Job 6:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

There is no longer any remembrance of my previous abundance. This situation is far worse than calamity. Oh, if only my affliction could be weighed alongside them! (Job 6:2) He seeks to express this. I perceive that my sustenance is loathsome. I long for death, yet it eludes me. I endure this suffering, being a mere mortal, not unfeeling like a stone, but a transient human. I know of no greater solace. Some of my companions ignore me, while others treat me with disdain. There is not a trace left of my past blessings.

Job's profound affliction compelled him to curse the day he was born. Eliphaz, rather than offering comfort, scolds him for his supposed lack of endurance and insinuates that he harbors hidden sins. In reply, Job argues that if his anguish were to be accurately measured, it would be evident that his grievances seem minimal in comparison, suggesting that he remains overly patient, for no suffering could surpass what he endures. Concurrently, Job longs for a swift demise to escape his torment. He mourns the betrayal by his friends, who, rather than providing solace, view his misfortune as a fault solely because he has faced divine punishment. Consequently, Job insists that his friends must provide evidence of his guilt or demonstrate that he misrepresents his anguish.