Глава 16

Job's response to Eliphaz's speech in the second conversation. 1–6. Job cannot be comforted either by the reasoning of his friends or by his own speeches and silence. 7–17. No one except the earth can confirm his innocence. 19–21. Appeal to God. Job 16:1. And Job answered and said: Job 16:2. I heard a lot of this; you are all pathetic comforters! Job 16:3. Will there be an end to windy words? and what prompted you to answer like that? Job 16:4. And I could speak the same way as you, if your soul were in the place of my soul; I would attack you with words and would nod my head at you; Job 16:5. I would support you with my tongue and with the movement of my lips I would console you. Representing a repetition of the view previously expressed by friends about the inevitability of punishment for the sinner (Job 4.7–9; Job 8.11 et c.; Job 11.6 et c.), Eliphaz’s speech evokes a fair remark from Job: “I have heard many such things” (v. 2). By repeating the old, which does not bring Job any consolation, friends find themselves in the same position as “pathetic comforters” (cf. Job 13.4), who are better off keeping quiet (Job 13.2, 13). Not wanting to follow this advice, they drive Job out of patience: “Will there be an end to windy speeches?” (v. 3). Indeed, the sufferer does not need the speeches of friends. “Wicked” are not thorough in content, they are not able to resolve a controversial issue; not containing even a shadow of cordiality, but rather combined with mockery (“nod your head”, v. 4; cf. Ps 21.8, 108.25; Is 37.22), they do not give Job any consolation (v. 5). And if the sufferer were in the place of his friends, he, true to his view (Job 6.14), would never have done this. Job 16:6. If I speak, my sorrow will not be satisfied; Do I stop what is leaving me? Without meeting sympathy from his friends, Job, more than ever, needs consolation. He looks for it, but doesn't find it. He is unable to console himself. Neither speech nor silence diminishes his torment. By God he was brought into a state of “exhaustion” (v. 7), - exhaustion of the ability to alleviate his grief in one way or another (by speech and silence). Without explaining why speech does not bring comfort, Job points out how his silence is accompanied by such consequences. Job 16:7–11. Silence on the part of Job is agreement with the facts testifying to his sinfulness. Job 16:7. But now He has exhausted me. You destroyed my entire family. The first of these is the death of his family - an undoubted sign of sinfulness, according to his friends (Job 4.10–11, 8.4, 15.32). Job 16:8. You have covered me with wrinkles as a testimony against me; My exhaustion rises up against me and reproaches me to my face. The exact same indicators of Job’s guilt are suffering (cf. Job 10.17), from which he cannot get rid of, like a prisoner from his shackles. Instead of “You covered me with wrinkles as a witness against me,” in accordance with the Hebrew verb “vattig metini” - “you bound me with chains,” this passage is usually read as follows: “You bound me in order to testify against me.” Friends join the suffering as witnesses, these traitors who betrayed the feelings of friendship and justice (Job 6.14 et c.; Job 13.7). The word “kahshi”, translated in the synodal text by the expression “exhausted,” also means “liar, traitor,” which is why the second half of this verse is translated as follows: “the traitor (friends) rises before my face and accuses me.” Job 16:9. His anger torments and enmities against me, gnashing its teeth at me; my enemy will sharpen his eyes on me. Job 16:10. They opened their mouths on me; swearing they hit me on the cheeks: everyone conspired against me. Job 16:11. God gave me over to the wicked and threw me into the hands of the wicked. The last witnesses of Job’s sinfulness are those lawless people into whose hands he was delivered by God. Based on the fact that divine wrath not only does not cease, but is increasingly intensified, so that God in his relationship to the sufferer is likened to an angry animal rushing at its prey (v. 9), they combine a hostile attitude towards Job with insult and contempt (“slap on the cheeks,” v. 10; cf. Ps 3.8; Mic 5.1; as well as Is 50.6). Job 16:12. I was calm, but He shook me; took me by the neck and beat me and made me a target for Himself. Job 16:13. His archers surrounded me; He cuts my insides and does not spare, he spilled my bile on the ground, Job 16:14. breaks through breach after breach in me, runs towards me like a warrior. Job cannot remain silent, that is, agree with these evidence of his guilt, he cannot because the disaster fell at a time when he “was calm” (v. 12), enjoyed the favor of God, and undoubtedly was a righteous man in His eyes (cf. Job 29.1–6). There is no unrighteousness in his hands, his relationship with God is impeccable (v. 17), and yet the Lord, during a time of calm, “shook” him (v. 12) - made disasters especially palpable. Like a wrestler seizing his opponent by the neck, He cast him from a state of happiness into the abyss of disaster (v. 12). And it still remains the subject on which the Lord vents His wrath. He strikes him with arrows (v. 13; cf. Job 6:4), cutting his entrails, that is, causing terrible suffering with disasters (v. 13). In order to finally finish him off, the Lord makes, as it were, a final attack (v. 14). Job 16:15. I sewed sackcloth on my skin and laid my head in dust. Job 16:16. My face is purple from crying, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death, As a result of such relations of God towards Job, the latter is in a state of deep sadness: mourning clothes, “sackcloth”, do not leave him, complete weakening (“he laid my head in the dust” - v. 15, literally from Hebrew “turned my horn into dust.” The horn is a symbol of strength. - 1 Samuel 2.1; Ps 74.5, 148.14). The face has become crimson from constant tears, and the eyes, weakened by sadness and clouded by tears, are covered with darkness, a harbinger of death. Job 16:18. Earth! do not cover up my blood, and let there be no place for my cry. Job is innocent; he cannot remain silent. At the same time, it is useless to speak to God and friends: they do not believe him. In view of this state of affairs, he makes a request to the earth so that it “does not cover his blood.” Innocent, criminally shed blood requires vengeance, especially when it remains on the surface of the earth (Is 26.21; Eze 24.7–8). Turning to the earth with a request that it not hide his blood, not absorb it, Job wants it to at least recognize him as innocent, deserving of revenge, restoration of trampled rights, which God and friends do not want to do. - “Let there be no place for my cry,” literally translated: “let not my cry be suppressed” (about vengeance); an earlier thought expressed in a different form. Job 16:19. And now here is my Witness in heaven, and my Protector in the highest! Job's request is based on a deep confidence in his innocence, of which God is a witness (Job 23.10). As a witness to innocence, recognized by inanimate nature, He, in the end, cannot help but be its intercessor. Job's faith in Divine Justice, previously weakened by various considerations, is reflected in all its strength. Job 16:20. My long-winded friends! My eye goes to God. Job 16:21. Oh, that man could have a rivalry with God, as the son of man has with his neighbor! The Hebrew expression “melitzai rechai”, rendered in the synodal text by the word: “my long-winded friends,” should be translated in accordance with Ps 119.51 - the phrase “my mocking friends.” Let friends laugh and mock (v. 4) at Job’s confidence in his innocence. He stands by his conviction. Confident in it and in the final justice of God, the sufferer desires only one thing: to see its manifestation now. Therefore, he asks that the Lord allow, give him the opportunity to defend his righteousness before Him, just as he could do this in a dispute with a person (v. 21, cf. Job 9.32 etc.). Job 16:22. For my years are coming to an end, and I am setting off on a path of no return. The impetus for such a request is imminent death: Job wants to die justified. You might be interested in: