איוב, פרק ל״ד, פסוק ו׳

Job expresses profound frustration over his immense suffering, raising difficult questions about the fairness of his situation. He feels deeply wronged, pointing out the severe harm he has endured despite his innocence. The primary approach among commentators is that Job firmly denies the fairness of his trial, arguing that God is not judging him truthfully [רש"י, מלבי"ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Others understand his words as an expression of bitter disappointment. According to this view, Job laments that his hopes have been shattered; he expected good but received evil, feeling that his rightful reward has been abruptly withheld [רמב"ן, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון].

Taking a different angle, [אבן עזרא] suggests Job is frustrated by his peers, complaining that simply by demanding a fair hearing, those around him immediately accuse him of deceit. Meanwhile, [אלשיך] reads Job's argument as a rhetorical stance: even if one were to assume he lied in his complaints about a perverted justice system, he still retains a completely valid grievance regarding the sheer intensity of his agony.

This agony is described through the vivid imagery of being struck by an incurable disease or a devastating physical blow. Most commentators agree that Job feels as though he has been pierced by arrows, using the weapon as a metaphor for the agonizing plagues that have ravaged his body [רש"י, רלב"ג, רמב"ן, מלבי"ם].

What makes this suffering truly unbearable is the reality that it came without any underlying sin. The sudden strike landed on him despite his complete innocence [ביאור שטיינזלץ, אבן עזרא]. This highlights a staggering lack of proportion in his punishment. As [מצודת דוד] and [אלשיך] point out, Job is not just grieving a lack of fair judgment; he is enduring unbearable torment for absolutely no reason. Pain of this magnitude is normally reserved for the worst criminals, and Job maintains he has never committed any wrong that could possibly justify such a fate. Finally, offering an alternative reading of the imagery, [אבן עזרא] suggests that the idea of being struck without missing refers directly to the metaphorical arrow itself, meaning the weapon hit him with flawless precision, striking its target without fail.