Job 19:21
Job 19:21 in Multiple Translations
Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me.
Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.
Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; For the hand of God hath touched me.
Have pity on me, have pity on me, O my friends! for the hand of God is on me.
Have pity on me, my friends, have pity on me, because God has struck me down!
Haue pitie vpon me: haue pitie vpon me, (O yee my friendes) for the hande of God hath touched me.
Pity me, pity me, ye my friends, For the hand of God hath stricken against me.
“Have pity on me. Have pity on me, you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me.
Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.
Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least you my friends, because the hand of the Lord hath touched me.
“I plead with you, my three friends, pity me, because God has ◄struck [EUP] me with his hand/caused me to suffer greatly►.
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 19:21
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Job 19:21 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
חָנֻּ֬/נִי
חָנֻּ֣/נִי
אַתֶּ֣ם
רֵעָ֑/י
כִּ֥י
יַד
אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ
נָ֣גְעָה
בִּֽ/י
חָנֻּ֬/נִי
chânan
H2603
be gracious
V-Qal-Impv-2mp | Suff
חָנֻּ֣/נִי
chânan
H2603
be gracious
V-Qal-Impv-2mp | Suff
אַתֶּ֣ם
ʼattâh
H859
you(m.s.)
Pron
רֵעָ֑/י
rêaʻ
H7453
neighbor
N-mp | Suff
כִּ֥י
kîy
H3588
for
Conj
יַד
yâd
H3027
hand
N-cs
אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ
ʼĕlôwahh
H433
god
N-ms
נָ֣גְעָה
nâgaʻ
H5060
to touch
V-Qal-Perf-3fs
בִּֽ/י
Prep | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
Use ← → arrow keys to navigate between words.
Hebrew Word Reference — Job 19:21
חָנֻּ֬/נִי
chânan
H2603
"be gracious"
V-Qal-Impv-2mp | Suff
This Hebrew word means to show kindness or favor, often by bending or stooping to help someone in need, as seen in the actions of God towards his people.
Definition: 1) to be gracious, show favour, pity 1a) (Qal) to show favour, be gracious 1b) (Niphal) to be pitied 1c) (Piel) to make gracious, make favourable, be gracious 1d) (Poel) to direct favour to, have mercy on 1e) (Hophal) to be shown favour, be shown consideration 1f) (Hithpael) to seek favour, implore favour
Usage: Occurs in 73 OT verses. KJV: beseech, [idiom] fair, (be, find, shew) favour(-able), be (deal, give, grant (gracious(-ly), intreat, (be) merciful, have (shew) mercy (on, upon), have pity upon, pray, make supplication, [idiom] very. See also: Genesis 33:5; Psalms 37:21; Psalms 4:2.
חָנֻּ֣/נִי
chânan
H2603
"be gracious"
V-Qal-Impv-2mp | Suff
This Hebrew word means to show kindness or favor, often by bending or stooping to help someone in need, as seen in the actions of God towards his people.
Definition: 1) to be gracious, show favour, pity 1a) (Qal) to show favour, be gracious 1b) (Niphal) to be pitied 1c) (Piel) to make gracious, make favourable, be gracious 1d) (Poel) to direct favour to, have mercy on 1e) (Hophal) to be shown favour, be shown consideration 1f) (Hithpael) to seek favour, implore favour
Usage: Occurs in 73 OT verses. KJV: beseech, [idiom] fair, (be, find, shew) favour(-able), be (deal, give, grant (gracious(-ly), intreat, (be) merciful, have (shew) mercy (on, upon), have pity upon, pray, make supplication, [idiom] very. See also: Genesis 33:5; Psalms 37:21; Psalms 4:2.
אַתֶּ֣ם
ʼattâh
H859
"you(m.s.)"
Pron
You is the translation of a Hebrew word used to address someone directly, like when God says you to someone in the Bible. It can be singular or plural, and is often translated as thee, thou, or ye.
Definition: you (second pers. sing. masc.)
Usage: Occurs in 997 OT verses. KJV: thee, thou, ye, you. See also: Genesis 3:11; Exodus 23:9; Deuteronomy 14:1.
רֵעָ֑/י
rêaʻ
H7453
"neighbor"
N-mp | Suff
A neighbor or friend is what this word means, describing someone close to you. It can also refer to a companion, fellow citizen, or another person, and is often translated as brother or friend.
Definition: 1) friend, companion, fellow, another person 1a) friend, intimate 1b) fellow, fellow-citizen, another person (weaker sense) 1c) other, another (reciprocal phrase)
Usage: Occurs in 173 OT verses. KJV: brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, [idiom] (an-) other. See also: Genesis 11:3; Job 42:7; Psalms 12:3.
כִּ֥י
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
יַד
yâd
H3027
"hand"
N-cs
In the Bible, 'yad' refers to an open hand, symbolizing power or direction. It can also mean strength or a part of something, like a side or a share. The word is used in many contexts, including anatomy and everyday life.
Definition: : hand/arm[anatomy] 1) hand 1a) hand (of man) 1b) strength, power (fig.) 1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.) 1d) (various special, technical senses) 1d1) sign, monument 1d2) part, fractional part, share 1d3) time, repetition 1d4) axle-trees, axle 1d5) stays, support (for laver) 1d6) tenons (in tabernacle) 1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure) 1d8) wrists
Usage: Occurs in 1446 OT verses. KJV: ([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, [idiom] enough, [phrase] fellowship, force, [idiom] from, hand(-staves, -y work), [idiom] he, himself, [idiom] in, labour, [phrase] large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, [idiom] mine, ministry, near, [idiom] of, [idiom] order, ordinance, [idiom] our, parts, pain, power, [idiom] presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, [phrase] swear, terror, [idiom] thee, [idiom] by them, [idiom] themselves, [idiom] thine own, [idiom] thou, through, [idiom] throwing, [phrase] thumb, times, [idiom] to, [idiom] under, [idiom] us, [idiom] wait on, (way-) side, where, [phrase] wide, [idiom] with (him, me, you), work, [phrase] yield, [idiom] yourselves. See also: Genesis 3:22; Exodus 7:19; Leviticus 14:22.
אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ
ʼĕlôwahh
H433
"god"
N-ms
Eloah refers to God or a deity, and is used to describe the one true God or false gods. It is often translated as God in the KJV, and is related to the word Elohim, which also refers to God.
Definition: 1) God 2) false god Aramaic equivalent: e.lah (אֱלָהּ "god" H0426)
Usage: Occurs in 59 OT verses. KJV: God, god. See H430 (אֱלֹהִים). See also: Deuteronomy 32:15; Job 22:26; Psalms 18:32.
נָ֣גְעָה
nâgaʻ
H5060
"to touch"
V-Qal-Perf-3fs
This Hebrew word means to touch or reach something, and can also mean to strike or defeat someone. It is used in Exodus to describe God's power and in Psalms to describe human emotions. The word has various translations, including beat, bring, and plague.
Definition: 1) to touch, reach, strike 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to touch 1a2) to strike 1a3) to reach, extend to 1a4) to be stricken 1a4a) stricken (participle) 1b) (Niphal) to be stricken, be defeated 1c) (Piel) to strike 1d) (Pual) to be stricken (by disease) 1e) (Hiphil) to cause to touch, reach, approach, arrive 1e1) to cause to touch, apply 1e2) to reach, extend, attain, arrive, come 1e3) to approach (of time) 1e4) to befall (of fate)
Usage: Occurs in 142 OT verses. KJV: beat, ([idiom] be able to) bring (down), cast, come (nigh), draw near (nigh), get up, happen, join, near, plague, reach (up), smite, strike, touch. See also: Genesis 3:3; 2 Chronicles 3:12; Psalms 32:6.
בִּֽ/י
""
Prep | Suff
Study Notes — Job 19:21
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 19:21 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 19:21
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 19:21
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 19:21
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 19:21
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 19:21
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 19:21
- Cambridge Bible on Job 19:21
- Barnes' Notes on Job 19:21
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 19:21
- Sermons on Job 19:21
Context — Job: My Redeemer Lives
19All my best friends despise me, and those I love have turned against me.
20My skin and flesh cling to my bones; I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.
21Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me.
22Why do you persecute me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh? 23I wish that my words were recorded and inscribed in a book,Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 1:11 | But stretch out Your hand and strike all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.” |
| 2 | Psalms 38:2 | For Your arrows have pierced me deeply, and Your hand has pressed down on me. |
| 3 | Job 2:5 | But stretch out Your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse You to Your face.” |
| 4 | Job 6:14 | A despairing man should have the kindness of his friend, even if he forsakes the fear of the Almighty. |
| 5 | Romans 12:15 | Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. |
| 6 | 1 Corinthians 12:26 | If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. |
| 7 | Job 2:10 | “You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. |
| 8 | Job 6:4 | For the arrows of the Almighty have pierced me; my spirit drinks in their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me. |
| 9 | Hebrews 13:3 | Remember those in prison as if you were bound with them, and those who are mistreated as if you were suffering with them. |
Job 19:21 Summary
In Job 19:21, Job is asking his friends to have pity on him because he's going through a really tough time and feels like God's hand is against him. This doesn't mean God is being cruel, but rather that Job is acknowledging God's power and control in his life, as seen in other parts of the Bible like Romans 8:28. Just like Job, we can trust that God is working everything out for our good, even when things seem really hard (as in Jeremiah 29:11). We can also learn to show compassion and kindness to those around us who are struggling, just as Job is asking his friends to do for him.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Job ask his friends to have pity on him?
Job asks his friends to have pity on him because he feels deeply hurt and isolated, as seen in Job 19:21, and is seeking empathy and understanding from those around him, much like the Psalmist in Psalms 38:11 who also cried out for friends to draw near.
What does Job mean by 'the hand of God has struck me'?
Job means that he believes God's hand is actively involved in his suffering, as stated in Job 19:21, and this understanding is echoed in other parts of the Bible such as Isaiah 45:7 where God claims responsibility for both good and evil.
Is Job blaming God for his troubles?
While Job does acknowledge God's involvement in his suffering, as seen in Job 19:21, he is not necessarily blaming God, but rather seeking to understand why God is allowing these things to happen, much like the questioning in Habakkuk 1:3.
How should we respond when we feel like God's hand is against us?
When we feel like God's hand is against us, we should respond with humility and honesty, as Job does in Job 19:21, and seek to understand God's perspective, as encouraged in Proverbs 3:5-6, trusting in His goodness and sovereignty.
Reflection Questions
- What are some times in your life when you felt like God's hand was against you, and how did you respond?
- How can you cultivate a deeper trust in God's sovereignty, even in the midst of difficult circumstances?
- What does it mean to have pity on someone, and how can you show compassion to those around you who are suffering?
- In what ways can you identify with Job's feelings of isolation and hurt, and how can you reach out to others who may be feeling the same way?
Gill's Exposition on Job 19:21
Have pity upon me, have pity upon me,.... Instead of calumny and censure, his case called for compassion; and the phrase is doubled, to denote the vehemence of his affliction, the ardency of his
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 19:21
Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me. When God had made him such a piteous spectacle, his friends should spare him the additional persecution of their cruel speeches.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 19:21
O ye my friends; for such you have been, and still pretend to be; and therefore fulfil that relation; and if you will not help me, yet at least pity me. Hath touched me, i.e. smitten or afflicted me sorely, as this word is oft used; as .
Trapp's Commentary on Job 19:21
Job 19:21 Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.Ver. 21. Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, &c.] To him that is afflicted pity should be showed from his friends; and to do otherwise is to forsake the fear of the Almighty, Job 6:14; There was little either fear of God or mercy to men in that barbarous bishop of Spire, who denied to Henry IV, emperor of Germany (deposed after ten years’ reign, and hardly bestead), a poor clerkship there in a monastery of his own foundation; which caused the miserable emperor to break out into these words of Job, "Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me." The Papists tell us that the souls in purgatory cry out to their friends on earth for help on this manner, and in these terms. But this is as much a fiction as purgatory itself is the pope’ s invention; who must needs be extremely pitiless to suffer so many souls to lie in such great torments, when he hath power to fetch them out at his pleasure.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 19:21
(21) Have pity upon me.—Now comes once more an exceeding great and bitter cry. (Comp. Job 16:20.)
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 19:21
Verse 21. Have pity upon me] The iteration here strongly indicates the depth of his distress, and that his spirit was worn down with the length and severity of his suffering.
Cambridge Bible on Job 19:21
21, 22. Overcome by his sense of the terrible enmity of God, Job piteously cries out for the compassion of men. There is a strong antithesis between “ye my friends” and the “hand of God,” “God” (Job 19:22). The whole speech, even when the enmity of men is referred to (Job 19:13 seq.), is occupied with the thought of God, He is regarded as the cause of men’s abhorrence. Job for a moment seeks refuge with men from God’s severity.
Barnes' Notes on Job 19:21
Have pity on me - A tender, pathetic cry for sympathy. “God has afflicted me, and stripped me of all my comforts, and I am left a poor, distressed, forsaken man.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 19:21
21. Touched me — ðâò, naga’h. The leprosy was called the stroke (nega’h) of God. (See note Job 2:8.) The most touching appeal of the leper is, even at the present day, in vain.
Sermons on Job 19:21
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
The Book of Job by Keith Daniel | In this sermon, the speaker recounts the story of Job from the Bible. Job, a wealthy and righteous man, experiences a series of devastating losses, including the death of his child |
|
The Spiritual Watch by Thomas Watson | Thomas Watson preaches about the importance of keeping our hearts diligently, as they are the source of life and the seat of our thoughts, desires, and actions. He emphasizes the d |
|
Exposition on Psalm 39 by St. Augustine | St. Augustine delves into the Psalms, exploring the significance of being a sojourner with God and a stranger in this world, longing for the eternal home. He reflects on the challe |
|
Distress of Job - Part 2 by W.F. Anderson | The video is a sermon on the book of Job in the Bible. It begins by describing the structure of the book, with a prologue and three cycles of speeches between Job and his friends. |
|
Reading From the Beatitudes by D.L. Moody | D.L. Moody emphasizes the profound blessings found in the Beatitudes, particularly focusing on the comfort promised to those who mourn and the meek. He explains that mourning signi |
|
(Israel) the Ministry of Refreshing Others by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the pastor shares about the burdens and challenges faced by individuals and families. He mentions a man who lost his wife in a car accident and had sons who ended u |
|
Justification by Works by J. Vernon McGee | In this sermon, Dr. J. Vernon McGee explores the topic of faith and works in the book of James. He begins by highlighting James' unique method of presenting an illustration before |