Job 16:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Olympiodorus and Chrysostom indicate that mere punishment is not sufficient; rather, what pains him is the feeling of being reduced to a state of insanity. The suffering has drained him, deeply diminished his being, and rendered him little different from those who have lost their mental faculties. It is noteworthy that God permitted his companions to perceive him as lacking awareness in his afflictions; they referred to him as ‘insane’ rather than simply ‘insensible’. He amplified this by describing himself as ‘decayed,’ as decayed limbs indeed lose their sensitivity.

Your words cause me great anguish as you attempt to portray me as a deceiver in the eyes of God, whose fury and enmities are directed at me. While I mourn the loss of my children and livestock, I am also struck by physical suffering. I kept quiet, yet He struck me with foreboding and severe news.

But now my sorrow weighs heavily upon me and my strength has been diminished Job 16:7. The holy Church is burdened by her sorrow as she observes the iniquity that has reached alarming heights; and as this wickedness increases, the faithful who remain within her also tend to follow the path of wrongdoing. Thus, it is fitting that he declared, My strength has been diminished. The term 'bones' represents the strong, while 'limbs' denote the weak. The members of the Church are weakened because they imitate the unrighteous who appear to thrive in this world, causing all the fragile ones to become even more fragile.

Just as Eliphaz expressed frustration over Job's refusal to acknowledge any wrongdoing for his afflictions, Job adamantly counters the unfounded doubts of his companions. He demonstrates that they lack comprehension of his justifications because they are unfamiliar with his trials (16:1-5). In recounting his agony, Job attributes it to the Lord (b-1b), yet claims no fault within himself. He calls the earth, to which he will soon return, and the omniscient God as witnesses to his righteousness (17-21).