Job 16:10

_THEY HAVE GAPED UPON ME WITH THEIR MOUTH; THEY HAVE SMITTEN ME UPON THE CHEEK REPROACHFULLY; THEY HAVE GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER AGAINST ME._ Not only doth God assail Job, but also He exposes him to the wanton insults of men, (cf. Job 16:11; Job 30:1, etc.) GAPED - not in order to devour, but to mock him. In this Job suffered in type what afterward was the bitter portion of Messiah (Psalms 22:13). To fill his cup of misery, the mockery of his friends (Job 16:10) is added to the hostile treatment from God (Job 16:9). SMITTEN ... CHEEK

6-16 Here is a doleful representation of Job's grievances. What reason we have to bless God, that we are not making such complaints! Even good men, when in great troubles, have much ado not to entertain hard thoughts of God. Eliphaz had represented Job as unhumbled under his affliction: No, says Job, I know better things; the dust is now the fittest place for me. In this he reminds us of Christ, who was a man of sorrows, and pronounced those blessed that mourn, for they shall be comforted....

THEY HAVE GAPED UPON ME - Changing the form from the singular to the plural, and including “all” his pretended friends. Such a change in the number is not uncommon. His mind seems to have passed from the particular instance which he was contemplating, to “all” his friends, and he suddenly felt that “all” had treated him alike. The meaning is, that, like wild beasts, they open their mouth to devour me. THEY HAVE GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER - They have entered into a conspiracy, and have “agreed” to oppose me. They are united in this thing, and all feel and act alike....

EXPOSITION Job answers the second speech of Eliphaz in a discourse which occupies two (short) chapters, and is thus not much more lengthy than the speech of his antagonist. His tone is very despairing. He finds no help at all in the speeches of the "comforters" (verses 2-6), and turns from them to consider once more the dealings of God with him (verses 7-14). Next, he describes his own proceedings under his afflictions, and appeals to earth and. heaven, and God in heaven, to take up his cause and help him (verses 15-22). In Job 17:1. he continues much in the same-strain, but with an intermixture of the topics, which is somewhat confusing. In Job 17:1, Job 17:2 he bewails himself; in...

THEY HAVE GAPED UPON ME WITH THEIR MOUTH,.... Here Job speaks of the instruments which God suffered to use him ill; and he has respect to his friends who came with open mouth against him, loading him with calumnies and reproaches, laying charges to him he was not conscious of, and treating him with scorn and contempt, which such a gesture is sometimes a token of, Lamentations 3:46; and in which manner also Christ was used by men, on whom the reproach of them that reproached God and his people fell, and who exhibited false charges against him of various sorts; and he was the reproach of men and the contempt of the people, who laughed him to scorn, opened their mouths in derision; they shot out the lip and shook the head, and mocked and scoffed at him; yea, "they gaped upon him with their mouth as a ravening and a roaring lion",...

CHAPTER S 16-17 JOB'S REPLY TO ELIPHAZ _ 1. Miserable comforters are ye all (Job 16:1)_ 2. Oh God! Thou hast done it! (Job 16:6) 3. Yet I look to Thee (Job 16:15) 4. Trouble upon trouble; self-pity (Job 17:1) 5. Where is now my hope? (Job 17:13) Job 16:1. How masterfully he meets their wrong accusations and how he brings forth his suffering afresh, yet always with that horrible nightmare, God is not for me, but against me! Such things Eliphaz spoke he had h

JOB 16:6 contain a bitter complaint of God's ferocity against Job, in spite of his innocence. The connexion of Job 16:6 with the context is not clear: RV translation is probably, however, correct. With Job 16:7 the enumeration of God's unkindness begins. Davidson explains the change from he to thou by the rise of emotion. God has such hold on Job (Job 16:8) by afflicting him. Job 16:9 compares His onslaught to that of a wild beast. Job 16:10 f. speaks of the hostility of men, not Job's frien

Job realizes to himself his new condition: God and men combine to pursue him with their enmity, though he is innocent of all wrong In Job 16:5 Job flung back with scorn the "comforts of God" which the friends proffered him. And now there seems to occur a pause, and the excited sufferer looks about him and realizes both the extremity of the evil in which he is held, and the new and unexpected trial, added to all others, of the judgment of men being against him. And he hardly knows whether he shall speak or be silent, so overcome is he and so unavailing to help him or make men judge truly of him are both speech and silence _if I speak my grief is not assuaged, and if I forbear what am I eased? Job 16:6_. Yet this new condition in which he realizes that he is, which makes speech useless, forces him to speak, and he

THEY HAVE GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER AGAINST ME— _They are ready to burst with fury against me._ Heath. _They have unanimously satiated their wrath upon me._ Houbigant....

2. Though innocent, he suffers the hostility of God and man. (Job 16:6-17) TEXT 16:6-17 6 THOUGH I SPEAK, MY GRIEF IS NOT ASSUAGED; And though I forbear, what am I eased? 7 But now he hath made me weary: Thou hast made desolate all my company. 8 And thou hast laid fast hold on me, _which_ IS A WITNESS _against me:_ And my leanness riseth up against me, It testifieth to my face. 9 He hath torn me in his wrath, and persecuted me; He hath gnashed upon me with his teeth: Mine adversary sharpeneth his eyes upon me. 10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth; They have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully: They gather themselves together against me. 11 God delivereth me to the ungodly, And casteth me into the hands of the wicked. 12 I was at ease, and he brake me asunder;...