Albert Barnes Commentary Job 16

Many such things — That is, either things fitted to provoke and irritate, or sentiments that are commonplace. There was nothing new in what they said, and nothing to the purpose.

Miserable comforters — Compare Job 13:4. They had come professedly to condole with him. Now all that they said was adapted only to irritate and to deepen his distress. He was disappointed; and he was deeply wounded and grieved.

Shall vain words? — The marginal note says: "In Hebrew, 'words of wind'"; that is, words devoid of thoughtful insight, and trifling. This is a retort to Eliphaz. He had charged Job (Job 15:2–3) with uttering only such words. Such forms of expression are common in the East. “His promise, it is only wind.” “Breath, breath: all breath.” Roberts.

Or what emboldeneth thee? — “What provokes or irritates you, that you answer in this manner? What have I said that has prompted such a speech—a speech so severe and unkind?” The Syriac reads this as, “Do not afflict me any more with speeches; for if you speak any more, I will not answer you.”

I also could speak as you do - In the same reproachful manner, and stringing together old proverbs and maxims as you have.

If your soul were in my soul’s stead - If you were in my place. The idea is that there is no difficulty in finding arguments to overwhelm the afflicted—a truth which most persons who have been unfortunate have had opportunity to experience.

I could heap up words against you - Or, rather, “I could string together words against you.” The idea is not that of heaping up, or accumulating; it is that of tying together, or uniting, and refers here to stringing together old maxims, sayings, and proverbs, in the form of a set argument or discourse. The idea of Job is that their discourses were nothing but ancient proverbs, thrown together, or strung along without regard to order, pertinence, or force.

The Hebrew word used here (חבר (chābar)) means to bind, to bind together, to associate, to be confederate. It may be applied to friends—united in friendship; or to nations—united in an alliance, etc. Gesenius supposes that it means here that he “would make a league with words against them”; but the above seems to be the more probable interpretation.

The Septuagint renders it, “then I could insult you—ἐναλοῦμαι (enaloumai)—with words.” Jerome (Vulgate) “I would console you with words, and move my head over you.” The Chaldee is as the Hebrew—חבר (chābar). Dr. Good renders it, “against you will I string together old sayings.”

And shake my head at you - An action common to all countries and ages, expressive of contempt, or of threatening; compare Jeremiah 18:16; Lamentations 2:15; Zephaniah 2:15; Matthew 27:39. So Lucretius ii. 1163:

Jamque caput quassans grandis suspirat ararat
Crebrius incassum magnum cecidisse laborem.

In like manner Virgil, Aeneid xii. 292:

Tum quassanos caput, haec effudit pectore dicta.

So, also, Homer, Odyssey ε (e):

Κινήσας δὲ κάρη πρότι ὅν μυθήσατο Θυμόν.
Kinēsas de karē proti hon muthēsato thumon.

The meaning of Job here is that he could as easily have expressed contempt, reproach, and scorn, as they did. It required no uncommon talent to do it, and he felt that he would have been fully sufficient for the task.

But I would strengthen you with my mouth. With what proceeds from the mouth—words.

And the moving of my lips—My speaking, implying that it would have been done in a mild, gentle, and kind manner, so that the lips would appear just to move. Others, however, have given a different interpretation. Thus, Dr. Good renders it:

“With my own mouth will I overpower you,
Till the quivering of my lips shall fall.”

But the common interpretation is to be preferred. The word rendered “moving,” ניד (nîyd), is from נוּד (nûd)—meaning “to move,” “to agitate,” and therefore denotes “motion.” It denotes here the motion of the lips when we speak. Gesenius renders it “consolation,” “comfort”—because this is expressed by a motion of the head.

Should assuage your grief—The word used here, יחשׂך (yachâśak), properly means “to hold back” or “to restrain” (Job 7:11). Here it is correctly rendered, meaning that he would hold back or check their sorrows. In other words, he would sustain them.

Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged (Job 16:6) — But for me, it makes no difference now whether I speak or am silent. My sufferings continue.

If I attempt to vindicate myself before people, I am reproached, and equally so if I am silent. If I maintain my cause before God, it is of no use to me, for my sufferings continue.

If I am silent and submit without a complaint, they remain the same. Neither silence, nor argument, nor entreaty is of any use to me before God or humanity. I am doomed to suffering.

What am I eased? (Job 16:6) — Margin: “Goes from me.” Literally, “what goes from me?” The sense is that it all was of no use.