The Meaning of Job 16:13 Explained

Job 16:13

KJV: His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.

YLT: Go round against me do his archers. He splitteth my reins, and spareth not, He poureth out to the earth my gall.

Darby: His arrows encompass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.

ASV: His archers compass me round about; He cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; He poureth out my gall upon the ground.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

His archers  compass me round about,  he cleaveth  my reins  asunder,  and doth not spare;  he poureth out  my gall  upon the ground. 

What does Job 16:13 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 16:1-22 - Turning From "miserable Comforters" Unto God
With bitterness the sufferer turns from his comforters to God. As the r.v. makes clear, he says that if he were in their place and they in his, instead of joining words together and evincing the pride of the immaculate, he would set himself to speak strengthening words and to assuage their grief by tender sympathy.
He compares his pains to the attack of a wild beast, Job 16:7-14; and from this he proceeds to describe the anguish of his grief, Job 16:15-20. But toward the end of the chapter a new thought begins to shape itself; and from his lowest despair he catches sight of a Vindicator and a vindication that must someday be his. Job 16:21 should be read as in the r.v., margin. Job wanted a son of man to plead for him; and his prayer has been more than answered in the Son of man, who pleads for us "not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an indissoluble life," Hebrews 7:16. "O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul," Lamentations 3:58. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 16

1  Job reproves his friends for unmercifulness
17  He maintains his innocence

What do the individual words in Job 16:13 mean?

Surround me His archers He pierces my heart and not does pity He pours out on the ground my gall
יָ֘סֹ֤בּוּ עָלַ֨י ׀ רַבָּ֗יו יְפַלַּ֣ח כִּ֭לְיוֹתַי וְלֹ֣א יַחְמ֑וֹל יִשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ לָ֝אָ֗רֶץ מְרֵרָֽתִי

יָ֘סֹ֤בּוּ  Surround 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
עָלַ֨י ׀  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
רַבָּ֗יו  His  archers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רַב  
Sense: archer.
יְפַלַּ֣ח  He  pierces 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּלַח  
Sense: to cleave, slice.
כִּ֭לְיוֹתַי  my  heart 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: כִּלְיָה  
Sense: kidneys.
וְלֹ֣א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יַחְמ֑וֹל  does  pity 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָמַל 
Sense: (Qal) to spare, pity, have compassion on.
יִשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ  He  pours  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שֶׂפֶק 
Sense: to pour, pour out, spill.
לָ֝אָ֗רֶץ  on  the  ground 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מְרֵרָֽתִי  my  gall 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: מְרֵרָה  
Sense: gall.