2. Job's second reply to Eliphaz chs. 16-17

This response reflects Job's increasing disinterest in the words of his accusers. He warned them and then proceeded to bewail his isolation.

 Job's disgust with his friends 16:1-5

Job said his visitors had said nothing new to help him (v. 1). He picked up Eliphaz's word (translated "mischief"in 15:35) and used it to describe him and his companions as "sorry"comforters (v. 2). Eliphaz's words had not brought the consolation he had promised (15:11). Job charged his visitors with being the real wind bags (v. 3; cf. 8:2; 15:2). He claimed that he himself would provide more comfort than they were delivering, which Eliphaz had previously admitted Job could do (4:4).

 Job's distress at God's hand 16:6-17

Job's friends did not cause his greatest discomfort, however; from Job's perspective God did. Most of the verses in this pericope are easy to understand. A better translation of verse 6b might be, "And if I hold back, it does not leave me."

"Job's assumption that God was angry with him [in v. 9] implies that Job subconsciously felt that God was punishing him for some unknown sin of which Job was unaware. He wished that God would reveal this to him (10:2)."⁷⁶

Evidently Job had suffered abuse at the hands of young people who harassed him at the city dump where he was living (v. 11). A defeated animal often thrusts its horn or horns in the dust. Job compared himself to such an animal (v. 15). Again he admitted no action or attitude worthy of his intense suffering (v. 17).

 Job's desire for a representative in heaven 16:18-17:2

Job called on the earth not to cover his blood (v. 18) so it might cry to God for vindication (cf. Gen. 4:10). Job did not want people to forget his case when he died. He wanted someone to answer his questions and to vindicate his innocence even if he was not alive to witness it. The witness and advocate to which he referred (v. 19) seem to be some heavenly witness other than God since he called this person a man (v. 21).⁷⁷Many commentators, however, believe Job had God in mind. Certainly the God-man, Jesus Christ, our advocate with the Father, is the person whom God provided to meet this need. However, Job did not have revelation concerning Him as far as the text indicates. Job longed for someone to plead with God for him since God was apparently ignoring his own cries. Moreover Job's companions were not pleading his case as true friends should have done (16:20; 17:2).

"With increasing clarity Job is seeing that satisfactory answers might be gained only when he has more direct dealings with God after death."⁷⁸

 Job's disclaimer of his friends 17:3-5

Evidently in legal cases of this sort each litigant would give the judge a bond (money or some personal possession) before the trial. This bond would guarantee that the litigant would be fair and honest during the trial. If one of the litigants was not, the judge would not return his bond to him at the trial's end.⁷⁹Job called on God to lay down His pledge (as the prosecutor) with Himself (the judge; 17:3a). The guarantor (17:3b) was one who provided the bond if the person on trial could not. Job's supportive friends would normally have provided his bond, but they had turned against him. Job lay the ultimate responsibility for his friends' blindness and rejection at God's feet because God had withheld understanding from them. Consequently he believed God would not lift them up (17:4). Job may have believed part of his friends' motive in not helping him was that they could obtain a portion of his property when he died (17:5). However since verse 5 is a proverb, he may have only been reminding his friends of the serious consequences of slander.⁸⁰

 Job's despair in the face of death 17:6-16

Job proceeded to accuse God by making him a byword (proverb) to others (v. 6). Perhaps parents were pointing to him as an example of what happens to a person who lives a hypocritical life. One writer suggested that verse 6 should read, "Therefore I repudiate and repent of dust and ashes."⁸¹This statement would express Job's intention to abandon mourning. However most interpreters have not adopted this rendering. Job did not stop mourning.

Bright flashing eyes were and still are a sign of vitality, but Job's eyes had grown dim because of his suffering (v. 7). Nonetheless Job still believed that his experiences would not discourage other godly people from opposing the wicked (v. 8b).

Again Job ended his speech with a gloomy reference to the grave and his anticipated death (vv. 13-16).