Surely He has now exhausted me;This phrase reflects Job's deep sense of weariness and despair. In the context of the Book of Job, Job is responding to the intense suffering he has endured, which includes the loss of his wealth, health, and children. The use of "He" refers to God, whom Job perceives as the source of his trials. This reflects the ancient Near Eastern belief in divine sovereignty over all aspects of life, including suffering. Job's exhaustion is both physical and emotional, highlighting the human condition of reaching the limits of endurance. This sentiment is echoed in other parts of Scripture, such as in
Psalm 6:6, where the psalmist expresses a similar sense of being worn out by grief.
You have devastated all my family.
Here, Job laments the complete destruction of his family, which is a central theme in his suffering. Historically, family was the cornerstone of social and economic life in the ancient Near East, and the loss of family members was not only a personal tragedy but also a social and economic catastrophe. Job's statement underscores the totality of his loss, as he had lost all his children in a single calamity (Job 1:18-19). This devastation is a poignant reminder of the fragility of human life and the suddenness with which disaster can strike. Theologically, this phrase can be seen as a foreshadowing of the suffering of Jesus Christ, who also experienced abandonment and loss, fulfilling the role of the suffering servant as prophesied inIsaiah 53.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
JobThe central figure in the Book of Job, a man of great faith and integrity who undergoes severe trials and suffering.
2.
GodThe Almighty, whom Job addresses in his lament, expressing his feelings of being overwhelmed and devastated.
3.
Job's FamilyRefers to Job's children and household, who have been tragically lost, contributing to Job's deep sense of loss and exhaustion.
4.
Job's FriendsAlthough not directly mentioned in this verse, they are present in the account, offering misguided counsel and adding to Job's distress.
5.
The Land of UzThe setting of Job's account, a place of ancient wisdom and prosperity, now a backdrop to Job's suffering.
Teaching Points
Understanding SufferingSuffering is a part of the human experience, and even the righteous, like Job, are not exempt from it.
Expressing LamentIt is biblical to express our pain and confusion to God. Job's honest lament is a model for bringing our deepest hurts to the Lord.
The Role of CommunityJob's friends, though misguided, remind us of the importance of community. We should strive to offer support and empathy rather than judgment.
God's SovereigntyEven in devastation, God remains sovereign. Our understanding is limited, but we can trust in His ultimate plan and purpose.
Hope in RestorationWhile Job feels exhausted and devastated, the broader account of Scripture assures us of God's ability to restore and redeem.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Job 16:7?
2.How does Job 16:7 reflect Job's feelings of abandonment by God?
3.What can we learn about enduring suffering from Job's experience in Job 16:7?
4.How does Job 16:7 connect to Jesus' suffering in the New Testament?
5.How can Job's lament in Job 16:7 guide our prayers during trials?
6.What does Job 16:7 teach about maintaining faith when feeling "worn out"?
7.How does Job 16:7 reflect on God's role in human suffering?
8.What does Job 16:7 reveal about divine justice?
9.How does Job 16:7 challenge the belief in a benevolent God?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Job 16?
11.In Job 16:7–8, how can Job’s physical suffering be reconciled with a compassionate God who supposedly protects the righteous?
12.Why were babies killed in the biblical flood?
13.Job 1:16-19 - Are there natural or scientific explanations for the rapid succession of disasters that befell Job, or is this account purely symbolic?
14.Does Job 7:20's portrayal of God as a watcher or observer of human sin conflict with the New Testament depiction of a forgiving, grace-filled God?What Does Job 16:7 Mean
Surely He has now exhausted me- Job shifts from addressing his friends (vv. 1-6) to speaking directly to God, acknowledging that the Lord’s hand is behind his physical and emotional depletion.
- “Exhausted” pictures total depletion—body, mind, and spirit. Earlier he asked, “What strength do I have, that I should still hope?” (Job 6:11). Now he declares that strength is gone.
- The cry echoes David’s lament, “I am numb and badly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart” (Psalm 38:8), and Paul’s later testimony, “We were under great pressure... so that we despaired of life itself” (2 Corinthians 1:8).
- Job’s words affirm that even the hardest blows come under God’s sovereign allowance. He does not accuse God of injustice; he confesses what he feels: total weariness under divine weight (Job 9:18).
- For readers, the verse validates seasons when believers feel spent. Scripture does not minimize pain; it records it honestly while pointing to the Lord who sustains (Isaiah 40:29-31).
You have devastated all my family- Job recalls the sudden loss of his children (Job 1:18-19) and the estrangement of remaining relatives (Job 19:13-14). “Devastated” underscores the completeness of the blow—nothing is left untouched.
- Though the Sabeans, Chaldeans, fire, and wind were the immediate agents (Job 1:13-19), Job sees behind secondary causes to God’s overarching rule (Job 2:10;Lamentations 3:37-38).
- Such devastation mirrors later laments: “You have made us a byword among the nations” (Psalm 44:13) and foreshadows Christ’s solitary suffering when His disciples scattered (Matthew 26:31).
- Job’s candid statement shows that faith does not deny wounds. It brings them into conversation with God, trusting Him with the hardest realities (Psalm 62:8).
- The verse reminds believers that losses—family, relationships, community—may be severe, yet the Lord who permits them also promises ultimate restoration (Job 42:10-13;John 11:25-26).
summaryJob 16:7 captures a double lament: utter personal exhaustion and the shattering of family life. Job traces both realities to God’s sovereign hand, not to accuse but to lay his anguish before the only One who can redeem it. The verse validates deep sorrow while pointing to a God who remains in control, invites honest lament, and ultimately restores what is broken.
(7)
But now he hath made me weary.--He turns again, in his passionate plaint, to God, whom he alternately speaks of in the third person and addresses in the second. "Thou hast made desolate all my company," by destroying all his children and alienating the hearts or his friends.
Verse 7. -
But now. These words mark a transition. Job turns from complaints against his "comforters" to an enumeration of his own sufferings.
He hath made me weary. God has afflicted him with an intolerable sense of weariness. He is tired of life; tired of disputing with his friends; tired even of pouring out his lamentations and complaints and expostulations to God. His one desire is rest. So I have seen in the
piombi of Venice, where political prisoners were tortured by cold and heat, and hunger and thirst, for long weeks or months, and brought to despair, such scratchlags as the following: "Luigi A. implora pace, Giuseppe B. implore eterna quiete." Job has entreated for this boon of rest repeatedly (
Job 3:13;
Job 6:9;
Job 7:15;
Job 10:18, etc.).
Thou hast made desolate all my company. The loss of his children has desolated his household; his other afflictions have alienated his friends.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Surelyאַךְ־(’aḵ-)Adverb
Strong's 389:A particle of affirmation, surelyHe has nowעַתָּ֥ה(‘at·tāh)Adverb
Strong's 6258:At this timeexhausted me;הֶלְאָ֑נִי(hel·’ā·nî)Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 3811:To tire, to be, disgustedYou have devastatedהֲ֝שִׁמּ֗וֹתָ(hă·šim·mō·w·ṯā)Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 8074:To stun, devastate, stupefyallכָּל־(kāl-)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605:The whole, all, any, everymy family.עֲדָתִֽי׃(‘ă·ḏā·ṯî)Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5712:A stated assemblage
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OT Poetry: Job 16:7 But now God you have surely worn (Jb)