God’s Word Translation
Job 16:20
20the spokesman for my thoughts. My eyes drip ⌞with tears⌟ to God
Job 16:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.
- New International Version (NIV)My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God;
- English Standard Version (ESV)My friends scorn me; my eye pours out tears to God,
- New King James Version (NKJV)My friends scorn me; My eyes pour out tears to God.
Context of Job 16:20
18“Earth, don’t cover my blood. Don’t ever let my cry ⌞for justice⌟ be stopped. 19Even now, look! My witness is in heaven, and the one who testifies for me is above, the spokesman for my thoughts. My eyes drip ⌞with tears⌟ to God 21But my witness will plead for a human in front of God. The Son of Man will plead for his friend! 22because in a few short years I will take the path of no return.
Read all of Job 16Job 16:20 word by word
מְלִיצַ֥י רֵעָ֑י אֶל־אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַ דָּלְפָ֥ה עֵינִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Job 16:20
- Job 16:4I, too, could speak like you if we could trade places. I could string words together against you and shake my head at you.
- Job 12:4I am a laughingstock to my neighbors. I am one who calls on God and expects an answer. A man of integrity, a man who is righteous, has become a laughingstock.
- Job 17:2Certainly, mockers are around me. My eyes are focused on their opposition.
- Psalms 109:4In return for my love, they accuse me, but I pray for them.
- Psalms 142:2I pour out my complaints in his presence and tell him my troubles.
- Hosea 12:4He struggled with the Messenger and won. Jacob cried and pleaded with him. Jacob found him at Bethel, and he talked with him there.
- Luke 6:11The experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees were furious and began to discuss with each other what they could do to Jesus.
- Hebrews 5:7During his life on earth, Jesus prayed to God, who could save him from death. He prayed and pleaded with loud crying and tears, and he was heard because of his devotion to God.
Commentaries on Job 16:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20My friends scorn me - They deride and insult me, but my eye is towards God; I look to him to vindicate my cause.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20My friends scorn me - Margin “are my scorners.” That is, his friends had him in derision and mocked him, and he could only appeal with tears to God. Mine eye poureth out tears unto God - Despised and mocked by his friends, he made his appeal to one who he knew would regard him with compassion. This shows that the heart of Job was substantially right. Notwithstanding, all his passionate exclamations; and notwithstanding, his expressions, when he was urged…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-22Verses 17-22 Job's condition was very deplorable; but he had the testimony of his conscience for him, that he never allowed himself in any gross sin. No one was ever more ready to acknowledge sins of infirmity. Eliphaz had charged him with hypocrisy in religion, but he specifies prayer, the great act of religion, and professes that in this he was pure, though not from all infirmity. He had a God to go to, who he doubted not took full notice of all his…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-21my witness is in heaven: Job wished for a kind third party to be "a mediator" between him and God (see 9:32–35). Job wanted a heavenly advocate who would eventually stand on the earth (16:19; compare Zechariah 3:1; Job 19:25; compare 1 Samuel 24:15; John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7; 1 John 2:1).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Hebrew, "are my scorners"; more forcibly, "my mockers--my friends!" A heart-cutting paradox [Umbreit]. God alone remains to whom he can look for attestation of his innocence; plaintively with tearful eye, he supplicates for this.Read the comment
Topics related to Job 16:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Job 16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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