The Meaning of Job 15:6 Explained

Job 15:6

KJV: Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

YLT: Thy mouth declareth thee wicked, and not I, And thy lips testify against thee.

Darby: Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; and thy lips testify against thee.

ASV: Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; Yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thine own mouth  condemneth  thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips  testify  against thee. 

What does Job 15:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 15:1-35 - "the Heavens Are Not Clean"
The second colloquy, like the first, is commenced by Eliphaz. He begins by rebuking Job, Job 15:1-16. He complains that the words of Job proved him to be unwise, Job 15:2-3, and even impious, Job 15:4. His very speech testified to his iniquity, Job 15:5-6. With something of irony Eliphaz asks upon what Job's claim to superior wisdom rests. Was he the first man? Job 15:7. Or had he access to the secret counsel of God? Job 15:8. In refusing the counsel of his friends, Job 15:9-10, and the consolations of God they had offered, Job 15:11, r.v., had he not proved his want of wisdom? He had even proved his folly and his impiety, by attempting to assert his innocence before God, Job 15:12-14, in whose presence even the heavens were unclean, Job 15:15-16. It is clear that Eliphaz and his friends did not believe the sincerity of Job's protestations of innocence.
Eliphaz then attempts to instruct Job, Job 15:17-35. His theme is almost the same as that of his former speech. It is the righteousness of God as specially manifested in the punishment of the wicked. He claims that his doctrine is that of the wise men, Job 15:17-19; then proceeds to describe the wicked man as troubled in conscience and full of fear, Job 15:20-24; attributes this to his bold impiety, Job 15:25-28; and predicts his fearful doom, Job 15:29-35. The application of such teaching to Job must have been very painful. He insinuated that Job's terrible afflictions were God's testimony against his sin. We know better from John 11:4-5. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 15

1  Eliphaz reproves Job for impiety in justifying himself
17  He proves by tradition the restlessness of wicked men

What do the individual words in Job 15:6 mean?

Condemns you Your own mouth and not I and Yes your own lips testify against you
יַרְשִֽׁיעֲךָ֣ פִ֣יךָ וְלֹא־ אָ֑נִי וּ֝שְׂפָתֶ֗יךָ יַעֲנוּ־ בָֽךְ

יַרְשִֽׁיעֲךָ֣  Condemns  you 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: רָשַׁע  
Sense: to be wicked, act wickedly.
פִ֣יךָ  Your  own  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
וְלֹא־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
וּ֝שְׂפָתֶ֗יךָ  and  Yes  your  own  lips 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, fdc, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׂפָה  
Sense: lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding.
יַעֲנוּ־  testify 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
בָֽךְ  against  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular