Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 6:29

Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness [is] in it.

29. Return, I pray you ] The verse means,

Turn, I pray you, let there be no injustice;

Turn again, I say; my cause is righteous.

The word “turn” appears to mean not “begin anew,” but “adopt another course,” that is, proceed on other suppositions than that of my guiltiness, and seek another explanation of my calamities. Hence, he adds, let there be no injustice, or wrong, that is, on the part of his friends in imputing guilt to him. The phrase “my cause is righteous” means literally my right is in it, that is, is here, is present; in other words, I have a righteous cause. In it can hardly mean, in the matter under discussion, as if the meaning were: the question is one that concerns my rectitude. By his right or righteous cause Job means his plea against God in reference to his afflictions; in this plea he has right on his side.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Return, I pray you – That is, return to the argument. Give your attention to it again. Perhaps he may have discerned a disposition in them to turn away from what he was saying, and to withdraw and leave him. Job expresses his belief that he could convince them; and he proposes more fully to state his views, if they would attend to him.

Let it not be iniquity – Let it not be considered as wrong thus to come back to the argument. Or, let it not be assumed that my sentiments are erroneous, and my heart evil. Job means, that it should not be taken for granted that he was a hypocrite; that he was conscious of sincerity, and that he was convinced that he could satisfy them of it if they would lend a listening ear. A similar sentiment he expresses in Job 19:28 :

But ye should say, Why persecute we him?

Seeing the root of the matter is found in me.

My righteousness is in it – Margin, that is, this matter. The sense is, my complete vindication is in the argument which I propose to state. I am prepared to show that I am innocent. On that account, he wishes them to return and attend to what he proposed to say.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 29. Return, I pray you] Reconsider the whole subject. Do not be offended. Yea, reconsider the subject; my righteousness is in it – my argumentation is a sufficient proof of my innocence.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Turn from your former course of perverse judgment; lay aside passion and prejudice against me; let me beg your second thoughts and a serious review of my case.

Let it not be iniquity, to wit, in your thoughts or debates; I beg not your favour, but your justice; judge according to right, and do not conclude me to be wicked, because you see me to be miserable, as you have falsely and unjustly done. Or, there shall be no iniquity, to wit, in my words which I have spoken, and which I am further about to speak; which you will find upon the review.

In it, i.e. in this cause or matter between you and me; the relative without the antecedent, which is frequent in the Hebrew language. You will find the right to be on my side.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

29. Returnrather, “retract”your charges:

let it not be iniquitythatis, (retract) that injustice may not be done me. Yea retract, “myrighteousness is in it”; that is, my right is involved in thismatter.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Return, I pray you,…. From the ill opinion you have of me, and from your hard censures, and entertain other sentiments concerning me: or it may be, upon these words of Job his friends might be rising up as usual to take their leave of him, and break off conversation with him; and therefore he entreats they would return to their seats, and resume the debate, and give a friendly hearing of his case:

let it not be iniquity; either let it not be reckoned an iniquity to return and go on hearing his case; or he entreats that they would take care not to sin in their anger and resentment against him, nor go on to charge him with iniquity: or it may be rendered, “there is no iniquity” h; that is, it should be found that there was no such iniquity in him as he was charged with; not that he was free from all sin, which no man is, but from that which his friends judged he was guilty of, hypocrisy:

yea, return again; he most earnestly importunes them to return and patiently hear him out:

my righteousness [is] in it; in the whole of this affair before them, and which was the matter of controversy between them; meaning, not his justifying righteousness before God, but the righteousness of his cause before men; he doubted not but, when things were thoroughly searched into, that his righteousness would be as clear as the light, and his judgment as the noonday; that he should appear to be a righteous man, and his cause a just one; and should stand acquitted and free from all charges and imputations.

h “non erit iniquitas”, Beza, Mercerus; “nulla”, Schultens.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(29) Return, I pray you.Do not regard the case as settled, but come again and examine it; try once more before you decide there is no unrighteousness in my case; or, as some understand it, in my tongue, which is expressed immediately afterwards, and is here anticipated in the pronoun her. This rendering is certainly confirmed by Job. 6:30.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

29. Return return Renan supposes that Job’s friends, astonished by his apostrophes, turn away as if about to depart, and Job calls them back.

Let it not be iniquity Let there be no wrong (between us.)

My righteousness is in it That is, in the matter about which we treat, (Dillmann, Hirtzel.) My position is impregnable, for my cause is a righteous one.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 6:29. Return, I pray you; let it not be iniquity Recollect yourselves, I beseech you; call it not wickedness: nay, consider it yet again; righteousness may be in me. Chappelow.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Job 6:29 Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness [is] in it.

Ver. 29. Return, I pray you ] Change your minds of me, and your language to me, Bona verba quaeso; I seek good words, what need all this heat of speech, and height of spirit? be better advised, I beseech you, Job 17:10 ; Job 19:28 . Some think that Job’s friends were rising to be gone; and he hastily calleth them back again.

Let it not be iniquity ] Judge charitably, and make not the worst of matters: I may be weak, but am not wicked. Or thus, take heed that God fault you not for usurping his right; taking upon you to judge secret things even against your neighbour, with calumniations and cruelty.

Yea, return again ] See you do it at your peril: either you must do it, or do worse.

My righteousness is in it ] I am surely in the right; and that will appear to you upon better consideration. I shall be recta in curia, and you utterly mistaken. Uprightness hath boldness, and dares put itself upon God’s examination, as David did, Psa 139:23 , yea, Abimelech, Gen 20:5 .

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Return: Job 17:10, Mal 3:18

my righteousness: Job 27:4-6

in it: that is, in this matter

Reciprocal: Job 11:4 – I am clean Job 32:1 – righteous Psa 6:10 – return Ecc 4:1 – I returned Zec 1:6 – they returned

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Job 6:29. Return, I pray, let it not be iniquity Or, Recollect yourselves, I beseech you; call it not wickedness: yea, return again; my righteousness is in it Or, Consider it yet again, righteousness may be in me. Chappelow. Notwithstanding your suspicion, if you will examine more candidly and strictly, you may, perhaps, be convinced that I am not the sinner you think; but that righteousness is still in me, though I have fallen under these sore afflictions.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments