To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.
Parallel translations
- WEB “To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown from his friend; even to him who forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
- BSB A despairing man should have the kindness of his friend, even if he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
- NKJV “Tohim who is afflicted, kindness should be shown by his friend, Even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
- NASB ¶“For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend; So that he does not abandon the fear of the Almighty.
- NLT “One should be kind to a fainting friend, but you accuse me without any fear of the Almighty.
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
Kindness should be shown to a despairing friend, even one who seems to forsake the fear of God. Job rebukes his friends for withholding loyal love when he needs it most.
Overview
Job appeals to the duty of covenant kindness toward the brokenhearted, a loyal love owed even when a sufferer seems to falter. He charges his friends with failing this basic obligation. The verse upholds steadfast love as the heart of true friendship, the kind of mercy supremely shown by Christ, who is not ashamed to call us brothers and draws near to us in our despair.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Prov 17:17A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
- 1 Cor 12:26And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
- Gal 6:2Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
- Rom 12:15Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
- Luke 23:40But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
- 2 Cor 11:29Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
- Heb 13:3Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.
- Job 19:21Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.
- Job 4:3–5Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.
- Job 16:5But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.
- Ps 36:1–3The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
- Job 15:4Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.
- Gen 20:11And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 6:14 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.