Job 10:17
Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.
Original Language Analysis
עֵדֶ֨יךָ׀
thy witnesses
H5707
עֵדֶ֨יךָ׀
thy witnesses
Strong's:
H5707
Word #:
2 of 9
concretely, a witness; abstractly, testimony; specifically, a recorder, i.e., prince
נֶגְדִּ֗י
H5048
נֶגְדִּ֗י
Strong's:
H5048
Word #:
3 of 9
a front, i.e., part opposite; specifically a counterpart, or mate; usually (adverbial, especially with preposition) over against or before
Cross References
Job 16:8And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.Ruth 1:21I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
Historical Context
Ancient warfare involved rotating fresh troops to maintain assault pressure while defenders grew exhausted. Legal proceedings could involve multiple witnesses and successive charges. Job combines military and legal imagery to describe his experience of overwhelming, escalating divine prosecution.
Questions for Reflection
- How do we endure when trials escalate rather than resolve?
- What does Job's experience of renewed witnesses teach about suffering's cumulative toll?
- In what ways did Christ's enduring escalating injustice vindicate God's justice while accomplishing our justification?
Analysis & Commentary
Job describes escalating divine prosecution: 'Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.' The verb 'renewest' (chaddesh, חָדַשׁ) means to make new or refresh—God produces fresh evidence against Job. 'Witnesses' (edim, עֵדִים) refers to legal testimony. God 'increasest' (rabah, רָבָה) His 'indignation' (kaas, כַּעַס, vexation or anger). The phrase 'changes and war' (chalipot vetsaba, חֲלִיפוֹת וְצָבָא) depicts successive waves of troops—military imagery of relentless assault.
Job experiences God's prosecution as never-ending—when one set of afflictions passes, another arrives. Like military campaign with rotating fresh troops, Job faces constant attack while he grows weary. The escalation seems unjust: instead of single trial, Job endures multiplying accusations and renewed assaults. Divine prosecution appears vindictive rather than just.
Christ experienced this escalating prosecution—arrest, ecclesiastical trial, civil trial, Herod's court, Pilate's court, mocking, scourging, crucifixion. Each step multiplied injustice against the innocent. But Christ's submission to unjust escalation accomplished our justification. The renewed witnesses against Christ were false; the renewed witnesses for us are faithful (1 John 2:1).