Job 19:14
My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.
Original Language Analysis
חָדְל֥וּ
have failed
H2308
חָדְל֥וּ
have failed
Strong's:
H2308
Word #:
1 of 4
properly, to be flabby, i.e., (by implication) desist; (figuratively) be lacking or idle
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern culture valued kinship bonds and friendship obligations highly. Family and friends provided social safety net, identity, and support. Their absence represented not just loneliness but existential crisis—loss of social location and identity.
Questions for Reflection
- How does suffering reveal who truly remains committed versus who was only circumstantially present?
- What does Job's experience teach about finding God sufficient when human support fails?
- How can we be friends who remain present during others' long, difficult trials?
Analysis & Commentary
Job's relatives abandon him: 'My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.' The double loss—family failing and friends forgetting—emphasizes Job's complete social isolation. 'Failed' suggests they stopped functioning in their proper roles. 'Forgotten' indicates deliberate abandonment, not mere absence. This describes suffering's social dimension—those who should support flee instead. Yet this isolation drives Job toward God, his ultimate advocate.