John Gill Commentary Job 13:14

"Wherefore should I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hand?" — Job 13:14 (ASV)

Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth
Or bite my lips, to keep in my words, and refrain from speaking? I will not do it:

and put my life in my hand ?
or, expose it to danger by a forced silence; when I am ready to burst, and must if I do not speak; I will not thus endanger my life; it is unreasonable I should, I will speak my mind freely and fully, that I may be refreshed; so Sephorno interprets it of Job's putting his hand to his mouth, that he might be silent; and of putting a forcible restraint upon himself, that he might not declare what was upon his mind; see (Job 13:19) ;

but others, as Bar Tzemach, take the sense to be, what is the sin I have committed, that such sore afflictions are laid upon me; that through the pain and distress I am in, I am ready to tear off my flesh with my teeth, and my life is in the utmost danger? and some think he was under a temptation to tear his own flesh, and destroy himself; and therefore argues why he should be thus hardly dealt with, as to be exposed to such a temptation, and thrown in such despair, which yet he laboured against;

but rather the meaning is, in connection with the preceding verse, let whatsoever will come upon me, "at all events, I will take my flesh in my teeth, and I will put my life in my hand" ^F12 ; I will expose myself to the greatest dangers which is the sense of the last phrase in (Judges 12:3) (1 Samuel 19:5) (28:21) (Psalms 119:109) ;

come life, come death, I will not fear; I am determined to speak out my mind let what will be the consequence; and with this bold and heroic spirit agrees what follows.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F12: "Super quocunque eventu", Schultens.