All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.
Inward - confidential-literally, 'men of my secret,' or intimacy (Psalms 25:14) - to whom I entrusted my most intimate confidence. 20. Extreme meagreness (Psalms 102:5, "my bones cleave to my skin;" cf. Lamentations 4:8). The bone seemed to stick to the skin, being seen through it, owing to the flesh drying up, and falling away from the bone. The margin, 'as to my flesh,' would mean, 'my bone cleaves to my skin, as (in health) it would do to my flesh;' which gives a clear sense. The English version expresses, "and to my flesh" - namely, and to the little flesh which remains, and which has fallen away from the bone, instead of firmly covering it. My bone cleaves to my skin and flesh together; whereas ordinarily the bones are joined by the flesh to the skin (margin, Psalms 102:5; Lamentations 4:8). My skin and flesh are so emaciated that the bones cleave closely to the skin, and are seen easily from without (Psalms 22:17). Christ, the Antitype, says, "I may tell all my bones."
Skin of my teeth. Proverbial. I have escaped with bare life; I am whole only with the skin of my teeth - i:e., my gums alone are whole, the rest of the skin of my body is broken with sores (Job 7:5). Satan left Job speech, in hopes that he (Job) might therewith curse God.