Job 6:2 "Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!"

This is a little misleading here from the Hebrew text. Job is saying; "My grief is not greater than my case warrants."

Job 6:3 "For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up."

Job continues; "I want to express my grief with the words of my understanding, but my grief is swallowed up."

Job 6:4 "For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me."

Do you see Job's mistake here? Job said; "the arrows of God were within him", however, it was the arrows of Satan that was devouring Job's wealth and destroying his family. Satan was the one that put the boils on Job's body and causing all the pain and suffering.

God had a plan and He was proud of Job. God expected Job to stand firm when Satan came to test him. When those times of testing comes on us, as it did on Job, we are to understand that there is another time coming when God's elect, like Job will be put to the test. Stay focused on that plan which is recorded in God's Word, and don't let mortal man get you all shook up and headed off in another direction when that time comes.

Job 6:5 "Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?"

Job is saying that even the animal creation doesn't complain without a cause. Job is saying that he has a cause to complain about. If I had sinned, like you are accusing me of, than I would not have a right to complain.

Job 6:6 "Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?"

Can anyone take delight in those things that are tasteless. Remember that Job can't get a grip of understanding of why all these things are happening to him.

Job 6:7 "The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat."

Job is saying that things that I never would have eaten in the past are becoming my life sustaining food. Take this also in the spiritual sense.

Job 6:8 "Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!"

Job is saying; "Oh that God would just end this misery, that He would grand my request to die.

Job 6:9 "Even that it would please God to destroy me; that He would let loose His hand, and cut me off!"

Again remember that it wasn't God that was doing this to Job, but it was Satan.

Job 6:10 "Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let Him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One."

What is said here is plain in the text, but it is completely lost in the translation. "I wouldn't mind hardening myself with all this grief, the sequel to it was that he could die. I have never denied the Holy Word of God." In other words, I have always been true to God.

Job 6:11 "What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?"

This phrase, "that I should prolong my life," should read, "that I should prolong my patience." What is this strength that I should have, that I should still have my patience. Patience is something that we are all short on, especially when the hard times of life come upon us.

Job 6:12 "Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass?"

Can my whole body be treated like it was something of stones, and my flesh made of brass? Am I that hard?

Job 6:13 "Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?"

This word "wisdom" should read "stability". With all this sickness and trouble, is my mind no longer stable?

Job 6:14 "To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty."

"But" should read "least". At no time did Job ever forsake God. So it should read; "To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed him by his friends, least he should forsake the reverence of the Almighty."

Job 6:15 "My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away;"

Job is accusing these three friends of his of coming to him during his times of trouble to deal with him deceitfully. I told you I didn't sin, but you will not accept my words, and you just keep saying over and over that I have sinned. This brook that Job is referring to here is one that has no water, for it is dry. It has dried up at a time when it was most needed.

Job 6:16 "Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid:"

That brook freezes over in the winter when it is needed and when the snow comes it is hid under the ice. That is the type of friends that you are.

Job 6:17 "What time they wax warm, they vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their places."

Job is comparing them to an old dry creek that is worthless, for all they do is exist.

Job 6:18 "The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish."

Again Job is implying the worthlessness of these three friends.

Job 6:19 "The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them."

"The caravans [troops] of Tema" are the men from the dry places, and the "companies of Sheba" are those of the seven, or "those of the oath". In the latter days these are the ones that say many words as to what they will do when Satan arrives, however they will be the first ones taken by him. You just can't count on any thing that this type says. If you are counting on any friend to do anything in that time of trouble, forget it, for you and I will only be able to count on God of our protection and guidance then.

Job 6:20 "They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed."

They were ashamed because they trusted that their would be water at the brook, only the brook ran dry. Don't put your trust to find truth and wisdom in any place where there is no indepth study of God's Word. There is only one stream of truth and that fountain of wisdom comes from God and His Word. Those words of truth that flowed from the manuscripts as they were spoken from the mouth of the prophets.

Job 6:21 "For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid."

Job is telling these three friends that they are like those dry brooks, for he simply can not count on anything that they say. Job was ashamed that he ever listened to anything that they had said.

Job 6:22 "Did I say, `Bring unto me', or, `Give a reward for me of your substance?' "

Job 6:23 "Or, `Deliver me from the enemy's hand?' or, `Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?' "

If Job had asked for anything from these men, they would have had something that they could have done to be useful. However, Job had asked nothing from them, not food, or advise, yet they came to give their own bad advise.

Job 6:24 "Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred."

This is Job's only request from these three friends, Job is asking that they only give advice on the things that they have seen Job do, or heard Job say with his own tongue. Don't give me that other stuff where you are guessing, but help me in the matters wherein I have erred. Job is now laying it on these three friends pretty good.

Job 6:25 "How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?"

"Right words" would be all right, but what you are saying is just for argument.

Job 6:26 "Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind?"

Job is telling them that all of their word and speeches are nothing but the wind, hot air blowing all over him.

Job 6:27 "Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend."

Job is telling them that they would even take advantage of the orphans, and you would also thrive on my hurting and troubles. You feast on by bad luck and boast yourselves off my sickness.

Job 6:28 "Now therefore be content, look upon me; for it is evident unto you if I lie."

I suppose that these three couldn't even look directly into Job's eyes because the boils had so badly deformed Job's body from head to toes. Job is telling them to stop looking at the ground and look directly at me when you speak to me. Look directly into my eyes and you can tell directly if I am lying to you or not.

Job 6:29 "Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it."

Job is telling them to stop judging me, and forget about those sin that you are saying that I have committed. Job is telling them that he is a righteous man, and his case is good before the Almighty Father, which it was. The answer is not to accuse me of sin, for I have not committed these acts that you say I have done. I'll listen to your answers if you will just help me find my problem.

Job 6:30 "Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?"

Job is telling them that his moral discrimination is not impaired, for I can tell when I have done something wrong. I haven't done any thing wrong that would cause such trouble as this to happen to me. Job is telling them that he is an innocent man, so help me find the reason why and I will listen to you. There is a lot of wisdom and truth in these scriptures that we have been reading here. The end of this book of Job will teach us the patience we need when we stand before the Lord.