friends regard as one smitten of God, is and remains, as this truly evangelical book will show to us, the servant of Jehovah.
Chap. 16
Verses 1-5
Job 16:1-5 1 Then began Job, and said: 2 I have now heard such things in abundance,
Troublesome comforters are ye all! 3 Are windy words now at an end,
Or what goadeth thee that thou answerest? 4 I also would speak like you,
If only your soul were in my soul's stead.
I would weave words against you,
And shake my head at you; 5 I would encourage you with my mouth,
And the solace of my lips should soothe you.
The speech of Eliphaz, as of the other two, is meant to be comforting. It is, however, primarily an accusation; it wounds instead of soothing. Of this kind of speech, says Job, one has now heard רבּות, much, i.e., (in a pregnant sense) amply sufficient, although the word might signify elliptically (Psa 106:43; comp. Neh 9:28) many times (Jer. frequenter); multa (as Job 23:14) is, however, equally suitable, and therefore is to be preferred as the more natural. Job 16:2 shows how כּאלּה is intended; they are altogether עמל מנחמי, consolatores onerosi (Jer.), such as, instead of alleviating, only cause עמל, molestiam (comp. on Job 13:4). In Job 16:3 Job returns their reproach of being windy, i.e., one without any purpose and substance, which they brought against him, Job 15:2.: have windy words an end, or (לו vel = אם in a disjunctive question, Ges. §155, 2, b) if not, what goads thee on to reply? מרץ has been already discussed
