vigor · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix
hope
אֲיַחֵ֑ל'a.ya.Chel
H3176
to wait · verb, piel imperfect, 1st person common singular
end
קִּ֝צִּ֗יki.Tzi
H7093
an extremity · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix
prolong
אַאֲרִ֥יךְ'a.'a.Rikh
H748
to be (causative · verb, hiphil imperfect, 1st person common singular
life
נַפְשִֽׁיnaf.Shi
H5315
properly · noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Psalms 103:14-16 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
Job 17:1 My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.
Psalms 39:5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether v…
Psalms 102:23 He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days.
Job 7:5-7 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.
Job 10:20 Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,
Job 13:25 Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
Job 13:28 And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Job 6:8-13
Ungoverned passion often grows more violent when it meets with some rebuke and check. The troubled sea rages most when it dashes against a rock. Job had been courting death, as that which would be the happy period of his miseries, ch. 3. For this Eliphaz had gravely reproved him, but he, instead of unsaying what he had said, says it here again with more vehemence than before; and it is as ill said as almost any thing we meet with in all his discourses, and is recorded for our admonition, not our imitation.
I. He is still most passionately desirous to die, as if it were not possible that he should ever see good days again in this world, or that, by the exercise of grace and devotion, he might…
What strength have I, so as to warrant the hope of restoration to health? a hope which Eliphaz had suggested. "And what" but a miserable "end" of life is before me, "that I should" desire to "prolong life"? [UMBREIT]. UMBREIT and ROSENMULLER not so well translate the last words "to be patient."
John Gill on Job 6:11
What is my strength, that I should hope?.... For a perfect restoration of health, suggested by Eliphaz; since it was so sadly weakened by the present affliction, which made death more desirable than life lengthened out in so much weakness, pain, and sorrow; or "that I should bear" (w), such a weight and heavy load that lay upon him, and crushed him, and to which his strength was not equal; or continue and endure (x):
what is mine end, that I should prolong my life? what end can be answered by living, or desiring a long life? His children were gone, and none left to take care of and provide for; his substance was taken away from him, so that he had not to support himself, nor to be useful to…
11 What is my strength, that I should wait,
And my end, that I should be patient?
12 Is my strength like the strength of stones?
Or is my flesh brazen?
13 Or am I then not utterly helpless,
And continuance is driven from me?
The meaning of the question (Job 6:11); is: Is not my strength already so wasted away, and an unfortunate end so certain to me, that a long calm waiting is as impossible as it is useless? נפשׁ האריך, to draw out the soul, is to extend and distribute the intensity of the emotion, to be forbearing, to be patient. The question (Job 6:11) is followed by אם, usual in double questions: or is my strength stone, etc. האם, which is so differently explained by commentators, is aft…
The Church Fathers
"What is my strength to support everything? That's the wound. "How much longer must my soul suffer? At the approach of death men are in a hurry to convert and to confess to God their most shameful sins; and this consideration forced him to acknowledge himself guilty.
What is my strength, that I should hold up? And what is mine end that I should deal patiently? It is necessary to bear in mind, that the 'strength' of the righteous is of one sort, and the strength of the reprobate of another. For the strength of the righteous is to subdue the flesh, to thwart our own wills, to annihilate the gratification of the present life, to be in love with the roughnesses of this world for the sake of eternal rewards, to set at nought the allurements of prosperity, to overcome the dread of adversity in our hearts. But the strength of the reprobate is to have the affection unceasingly set on transitory things, to hold out with insensibility against the strokes of our Creator, not even by adversity to be brought to cease from the love of temporal things, to go on to the attainment of vain glory even with waste of life, to search out larger measures of wickedness, to attack the life of the good, not only with words and by behaviour, but even with weapons, to put their trust in themselves, to perpetrate iniquity daily without any diminution of desire, Hence it is that it is said by the Psalmist to the Elect, Be of good courage, and let your heart be strengthened, all ye that hope in the Lord. Hence it is declared by the Prophet to the reprobate, Woe unto you that are mighty to drink urine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink. Hence it is declared by Solomon, that all the holy without any weakening of desire contemplate the interior rest. Behold his bed, which is Solomon's, threescore valiant men are about it, of the most valiant of Israel. Hence the Psalmist directing his meaning against the children of perdition in the voice of the Redeemer in His Passion, saith, Lo, they have surprised my soul: the mighty have rushed forth against me. How well did Isaiah comprehend both sorts of strength in the words, But they that wait upon the Lord shall change their strength. For in that he said not they will 'take,' but they will 'change,' he clearly made known that that which is laid aside is of one sort, and that which is entered upon of another sort. Are not the reprobate also 'strong,' who take such pains in running after the concupiscence of this world, boldly expose themselves to perils, welcome insults for the sake of gain, never give back from the lust of their appetites conquered by any opposition, grow obdurate with scourges, and…
At one time, both Moses and Elijah wished that God would kill them (Num 11:15; 1 Kgs 19:4).
Rashi on Job 6:11
What is my strength How strong is it to bear [my pains]?
that I should wait That I should wait until the day of recovery or until the day of death?
I should wait Heb. איחל, like (Gen. 8:10), “And he waited (ויחל) again,” concerning Noah.
and what Of what importance is my end that I should be able to restrain my desire to bear?
my desire Heb. נפשי. This [word denoting] a person’s temptation toward desire [is used] in many places, as (Gen. 23:8), “If it is truly your will (נפשכם).”
