WAIT… THAT’S IN THE BIBLE? — DAY 19

A lighthearted look at some of the wonderfully unexpected things you discover when you actually read your Bible, context still matters!

“My breath is offensive to my wife; I am loathsome to my own family.” Job 19:17

APPARENTLY THE BIBLE EVEN COVERS BAD BREATH.

Job is having possibly the worst season of anyone’s life.

Everything has gone wrong.

He’s suffering.

His friends aren’t exactly helping.

His family has distanced themselves.

And then, just when you think things couldn’t get much worse…

EVEN HIS WIFE CAN’T HANDLE HIS BREATH.

Somewhere, every married person who has ever rolled over in bed first thing in the morning and been greeted with:

“GOOD MORNING, DARLING.”

is suddenly feeling very biblical.

Job:

“My breath is offensive to my wife.”

Modern spouse:

“I love you dearly…

BUT PLEASE FACE THE OTHER DIRECTION.”

Or perhaps:

“Job, I’m standing with you through this difficult season…

just from over here.”

Context still matters!

This verse is actually part of a deeply painful passage.

Job isn’t giving us ancient marriage advice or complaining that his wife won’t buy him breath mints.

He is describing just how isolated and rejected he feels in his suffering. Even the people closest to him have drawn away from him.

So underneath the unexpectedly funny wording is the heartbreaking picture of a man who feels completely alone.

But still…

Thousands of years later, Job 19:17 has unintentionally provided married couples everywhere with biblical confirmation that sometimes the most loving thing you can say is:

“DARLING… PLEASE HAVE A MINT.”