Job 16:8

Authorized King James Version

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And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.

Original Language Analysis

וַֽ֭תִּקְמְטֵנִי And thou hast filled me with wrinkles H7059
וַֽ֭תִּקְמְטֵנִי And thou hast filled me with wrinkles
Strong's: H7059
Word #: 1 of 8
to pluck, i.e., destroy
לְעֵ֣ד which is a witness H5707
לְעֵ֣ד which is a witness
Strong's: H5707
Word #: 2 of 8
concretely, a witness; abstractly, testimony; specifically, a recorder, i.e., prince
הָיָ֑ה H1961
הָיָ֑ה
Strong's: H1961
Word #: 3 of 8
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
וַיָּ֥קָם rising up H6965
וַיָּ֥קָם rising up
Strong's: H6965
Word #: 4 of 8
to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)
בִּ֥י H0
בִּ֥י
Strong's: H0
Word #: 5 of 8
כַ֝חֲשִׁ֗י against me and my leanness H3585
כַ֝חֲשִׁ֗י against me and my leanness
Strong's: H3585
Word #: 6 of 8
literally a failure of flesh, i.e., emaciation; figuratively, hypocrisy
בְּפָנַ֥י to my face H6440
בְּפָנַ֥י to my face
Strong's: H6440
Word #: 7 of 8
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi
יַעֲנֶֽה׃ in me beareth witness H6030
יַעֲנֶֽה׃ in me beareth witness
Strong's: H6030
Word #: 8 of 8
properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e., pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extension to begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout,

Analysis & Commentary

And thou hast filled me with wrinkles (וַתִּקְמְטֵנִי, vatikmteni)—The rare verb קָמַט (qamat) means 'to seize, shrivel, make wrinkled.' Job addresses God directly: You have shriveled me. His emaciation becomes a witness against me (לְעֵד, le'ed)—legal terminology. His physical collapse testifies in the cosmic courtroom.

And my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face (וַיָּקָם בִּי כַחֲשִׁי, vayaqam bi khachashi)—The noun כַּחַשׁ (kachash) means 'leanness, emaciation, lying.' Some translations read 'my leanness' as 'my gauntness'; others interpret it as 'my liar'—his wasted body falsely 'testifies' that he's guilty. Job's suffering becomes his accuser, though he's innocent. This anticipates Christ, whose innocent suffering bore false witness before tribunals.

Historical Context

In ancient Israelite legal proceedings, physical evidence served as testimony. Job uses forensic language: his body is a 'witness' (עֵד, ed) in the divine lawsuit. The Mosaic law required two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15); Job ironically has multiple 'witnesses' against him—all circumstantial, none true.

Questions for Reflection