Job 16:4

Job 16:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.
• New International Version (NIV)I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I also could speak as you do, if you were in my place; I could join words together against you and shake my head at you.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I also could speak as you do, If your soul were in my soul’s place. I could heap up words against you, And shake my head at you;

Context of Job 16:4

2“I have heard many things like this before. You are all pathetic at comforting me. 3Will ⌞your⌟ long-winded speeches never end? What disturbs you that you keep on answering ⌞me⌟? I, too, could speak like you if we could trade places. I could string words together against you and shake my head at you. 5I could encourage you with my mouth, and my quivering lips could ease ⌞your pain⌟. 6If I speak, my pain is not eased. If I stop talking, how much of it will go away?

Job 16:4 word by word

גַּ֤ם׀ אָנֹכִי֮ כָּכֶ֪ם אֲדַ֫בֵּ֥רָה ל֤וּ־יֵ֪שׁ נַפְשְׁכֶ֡ם תַּ֤חַת נַפְשִׁ֗י אַחְבִּ֣ירָה עֲלֵיכֶ֣ם בְּמִלִּ֑ים וְאָנִ֥יעָה עֲ֝לֵיכֶ֗ם בְּמ֣וֹ רֹאשִֽׁי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I also could speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• ifלוּlû' lû' lû · ifH3863
• your soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
• wereיֵשׁyêsh · thereH3426
• stead, I could heap upחָבַרchâbar · to uniteH2266
• wordsמִלָּהmillâh milleh · speechH4405
• against you, and shakeנוּעַnûa‛ · to shakeH5128
• mine headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• atבְּמוֹbemô · in/at/byH1119

Cross-references for Job 16:4

• Job 6:2“If only my grief could be weighed, if only my misery could be laid on the scales with it,
• Matthew 7:12“Always do for other people everything you want them to do for you. That is ⌞the meaning of⌟ Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets.
• Romans 12:15Be happy with those who are happy. Be sad with those who are sad.
• 1 Corinthians 12:26If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts share its suffering. If one part is praised, all the others share in its happiness.
• Job 11:2“Shouldn’t someone answer this flood of words? Should a good public speaker be acquitted?
• Job 35:16Job opens his mouth for no good reason and talks a lot without having any knowledge.”
• Proverbs 10:19Sin is unavoidable when there is much talk, but whoever seals his lips is wise.
• Ecclesiastes 10:14He never stops talking. No one knows what the future will bring, or what will happen after ⌞death⌟. Who can say!
• 2 Kings 19:21This is the message that the Lord speaks to him, ‘My dear people in Zion despise you and laugh at you. My people in Jerusalem shake their heads behind your back.
• Psalms 22:7All who see me make fun of me. Insults pour from their mouths. They shake their heads and say,
• Psalms 44:14You made our ⌞defeat⌟ a proverb among the nations so that people shake their heads at us.
• Psalms 109:25I have become the victim of my enemies’ insults. They look at me and shake their heads.
• Jeremiah 18:16Their land will become desolate and something to be hissed at forever. Everyone who will pass by it will be stunned and shake his head.
• Lamentations 2:15Everyone who walks along the road shakes a fist at you. They hiss and shake their heads at Jerusalem’s people: ‘Is this the city they used to call absolutely beautiful, the joy of the whole world?’
• Matthew 27:39Those who passed by insulted him. They shook their heads

Commentaries on Job 16:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4I also could speak - It is probably better to render some of these permissives or potential verbs literally in the future tense, as in the Hebrew: I also Will speak. Mr. Good has adopted this mode. If your soul were in my soul's stead - If you were in my place, I also could quote many wise sayings that might tend to show that you were hypocrites and wicked men; but would this be fair? Even when I might not choose to go farther in assertion, I might shake…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4I also could speak as ye do - In the same reproachful manner, and stringing together old proverbs and maxims as you have. If your soul were in my soul‘s stead - If you were in my place. The idea is, that there is no difficulty in finding arguments to overwhelm the afflicted - a truth which most persons who have been unfortunate, have had opportunity to experience. I could heap up words against you - Or, rather, “I could string together words against you.”…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Job might have wanted to shake his head in to make fun or in horror (2 Kings 19:21; Psalms 22:7; 109:25; Isaiah 37:22; Jeremiah 18:16; Lamentations 2:15; Matthew 27:39).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. heap up--rather, "marshal together (an army of) words against you." shake ... head--in mockery; it means nodding, rather than shaking; nodding is not with us, as in the East, a gesture of scorn (Is 37:22; Jr 18:16; Mt 27:39).Read the comment

Topics related to Job 16:4

• Persecution
• Speaking

In the dictionaries

• Comforter
• Foul
• Plead
• Scorn
• Gesture
• Heap
• Job, Book of

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