Job 11:16 Meaning and Explanation
“Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Zophar pledges that Job's misery would be forgotten, recalled only like floodwaters long since gone.
What Does Job 11:16 Mean?
Continuing his picture of restoration, Zophar promises that Job would forget his misery, remembering it only as waters that have flowed away. The trouble that now overwhelms him would recede like a flood that crests and then drains off, leaving the land dry and the memory faint. Present sorrow would become a distant, harmless recollection.
Though Zophar's timing and theology miss the mark, the hope he describes is one God truly gives. The Lord can heal so deeply that old griefs lose their sting and pass like receding waters. This very thing happens to Job at the book's end, when God restores him beyond his former state. And it points further still, to the promise that God will one day wipe away every tear, when former things are remembered no more. Sorrow that feels like a drowning flood is not, for the faithful, the final word.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 11:16
What does Job 11:16 mean?
Zophar pledges that Job's misery would be forgotten, recalled only like floodwaters long since gone.