This was discussed some on this thread, but I have a question to add. The point of the thread is to better understand if Job scraped his wounds because they itched or to self-medicate, or if he was self-mutilating in the form of cutting because of depression.

My question is this: what does Job 18:4 mean? "You who tear yourself in your anger"... could that refer to Job tearing his skin with the potsherd because of his emotions? Earlier than Job 18, Job lamented about how God was "tearing at his soul," but I don't think this is being referenced here by Bildad, the speaker. I doubt this reference because Bildad, Eliphaz, and Zophar having been telling Job that God was the cause of his disposition because of Job's alleged moral pitfalls. Thus, the tearing here in 18:4 seems to be a ramification of God's actions, while earlier in Job "God's tearing" would be the causal actions. Perhaps then, in Job's "anger" he tore himself physically with the potsherd?

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It is God that multiplies our sorrows.... God, as a righteous Judge, does it, which ought to silence us under all our sorrows; as many as they are, we have deserved them all, and more: nay, God, as a tender Father, does it for our necessary correction, that we may be humbled for sin, and weaned from the world by all our sorrows; and the good we get by them, with the comfort we have under them, will abundantly balance our sorrows, how greatly soever they are multiplied. - Matthew Henry

That seems a little too allegorical for me, Joshua. Any other commentaries?


Actually, I read MH's, Gill's, and the Jamieson, Fausset, Brown commentary; none of them seemed to help answer the question, despite interacting with the text in some way. I know this isn't an issue to worry about, but it would be mightily interesting if the ever-so-patient Job was a cutter in order to relieve some emotional pain. Thanks Josh

Uh, I'm sorry. Exactly what is allegorical in that quoted portion?

It could be Job scratching his boils for relief, thus tearing skin in the process. I seriously doubt Job was a "cutter." That would take a high amount of eisogesis, me thinks, to make such a case.

I wasn't serious. I was poking fun at the idea that MH is too allegorical; I was hoping the ' ' would signify that, assuming one has a knowledge of the MH-allegory threads. Oh well.


There isn't much refuting it or supporting a mere tearing of the skin (in anger?) because of the boils, either. To push hard for either would take at least a sprinkle of eisogesis, as far as I know. That is why I wanted to consider Job 18:4, to see if it relates to Job 2:8 at all.

I guess something good to know would be if, in the phrase "you who tear yourself in anger," "in anger" means while angry or because of anger.

Job's boils could have been caused by a number of malladies, anything from normal carbuncle type boils (bacterial) to parasitic worms. Most likely Job cut his boils open for relief. If bacterial the boils would have been quite painful, anyone who has had to have a boil lanced will tell you that. If parasitic about the only treatment (barring divine healing) at that time would have been to cut open the "boil" and remove the parasite.

So IMO Job "scraped his flesh" in treatment of the disease that was afflicting him.

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When I read the title to this thread, I thought you meant "a job- a self-mutilator."

Lols my friend, lols.

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I thought the same thing myself at first.