Men have gaped at me with their mouth; they have struck me insolently on the cheek; they mass themselves together against me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job isn't just describing physical blows; he's highlighting the verbal assaults of his friends. Their "gaping mouths" and "smitten cheeks" paint a picture of intense mockery and public shame, a coordinated effort to humiliate him rather than offer comfort. This isn't just disagreement; it's a hostile conspiracy formed against him.
Men have gaped at me with their mouth; they have struck me insolently on the cheek; they mass themselves together against me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job is describing the intense hostility he's facing, not just from God, but now from his own supposed friends. They’ve come to comfort him, but instead, they’ve turned on him with open mouths, mocking and verbally attacking him, even striking him with contemptuous words and gestures, essentially forming a unified front against him.
Job's closest companions arrived to comfort him, but their words and actions brought only more pain. Have you ever felt attacked by those you expected to support you?
Job describes his friends' hostility with vivid imagery. They 'gape' at him, like wild beasts ready to devour, and 'smite him on the cheek,' a gesture of ultimate contempt and shame.
The Weight of Derision
This 'smitten cheek' wasn't just a physical blow; it represented scorn, mockery, and deep personal insult. It's the feeling of being publicly humiliated by people who should have been on your side. Job felt not only afflicted by God but also attacked and derided by those who claimed to be his friends. Their assembly wasn't for comfort, but a united front against him.
Job's friends didn't just attack him individually; they 'gathered themselves together.' What does this collective opposition reveal about their motives?
The phrase 'they have gathered themselves together against me' speaks of a united front, a conspiracy. It wasn't just one friend saying the wrong thing; it was a collective decision, a unanimous agreement to oppose and condemn Job.
More Than Misunderstanding
This wasn't a simple case of friends offering bad advice. Their coming together signifies a deliberate alignment against him, fueled by judgment and perhaps a desire to prove their own righteousness by condemning Job. They presented a unified front of accusation, making his suffering even more isolating and overwhelming. It’s the chilling realization that those you thought were allies have become a mob.
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Understand the original words
mar'eh nibzeh · Hebrew Adverb/Adjective phrase
An attitude of pride, presumption, or contemptuous arrogance. It reflects an improper exaltation of self over others or against God.
This Psalm vividly describes suffering with the same imagery of enemies gaping and gathering against the sufferer, highlighting a profound prophetic parallel between Job's anguish and Christ's experience.
Lamentations 3:30This passage speaks of enduring shame and reproach, particularly being struck on the cheek, underscoring the deep humiliation and injustice that Job, and later Christ, faced from those who should have been allies.
Micah 5:1This prophecy directly references the smiting of a ruler 'on the cheek,' linking Job's personal suffering to a future kingly figure who would endure similar contempt and violence.
Matthew 26:67This Gospel account shows the fulfillment of the 'smitten on the cheek' prophecy during Jesus' trial, demonstrating how Job's words resonate with the ultimate suffering of innocence.
Acts 5:3The story of Ananias and Sapphira facing divine judgment when lying connects to the theme of betrayal and unified opposition, though in Job's case, it's the unified 'agreement' of his friends against him.
bensonJob 16:10: "They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me."
Job 16:10 . They — My friends, the instruments of God’s anger; have gaped upon me with their mouth — Have opened their mouths wide against me; either, 1st, To devour and destroy me, as a lion which falls upon its pray with open mouth: see Psalm 22:13-14 , where these very expressions are used in the prediction of Christ’s sufferings, of who…
pooleJob 16:10: "They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me."
They; the instruments of God’s anger, my friends, as they are falsely called. Gaped upon me with their mouth; opened their mouths wide against me; either, 1. To devour and destroy me; as a lion which falls upon his prey with open mouth, as this phrase is used, Psalm 22:13,14 . And this they did aggravating and increasing his sorrows, whereb…
Job isn't just describing physical blows; he's highlighting the verbal assaults of his friends. Their "gaping mouths" and "smitten cheeks" paint a picture of intense mockery and public shame, a coordinated effort to humiliate him rather than offer comfort. This isn't just disagreement; it's a hostile conspiracy formed against him.
Job is describing the intense hostility he's facing, not just from God, but now from his own supposed friends. They’ve come to comfort him, but instead, they’ve turned on him with open mouths, mocking and verbally attacking him, even striking him with contemptuous words and gestures, essentially forming a unified front against him.
Job is describing the intense hostility he's facing, not just from God, but now from his own supposed friends. They’ve come to comfort him, but instead, they’ve turned on him with open mouths, mocking and verbally attacking him, even striking him with contemptuous words and gestures, essentially forming a unified front against him.
"Men have gaped at me with their mouth; they have struck me insolently on the cheek; they mass themselves together against me." — Job isn't just describing physical blows; he's highlighting the verbal assaults of his friends. Their "gaping mouths" and "smitten cheeks" paint a picture of intense mockery and public shame, a coord…
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Last reviewed October 2026