Job 6:23
in Job 6deliver me from the hand of the enemy; redeem me from the grasp of the ruthless’?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Or, Deliver me from the adversary’s hand? Or, Redeem me from the hand of the oppressors?
KJV
Or, Deliver me from the enemy’s hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?
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This verse in Job 6
Commentary
11 notes on this verseOr, deliver me from the enemies' hand?.... Or, "out of the hand of straitness" (c); out of tribulation and difficulties with which he was pressed on every side: or redeem me from the hand of the mighty? fetch back his cattle out of the hands of the Sabeans and Chaldeans, either by force of arms, as Abraham brought back Lot, and all his goods, when taken and carried away by the four king's, or by giving a ransom price for them.
This site's exposition
For now you are of no help
on Job 6:21-23
Job applies the brook figure: "For now you are of no help; you see terror, and you are afraid". He never asked them to "offer me a bribe from your wealth", so his complaint was no demand for money. He asked only for the kindness named in verse 14.
This site's exposition
deliver me from the hand of the enemy
The enemy and the ruthless recall the Sabeans and Chaldeans who took Job's herds in chapter 1. Gill notes Job never asked the friends to ride after them, as Abraham rode after the kings to bring back Lot. He owed them nothing.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church3 voices
Did I say, Bring unto me? or, Give me of your substance? or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty? ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION If these words are referred to the person of Holy Church, as we have said that blessed Job's friends bear the likeness of heretics, he rightly declares that he does not 'want their substance.'
MORAL INTERPRETATION Did I say, Bring unto me? or, Give me of your substance? or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty? Blessed Job had undergone the loss of his property; being given over to the strokes of evil spirits, he was suffering the smarts of their wounds; yet in loving the wise foolishness of God, he had trodden under foot the foolish wisdom of the world with inward scorn. Therefore in opposition to the rich of this world he is called poor, in opposition to the powerful he is called oppressed, in opposition to the wise he is called a fool. He answers the three, that as poor he seeks not their substance, nor as oppressed their aid against the strong, nor as a fool does he seek the lore of earthly wisdom. For in that the holy man is carried off above himself in spirit, both being poor he is not straitened by want, and being oppressed he suffers nothing, and being of free will foolish, he does not gaze with admiration at carnal wisdom. Hence it is that another poor and oppressed man saith, We are perplexed, yet not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken we are cast down, yet perish not. Hence it is that teaching the wisdom of a holy foolishness, he says, But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And, if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. Hence making manifest both the gloriousness of oppression, and the riches of chosen poverty, he says, As dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. It is well on this point to lift up the eyes of the mind, and to see in the Elect of God, who are suffering oppression without, what a fortress of strength they are masters of within. […]
So he continues, "Now you have come to see me and in only seeing my disease, you are afraid," but perhaps you feel obliged to help me. But do not be afraid, because I haven't asked you for help in anything, nor do I even …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. 5 Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder? 6 Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
It often happens that from man, even when we expect little, we have less, but from God, even when we expect much, we have more, Eph. iii. That, though he differed in opinion from them, yet he was not obstinate, but ready to yield to conviction, and to strike sail to truth as soon as ever it was made to appear to him that he was in an error (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Or, Deliver me out of the enemy’s hand? - At no time have I called on you to rescue me from a foe. Or, Redeem me? - That is, rescue me from the hand of robbers. The meaning is, that he was in no way beholden to them; he had never called on them for assistance; and there was therefore no claim which they could now have to afflict him further by their reflections. There seems to be something peevish in these remarks; and we need not attempt to justify the spirit which dictated them.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
If you can "teach me" the right view, I am willing to be set right, and "hold my tongue"; and to be made to see my error. But then if your words be really the right words, how is it that they are so feeble? "Yet how feeble are the words of what you call the right view." So the Hebrew is used (in Mic 2:10;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Or, Deliver me - Did I send to you to come and avenge me of the destroyers of my property, or to rescue my substance out of the hands of my enemies?
The words behind it
6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּמַלְּט֥וּנִי | umaletuni | and rescue me | H4422 → | 95 times |
| מִיַּד־ | miyad- | from [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| צָ֑ר | tzar | an opponent | H6862 → | 109 times |
| וּמִיַּ֖ד | umiyad | and from [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| עָרִיצִ֣ים | ʾaritzim | ruthless [people] | H6184 → | 20 times |
| תִּפְדּֽוּנִי׃ | tifduni | you will ransom me | H6299 → | 59 times |
וּמַלְּט֥וּנִיand rescue me
umaletuniH4422 →95 times
מִיַּד־from [the] hand of
miyad-H3027 →1618 times
צָ֑רan opponent
tzarH6862 →109 times
וּמִיַּ֖דand from [the] hand of
umiyadH3027 →1618 times
עָרִיצִ֣יםruthless [people]
ʾaritzimH6184 →20 times
תִּפְדּֽוּנִי׃you will ransom me
tifduniH6299 →59 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 107:2Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy
it leads to
- 1 Peter 1:18–19
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
- Luke 1:74
deliverance from hostile hands, that we may serve Him without fear,
- Galatians 3:13
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
- Psalms 106:10
He saved them from the hand that hated them; He redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
- Psalms 31:5
Into Your hands I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD, God of truth.
- 1 Peter 1:18–19
Through
Job 5:20In famine He will redeem you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword.
it leads to
- Hosea 13:14
I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from Death. Where, O Death, are your plagues? Where, O Sheol, is your sting? Compassion is hidden from My eyes.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 33:19
to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.
- Hosea 13:14
Through
Jeremiah 15:21I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 1:10
He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,
- 2 Corinthians 1:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Job

This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Job; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book VII; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.
