Job 16:1
Then Job answered and said,
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
Job 16 opens Job's response after Eliphaz's second speech (ch. 15). The dialogue structure mirrors ancient Mesopotamian wisdom disputation texts, where sages debated suffering and divine justice. Unlike his friends' theological abstractions, Job grounds his argument in raw experiential reality.
Questions for Reflection
- When has well-meaning counsel turned into accusation in your experience of suffering?
- How does Job's persistence in dialogue—despite his friends' failures—model faithful engagement with hard questions?
- What does the formal 'answered and said' structure reveal about Job maintaining dignity amid devastation?
Analysis & Commentary
Then Job answered and said (וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַר, vaya'an 'iyyov vayomar)—This marks Job's third reply to Eliphaz, using the standard dialogue formula. The verb עָנָה ('anah, 'to answer') implies not mere response but an antiphonal refutation. Job's speeches grow progressively darker as his friends' accusations intensify.
The structure of Job's debate follows ancient Near Eastern legal dispute patterns—each party states their case, cross-examines, and appeals to witnesses. Job will call his friends 'miserable comforters' (v. 2), reversing their self-appointed role as counselors. This dialogue formula underscores the failed pastoral care: those who came to comfort became accusers.