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Job 6:3

For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up.

The sand. "The sand is weighty" (Proverbs 27:3).

Are swallowed up - See margin. So Psalms 77:4 - "I am so troubled that I cannot speak." But Job plainly is apologizing, not for not having had words enough, but for having spoken too much and too boldly; and the Hebrew is, to speak rashly (Umbreit, Gesenius, Rosenmuller). Translate, 'Therefore were my words so rash.' If my complaint has been somewhat violent, it is not without much reason.

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See also Job 6:3 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 6:3. _HEAVIER THAN THE SAND OF THE SEA_] This includes _two_ _ideas_: their _number_ was too great to be counted; their _weight_ was too great to be estimated....

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    HEAVIER THAN THE SAND OF THE SEA - That is, they would be found to be insupportable. Who could bear up the sands of the sea? So Job says of his sorrows. A comparison somewhat similar is found in Prove...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER S 6-7 JOB'S ANSWER _ 1. His Despair justified by the greatness of his suffering (Job 6:1)_ 2. He requests to be cut off (Job 6:8) 3. He reproacheth his friends (Job 6:14) 4. The misery of...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    Job in his reply deals first of all with the charge of impatience. He catches up the word used by Eliphaz (Job 5:2), and declares that his impatience does but balance his calamity (Job 6:1 f.). The dr...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _the sand of the sea_ A frequent figure for that which is infinite in weight, Proverbs 27:3, or number, Genesis 32:12, or measure, Jeremiah 33:22. _are swallowed up_ Rather, HAVE BEEN WILD, or perhaps...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Job 6:1-13. Job defends the violence of his complaints and his despair Eliphaz had made no reference directly to sin on Job's part; but he drew dark pictures of the evilness of human nature before th...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    C. SEARCH FOR COMFORT AND JOB'S CONFRONTATION WITH GOD (Job 6:1, Job 7:21) 1. There is adequate reason for his complaint. (Job 6:1-7) TEXT 6:1-7 6 THEN JOB ANSWERED AND SAID, 2 Oh that my vexation...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    6:3 vehement. (f-17) Or 'uttered at random.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE FIRST SPEECH OF JOB (JOB 6:7) 1-13. Job, smarting under the remarks of Eliphaz, which he feels are not appropriate to his case, renews and justifies his complaints. He bemoans the heaviness of Go...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    ARE SWALLOWED UP] RV 'have been rash.'...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    JOB, A SERVANT OF GOD Job _KEITH SIMONS_ Words in boxes (except for words in brackets) are from the Bible. This commentary has been through Advanced Checking. CHAPTER 6 JOB REPLIES TO ELIPHAZ’S...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    A heavy weight is a great strain for the person who must carry it. And Job’s troubles were a terrible strain for Job. Job spoke because of this strain. And Job was not sure that his words were correct...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    SWALLOWED UP. — That is. _words are useless and powerless to express it._ (See the margin.)...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    כִּֽי ־עַתָּ֗ה מֵ חֹ֣ול יַמִּ֣ים יִכְבָּ֑ד עַ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    VIII. MEN FALSE: GOD OVERBEARING Job 6:1; Job 7:1 Job SPEAKS WORST to endure of all things is the grief that preys on a man's own heart because no channel outside self is provided for the hot strea...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “A DECEITFUL BROOK” Job 6:1 The burden of Job's complaint is the ill-treatment meted out by his friends. They had accused him of speaking rashly, but they had not measured the greatness of his pain,...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Job's answer is a magnificent and terrible outcry. First, he speaks of his pain as a protest against the method of Eliphaz. His reply is not to the deduction which Eliphaz' argument suggested, but rat...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are (b) swallowed up. (b) My grief is so great that I lack words to express it....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Heavier. The figure hyperbole is frequently used in Scripture, to give us some idea of what surpasses our understanding. Job intimates that he punishment was incomparably greater than his sins. As he...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (1) В¶ But Job answered and said, (2) Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! (3) For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my wor...

  • John Brown Commentaries Selected Books of the Bible

    Job's Answer to Eliphaz I. INTRODUCTION A. Last week we took a look at Eliphaz' speech to Job. 1. Eliphaz based the authority for what he said to Job upon the visitation of an angel. 2. But, we al...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 4 THROUGH 31. As to the friends of Job, they do not call for any extended remarks. They urge the doctrine that God's earthly government is a full measure and...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    FOR NOW IT WOULD BE HEAVIER THAN THE SAND OF THE SEA,.... Or "seas" z; all sand is heavy in its own nature, Proverbs 27:3; especially the sand of the sea, that which is immediately taken out of it; fo...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up. Ver. 3. _For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea_] How light soever thou, O Eliphaz, esteemest...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _For now it_ That is, my grief or calamity; _would be heavier than the sand of the sea_ Which is much heavier than dry sand. _Therefore my words are swallowed up_ My voice and spirit fail me. I cannot...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea, his woe was heavy beyond measure; THEREFORE MY WORDS ARE SWALLOWED UP, rather, "they raved," they were spoken rashly. Although the greatness of hi...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    JOB DEFENDS HIS DESIRE FOR DEATH...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    JOB'S REPLY TO ELIPHAZ (vv.1-30) It is remarkable that Job, being in the painful condition he was, was still able to reply in such capable and stirring language to Eliphaz. He knew that Eliphaz had...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    MY WORDS ARE SWALLOWED UP: That is, I want words to express my grief...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-7 Job still justifies himself in his complaints. In addition to outward troubles, the inward sense of God's wrath took away all his courage and resolution. The feeling sense of the wrath of God is...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    IT WOULD BE HEAVIER, i.e. my grief or calamity, THAN THE SAND OF THE SEA, which is heavier than dry sand. SWALLOWED UP, as this verb is used, PROVERBS 20:25 OBADIAH 1:16. My voice and spirit faileth m...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 6:3 heavier H3513 (H8799) sand H2344 words H1697 rash H3886 (H8804) heavier - Proverbs 27:3;...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Job's answer to Eliphaz. His appeal for pity. CHARACTERS: God, Eliphaz, Job. CONCLUSION: No one can judge another justly without much prayer for divine guidance. Affliction does not necess...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Job 6:4. _The poison_ of the arrows absorbed his spirits. In 1822, when Campbel the missionary travelled in South Africa, a bushman shot one of his men in the back with a poisoned arrow. He languished...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _But Job answered and said._ JOB’S ANSWER TO ELIPHAZ We must come upon grief in one of two ways and Job seems to have come upon grief in a way that is to be deprecated. He came upon it late in life....

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 6:1 Job responds to Eliphaz’s words of “comfort.” ⇐ ⇔...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _JOB’S REPLY TO ELIPHAZ_ I. Justifies his complaint (Job 6:2). “O that my grief were thoroughly weighed,” &c. Job’s case neither apprehended nor appreciated by his friends. Desires fervently that his...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION Job 6:1. and 7. contain Job's reply to Eliphaz. In Job 6:1. he confines himself to three points: (1) a justification of his "grief"—_i.e._ of his vexation and impatience (Job 6:1); (2)

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    So Job responds to him and he says, Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamities laid in the balances together! (Job 6:1-2) Now, of course, picturesque, you got to see it. In those days...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Job 37:19; Job 37:20; Matthew 11:28; Proverbs 27:3; Psalms 40:5;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Sea — Which is heavier than dry sand. Swallowed — My voice and spirit fail me. I cannot find, or utter words sufficient to express my sorrow or misery....

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