Job 19:16 (DRB)

Passage

I called my servant, and he gave me no answer, I entreated him with my own mouth.

Nearby Context

Job 19:14 My kinsmen have forsaken me, and they that knew me, have forgotten me.

Job 19:15 They that dwell in my house, and my maidservants have counted me as a stranger, and I have been like an alien in their eyes.

Job 19:16 I called my servant, and he gave me no answer, I entreated him with my own mouth.

Job 19:17 My wife hath abhorred my breath, and I entreated the children of my womb.

Job 19:18 Even fools despised me, and when I was gone from them, they spoke against me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "servant", "gave", "answer", "entreated", and "mouth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "servant", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "They that dwell in my house and..." into verse 17's "My wife hath abhorred my breath and...", so "called" and "servant" belong inside that flow. In Job context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "called" and "servant" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.