Job 13:24
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Why do You hide Your face and consider me as Your enemy?
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Job here comes to make application of what he had said in the foregoing chapter; and now we have him not in so good a temper as he was in then: for, I. He is very bold with his friends, comparing himself with them, notwithstanding the mortifications he was under (Job 13:1, Job 13:2). Condemning them for their falsehood, their forwardness to judge, their partiality and deceitfulness under colour of pleading God's cause (Job 13:4-8), and threatening them with the judgments of God for their so doing (Job 13:9-12), desiring them to be silent (Job 13:5, Job 13:13, Job 13:17), and turning from them to God (Job 13:3). II. He is very bold with his God. 1. In some expressions his faith is very bold, yet that is not more bold than welcome (Job 13:15, Job 13:16, Job 13:18) But, 2. In other expressions his passion is rather too bold in expostulations with God concerning the deplorable condition he was in (Job 13:14, Job 13:19, etc.), complaining of the confusion he was in (Job 13:20-22), and the loss he was at to find out the sin that provoked God thus to afflict him, and in short of the rigour of God's proceedings against him (Job 13:23-28).
Open source ↗13:24 God can turn away in wrath (Deut 31:18; Isa 54:8; Jer 33:5) or refuse to show friendship (Pss 30:7; 69:17; 102:2). • Job, perhaps playing on his own name (’iyyob), denied that he was God’s enemy (’oyeb).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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His anger burns against me, and He counts me among His enemies.
The Lord is like an enemy; He has swallowed up Israel. He has swallowed up all her palaces and destroyed her strongholds. He has multiplied mourning and lamentation for the Daughter of Judah.
How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?
I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in Him.
Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?
Yet God finds occasions against me; He counts me as His enemy.
Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction and oppression?
He said: “I will hide My face from them; I will see what will be their end. For they are a perverse generation— children of unfaithfulness.
You have ruthlessly turned on me; You oppose me with Your strong hand.
(Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment.