbag
'What provokes you' — meaning: what emboldens you regarding what you argued in your words.
Metzudat David
"Shall [windy words] have an end" — will windy words ever come to an end? Surely you could go on multiplying such words without limit, and the wind will carry them all away. "Or, etc." — what is it that strengthens and spurs you to answer, so that you feel forced to reply even though you have no understanding to offer? As if to say: surely there is no wisdom in your words, and you are not compelled or forced to answer — so hold your peace, and add no more. Or else he is asking him: why did you not say these words at the outset? For with words of wisdom, the speaker's arguments must eventually be exhausted, so that he must go back and think what more to answer; but for windy words there is no end, since there is nothing left to think about. Or: what strength and support have you found in the things already said, that you should go back and answer again with the very words you said at first? Are they not simply the same matter repeated, only in different words?
Metzudat Zion
'Provokes you' [ימריצך] — [means] emboldens you, as in 'how forcible are words of uprightness!' (above, Job 6:25).
Malbim
‘Shall windy words have an end’ — one who establishes his words through a decisive proof and demonstration, his words have an end; for once the final, decisive proof is reached, against which there is no answer, the argument comes to a close. Not so one who speaks ‘windy words,’ things that occur to him with no proof behind them — he sets no end to his words, for he can go on changing them endlessly, since he pays no attention to the arguments and proofs against him. ‘Or what provokes you that you answer’ — or, if you say that your words are not windy words but words of reason, then I ask you: tell me, what provokes you and strengthens you in this response? What proof and demonstration have you brought to support your words? Since you have brought no proof at all, but only said that this is what you saw in a vision, why did you answer a second time?
I also could speak as you do; If your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could join words together against you, And shake my head at you.
verse value 3889
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 64 letters. Notable word values: "if" (ל֤וּ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "also" (גַּ֤ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "I·could·join" (אַחְבִּ֣ירָה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 170: against·you, at·you. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "like·you" (כָּכֶ֢ם), "your·soul" (נַפְשְׁכֶ֡ם), "I·could·join" (אַחְבִּ֣ירָה). The root נפש appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "against·you" (root על, 90x in Job); "I·could·speak" (root דבר, 58x in Job); "your·soul" (root נפש, 35x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·words', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 4 words.
Rashi
could speak like you I know how to chide as you do. if your soul were in pain instead of my soul, I too would join words together against you and shake my head at you in your cry, and encourage you with my mouth, saying, “Be still, have courage, and endure your sufferings,” just as you are saying to me.
Metzudat David
"I also, etc." — he speaks in a tone of astonishment: if your souls were crushed by suffering in place of mine, would I too speak this way, hanging heavy guilt upon you? Surely I would not do so; rather, I would add words upon your words, joining in complaint with you and dwelling at length on the wretchedness of what had befallen you; I would even shake my head over you, wailing and grieving.
Metzudat Zion
'If' [לו] — [used] like אִם, 'if,' as in 'if you had spared them alive' (Judges 8:19). 'My head' [במו ראשי, lit. 'with my head'] — [means] with my head; so too, 'with my mouth I would entreat him' (below, Job 19:16).
Malbim
‘I also could speak as you do; if your soul were in my soul’s stead’ — read as a rhetorical question: would I really speak as you do? Had such a thing happened to you, had you been the ones stricken in my place, and had I come to comfort you, would I have spoken as you do, condemning you and paining your heart? Not so — I would have done just the opposite. ‘I could join words together against you’ — I would have joined my words with yours, supporting what you said and justifying you; and ‘shake my head at you’ — sharing in your grief that such evil had been done to you without justice.
I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips would assuage your grief.
verse value 1528
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 23 letters. The shortest word is "and·moving·of" (וְנִ֖יד, 4 letters) and the longest is "I·would·strengthen·you" (אֲאַמִּצְכֶ֥ם, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "I·would·strengthen·you" (אֲאַמִּצְכֶ֥ם), "and·moving·of" (וְנִ֖יד). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "with·my·mouth" (root פה, 31x in Job); "would·assuage" (root חשך, 25x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·my·mouth', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֲאַמִּצְכֶ֥ם [I·would·strengthen·you] (192) + בְּמוֹ־פִ֑י [with·my·mouth] (138) + וְנִ֖יד [and·moving·of] (70) + שְׂפָתַ֣י [my·lips] (790) + יַחְשֹֽׂךְ [would·assuage] (338) = 1528.
Rashi
and the movement of my lips which I move and [with which I] complain now and cry, would then stop, and I would no longer cry or lament, but now...
Ibn Ezra
'And the moving of my lips' — [nid is] like 'tenudah' [a wagging, as of the head]; the sense is to rebuke them.
Ralbag
'I would strengthen you with my mouth' — meaning: I would sustain you with my words. 'And the moving of my lips would assuage your grief' — meaning: the comfort I would extend to you with my words would hold your pain back from you.
Metzudat David
"I would strengthen you" — I would go further and strengthen your words with a full mouth. "And the moving of my lips" — the movement of my lips in speech would put an end to your grieving words, for you would be comforted by what I said. This is the way of one in distress: when he sees that others dwell at length on his pain and join him in complaint, grieving over his trouble along with him, he finds comfort in this.
Metzudat Zion
'I would strengthen you' [אאמצכם] — a term of might, strength. 'The moving' [וניד] — a term of motion.
Malbim
‘I would strengthen you’ — with this I would have strengthened you with my mouth, for one who suffers for no reason finds courage in his heart when he sees that everyone recognizes his righteousness, that he is perishing without justice. ‘And the moving [of my lips]’ — that is, I would have strengthened you with all my strength even if the moving of my lips were to be held back: even if my lips grew weary from so much speaking, unable to say more, I would still labor on to strengthen you.
Though I speak, my pain is not assuaged; And though I forbear, what am I eased?
verse value 919
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "my·pain" (כְּאֵבִ֑י, 4 letters) and the longest is "though·I·speak" (אִֽם־אֲ֭דַבְּרָה, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "though·I·speak" (אִֽם־אֲ֭דַבְּרָה), "is·not·assuaged" (לֹא־יֵחָשֵׂ֣ךְ), "my·pain" (כְּאֵבִ֑י). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "though·I·speak" (root דבר, 58x in Job); "goes" (root הלך, 29x in Job); "is·not·assuaged" (root חשך, 25x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·pain', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אִֽם־אֲ֭דַבְּרָה [though·I·speak] (253) + לֹא־יֵחָשֵׂ֣ךְ [is·not·assuaged] (369) + כְּאֵבִ֑י [my·pain] (33) + וְ֝אַחְדְּלָ֗ה [and·I·forbear] (54) + מַה־מִּנִּ֥י [what·from·me] (145) + יַהֲלֹֽךְ [goes] (65) = 919.
Rashi
Should I speak etc.
Ibn Ezra
'And though I forbear, what am I eased' [lit. what departs from me] — my pain does not depart.
Ralbag
'You have made desolate all my company' [from the next verse] — meaning: You have made all my limbs desolate. His statement 'He has made me weary; You have made desolate all my company' shifts between second person and third person, in the manner of 'Draw me, we will run after You; the king has brought me into his chambers' (Song of Songs 1:4).
Metzudat David
"Though I speak" — as if to say: and if by this you think to silence my words, by claiming that I am undoing the fear [of Heaven], which is itself a further reason my suffering will not depart — that is not so. For just as, if I speak, my pain is not held back, so too, if I hold my peace, it is not held back; for what sin is there that could be purged away by my suffering, so that I would become clean again and my suffering would depart? As if to say: surely I have no sin on my hands, and my suffering came upon me for nothing from the start — so why then should it depart?
Metzudat Zion
'[Am I eased] of' [מני] — [means] from me.
Malbim
'Though I speak' — I see that I gain nothing by speaking and lose nothing by staying silent. For if I speak, I gain nothing at all, since my pain is not thereby held back; and if I refrain from speaking, I lose nothing — for 'what am I eased' means: what gain do I forfeit by not speaking? So it would in fact be better to stay silent than to speak.
But now He has made me weary; You have made desolate all my company.
verse value 1877
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 21 letters. The shortest word is "but·now" (אַךְ־עַתָּ֥ה, 5 letters) and the longest is "all·my·company" (כׇּל־עֲדָתִֽי, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "but·now" (אַךְ־עַתָּ֥ה), "He·has·wearied·me" (הֶלְאָ֑נִי), "You·have·made·desolate" (הֲ֝שִׁמּ֗וֹתָ). 4 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root שמם ("You·have·made·desolate") in Job. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'He·has·wearied·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: אַךְ־עַתָּ֥ה [but·now] (496) + הֶלְאָ֑נִי [He·has·wearied·me] (96) + הֲ֝שִׁמּ֗וֹתָ [You·have·made·desolate] (751) + כׇּל־עֲדָתִֽי [all·my·company] (534) = 1877.
Rashi
you have silenced Heb. השמות, you have silenced, like (Dan. 4:16), “was appalled (אשתומם),” and like (Jer. 2:12), “O heavens, be astonished (שמו).” Be silent and wonder.
Ibn Ezra
'But now He has made me weary' — [namely,] with pain; and correspondingly he says: 'You have made desolate' — [meaning] those who mourn for me.
Metzudat David
"But now He has made me weary" — as if to say: nor do I fear that my sufferings will be increased, so that I should stop speaking; for behold, He has already worn me down until it is no longer possible to weary me further, and He has already laid waste all my company — my sons, my daughters, and all the members of my household. What more, then, could He add?
Metzudat Zion
'Made me weary' [הלאני] — an expression of fatigue, as in 'if one venture a word to you, will you be weary?' (above, Job 4:2). 'Made desolate' [השמות] — a term of desolation.
Malbim
'But now He has made me weary' — my pain has worn me down until I am forced to speak. 'You have made desolate' — it is You who brought this desolation upon me; that is my pain. 'All my company' — this refers to the killing of his sons and daughters, who were the company that surrounded him. And so:
And You have shriveled me up, which is a witness against me; And my leanness rises up against me, it testifies to my face.
verse value 1522
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "against·me" (בִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·You·have·shriveled·me" (וַֽ֭תִּקְמְטֵנִי, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "and·You·have·shriveled·me" (וַֽ֭תִּקְמְטֵנִי), "my·leanness" (כַ֝חֲשִׁ֗י), "in·my·face" (בְּפָנַ֥י). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·my·face" (root פנים, 68x in Job); "it·testifies" (root ענה, 60x in Job); "it·has·become" (root היה, 50x in Job). First appearance of the root בי ("against·me") in Job. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'it·has·become', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַֽ֭תִּקְמְטֵנִי [and·You·have·shriveled·me] (615) + לְעֵ֣ד [as·witness] (104) + הָיָ֑ה [it·has·become] (20) + וַיָּ֥קׇם [and·it·rises] (156) + בִּ֥י [against·me] (12) + כַ֝חֲשִׁ֗י [my·leanness] (338) + בְּפָנַ֥י [in·my·face] (142) + יַעֲנֶֽה [it·testifies] (135) = 1522.
Rashi
You have shriveled me up; it has become a witness You have shriveled me up and blackened me for a witness, for it has become a witness to my iniquity, to accuse me.
Ibn Ezra
'And You have shriveled me up' [va-tikmeteni] — from a root meaning 'to bind,' as used in the language of our Sages, of blessed memory; or like 'who were snatched away before their time' (Job 22:16) — these two being close in meaning.
Ralbag
'And You have shriveled me up' — related to the term 'wrinkles,' for wrinkles are evidence of all emaciation and leanness.
Metzudat David
"And You have shriveled me up" — the wrinkles on my body testify to the greatness of the pain; my leanness and emaciation rise up in me as a witness, for the emaciation visible in my face testifies to the intensity of the pain.
Metzudat Zion
'Shriveled me up' [ותקמטני] — an expression of shrinking, wrinkling, as in 'who were snatched away' (below, Job 22:16); and in the words of the Sages, 'the wrinkles were smoothed out' (Bava Batra 120). 'My leanness' [כחשי] — an expression of thinness, as in 'and my flesh is lean, and has no fatness' (Psalms 109:24). 'It testifies' [יענה] — [means] bears witness, as in 'you shall not bear false witness' (Exodus 20:13).
Malbim
'And You have shriveled me up' — You have shriveled and worn me down as well. (Here he pictures his pain and distress as an abstract force that brought all these evils upon him.) 'It has become a witness' — and afterward, this very thing became a witness against me: because I was punished in body and in my children, and I do not stay silent but cry out at the wrong done to me, they bring this forward as a witness to testify that I am wicked. (This alludes to what Eliphaz said: 'Your own mouth condemns you; your own lips testify against you.') Now he takes hold of this idea with a forceful image, drawn from what is known from the annals of ancient peoples: when they wanted to investigate someone who was suspected of robbery or murder or some other crime, but who denied it, they would torture the suspect and watch his face. If they saw that he endured the suffering as though feeling nothing, they would conclude that the accusation was false. But if they saw that he felt the effects of the torture, and all the more so if he cried out at the wrong done to him, they judged the accusation to be true, and so they continued to torture him still more; and when he, in turn, cried out still more, they became even more convinced of his guilt. According to this, the witness that they brought against the suspect to show that their suspicion was justified was, in fact, the very torment that they themselves had inflicted on him. So too he pictures his own case, as though he were the suspect, and it was on that account that they struck him with harsh afflictions. This is the meaning of 'You have shriveled me up' — and this same fact, that he feels his afflictions and cries out, they take as a witness to establish thereby that he is wicked. This is the meaning of 'it has become a witness, and it rises up against me' — this witness; 'and my leanness testifies to my face' — this witness (namely, his afflictions) establishes and testifies against me that I am lying, that the suspicion is true, that I am indeed wicked.
He has torn me in His wrath, and hated me; He has gnashed upon me with His teeth; My adversary sharpens his eyes upon me.
verse value 2422
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 38 letters. The shortest word is "upon·me" (לִֽי, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·He·has·hated·me" (וַֽיִּשְׂטְמֵ֗נִי, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "and·He·has·hated·me" (וַֽיִּשְׂטְמֵ֗נִי), "He·has·gnashed" (חָרַ֣ק), "with·His·teeth" (בְּשִׁנָּ֑יו). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·me" (root על, 90x in Job); "his·eyes" (root עין, 46x in Job); "His·wrath" (root אף, 32x in Job). First appearance of the root טרף ("has·torn") in Job. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·His·teeth', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: אַפּ֤וֹ [His·wrath] (87) + טָרַ֨ף [has·torn] (289) + וַֽיִּשְׂטְמֵ֗נִי [and·He·has·hated·me] (425) + חָרַ֣ק [He·has·gnashed] (308) + עָלַ֣י [upon·me] (110) + בְּשִׁנָּ֑יו [with·His·teeth] (368) + צָרִ֓י [my·adversary] (300) + יִלְטֹ֖שׁ [sharpens] (349) + עֵינָ֣יו [his·eyes] (146) + לִֽי [upon·me] (40) = 2422.
Rashi
My Adversary Satan is the adversary. sharpens Heb. ילטוש, sharpens, like (Gen. 4:22), “who sharpened (לטש) every instrument etc.”
Ibn Ezra
'He has torn me in His wrath' — [the pronoun 'His'] refers back to 'my adversary,' mentioned later in the verse.
Ralbag
'My adversary sharpens his eyes upon me' — he looks at me with an evil eye. 'Sharpens' [yiltosh] is from the same root as 'his sword He sharpens [yiltosh]' (Psalms 7:13) — meaning: he makes it flash and instills terror.
Metzudat David
"He has torn me in His wrath" — Hashem's wrath has torn me, and He bears hatred against me; I have become an object of scorn, so that anyone who wishes gnashes his teeth at me, and my adversary sharpens his eyes, gazing at me with excessive intensity, to look upon me with an evil eye.
Metzudat Zion
'Hated me' [וישטמני] — an expression of harboring animosity, as in 'and Esau hated Jacob' (Genesis 27:41). 'Gnashed' [חרק] — an expression of the grinding, gnashing of teeth against one another when a person is enraged at someone, as in 'and gnash the teeth' (Lamentations 2:16). 'Sharpens' [ילטוש] — [means] hones [His sword], as in 'He will whet His sword' (Psalms 7:13).
Malbim
'His wrath' — the wrath and anger of this witness — 'has torn me': he draws this wondrous image from what happens when a witness rises up against a man to testify falsely against him, and the man denies the witness's testimony, whereupon the witness gnashes his teeth at him and strikes him across the face. Here, where he pictures the blow itself as being the witness — and the witness himself as the one who strikes — the image becomes exceedingly lofty: the wrath of the witness itself tears me, and this same tearing wrath itself hates me, on account of my wickedness, which is established by its tearing and striking me; and because I deny it, it gnashes its teeth at me and goes on striking me, and my adversary sharpens his eyes at me, watching whether I go on feeling the tearing and the blows — for by this, too, they further establish that the suspicion is true. And through this—
They have gaped upon me with their mouth; They have smitten me upon the cheek scornfully; They gather themselves together against me.
verse value 1656
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 37 letters. Verse gematria: 1656 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "upon·me" (עָלַ֨י, 3 letters) and the longest is "they·gather·together" (יִתְמַלָּאֽוּן, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 110: upon·me, against·me. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "in·their·mouth" (בְּפִיהֶ֗ם), "in·reproach" (בְּ֭חֶרְפָּה), "my·cheek" (לְחָיָ֑י). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·me" (root על, 90x in Job); "in·their·mouth" (root פה, 31x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·cheek', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: פָּעֲר֬וּ [they·opened·wide] (356) + עָלַ֨י [upon·me] (110) + בְּפִיהֶ֗ם [in·their·mouth] (137) + בְּ֭חֶרְפָּה [in·reproach] (295) + הִכּ֣וּ [they·struck] (31) + לְחָיָ֑י [my·cheek] (58) + יַ֝֗חַד [together] (22) + עָלַ֥י [against·me] (110) + יִתְמַלָּאֽוּן [they·gather·together] (537) = 1656.
Rashi
They open their mouth at me Heb. פערו, they open, like (Isa. 5:14), “and opened (ופערה) its mouth.” they assemble Heb. יתמלאון, they gather, and there are many similar words in Scripture, e.g. (Jer. 12:6), “have called a gang (מלא) after you”; (Isa. 31:4), “although a band (מלא) of shepherds gather against him,” but it does not deviate from its original meaning because every filling (מלוי) is a gathering together.
Ibn Ezra
'They gather themselves together' [yitmal'un] — like 'my desire shall be satisfied upon them' (Exodus 15:9).
Ralbag
'Gaped' — meaning: they opened and widened their mouth against me. 'They gather themselves together' — meaning: they assemble.
Metzudat David
"They have gaped upon me with their mouth" — they have opened their mouths against me, and with words of disgrace have struck my cheek; meaning, their disgraceful words are to me as though they had struck me on the cheek, which is a blow of humiliation. "They gather themselves together" — all who disgrace me have gathered against me together; and he says this of his friends, who were disgracing him.
Metzudat Zion
'Gaped' [פערו] — [means] opened, as in 'they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain' (below, Job 29:23). 'With their mouth' [בפיהם] — the letter bet is extra [added for emphasis]. 'Cheek' [לחיי] — this is the upper part of the face. 'Gather themselves' [יתמלאון] — [means] assemble, as in 'a multitude of shepherds' (Isaiah 31:4).
Malbim
'They have gaped upon me with their mouth' — all the crowd standing around began to gape their mouths, just as would happen if the suspect failed to withstand the ordeal and cried out because of his suffering — for then it would become clear in everyone's eyes that the suspicion was true, and they would shout at him and strike him on the cheek. 'They gather themselves together against me' — since, in their eyes, I have now been found guilty.
God delivers me to the ungodly, And casts me into the hands of the wicked.
verse value 1550
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. Verse gematria: 1550 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "God" (אֵ֭ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "he·delivers·me" (יַסְגִּירֵ֣נִי, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 31: God, to. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "he·delivers·me" (יַסְגִּירֵ֣נִי), "ungodly" (עֲוִ֑יל), "and·upon·hands·of" (וְעַל־יְדֵ֖י). The root אל appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אל, 86x in Job); "and·upon·hands·of" (root יד, 44x in Job); "wicked" (root רשע, 36x in Job). First appearance of the root עויל ("ungodly") in Job. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'ungodly', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: יַסְגִּירֵ֣נִי [he·delivers·me] (343) + אֵ֭ל [God] (31) + אֶ֣ל [to] (31) + עֲוִ֑יל [ungodly] (116) + וְעַל־יְדֵ֖י [and·upon·hands·of] (130) + רְשָׁעִ֣ים [wicked] (620) + יִרְטֵֽנִי [he·casts·me] (279) = 1550.
Rashi
God delivers me to a fool The Holy One, blessed be He, delivered me to a fool, a scorner, a mocker, to be scornful of me. and heals me through the hands of the wicked Heb. ירטני. The bandage of His consolations and my healing He delivered to the wicked, who only provoke. Another explanation: יַרְטֵנִי is like יַרְצֵנִי, He placates me, an expression of placating and consolation
Ibn Ezra
'And casts me into the hands of the wicked' [yirteni] — like 'for the way was perverse before me' (Numbers 22:32), although these may be two distinct roots. Some say it relates to expressions of 'by the hand of' and 'in place of'; but the more straightforward reading follows its plain sense.
Ralbag
'Delivers me' — meaning: hands me over. 'The ungodly' [avil] — meaning: a deceiver. 'Casts me' [yirteni] — meaning: turns me away from the state I was in; it is from the same root as 'the way is contrary before me' (Numbers 22:32) — these are two roots of a single meaning, namely y-r-t and r-t-h.
Metzudat David
"God delivers me" — Hashem has bound me over into the hand of every unjust man, for anyone who wishes mocks me and oppresses me. "And casts me" — He twists and destroys me by means of the wicked who oppress me; the matter is repeated in other words.
Metzudat Zion
'Delivers me' [יסגירני] — [means] hands me over, as in 'you shall not deliver up a bondman' (Deuteronomy 23:16). 'Ungodly' [עויל] — [same as] עוֹל, 'unjust.' 'Casts me' [ירטני] — an expression of turning aside, as in 'because the way was turned against me' (Numbers 22:32).
Malbim
'God delivers me' — after picturing the nature of the witnesses and the nature of the crowd standing at the place of judgment where he is being tried, he now pictures the judge who judges him, and the advocate appointed to plead on his behalf and argue in his favor (as is the practice in courts of law, to appoint an advocate who argues for the one on trial and seeks a favorable verdict for him). The judge into whose hand I have been delivered is 'ungodly' — a youth who commits injustice — and the advocates pleading for me are 'the wicked,' and it is through them that they seek to apply a bandage to my wounds.
I was at ease, and He broke me asunder; Indeed, He has taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces; He has also set me up for His mark.
verse value 2753
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 47 letters. Notable word values: "to·Him" (ל֝֗וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·Him" (ל֝֗וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·He·broke·me" (וַֽיְפַרְפְּרֵ֗נִי, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "and·He·broke·me" (וַֽיְפַרְפְּרֵ֗נִי), "in·my·neck" (בְּ֭עׇרְפִּי), "and·He·shattered·me" (וַֽיְפַצְפְּצֵ֑נִי). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·was" (root היה, 50x in Job); "and·He·set·me·up" (root קום, 22x in Job). First appearance of the root שלו ("at·ease") in Job. First appearance of the root אחז ("and·He·grasped") in Job. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·He·shattered·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: שָׁ֘לֵ֤ו [at·ease] (336) + הָיִ֨יתִי [I·was] (435) + וַֽיְפַרְפְּרֵ֗נִי [and·He·broke·me] (636) + וְאָחַ֣ז [and·He·grasped] (22) + בְּ֭עׇרְפִּי [in·my·neck] (362) + וַֽיְפַצְפְּצֵ֑נִי [and·He·shattered·me] (416) + וַיְקִימֵ֥נִי [and·He·set·me·up] (226) + ל֝֗וֹ [to·Him] (36) + לְמַטָּרָֽה [for·a·mark] (284) = 2753.
Rashi
but he crumbled me to pieces Heb. ויפרפני. That fool [crumbled me]. [It is] an expression of crumbs (פרורין). and shattered me Heb. ויפצפצני, an expression of something being broken into many fragments with a hard blow, like (Jer. 13:14), “And I will dash them (ונפצתים), one against the other”; (Ps. 137:90), “and dash (ונפץ) your little ones against the rock. “
Ralbag
'And He broke me asunder' — He broke me and crushed me; from the same root as 'the earth is utterly broken' (Isaiah 24:19). Likewise 'dashed me to pieces' is from the same root as 'and like a hammer that shatters rock' (Jeremiah 23:29). 'For His mark' — like a target for an arrow: the mark that archers set up to shoot at.
Metzudat David
"I was at ease" — I was sitting in tranquility, and suddenly He shattered me into fragments; He seized me by the neck and crushed me until the pieces burst apart in every direction. "He has also set me up" — He set me up to be His target, to shoot His arrows at me — those arrows being the pains of my suffering.
Metzudat Zion
'Broke me asunder' [ויפרפרני] — an expression of breaking into many pieces, as in 'the earth is crumbling, crumbling' (Isaiah 24:19). 'By the neck' [בערפי] — this is the back of the head and the neck. 'Dashed me to pieces' [ויפצפצני] — an expression of crushing together with scattering, as in 'and like a hammer that shatters rock' (Jeremiah 23:29). 'For His mark' [למטרה] — this is the target that archers aim to strike with their arrows; it relates to the expression of guarding, for Targum renders מִשְׁמֶרֶת, 'watch,' as מַטְּרַת, and it is called this because the archers watch closely in order to strike it.
Malbim
'I was at ease' — now he pictures the actual punishment and suffering itself, picturing that the One who removed him from his ease dealt with him just as a lion or other beasts of prey deal with their catch: after seizing it, they do not kill it all at once, but toy with it, letting it go as if to escape, then seizing it again, and flinging it from place to place. So too here: first 'He broke me asunder' — then He let go of me, and I wanted to flee, but He pursued me and 'took me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces.' And afterward, once I could no longer move from my place, 'He set me up for His mark' — to shoot at me the arrows of His quiver. And then:
His archers compass me round about, He cleaves my reins asunder, and does not spare; He pours out my gall upon the ground.
verse value 2716
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "upon·me" (עָלַ֨י, 3 letters) and the longest is "my·reins" (כִּ֭לְיוֹתַי, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "they·surround" (יָ֘סֹ֤בּוּ), "His·archers" (רַבָּ֗יו), "He·cleaves" (יְפַלַּ֣ח). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 142x in Job); "upon·me" (root על, 90x in Job); "to·the·ground" (root ארץ, 48x in Job). First appearance of the root פלח ("He·cleaves") in Job. First appearance of the root מררה ("my·gall") in Job. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'He·spares', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: יָ֘סֹ֤בּוּ [they·surround] (78) + עָלַ֨י [upon·me] (110) + רַבָּ֗יו [His·archers] (218) + יְפַלַּ֣ח [He·cleaves] (128) + כִּ֭לְיוֹתַי [my·reins] (476) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + יַחְמֹ֑ל [He·spares] (88) + יִשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ [He·pours·out] (410) + לָ֝אָ֗רֶץ [to·the·ground] (321) + מְרֵרָתִֽי [my·gall] (850) = 2716.
Rashi
His archers רביו, the one who shoots his arrows, as in (Gen. 21:20), “and he became an archer (רבה קשת).” my gall Heb. מְרֵירָתִי, my gall.
Ibn Ezra
'His archers' [rabbav] — like 'summon archers against Babylon' (Jeremiah 50:29). 'My gall' — it is the organ situated by the liver.
Ralbag
'His archers' — his arrow-shooters, from the same root as 'the archers dealt bitterly with him, and shot at him' (Genesis 49:23). 'He cleaves' — meaning: splits open.
Metzudat David
"His archers compass me" — the archers who belong to Him have surrounded me on every side; through them He pierces my kidneys without pity, and pours out my bile upon the ground. And this is a metaphor for various kinds of suffering.
Metzudat Zion
'His archers' [רביו] — those who shoot with a bow, as in 'and became an archer' (Genesis 21:20). 'Cleaves' [יפלח] — [means] splits open, as in 'and sliced [it] into the pot' (II Kings 4:39). 'My gall' [מררתי] — a term related to מרה, 'bile.'
Malbim
'His archers compass me round about' — His bowmen; 'He cleaves my reins asunder' with His arrows; even in this He does not yet spare me, until He 'pours out my gall upon the ground.'
He breaks me with breach upon breach; He runs upon me like a giant.
verse value 2061
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "breach" (פֶ֭רֶץ, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·face·of·breach" (עַל־פְּנֵי־פָ֑רֶץ, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "He·breaks·me" (יִפְרְצֵ֣נִי), "upon·face·of·breach" (עַל־פְּנֵי־פָ֑רֶץ), "He·runs" (יָרֻ֖ץ). The root פרץ appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·me" (root על, 90x in Job); "upon·face·of·breach" (root פנים, 68x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·face·of·breach', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: יִפְרְצֵ֣נִי [He·breaks·me] (440) + פֶ֭רֶץ [breach] (370) + עַל־פְּנֵי־פָ֑רֶץ [upon·face·of·breach] (610) + יָרֻ֖ץ [He·runs] (300) + עָלַ֣י [upon·me] (110) + כְּגִבּֽוֹר [like·a·giant] (231) = 2061.
Metzudat David
"He breaks me with breach upon breach" — while the first blow is still weighing upon me, the second follows close behind it; the second does not wait for the first to pass before it comes. "He runs upon me" — swiftly and speedily He brings sufferings upon me, like a warrior hastening to run into battle.
Metzudat Zion
'Breaks me' [יפרצני] — a term of breach, fracture.
Malbim
'He breaks me' — and after He had already broken through all my limbs, so that there was no soundness left in me, He began breaking through them again, 'breach upon breach' — breaking the very limbs already broken, fracture upon fracture. 'And afterward He runs upon me like a giant' — he draws the image from warfare, where at first they shoot arrows from a distance, and afterward the warrior charges at his foe to fight him with the sword; and His charge came on with such force, as though I still had strength left in me to fight Him.
I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, And have laid my horn in the dust.
verse value 2905
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "sackcloth" (שַׂ֣ק, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·laid" (וְעֹלַ֖לְתִּי, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "sackcloth" (שַׂ֣ק), "I·sewed" (תָּ֭פַרְתִּי), "my·skin" (גִלְדִּ֑י). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon" (root על, 90x in Job); "in·the·dust" (root עפר, 24x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·skin', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: שַׂ֣ק [sackcloth] (400) + תָּ֭פַרְתִּי [I·sewed] (1090) + עֲלֵ֣י [upon] (110) + גִלְדִּ֑י [my·skin] (47) + וְעֹלַ֖לְתִּי [and·I·laid] (546) + בֶעָפָ֣ר [in·the·dust] (352) + קַרְנִֽי [my·horn] (360) = 2905.
Rashi
my scab Heb. גלדי, a dry wound that forms a crust, and [in] the language of the Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 27b): He scraped it (the shofar) down to a thin crust (גלדו). and sullied Heb. ועללתי, and I sullied, like (Jud. 19:25), “and abused (ויתעללו) her,” an expression of disgrace and abasement, and like (Lam. 3:51), “sullies (עוללה) my soul.” my radiance Heb. קרני, my radiance, an expression of (Habakkuk 3:4): “rays of light (קרנים) came to them from his hand.”
Ibn Ezra
'Upon my skin' [galdi] — my skin; the word is from the language of Kedar (Arabic). 'And have laid' [ve'olalti] — like [the root of] 'and I have brought up' [ve-he'eliti]; and similarly, 'by the betrayal of their hand.' Some say it is from the root 'ol' [yoke], which is more correct.
Ralbag
'My skin' [galdi] — this is the crust that forms over a wound, as in the rabbinic expression 'the wound has scabbed over.' 'And have laid my horn in the dust' — meaning: I have put dust upon my head.
Metzudat David
"I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin" — for when a wound has begun to heal and has formed a scab, the practice is to place soft garments upon it, such as cotton wool and the like; but I, out of the greatness of my grief and sorrow, have sewn sackcloth to wear over the scabs of my wound, and have sullied the radiance of my face with ash, in the manner of men overwhelmed with grief, who wear sackcloth and put ash upon their heads.
Metzudat Zion
'My skin' [גלדי, lit. 'my scar'] — this is the film that forms over a wound; and in the words of the Sages, 'the mouth of the wound scarred over' (Ketubot 76). 'Have laid' [ועללתי, lit. 'have soiled'] — an expression of soiling; and for this reason a young child is called an olel, since he is soiled with dirt and dung. 'My horn' [קרני] — an expression of radiance, as in 'the skin of Moses' face shone' (Exodus 34:35).
Malbim
(15–16) 'Sackcloth' — now he brings his words to a close: that after all the blows with which I was struck in such fierce cruelty, all I did in response was this — I sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and my face grew flushed from weeping — over my evil fortune.
My face is reddened with weeping, And on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
verse value 2241
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "my·face" (פָּנַ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "are·red" (חֳ֭מַרְמְרוּ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "are·red" (חֳ֭מַרְמְרוּ), "from·weeping" (מִנִּי־בֶ֑כִי), "my·eyelids" (עַפְעַפַּ֣י). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·upon" (root על, 90x in Job); "my·face" (root פנים, 68x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·weeping', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words.
Rashi
became shriveled Heb. חמרמרו, like (Chullin 3:3), “and its internal organs became shriveled (ונחמרו),” in the language of the Mishnah. Similarly (Lam. 1:20), “my intestines have become shriveled (חמרמרו).” the shadow of death it became darkened from weeping and tears.
Ibn Ezra
'My face is reddened with weeping' — in the language of Kedar (Arabic) [this root means] to flush red from great heat; or it is related to 'its waters roar and grow turbulent' (Psalms 46:4).
Ralbag
'Is reddened' [chamarmeru] — has become filled with mire and filth.
Metzudat David
"My face is reddened with weeping" — from weeping, the features of my face have become contracted, and over the pupils of my eyes the shadow of death is spread.
Metzudat Zion
'Is reddened' [חמרמרו] — [means] became inflamed, contracted, as in 'my inwards burn' (Lamentations 1:20); and in the words of the Sages, 'the inner organs became inflamed' (Chullin 36). 'Shadow of death' [צלמות] — [means] the shadow of death, which is the darkness of the grave.
Although there is no violence in my hands, And my prayer is pure.
verse value 1309
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 20 letters. The shortest word is "although" (עַ֭ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·my·prayer" (וּֽתְפִלָּתִ֥י, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "not·violence" (לֹא־חָמָ֣ס), "and·my·prayer" (וּֽתְפִלָּתִ֥י), "pure" (זַכָּֽה). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "although" (root על, 90x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·my·hands', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: עַ֭ל [although] (100) + לֹא־חָמָ֣ס [not·violence] (139) + בְּכַפָּ֑י [in·my·hands] (112) + וּֽתְפִלָּתִ֥י [and·my·prayer] (926) + זַכָּֽה [pure] (32) = 1309.
Rashi
and my prayer is pure I did not curse my friend nor did I think any evil against him.
Metzudat David
"Although there is no violence [in my hands]" — and all this has come upon me not because of any violence, but for nothing. "And my prayer is pure" — my prayer to the Omnipresent has always been pure and clean, free of any distracting thought that would nullify the intent of the prayer.
Malbim
'Although' — [he explains] the reason for my outcry: because all this happened to me though there is no violence in my hands, and I have been afflicted without justice. (That is: what proof can they bring, from the fact that I cried out over my sufferings, to conclude from this that I am guilty? On the contrary, this itself proves me right, since all this was done to me though there is no violence in my hands, and without justice.) 'And my prayer is pure' — meaning, I know that I will be vindicated through this prayer that I now offer, namely:
O earth, cover not you my blood, And let my cry have no resting-place.
verse value 1731
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "earth" (אֶ֭רֶץ, 3 letters) and the longest is "do·not·cover" (אַל־תְּכַסִּ֣י, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "do·not·cover" (אַל־תְּכַסִּ֣י), "my·blood" (דָמִ֑י), "and·let·not·be" (וְֽאַל־יְהִ֥י). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·let·not·be" (root היה, 50x in Job); "earth" (root ארץ, 48x in Job); "place" (root מקום, 21x in Job). First appearance of the root זעק ("for·my·cry") in Job. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·blood', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֶ֭רֶץ [earth] (291) + אַל־תְּכַסִּ֣י [do·not·cover] (521) + דָמִ֑י [my·blood] (54) + וְֽאַל־יְהִ֥י [and·let·not·be] (62) + מָ֝ק֗וֹם [place] (186) + לְזַעֲקָתִֽי [for·my·cry] (617) = 1731.
Rashi
and let there be no place in the earth to absorb my cry, but it should ascend to heaven.
Ibn Ezra
'O earth, cover not you my blood' — to be understood elliptically, on the model of 'if I had cherished iniquity in my heart, Hashem would not have listened — but truly, God has listened' (Psalms 66:18–19), and likewise 'my prayer is pure' (Job 16:17): as for 'the earth' — if I am lying, let it not cover my blood. 'And let my cry have no resting-place' — [meaning] let my cry find no place [to be stilled]. Some say: '[O] earth' — expose the wrong done to me, and let there be no place where my cry is held back, but let it rise up at once.
Metzudat David
"O earth" — you, O earth, do not swallow up my blood that flows from my wounds so as to hide it from view; rather, let it be visible to all, so that they may seek mercy on my behalf. "And let [my cry have] no [resting-]place" — for my outcry to be hidden away; rather, let it rise up to the heavens.
Malbim
'O earth, cover not my blood' — meaning: even though on earth I have been found guilty in my case — and it is the way of the earth to cover the blood of one slain through his own wickedness — do not cover my blood, and let there be no place with you for my cry to rest; for on earth no one knows that I am in the right. But nevertheless — even though on earth I have been found guilty, through my false witnesses (namely, my sufferings), and through the corrupt judge and the wicked advocates — nevertheless:
Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven, And He who testifies of me is on high.
verse value 1711
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "my·Witness" (עֵדִ֑י, 3 letters) and the longest is "behold·in·the·heaven" (הִנֵּה־בַשָּׁמַ֣יִם, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "also·now" (גַּם־עַ֭תָּה), "behold·in·the·heaven" (הִנֵּה־בַשָּׁמַ֣יִם), "my·Witness" (עֵדִ֑י). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "behold·in·the·heaven" (root שמים, 23x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·Witness', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: גַּם־עַ֭תָּה [also·now] (518) + הִנֵּה־בַשָּׁמַ֣יִם [behold·in·the·heaven] (452) + עֵדִ֑י [my·Witness] (84) + וְ֝שָׂהֲדִ֗י [and·my·Witness] (325) + בַּמְּרֹמִֽים [in·the·heights] (332) = 1711.
Rashi
behold my Witness is in heaven My Creator, Who knows my ways.
Ralbag
'He who testifies of me' [sahadi] and 'my Witness' [edi] are synonyms.
Metzudat David
"Even now" — as if to say: although I have now become repugnant in the eyes of my friends — even though they had earlier regarded me as righteous, and now, seeing that the hand of Hashem has touched me, they have gone back to attributing great sin to me — nevertheless, even now I have found in the heavens a witness on my behalf to the uprightness of my heart, namely Hashem, who knows all. "And He who testifies of me is on high" — the matter is repeated in other words.
Metzudat Zion
'My Witness' [ושהדי] — [the same as] וְסָהֳדִי, with a samekh; it is the word for 'witness' in Aramaic. 'On high' [במרומים] — [means] in the high heavens.
Malbim
‘Even now’ — even though I have been found guilty in the court of the earth below, through these false witnesses, behold, in heaven I have witnesses who will testify to my innocence. (This statement carries a double sense: first, that in heaven it is known that I am righteous; and second, that my sufferings themselves are not witnesses against my sins — for in heaven it is known that these sufferings came upon me through the heavens, that is, through the order of the stars. And these witnesses will testify against the witness mentioned earlier, in verse 8.)
My inward thoughts are my intercessors, My eye pours out tears to God;
verse value 792
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 22 letters. Verse gematria: 792 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "my·thoughts" (רֵעָ֑י, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·God" (אֶל־אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "my·intercessors" (מְלִיצַ֥י), "poured" (דָּלְפָ֥ה). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·eye" (root עין, 46x in Job); "to·God" (root אלוה, 41x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·thoughts', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: מְלִיצַ֥י [my·intercessors] (180) + רֵעָ֑י [my·thoughts] (280) + אֶל־אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ [to·God] (73) + דָּלְפָ֥ה [poured] (119) + עֵינִֽי [my·eye] (140) = 792.
Rashi
pours out Heb. דלפה, tears and sprays tears, an expression of dripping (דלוף).
Ibn Ezra
'My eye pours out tears to God' — [dalfah is] like 'tazal' [drips, cf. Deuteronomy 32:2], and similarly, 'the house leaks' (Ecclesiastes 10:18).
Ralbag
'My eye pours out tears' — meaning: my eye weeps.
Metzudat David
"My inward thoughts are my intercessors" — you, my friends, who speak with me in the rhetoric of argument: does not my eye pour out tears to God? And is not the uprightness of my ways revealed before Him?
Metzudat Zion
'My intercessors' [מליצי] — one who speaks with the finest eloquence on a matter in dispute is called a melitz. 'Pours out' [דלפה] — an expression of dripping, as in 'a continual dripping' (Proverbs 27:15); for the tears of weeping fall drop by drop.
Malbim
‘My intercessors’ — and as against the wicked pleaders set up against me in the court of the earth (as he says, ‘and casts me into the hands of the wicked,’ 16:11), he means: my intercessors are my own companions and my own thoughts — for my thoughts know that I am righteous, and they will plead on my behalf in the court of heaven. Only I still need another judge, against the corrupt judge of whom it was said, ‘He delivers me to the corrupt one.’ And of this I said, ‘to God my eye pours out tears’ — I weep before Him that He become the Judge, and this I ask of Him — that—
That He would set aright a man contending with God, As a son of man sets aright his neighbor!
verse value 851
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "to·man" (לְגֶ֣בֶר, 4 letters) and the longest is "with·God" (עִם־אֱל֑וֹהַּ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "and·He·would·set·aright" (וְיוֹכַ֣ח), "with·God" (עִם־אֱל֑וֹהַּ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "with·God" (root אלוה, 41x in Job); "to·his·neighbor" (root רע, 25x in Job); "and·son·of·man" (root אדם, 24x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·God', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: וְיוֹכַ֣ח [and·He·would·set·aright] (50) + לְגֶ֣בֶר [to·man] (235) + עִם־אֱל֑וֹהַּ [with·God] (152) + וּֽבֶן־אָדָ֥ם [and·son·of·man] (103) + לְרֵעֵֽהוּ [to·his·neighbor] (311) = 851.
Rashi
Would that a man could reason If only He would do this for me, that He would give me a place so that a man could reason with God, to liken the two contentions: the contention of man with his Maker, and the contention of man with his fellow.
Metzudat David
"That He would set aright [a man contending with God]" — would that there were a place for a man to argue with God, just as a person argues with his fellow.
Malbim
‘That He would set aright a man contending with God’ — meaning, that He would adjudicate and clarify the case a man has against God, just as matters between one person and another are clarified: whatever counts as just and unjust in a dispute between a man and his fellow will likewise serve as the standard of proof and clarification in a dispute between a man and God. By this standard I will surely be vindicated in my case. And from here his arguments begin:
For the years that are few are coming on, And I shall go the way whence I shall not return.
verse value 2204
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "number" (מִסְפָּ֣ר, 4 letters) and the longest is "for·years·of" (כִּֽי־שְׁנ֣וֹת, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "for·years·of" (כִּֽי־שְׁנ֣וֹת), "not·I·shall·return" (לֹא־אָשׁ֣וּב). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not·I·shall·return" (root שוב, 39x in Job); "I·shall·go" (root הלך, 29x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'are·coming', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־שְׁנ֣וֹת [for·years·of] (786) + מִסְפָּ֣ר [number] (380) + יֶאֱתָ֑יוּ [are·coming] (427) + וְאֹ֖רַח [and·way] (215) + לֹא־אָשׁ֣וּב [not·I·shall·return] (340) + אֶהֱלֹֽךְ [I·shall·go] (56) = 2204.
Rashi
For numbered [years] The limited number of the days of my life. will come Will arrive, and then I will go on a way from which I will not return.
Ibn Ezra
'For the years that are few' — something that has a [small] number, [and comes] quickly. 'Are coming on' [ye'etayu] — [means] they shall be completed.
Metzudat David
"For the years that are few" — as if to say: see, I do have reason to argue. For the fixed number of years, set according to the time appointed for the body's vital moisture to last, will indeed come due for me, for their completion has drawn near — since the greatness of my pain has hastened the drying up of that moisture — and death is near at hand. I will go, then, on a path from which I shall not return; when, then, shall I receive the reward for the uprightness of my ways?
Metzudat Zion
'Are coming on' [יאתיו] — [means] shall come, as in 'morning has come' (Isaiah 21:12).
Malbim
‘For’ — in contrast to what Eliphaz said, ‘Are the consolations of God too small for you’ (15:11) — meaning that your spirit will return to God, that is, that even though you have been afflicted with suffering in this world, you surely ought to find comfort in the survival of the soul after death, since the spirit will return to God who gave it, and there receive its reward in eternal bliss — against this Job argues: behold, ‘the years that are few are coming’ — the years allotted to me to live in this world are a set, numbered span (for the life of this world is measured out by a fixed number), and they will surely and inevitably run out; and then ‘I shall go the way whence I shall not return’ — I shall depart this world and never come back to this life again. It is fitting, then, that the reward for my deeds be paid to me in this world, while I am still alive. But you will say that—
Ralbag
Malbim