איוב, פרק ט״ז, פסוק י׳

When a person is immersed in deep suffering, the most severe pain is often not physical, but rather the sting of social isolation and public humiliation. Job faces a collective assault where those around him unite in verbal cruelty, striking him with an intensity that feels physical. His attackers open their mouths wide [רש״י, רלב״ג, מצודת ציון] to shout [ביאור שטיינזלץ] and hurl insults. Opinions vary on the identity of these attackers. Some identify them as Job's own friends [מצודת דוד, תקות אנוש], while others view them as the entire crowd gathered around him [מלבי״ם]. Taking a more cosmic perspective, another approach suggests these are angels standing before God [אלשיך]. Regardless of their identity, their shared goal is to confidently declare that Job is wicked and rightfully guilty [רמב״ן, מלבי״ם].

This degradation escalates into a profound sense of disgrace, likened to being struck on the cheek, which is the upper part of the face [מצודת ציון]. Such a blow represents the ultimate form of humiliation [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Rather than a literal physical assault, this is understood metaphorically. The insults hurled at Job are so deeply offensive that they feel like a sharp slap across the face [מצודת דוד]. It is similar to a suspected criminal who cries out in agony; instead of offering pity, the crowd views his cries as proof of his guilt, responding with shouts and blows [מלבי״ם]. Alternatively, this striking is seen as a continuation of the previous sufferings already brought upon Job by God [אלשיך].

The assault is a fully coordinated effort. The primary approach among commentators is that this unity is expressed through an act of gathering, as a massive crowd assembles to the point of completely filling a space. This is an absolute gathering where not a single person is missing [מלבי״ם ביאור המילות], all coming together in total agreement and full belief in Job's guilt [רמב״ן, מלבי״ם]. Conversely, another perspective interprets this concept of filling on an internal, emotional level. The attackers unite to fill their own souls with anger toward him [תקות אנוש], or simply to satisfy and fulfill their desires against him [אבן עזרא].