Job 13:26 - Job Reproves His Friends

Audio Bible

Context

Job Reproves His Friends
…25Would You frighten a windblown leaf? Would You chase after dry chaff? 26For You record bitter accusations against me and bequeath to me the iniquities of my youth. 27You put my feet in the stocks and stand watch over all my paths; You set a limit for the soles of my feet.…

Cross References

Psalm 25:7
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my rebellious acts; remember me according to Your loving devotion, because of Your goodness, O LORD.Psalm 79:8
Do not hold past sins against us; let Your compassion come quickly, for we are brought low.Jeremiah 14:10
This is what the LORD says about this people: “Truly they love to wander; they have not restrained their feet. So the LORD does not accept them; He will now remember their iniquity and punish them for their sins.”Isaiah 43:24
You have not bought Me sweet cane with your silver, nor satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened Me with your sins; you have wearied Me with your iniquities.Lamentations 1:5
Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. For the LORD has brought her grief because of her many transgressions. Her children have gone away as captives before the enemy.Ezekiel 18:30
Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that your iniquity will not become your downfall.Hosea 8:13
Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me, and though they eat the meat, the LORD does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt.Micah 7:18
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.Galatians 6:7-8
Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. / The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.Hebrews 10:17
Then He adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.Matthew 12:36
But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

Job 3:20
Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;

Ruth 1:20
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

Psalm 88:3
For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

makest

Job 20:11
His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

Psalm 25:7
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.

Proverbs 5:11-13
And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, …

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Job 13

For You record bitter accusations against me
In this phrase, Job is addressing God directly, expressing his belief that God is keeping a record of his supposed wrongdoings. This reflects the ancient Near Eastern practice of record-keeping, where kings and deities were thought to maintain records of human actions. Theologically, this highlights the belief in God's omniscience and justice, as seen in Psalm 56:8, where God is said to keep a record of tears. Job's lamentation here underscores his feeling of being unjustly accused, a theme that resonates throughout the book as he struggles with the concept of divine justice.

and bequeath to me the iniquities of my youth.
Job feels that he is being punished for sins he committed in his youth, a common belief in ancient cultures where past sins were thought to bring future consequences. This reflects the broader biblical theme of generational sin and personal accountability, as seen in Exodus 20:5, where the iniquity of the fathers is visited upon the children. Job's reference to the sins of his youth also connects to the human condition of sinfulness and the need for redemption, a theme fulfilled in the New Testament through Jesus Christ, who offers forgiveness and a new beginning, as seen in 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Job
A man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, experiencing intense suffering and questioning God's justice.

2. God
The Almighty, who is sovereign over all creation. In the context of Job, God allows Job's faith to be tested by Satan.

3. Job's Friends
Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, who visit Job to comfort him but end up accusing him of sin as the cause of his suffering.

4. Satan
The adversary who challenges Job's righteousness, suggesting that Job is faithful only because of his prosperity.

5. The Iniquities of Youth
Refers to the sins or wrongdoings committed by Job in his earlier years, which he feels are being brought up against him.

Teaching Points

Understanding Suffering
Job's lament highlights the struggle to understand why suffering occurs, especially when it seems unrelated to personal sin. This teaches us to trust in God's wisdom even when we don't understand our circumstances.

The Weight of Past Sins
Job's reference to the "iniquities of my youth" reminds us of the burden of past sins. It encourages believers to seek God's forgiveness and to live in the freedom that comes from repentance.

God's Sovereignty and Justice
Job's situation underscores the belief in God's ultimate justice and sovereignty. Even when life seems unfair, Christians are called to trust in God's righteous character.

The Role of Friends in Suffering
Job's friends initially come to comfort him but end up accusing him. This teaches the importance of offering compassionate support rather than judgment to those who are suffering.

The Importance of Perseverance
Job's perseverance through trials is a model for Christians to remain steadfast in faith, trusting that God is working for their good even in difficult times.

(26) For thou writest bitter things against me.--Exquisitely plaintive and affecting is this confession.

Verse 26. - For thou writest bitter things against me. The allusion seems to be to the ordinary practice in ancient law-courts of formulating a written acte d'accusation against supposed criminals. Keeping up the imagery of a court and pleadings, Job represents God as engaged in drawing up such a document against him. The "bitter things" are the charges which the acts contains. And makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth. Job, like David, has to acknowledge "sins and offences" committed in his youth (Psalm 25:6). In considering what the indictment against him can be, he can only suppose that these old and long-forsaken sins are being remembered and brought up against him, and that he is being punished for them. He does not exclaim against this as injustice; he feels probably that there is no statute of limitations respecting sins and their punishment; but it can scarcely have seemed to him consistent with God's goodness and mercifulness that the offences of his immature age should be visited upon him so bitterly. Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

For
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

You record
תִכְתֹּ֣ב (ṯiḵ·tōḇ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3789: To grave, to write

bitter accusations
מְרֹר֑וֹת (mə·rō·rō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4846: Bitterness, a bitter thing, bile, venom

against me
עָלַ֣י (‘ā·lay)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

and bequeath to me
וְ֝תוֹרִישֵׁ֗נִי (wə·ṯō·w·rî·šê·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - second person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 3423: To occupy, to seize, to rob, to inherit, to expel, to impoverish, to ruin

the iniquities
עֲוֺנ֥וֹת (‘ă·wō·nō·wṯ)
Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 5771: Iniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquity

of my youth.
נְעוּרָֽי׃ (nə·‘ū·rāy)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5271: Youth, the state, the persons

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Job 13:26 Catholic BibleOT Poetry: Job 13:26 For you write bitter things against me (Jb)