As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?
Parallel translations
- WEB As for me, is my complaint to man? Why shouldn’t I be impatient?
- BSB Is my complaint against a man? Then why should I not be impatient?
- NKJV “As for me, is my complaint against man? And if it were, why should I not be impatient?
- NASB “As for me, is my complaint to a mortal? Or why should I not be impatient?
- NLT “My complaint is with God, not with people. I have good reason to be so impatient.
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 says his complaint is not against man but God, which is why his impatience is justified. His real struggle is with God, not merely his friends.
Overview
Job clarifies that his anguished complaint is ultimately directed toward God, not his human accusers, which explains the depth of his distress and impatience. His honesty shows that he wrestles with the Almighty himself over his suffering. Such candid struggle, brought directly to God, models a faith that does not flee from God in pain but presses toward him for answers.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Ps 142:2–3I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.
- Ps 102:1Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.
- Ps 42:11Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
- Job 6:11What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?
- Ps 77:3–9I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.
- Matt 26:38Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
- Job 7:11–21Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
- Exod 6:9And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
- Job 10:1–2My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
- 1 Sam 1:16Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
- Ps 22:1–3My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
- 2 Kgs 6:26–27And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 21:4 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.