Job 19

King James Version

Full text for Job Chapter 19

1¶ Then Job answered and said,

2How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

3These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed [that] ye make yourselves strange to me.

4And be it indeed [that] I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.

5If indeed ye will magnify [yourselves] against me, and plead against me my reproach:

6Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.

7Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but [there is] no judgment.

8¶ He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.

9He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown [from] my head.

10He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.

11He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as [one of] his enemies.

12His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle.

13He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.

14My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

15They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.

16I called my servant, and he gave [me] no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.

17My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's [sake] of mine own body.

18Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.

19All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.

20My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

21Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.

22Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

23¶ Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!

24That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!

25For I know [that] my redeemer liveth, and [that] he shall stand at the latter [day] upon the earth:

26And [though] after my skin [worms] destroy this [body], yet in my flesh shall I see God:

27Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; [though] my reins be consumed within me.

28But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

29Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath [bringeth] the punishments of the sword, that ye may know [there is] a judgment.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Job 19 opens with Job's bitter lament against his friends, accusing them of vexing him with their words and reproaches. He attributes his profound suffering and isolation directly to God's hand, feeling abandoned by all. Despite his despair, Job proclaims a powerful declaration of faith, expressing his certain knowledge that his Redeemer lives and that he will see God in his flesh after his body's decay. He concludes by warning his friends of impending judgment for their persecution.

Medium Summary

In Job 19, Job passionately confronts his friends, accusing them of relentlessly tormenting him with their words and reproaches. He asserts that his immense suffering and complete isolation from family, friends, and servants are directly orchestrated by God, who has encompassed him with a net and counted him as an enemy. Job describes his physical decay and emotional desolation, pleading for pity from his companions, emphasizing that God's hand is upon him. Amidst this deep despair, Job expresses a profound desire for his words to be permanently recorded. He then declares his unwavering faith, stating, "I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." Job firmly believes that even after his skin is destroyed, he will personally see God in his own flesh. He concludes by warning his friends against their continued persecution, reminding them that divine judgment awaits.

Long Summary

Job 19 begins with Job's impassioned response to his friends, expressing deep anguish over their persistent reproaches and the verbal torment that has broken his spirit. He questions their relentless persecution and asserts that any error on his part remains his own burden. Job then directly attributes his overwhelming afflictions to God, declaring that the Almighty has overthrown him, ensnared him, blocked his paths, and stripped him of his glory and hope. He feels God's wrath kindled against him, viewing himself as an enemy, and laments that his cries for justice go unheard. Furthermore, Job describes his utter social abandonment, detailing how his brethren, acquaintances, kinsfolk, familiar friends, household members, servants, and even his wife and young children have become estranged, despising him as an alien. He paints a vivid picture of his physical deterioration, stating his bone cleaves to his skin and he has escaped only "with the skin of my teeth." In a poignant plea, Job implores his friends for pity, reiterating that the hand of God has touched him, and questioning why they persecute him as if they were God. Amidst this profound desolation, Job articulates a fervent wish for his words to be eternally inscribed in a book or graven in rock. This desire precedes his monumental declaration of faith: "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." He confidently proclaims that despite the destruction of his body, he will personally behold God in his own flesh. Job concludes the chapter by warning his friends against their continued persecution, reminding them that their actions could lead to divine wrath and the punishments of the sword, emphasizing the certainty of judgment.

Core Concepts

  • Verbal VexationJob expresses intense suffering from his friends' words, which he perceives as constant reproaches and a breaking of his soul, highlighting the destructive power of unhelpful counsel.
  • Divine AfflictionJob directly attributes his profound suffering, loss of status, and isolation to God's active hand, believing God has overthrown him, set a net around him, and counted him as an enemy.
  • Social AbandonmentThe chapter vividly portrays Job's complete isolation, as he laments being estranged by family, friends, servants, and even his wife and children, feeling like a stranger in his own household.
  • Hope in the RedeemerDespite his immense despair and physical decay, Job declares a powerful and unwavering faith that his Redeemer lives and will stand upon the earth, affirming a future personal encounter with God.
  • Resurrection HopeJob's declaration, "yet in my flesh shall I see God," expresses a profound belief in a future bodily resurrection or restoration, where he will personally behold his Creator.
  • Plea for PityJob appeals to his friends for compassion, emphasizing that his suffering is divinely ordained, and questions why they continue to persecute him rather than show understanding.
  • Warning of JudgmentJob concludes by cautioning his friends against their continued harshness, implying that their actions are a form of persecution that will ultimately lead to divine wrath and judgment.