איוב, פרק ו׳, פסוק כ״ג

Job directs a piercing rhetorical question at his companions, highlighting a fundamental misunderstanding in their relationship. He emphasizes that he has never placed any demands on them, thereby exposing the lack of justification for their harsh criticism.

The primary approach among commentators is that Job clarifies he never asked his friends to rescue him from his distress, whether through physical combat or by paying a financial ransom. He asks if he ever expected them to save him from hostile enemies or aggressive, powerful men [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. A more precise distinction is made regarding the nature of these threats and the methods of escape. A rescue by physical force is necessary when dealing with a hateful enemy who simply refuses to accept a ransom. Conversely, when facing a powerful aggressor who cannot be defeated in battle, the only path to freedom is through a financial payment [מלבי"ם]. Job insists he asked for neither.

Taking these ideas to a spiritual level, the enemy can be understood as the Satan who oppresses humanity. Job challenges his friends, asking if he ever requested that they bribe the Satan on his behalf. Going further, the powerful aggressors represent destructive angels created by a person's own sins, which then return to torment him. These forces are considered overwhelmingly powerful because no one can easily escape their grasp. Job wonders if he ever asked his companions to redeem him from these severe spiritual forces [אלשיך].

The core of Job's argument is that since he never asked his friends to fix his situation, make up for his losses, or pay on his behalf, they have no reason to distance themselves from him. He recognizes that they might have misinterpreted his weeping as a plea for help. It seems that in response to this perceived demand, they chose to rise up against him, accusing him of being guilty and deserving of his suffering. Yet, Job makes it completely clear that he expected nothing from them, and his mind was never focused on seeking their financial support or physical assistance [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אלשיך].