Job 19:13
in Job 19He has removed my brothers from me; my acquaintances have abandoned me.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He hath put my brethren far from me, And mine acquaintance are wholly estranged from me.
KJV
He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.
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This verse in Job 19
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
He hath put my brethren - This is a new source of afflication that he had not adverted to before, that God had caused all his children to be estranged from him - a calamity which he regarded as the crown of all his woes. The word rendered “my brethren” (אחי 'âchāy) means means properly “my brothers” - but whether he means literally his brothers, or whether he designs it to be taken in a figuratie sense as denoting his intimate friends, or those of the same rank in life or calling, it is impossible now to determine.
This site's exposition
He has removed my brothers from me
on Job 19:13-16
The catalogue of estrangement descends by rank through a patriarchal household. Henry marks the inversion of the last pair, a lord begging his own servant and refused, as the depth of the humiliation. Gill notes that every relation the restoration of 42:11 names again is lost here first.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
The grace of the Gospel testifies that these words have been said about the Lord in truth. John, in fact, says, "His brothers did not believe in him," when they said to him, "Leave from here, and go into Judea, so that your disciples may …
The Medieval Church2 voices
Next he shows that the root of his hope which is from human aid has been torn out. He shows that he could not expect any aid from those from whom it seemed most likely to come. He enumerates first those who have been separated …
He hath put my brethren far from me; and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me. My kinsfolk, have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Nay, his inward friends, the men of his secret, whom he was most intimate with and laid in his bosom, not only forgot him, but abhorred him, kept as far off from him as they could, because he was poor and could not entertain them as he used to do, and because he was sore and a loathsome spectacle.
): He has put my brethren far from me, that is, "He has laid those afflictions upon me which frighten them from me, and make them stand aloof from my sores." As it was their sin God was not the author of it; it is Satan that alienates men's minds from their brethren in affliction.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
A certain number for an uncertain. Strange - That you carry yourselves like strangers to me, and condemn me as if you had never known my integrity. Erred - If I have sinned, I myself suffer for my sins, and therefore deserve your pity rather than reproaches.
He hath put my brethren far from me,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
brethren--nearest kinsmen, as distinguished from "acquaintance." So "kinsfolk" and "familiar friends" (Job 19:14) correspond in parallelism. The Arabic proverb is, "The brother, that is, the true friend, is only known in time of need." estranged--literally, "turn away with disgust." Job again unconsciously uses language prefiguring the desertion of Jesus Christ (Job 16:10;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַ֭חַי | ʾachai | brothers my | H251 → | 630 times |
| מֵעָלַ֣י | mealai | from with <the> me | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הִרְחִ֑יק | hirchik | he has put far away | H7368 → | 57 times |
| וְ֝יֹדְעַ֗י | veyodeai | and acquaintances my | H3045 → | 945 times |
| אַךְ־ | ʾakh- | surely | H389 → | 161 times |
| זָ֥רוּ | zaru | they have become estranged | H2114 → | 77 times |
| מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ | mimeni | from me | H4480 → | 1188 times |
אַ֭חַיbrothers my
ʾachaiH251 →630 times
מֵעָלַ֣יfrom with <the> me
mealaiH5921 →5755 times
הִרְחִ֑יקhe has put far away
hirchikH7368 →57 times
וְ֝יֹדְעַ֗יand acquaintances my
veyodeaiH3045 →945 times
אַךְ־surely
ʾakh-H389 →161 times
זָ֥רוּthey have become estranged
zaruH2114 →77 times
מִמֶּֽנִּי׃from me
mimeniH4480 →1188 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 69:8I have become a stranger to my brothers and a foreigner to my mother’s sons,
it leads to
- Psalms 31:11
Among all my enemies I am a disgrace, and among my neighbors even more. I am dreaded by my friends— they flee when they see me on the street.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- John 7:5
For even His own brothers did not believe in Him.
- Psalms 31:11
Through
Psalms 31:11Among all my enemies I am a disgrace, and among my neighbors even more. I am dreaded by my friends— they flee when they see me on the street.
it leads to
- Psalms 38:11
My beloved and friends shun my disease, and my kinsmen stand at a distance.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 38:11
Through
Psalms 88:18You have removed my beloved and my friend; darkness is my closest companion.
it leads to
- Psalms 88:8
You have removed my friends from me; You have made me repulsive to them; I am confined and cannot escape.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 88:8
Through
Psalms 69:20Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found no one.
it leads to
- Matthew 26:56
But this has all happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 63:5
I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled that no one assisted. So My arm brought Me salvation, and My own wrath upheld Me.
- Job 16:2
“I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all.
- Psalms 142:4
Look to my right and see; no one attends to me. There is no refuge for me; no one cares for my soul.
- Matthew 26:56
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
About Job
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV; Hesychius of Jerusalem, HOMILIES ON JOB 22.19.13A-B; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.