Is there any help within meJob expresses a deep sense of helplessness and despair. This phrase reflects his internal struggle and the feeling of being abandoned by God. In the broader context of the Book of Job, Job's friends have failed to provide him with comfort or understanding, leaving him to question his own resources and strength. This sentiment echoes the human condition of seeking divine assistance when personal strength is insufficient, as seen in
Psalm 121:1-2, where the psalmist looks to the Lord for help.
now that success is driven from me?
Job acknowledges the loss of his former prosperity and status. Historically, Job was a man of great wealth and influence, as described inJob 1:3. The cultural context of the Ancient Near East placed significant value on material success as a sign of divine favor. Job's lament highlights the reversal of his fortunes, which he perceives as a divine act. This situation foreshadows the suffering of Christ, who, despite being the Son of God, experienced rejection and loss (Philippians 2:7-8). Job's experience serves as a type of Christ's own suffering and ultimate vindication.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
JobA man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, experiencing immense suffering and loss.
2.
UzThe land where Job lived. It is often associated with the region east of Israel, though its exact location is uncertain.
3.
Job's SufferingThe context of this verse is Job's lamentation over his suffering, having lost his wealth, children, and health.
Teaching Points
Acknowledging Human LimitationsJob's question highlights the reality of human frailty. We must recognize our limitations and the need for divine strength.
Dependence on GodIn times of distress, believers are encouraged to rely on God rather than their own abilities, as human strength is often insufficient.
The Role of Faith in SufferingJob's lamentation invites believers to explore the role of faith during trials, understanding that faith does not eliminate suffering but provides a framework for enduring it.
The Search for MeaningJob's experience encourages believers to seek God's purpose in their suffering, trusting that God is sovereign even when circumstances are dire.
Community SupportJob's isolation in his suffering reminds us of the importance of community and support from fellow believers during difficult times.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Job 6:13?
2.How does Job 6:13 highlight our dependence on God's strength in trials?
3.What does Job's lament in Job 6:13 reveal about human limitations?
4.How can Job 6:13 encourage us to seek God's help in weakness?
5.Compare Job 6:13 with Philippians 4:13 on relying on God's strength.
6.How can Job 6:13 guide us in supporting others facing despair?
7.How does Job 6:13 reflect on human reliance on divine strength?
8.What does Job 6:13 suggest about self-sufficiency in times of suffering?
9.How does Job 6:13 challenge the belief in personal control over life's circumstances?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Job 6?
11.Why does God kill people for taking a census (2 Samuel 24:1-15)?
12.In Job 13:25, why does Job accuse God of targeting him as if he were light chaff, if God is portrayed as just and merciful?
13.In Job 20:6-7, how can Zophar's claim that the wicked perish quickly align with historical records showing many oppressive rulers prospered for extended periods?
14.Why does Deuteronomy 28 emphasize material prosperity or catastrophe as divine favor or curse, while other passages (e.g., Job) depict suffering as potentially unrelated to personal obedience?What Does Job 6:13 Mean
Is there any help• Job’s opening question lays bare a heart that feels abandoned. He wonders if any resource remains to meet his crisis (cf.Job 6:11-12).
• Scripture consistently redirects such questions toward God as the true Helper—“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
• Like David who cried, “From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD” (Psalm 121:1-2), Job’s lament points forward to the only sufficient answer.
Within me• Job turns inward, searching his own soul for reserves of strength. YetProverbs 28:26 warns, “He who trusts in himself is a fool.”
• The believer’s sufficiency never rests in personal grit but in the indwelling presence of God (2 Corinthians 3:5;Philippians 4:13).
• Job’s honest self-examination shows how human frailty drives us to acknowledge dependence on the Lord (2 Corinthians 1:9).
Now that success• “Success” (or “resource, deliverance”) had once characterized Job’s life (Job 1:3). He was honored, wealthy, secure.
• Sudden loss stripped away every outward sign of God’s favor, echoing Moses’ warning: “Remember the LORD…for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18).
• The shift from prosperity to adversity highlights a key biblical theme: earthly success is temporary, but God remains constant (Hebrews 13:5-6).
Is driven from me• Job feels that all avenues of deliverance have been “driven” far away, leaving him isolated (Job 19:13-19).
• Similar wording appears inLamentations 3:17: “My soul has been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.”
• Yet even here God is not absent; He is teaching that hope must rest in Him alone (Psalm 73:26;2 Corinthians 4:8-10).
summaryJob 6:13 captures the moment a suffering saint recognizes that every human prop has collapsed. By asking whether any help remains “within me,” Job exposes the bankruptcy of self-reliance and is positioned to discover that true help comes only from the LORD. His words invite us to shift our trust from personal success to the ever-present Helper whose strength is perfected in our weakness.
(13)
Is not my help in me?--It is in passages such as these that the actual meaning of Job is so obscure and his words so difficult. The sense may be, "Is it not that I have no help in me, and wisdom is driven quite from me?" or yet again, "Is it because there is no help in me that therefore wisdom is driven far from me?" as is the case by your reproaches and insinuations. (See especially
Job 5:2;
Job 5:27.)
Verse 13. -
Is not my help in me? rather,
Is it not that I have no help in me? (Revised Version). Job feels that, instead of having exceptional strength of constitution to enable him to bear up against his exhausting malady, he is absolutely without strength. All his vital power is used up. There is no help in him.
And is wisdom driven quite from me? rather, I
s not soundness driven quite from me? Tushiyah seems to mean here "strength of constitution" - that internal soundness which resists the inroads of disease, and sometimes triumphs over the most serious maladies. Whatever reserve of this kind he may have possessed by nature, it is now, Job feels, altogether lost and gone from him.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
[Is] there anyהַאִ֬ם(ha·’im)Conjunction
Strong's 518:Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, nothelpעֶזְרָתִ֣י(‘ez·rā·ṯî)Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5833:Help, helper, assistancewithin me,בִ֑י(ḇî)Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrewnow that successוְ֝תֻשִׁיָּ֗ה(wə·ṯu·šî·yāh)Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8454:Support, ability, help, an undertaking, understandingis drivenנִדְּחָ֥ה(nid·də·ḥāh)Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5080:To impel, thrust, banishfrom me?מִמֶּֽנִּי׃(mim·men·nî)Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 4480:A part of, from, out of
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OT Poetry: Job 6:13 Isn't it that I have no help (Jb)