Job 6:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When the unrighteous inflict harm upon the just, they take pleasure in witnessing the success of their deceit, especially when they observe the hope of the righteous being shaken. They view their ability to spread falsehoods as a significant accomplishment, believing they require companions in their path to destruction. Yet, when the hope of the upright is firmly rooted and remains unyielding in the face of wickedness, the hearts of the unrighteous are filled with distress. Their failure to touch the innermost being of those they seek to harm fills them with shame; their cruelty does not yield the anticipated results. Thus, you are rendered inconsequential: faced with the reality of your actions, fear encompasses you.

Job’s profound affliction compelled him to curse the day he was born. Instead of offering him solace, Eliphaz rebukes him for his apparent lack of patience and suggests that he harbors hidden transgressions. In reply, Job asserts that if anyone were to assess his anguish, they would find that his grievances seem minor, proving he bears his trials with more fortitude than should be expected, as nothing could surpass the weight of his woes. Concurrently, Job longs for a swift end to his torment through death. He mourns the betrayal of his companions, who, rather than offering comfort, equate his suffering with sin, seeing it as divine punishment. Consequently, Job demands that his friends provide evidence of his wrongdoing or demonstrate that he misrepresents his plight.