Job 19:2 Meaning and Explanation
“How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Job asks how long his friends will torment him, telling them their words crush him like blows.
What Does Job 19:2 Mean?
Job turns directly to his three companions, who came to comfort him but have become accusers. Their speeches, meant as wisdom, have landed as hammer-strokes. The phrase break me in pieces pictures a man already shattered by loss now being ground further by the very people who should have lifted him.
Words can wound as deeply as any affliction. Job names the cruelty of counsel that condemns instead of consoling, and Scripture lets his complaint stand as a warning to every would-be helper. The Lord who is gentle with the bruised reed and the smoking flax shows us another way to treat the suffering: not with verdicts, but with mercy.
Job 19:2 in the Original Language
nephesh (נֶפֶשׁ), 'soul' -- the whole living self, the inner person that can be wearied and grieved.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 19:2
What does Job 19:2 mean?
Job asks how long his friends will torment him, telling them their words crush him like blows.