They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.
Parallel translations
- WEB They have gaped on me with their mouth. They have struck me on the cheek reproachfully. They gather themselves together against me.
- BSB They open their mouths against me and strike my cheeks with contempt; they join together against me.
- NKJV They gape at me with their mouth, They strike me reproachfully on the cheek, They gather together against me.
- NASB “They have gaped at me with their mouths, They have slapped me on the cheek with contempt; They have massed themselves against me.
- NLT People jeer and laugh at me. They slap my cheek in contempt. A mob gathers against me.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Job's enemies mock him, strike his cheek, and gang up against him. He suffers open contempt and assault.
Overview
Job describes the scorn of those around him, who gape, slap, and unite against him in reproach. The striking of the cheek signals deep humiliation. Strikingly, these very sufferings, mockery and being struck on the cheek, are echoed in the passion of Christ (Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 26:67), the truly innocent sufferer to whom Job's ordeal points.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Ps 35:15But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
- Ps 22:13They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
- Isa 50:6I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
- Lam 3:30He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.
- Mic 5:1Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
- Ps 22:16–17For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
- Acts 23:2And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
- Ps 94:21They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.
- 2 Cor 11:20For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
- 1 Kgs 22:24But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?
- Acts 4:27For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
- Ps 35:21Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
- Matt 26:67Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,
- Luke 23:35–36And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
- 2 Chr 18:23Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?
- John 18:22And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 16:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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