Earlier, Eliphaz claimed that Job had “stretched out his hand against God, and set himself against the Almighty” (Job 15:25). Here, Job replies to that accusation by saying that not only hadn’t he stretched out his hand against the Lord, but he had figuratively sewn sackcloth to his body (probably a reference to his clothes [sackcloth? – Job 2:8] sticking to the open sores of his skin). Moreover, instead of casting ashes upon his head, as those in mourning do, while dressed in sackcloth (cp. Ezekiel 27:30; Jonah 3:6), Job claimed that he had cast his head (literally horn, an emblem of power, authority dignity, etc.) in the dust. The sense is that Job was completely and utterly humiliated, devoid of any strength to strike back at anyone, much less attack the Almighty, and the proof of this is apparent in Job’s face. It is red from his tears and his eyelids were so darkened that it appeared he was at the point of death. Thus, Job pointed out the utter nonsense of Eliphaz’s accusation (Job 16:15-16). Far from lifting up his hand against God, the Lord had utterly destroyed Job’s life and any strength he might have had to resist him. Job stood alone and without any means of defense or retaliation.
Eliphaz had accused Job of being wicked and inheriting the wages of the wicked, as witnessed in his suffering, devoid of family and anyone else who might offer comfort (Job 15: 20, 28, 34). Yet, Job protested that his present condition belied wicked behavior on his part. He was innocent! Moreover, his prayers were righteous (Job 16:17), and not mean spirited or hypocritical, as Eliphaz had claimed, and neither did he hold anything back (cp. Job 15:4, 13, 34). In other words, although he was numbered with the wicked, Job was neither violent nor deceitful (cp. Isaiah 53:9).
Indeed, some scholars believe that Job cried out for the earth to reveal and not conceal his own guilt, if it were so that he had blood on his hands. In other words, Job’s claim of innocence called upon God to reveal his sin (Job 16:18; cp. Genesis 4:10). He protested the fact that his friends had accused him of being wicked and had covered his sin, as the earth covers the blood of the innocent. However, Job claimed that the Lord was his witness that his claims were true, and his friends were, therefore, guilty of false judgment, despite the obvious claims of the prevailing worldview that God always punishes the wicked and always rewards the godly in the land of the living.
Nevertheless, the text clearly has Job asking that the earth expose his own blood. That is, Job saw himself as an innocent victim and desired vindication. He called upon the earth (God, cp. Genesis 4:10) to witness to Job’s innocence. Job had believed he was at death’s door, and didn’t think he could be vindicated, while he was yet alive, but his good name was important to him, so he prayed that God would permit his cry for vindication to continue after his death. In other words, he called upon God to witness to his innocence, and make that known to his accusers, his friends who have wounded him (Job 16:18-20).
Some scholars believe Job was simply crying out for a right to contend with God over the calamities that had stricken him down (cp. Job 13:3; 18-22). However, other scholars understand Job to be crying out for a Mediator (Job 16:21), and this is the reasoning that I believe. Job actually called upon God (Job 16:19-20) to plead Job’s case before God, just as a man might plead his neighbor’s case before man (verse-21). Job requested that this be done forthwith, because he believed in a short while he would be dead, and he preferred his vindication take place, while he was yet alive (Job 16:22).
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