Job 6:24-30 | KingComments | STEP | If only they could convince him of a sin he had committed ( )! The only thing he wants to know from them is if he has committed an injustice in any way, and therefore, as they say, this mischief has come upon him. Job’s plea is that he has a clean conscience and therefore defends himself against the false accusations of his friends. He asks them to make him understand where he has gone astray, for this is what they accuse him of. Job takes an open, transparent and vulnerable attitude here. In New Testament language, Job is open to a washing of his feet by the three friends. Eliphaz – and through him the other two friends – have made a number of accusations, but without proving anything. Let them do their best to substantiate their accusations. Genuine friendship is also evidenced by the naming of sin, through which sin can be confessed and the way is free again for contact with God and with one another. Vaguely alluding to sin is a trick of the devil with which he creates much dissatisfaction. We should not accuse anyone of sin unless we can provide clear proof of guilt. With some sarcasm Job says that the friends speak “honest words”, which he also calls “painful” ( ). That they are meant to be sarcastic is clear from the following line. There he says that their punitive words prove nothing at all. They just imagine things, without really realizing what they are saying ( ). Their words have no content and no basis, while they themselves feel that they are honest words. On the other hand, they consider the words of the plagued Job as wind, as futile, without substance, though they are spoken out of great despair. They have not really listened to Job’s agonizing words, have ignored his suffering, have not taken his heart’s cry seriously. Paul writes that he has also been desperate, that he and others “despaired even of life” ( ). The circumstances were different from those in which Job found himself. The big difference between Job and Paul, however, is that Job despaired of both life and God, whereas Paul did not. Paul did not despair of God, but trusted in Him “who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a [peril] of death, and will deliver [us]” ( ). Once again Job outbursts against his friends. He now calls them the most ruthless people he can think of. He considers them capable of throwing a dice for a defenseless orphan to make money ( ). Also, according to him, they wouldn’t shun to sell their friend. Job is so disappointed in them that he accuses them of things that are not true. But for his feeling it is like this. He is totally ruined by their mercilessness and lack of sympathy. His outburst is inexcusable, but can be understood by what the friends say to him. Then he regains some self-control and asks them if they still want to come his way, that is to say if they will be able to have some sympathy for him ( ). He doesn’t lie to them in the face, does he? He is really desperate, and he cannot think of a reason for this. He calls them to desist and come to their senses, that they will reconsider their opinion of him and the cause of his distress ( ). With their view of him and the cause of his distress they commit injustice. He is truly in his right. His “righteousness is yet in it”. So let them desist. Job argues that it was not he who made a mistake, but that they made a mistake. There is no injustice on his tongue ( ). He has not uttered a single false word. He even suggests that he is a taster, that he really would know it if he had fallen into these “calamities” through his own fault. Job emphasizes that he is honest and sincere. He claims that he is still righteous and sincere, that he is perfectly capable of judging his own situation, and that his conscience is perfectly clean and not burdened by some unconfessed sin. Job wrongly boasts here that he is impeccable in his words. He forgets that he is not perfect. There is only One Who could say: “Which one of you convicts Me of sin?” ( ).

‏ Job 6:24-30

Job Challenges to Test Him

If only they could convince him of a sin he had committed (Job 6:24)! The only thing he wants to know from them is if he has committed an injustice in any way, and therefore, as they say, this mischief has come upon him. Job’s plea is that he has a clean conscience and therefore defends himself against the false accusations of his friends.

He asks them to make him understand where he has gone astray, for this is what they accuse him of. Job takes an open, transparent and vulnerable attitude here. In New Testament language, Job is open to a washing of his feet by the three friends. Eliphaz – and through him the other two friends – have made a number of accusations, but without proving anything. Let them do their best to substantiate their accusations.

Genuine friendship is also evidenced by the naming of sin, through which sin can be confessed and the way is free again for contact with God and with one another. Vaguely alluding to sin is a trick of the devil with which he creates much dissatisfaction. We should not accuse anyone of sin unless we can provide clear proof of guilt.

With some sarcasm Job says that the friends speak “honest words”, which he also calls “painful” (Job 6:25). That they are meant to be sarcastic is clear from the following line. There he says that their punitive words prove nothing at all. They just imagine things, without really realizing what they are saying (Job 6:26). Their words have no content and no basis, while they themselves feel that they are honest words. On the other hand, they consider the words of the plagued Job as wind, as futile, without substance, though they are spoken out of great despair. They have not really listened to Job’s agonizing words, have ignored his suffering, have not taken his heart’s cry seriously.

Paul writes that he has also been desperate, that he and others “despaired even of life” (2Cor 1:8). The circumstances were different from those in which Job found himself. The big difference between Job and Paul, however, is that Job despaired of both life and God, whereas Paul did not. Paul did not despair of God, but trusted in Him “who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a [peril] of death, and will deliver [us]” (2Cor 1:9-10).

Once again Job outbursts against his friends. He now calls them the most ruthless people he can think of. He considers them capable of throwing a dice for a defenseless orphan to make money (Job 6:27). Also, according to him, they wouldn’t shun to sell their friend. Job is so disappointed in them that he accuses them of things that are not true. But for his feeling it is like this. He is totally ruined by their mercilessness and lack of sympathy. His outburst is inexcusable, but can be understood by what the friends say to him.

Then he regains some self-control and asks them if they still want to come his way, that is to say if they will be able to have some sympathy for him (Job 6:28). He doesn’t lie to them in the face, does he? He is really desperate, and he cannot think of a reason for this. He calls them to desist and come to their senses, that they will reconsider their opinion of him and the cause of his distress (Job 6:29). With their view of him and the cause of his distress they commit injustice. He is truly in his right. His “righteousness is yet in it”. So let them desist.

Job argues that it was not he who made a mistake, but that they made a mistake. There is no injustice on his tongue (Job 6:30). He has not uttered a single false word. He even suggests that he is a taster, that he really would know it if he had fallen into these “calamities” through his own fault. Job emphasizes that he is honest and sincere. He claims that he is still righteous and sincere, that he is perfectly capable of judging his own situation, and that his conscience is perfectly clean and not burdened by some unconfessed sin.

Job wrongly boasts here that he is impeccable in his words. He forgets that he is not perfect. There is only One Who could say: “Which one of you convicts Me of sin?” (Jn 8:46a).