איוב, פרק י״ט, פסוק ו׳

Facing friends who believe his severe suffering is clear proof of his own wickedness, Job firmly declares his complete innocence. He insists that his pain is not the result of his sins, but rather that God has unfairly twisted justice against him. The primary approach among commentators is that Job is pointing to an absolute denial of justice, crying out about his unfair treatment without receiving any answer from God.

Taking a unique angle on this claim, [אלשיך] explains that Job finds proof of this injustice in God's failure to protect him from his friends' insults. Usually, God defends those who remain silent when insulted. Because Job stayed quiet and did not return his friends' harsh words, yet God still did not step in to help him, Job sees this as evidence that God is deliberately mistreating him.

Job further describes being closed in by a trap despite doing nothing wrong. This serves as a direct response to his friend Bildad, who had previously argued that Job was caught in a snare of his own making. Correcting this assumption, [מלבי״ם] explains that Job places the responsibility entirely on God, stating that it is God who unjustly threw a net over him. Offering a different perspective on this trap, [אלשיך] suggests that the net surrounding Job actually represents Satan. According to this view, God allowed Satan to attack and consume Job simply to keep him occupied, thereby preventing Satan from bringing accusations against the people of Israel.