This verse highlights Job’s desire for a fair hearing, insisting on being understood before judgment is passed.
Bear with me that I may speak; Then after I have spoken, you may mock (v.3). Job offers this statement as part of his reply to his companions who have harshly judged him throughout their dialogues. Here, Job pleads for patience and an open ear. Having lost nearly everything—his children, possessions, and health—Job’s words in this verse display both frustration and an insistence that his friends hear him out before condemning him. Although he has listened to their accusations and attempts at explaining his suffering, he also longs to correct what he sees as their misguided approach. This phrase underscores the tension of being misunderstood by those who should offer comfort, a dynamic that runs throughout the book (see the broader theme of Job’s adversities).
By invoking this request, Job demonstrates his continued resolve to speak truth even when he perceives little sympathy in his audience. Historically, Job is believed to have lived during the time of the patriarchs, roughly around 2100-1900 BC, in the land of Uz, east of Canaan. Though he is righteous and blameless (Job 1:1), Job finds himself rebuked by his friends, who see his affliction as punishment for wrongdoing. In this verse, he effectively tells them to let him finish articulating his thoughts. After delivering his position, he grants them permission to go on with their criticisms—revealing his resilience in the face of their judgment and his hope that full disclosure will vindicate him before God and men.
Job’s invitation to “mock” him afterward reflects an unflinching realism. In his mind, if their criticisms are going to come anyway, at least they should come after a fair hearing. This attitude foreshadows God’s later intervention, where the Lord ultimately corrects the friends and commends Job’s honesty. It shows that even at his lowest, Job prioritized a candid relationship with his Maker, willing to speak and trust that truth would prevail.
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Job 21:3 meaning
Bear with me that I may speak; Then after I have spoken, you may mock (v.3). Job offers this statement as part of his reply to his companions who have harshly judged him throughout their dialogues. Here, Job pleads for patience and an open ear. Having lost nearly everything—his children, possessions, and health—Job’s words in this verse display both frustration and an insistence that his friends hear him out before condemning him. Although he has listened to their accusations and attempts at explaining his suffering, he also longs to correct what he sees as their misguided approach. This phrase underscores the tension of being misunderstood by those who should offer comfort, a dynamic that runs throughout the book (see the broader theme of Job’s adversities).
By invoking this request, Job demonstrates his continued resolve to speak truth even when he perceives little sympathy in his audience. Historically, Job is believed to have lived during the time of the patriarchs, roughly around 2100-1900 BC, in the land of Uz, east of Canaan. Though he is righteous and blameless (Job 1:1), Job finds himself rebuked by his friends, who see his affliction as punishment for wrongdoing. In this verse, he effectively tells them to let him finish articulating his thoughts. After delivering his position, he grants them permission to go on with their criticisms—revealing his resilience in the face of their judgment and his hope that full disclosure will vindicate him before God and men.
Job’s invitation to “mock” him afterward reflects an unflinching realism. In his mind, if their criticisms are going to come anyway, at least they should come after a fair hearing. This attitude foreshadows God’s later intervention, where the Lord ultimately corrects the friends and commends Job’s honesty. It shows that even at his lowest, Job prioritized a candid relationship with his Maker, willing to speak and trust that truth would prevail.