You, however, smear with lies;
In this phrase, Job is addressing his friends, who have been attempting to explain his suffering through their own understanding of God's justice. The term "smear with lies" suggests that Job believes his friends are distorting the truth about his situation. This accusation highlights the tension between Job's experience and the traditional wisdom his friends represent. Biblically, this reflects the broader theme of human misunderstanding of divine purposes, as seen in Isaiah 55:8-9, where God's thoughts and ways are described as higher than human understanding. The use of "smear" implies intentionality, suggesting that Job feels his friends are not just mistaken but are actively misrepresenting his situation.

you are all worthless physicians.
Here, Job uses the metaphor of physicians to describe his friends, implying that their counsel is supposed to heal or help him. However, by calling them "worthless," he indicates that their advice is ineffective and even harmful. This metaphor is significant in the cultural context of the ancient Near East, where physicians were expected to provide healing and comfort. The irony is that instead of offering relief, Job's friends exacerbate his suffering. This can be connected to the New Testament, where Jesus is referred to as the Great Physician (Mark 2:17), contrasting the ineffective human attempts at understanding and healing with the true healing that comes from Christ. The inadequacy of Job's friends foreshadows the need for a savior who truly understands and can address human suffering.

1. Job
A man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, enduring immense suffering and questioning the reasons behind it.

2. Job's Friends
Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar are the friends who visit Job to offer comfort but end up accusing him of wrongdoing, suggesting his suffering is due to sin.

3. The Land of Uz
The setting of the Book of Job, traditionally considered to be in the region of Edom or northern Arabia.

4. God
The ultimate authority and sovereign being, whose wisdom and purposes are beyond human understanding.

5. Satan
The adversary who challenges Job's integrity, suggesting that Job is faithful only because of his prosperity.The Power of Words
Words can either heal or harm. Job's friends, instead of offering comfort, added to his suffering with their accusations. We must be mindful of how we use our words, especially when others are in distress.

True Compassion
True compassion involves listening and understanding rather than jumping to conclusions or offering unsolicited advice. Job's friends failed to show genuine empathy.

Discernment in Counsel
Not all advice is godly or helpful. We must seek wisdom and discernment to recognize when counsel aligns with God's truth.

The Role of Suffering
Suffering is not always a direct result of personal sin. Job's account reminds us that the reasons for suffering can be complex and beyond our understanding.

Trust in God's Sovereignty
Even when human explanations fail, we can trust in God's ultimate wisdom and sovereignty over our lives.(4) Ye are forgers of lies.--He now retorts upon his friends in terms not more deferential than their own, and calls them scrapers together, or patchers up, of falsehood, and physicians who are powerless to heal, or even to understand the case. He feels that they have failed miserably and utterly to understand him.

Verse 4. - But ye are forgers of lies. A harsh expression, indicating that Job was thoroughly exasperated. The lies which his friends had forged were, partly, misrepresentations of what he had said, as for example Job 11:4, but mainly statements, more or less covert, which implied that he had brought all his calamities on himself by a course of evil-doing (see Job 4:7, 8; Job 8:13, 14; Job 11:11, 14, 20). Ye are all physicians of no value. Job's friends had come to him to "comfort" him (Job 2:11), and act as physicians of his soul. But they had entirely failed to be of the least service. They had not even understood his case.

Parallel Commentaries ...


You,
אַתֶּ֥ם (’at·tem)
Pronoun - second person masculine plural
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

however,
וְֽאוּלָ֗ם (wə·’ū·lām)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 199: However, on the contrary

smear
טֹֽפְלֵי־ (ṭō·p̄ə·lê-)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2950: To stick on as a, patch, to impute falsely

with lies;
שָׁ֑קֶר (šā·qer)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8267: Deception, disappointment, falsehood

you are all
כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃ (kul·lə·ḵem)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

worthless
אֱלִ֣ל (’ĕ·lil)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 457: Good for, nothing, by anal, vain, vanity, an idol

physicians.
רֹפְאֵ֖י (rō·p̄ə·’ê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7495: To mend, to cure


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OT Poetry: Job 13:4 But you are forgers of lies (Jb)