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Texts -- Job 9:1-28 (NET)

Context
Job’s Reply to Bildad
9:1 Then Job answered : 9:2 “Truly , I know that this is so . But how can a human be just before God ? 9:3 If someone wishes to contend with him, he cannot answer him one time in a thousand . 9:4 He is wise in heart and mighty in strength – who has resisted him and remained safe ? 9:5 He who removes mountains suddenly, who overturns them in his anger ; 9:6 he who shakes the earth out of its place so that its pillars tremble ; 9:7 he who commands the sun and it does not shine and seals up the stars ; 9:8 he alone spreads out the heavens , and treads on the waves of the sea ; 9:9 he makes the Bear , Orion , and the Pleiades , and the constellations of the southern sky; 9:10 he does great and unsearchable things , and wonderful things without number . 9:11 If he passes by me, I cannot see him, if he goes by , I cannot perceive him. 9:12 If he snatches away , who can turn him back ? Who dares to say to him, ‘What are you doing ?’ 9:13 God does not restrain his anger ; under him the helpers of Rahab lie crushed .
The Impossibility of Facing God in Court
9:14 “How much less, then , can I answer him and choose my words to argue with him! 9:15 Although I am innocent , I could not answer him; I could only plead with my judge for mercy . 9:16 If I summoned him, and he answered me, I would not believe that he would be listening to my voice – 9:17 he who crushes me with a tempest , and multiplies my wounds for no reason . 9:18 He does not allow me to recover my breath , for he fills me with bitterness . 9:19 If it is a matter of strength , most certainly he is the strong one ! And if it is a matter of justice , he will say, ‘Who will summon me?’ 9:20 Although I am innocent , my mouth would condemn me; although I am blameless , it would declare me perverse . 9:21 I am blameless . I do not know myself . I despise my life .
Accusation of God’s Justice
9:22 “It is all one ! That is why I say , ‘He destroys the blameless and the guilty .’ 9:23 If a scourge brings sudden death , he mocks at the despair of the innocent . 9:24 If a land has been given into the hand of a wicked man, he covers the faces of its judges ; if it is not he, then who is it ?
Renewed Complaint
9:25 “My days are swifter than a runner , they speed by without seeing happiness . 9:26 They glide by like reed boats , like an eagle that swoops down on its prey . 9:27 If I say , ‘I will forget my complaint , I will change my expression and be cheerful ,’ 9:28 I dread all my sufferings , for I know that you do not hold me blameless .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • God

    [nave] GOD. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Access to; Compassion of; Creator; Creator of Mankind; Eternity of; Faithfulness of; Fatherhood of; Favor of; Foreknowledge of; Glory of; Goodness of...

  • Job

    [nave] JOB 1. A man who dwelt in Uz, Job 1:1. Righteousness of, Job 1:1, 5, 8; 2:3; Ezek. 14:14, 20. Riches of, Job 1:3. Trial of, by affliction of Satan, Job 1:13-19; 2:7-10. Fortitude of, Job 1:20-22; 2:10; Jas. 5:11. Visite...

  • Complaint

    [nave] COMPLAINT of Israelites against Moses, Ex. 5:21; 15:24; 16:2, 3; Num. 16:2, 3, 13, 14, 41; 20:2-4. Against God Ex. 5:22, 23; Ex. 16:8, 12; Num. 14:26-37 Num. 17:10, 11. Job 15:11-13; Job 33:12, 13; Job 34:37; Psa. 37:1; Ps...

  • Philosophy

    [nave] PHILOSOPHY The nature of things, Eccl. 1-7. A philosophical inquiry on wisdom, Job. 28. Philosophical inductions and deductions relating to God and his providence, Job 5:8-20; 9; 10:2-21; 12:6-24; 33:12-30; 37. Reveals th...

  • Afflictions and Adversities

    [nave] AFFLICTIONS AND ADVERSITIES. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Benefits of; Benefits of, Illustrated; Consolation in; Deliverance from; Design of; Despondency in; Dispe...

  • Doubting

    [nave] DOUBTING. Job 4:3-6; Job 9:16-23; Job 30:20, 21 Job 3; 16; 17; 23:15-17. Psa. 22:2; Psa. 31:22; Psa. 42:5, 6; Psa. 49:5; Psa. 73:13-17; Psa. 77:3, 7-9; Prov. 24:10; Isa. 40:27, 28 Isa. 50:2. Isa. 49:14, 15; Jer. 8:18; Jer. ...

  • Astronomy

    [ebd] The Hebrews were devout students of the wonders of the starry firmanent (Amos 5:8; Ps. 19). In the Book of Job, which is the oldest book of the Bible in all probability, the constellations are distinguished and named. Mentio...
    [nave] ASTRONOMY. Job 26:7, 13; Job 37:18; Job 38:31-33; Psa. 8:3; Psa. 19:1-6; Psa. 68:33; Psa. 136:5-9; Isa. 13:10; Isa. 40:22, 26; Isa. 47:13; Jer. 31:35-37; Jer. 33:22; Amos 5:8; 1 Cor. 15:41; Jude 13 Celestial Phenomena Jos...

  • Post

    [ebd] (1.) A runner, or courier, for the rapid transmission of letters, etc. (2 Chr. 30:6; Esther 3:13, 15; 8:10, 14; Job 9:25; Jer. 51:31). Such messengers were used from very early times. Those employed by the Hebrew kings had a...
    [isbe] POST - post (ruts, "to run," ratsim, "runners"): The "runners" formed the royal guard (1 Sam 22:17; 1 Ki 14:27; 2 Ki 11:4,13; see GUARD). From them were chosen the couriers who carried royal letters and dispatches throughout...
    [smith] Probably, as Gesenius argues, the door-case of a door, including the lintel and side posts. The posts of the doors of the temple were of olive wood. (1 Kings 6:33) A courier or carrier of messages, used among other places...
    [nave] POST A bearer of message, Job 9:25; Jer. 51:31. Of Hezekiah, 2 Chr. 30:6, 10; Ahasuerus, Esth. 3:13, 14; 8:10, 14.

  • Depravity of Mankind

    [nave] DEPRAVITY OF MANKIND Gen. 6:5-8, 11-13; Gen. 8:21; Deut. 32:10; Job 4:17-19; Job 9:2, 3, 20, 29-31; Job 11:12; Job 14:4; Job 15:14-16; Job 25:4-6; Psa. 5:9; Psa. 14:1-3 Psa. 53:1-3. Psa. 51:5; Psa. 58:1-5; Psa. 94:11; Psa. 1...

  • Arcturus

    [ebd] bear-keeper, the name given by the ancients to the brightest star in the constellation Bootes. In the Authorized Version (Job 9:9; 38:32) it is the rendering of the Hebrew word 'ash, which probably designates the constellati...
    [smith] (bear-keeper). The Hebrew words ?Ash and ?Aish , rendered "Arcturus" in the Authorized Version of (Job 9:9; 38:32) in conformity with the Vulgate of the former passages are now generally believed to be identical, and to repre...
    [nave] ARCTURUS, constellation of, Job 9:9; 38:32.

  • Pleiades

    [ebd] Heb. kimah, "a cluster" (Job 9:9; 38:31; Amos 5:8, A.V., "seven stars;" R.V., "Pleiades"), a name given to the cluster of stars seen in the shoulder of the constellation Taurus.
    [smith] The Hebrew word (cimah) so rendered occurs in (Job 9:9; 38:31; Amos 6:8) In the last passage our Authorized Version has "the seven stars," although the Geneva version translates the word "Pleiades" as in the other cases. The ...
    [nave] PLEIADES, Job 9:9; 38:31; Amos 5:8.

  • Orion

    [ebd] Heb. Kesil; i.e., "the fool", the name of a constellation (Job 9:9; 38:31; Amos 5:8) consisting of about eighty stars. The Vulgate renders thus, but the LXX. renders by Hesperus, i.e., "the evening-star," Venus. The Oriental...
    [smith] (the giant), a large and bright constellation of 80 stars, 17 large ones, crossed by the equinoctial line. It is named after a mythical personage of the Greeks, of gigantic stature and "the handsomest man in the world." The A...
    [nave] ORION, the constellation of, Job 9:9; 38:31; Isa. 13:10; Amos 5:8.

  • Blasphemy

    [nave] BLASPHEMY See also Slander; Speaking, Evil.Ex. 20:7 Deut. 5:11. Lev. 19:12 Lev. 22:32. Lev. 24:10-16; 2 Kin. 19:22 Isa. 37:23. 2 Chr. 32:19 The following passages from the book of Job (with the exception of Job 21:13,14) are...

  • Stars

    [nave] STARS Created by God, Gen. 1:16; Job 26:13; Psa. 8:3; 33:6; 136:7, 9; Amos 5:8. Differ in splendor, 1 Cor. 15:41. Worship of, forbidden, Deut. 4:19. Worshiped, 2 Kin. 17:16; 21:3; 23:5; Jer. 19:13; Amos 5:26; Zeph. 1:5; A...

  • Impenitence

    [nave] IMPENITENCE. Lev. 23:26-29; Lev. 26:21 vs. 22-24.; Deut. 29:19-21; 1 Sam. 15:23; Job 9:2, 4; Job 24:13; Job 33:14; Psa. 7:11, 12 v. 13.; Psa. 10:3; Psa. 32:9; Psa. 50:17, 21; Psa. 52:1, 7; Psa. 58:3-5; Psa. 68:21; Psa. 78:8...

  • Humility

    [nave] HUMILITY. Deut. 9:7 vs. 4-29.; Deut. 15:15; Job 5:11; Job 22:29; Job 25:5, 6; Psa. 9:12; Psa. 10:17; Psa. 22:6, 26; Psa. 25:9; Psa. 37:11; Psa. 69:32; Psa. 86:1; Psa. 131:1, 2; Psa. 138:6; Psa. 147:6; Psa. 149:4; Prov. 3:34...

  • Life

    [nave] LIFE. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics; Brevity and Uncertainty of; Everlasting; From God; Long; Spiritual. Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics Breath of, Gen. 2:7. Called Spirit of God, Job 27:3. Tree of,...

  • Eagle

    [isbe] EAGLE - e'-g'-l (nesher; aetos; Latin aquila): A bird of the genus aquila of the family falconidae. The Hebrew nesher, meaning "to tear with the beak," is almost invariably translated "eagle," throughout the Bible; yet many ...
    [nave] EAGLE Forbidden as food, Lev. 11:13; Deut. 14:12. Swift flight of, Deut. 28:49; Job 9:26; Prov. 30:19; Jer. 4:13; 49:22; Lam. 4:19. Nest of: Deut. 32:11; Job 39:27-30; Jer. 49:16. Bears her young on her wings, Ex. 19:4; D...

  • Perfection

    [nave] PERFECTION Ascribed to Noah, Gen. 6:8, 9; Jacob, Num. 23:21; David, 1 Kin. 11:4, 6; Asa, 1 Kin. 15:14; Job, Job 1:1; Zacharias and Elizabeth, Luke 1:6; Nathanael, John 1:47. Unclassified Scriptures Relating to Gen. 17:1; D...

  • Power

    [nave] POWER. Of Christ As the Son of God, is the power of God, John 5:17-19; 10:28-30; as one human, is from the Father, Acts 10:38. Described as supreme, Eph. 1:20, 21; 1 Pet. 3:22; unlimited, Matt. 28:18; over all flesh, John...
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Hymns

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  • [Job 9:12] White Coffin, The

Questions

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • What this book is all about has been the subject of considerable debate. Many people think God gave it to us to provide His answer to the age-old problem of suffering. In particular, many believe it is in the Bible to help us...
  • I. Prologue chs. 1-2A. Job's character 1:1-5B. Job's calamities 1:6-2:101. The first test 1:6-222. The second test 2:1-10C. Job's comforters 2:11-13II. The dialogue concerning the basis of the divine-human relationship 3:1-42...
  • The writer composed the prologue and epilogue of this book in prose narrative and the main body (3:1-42:6) in poetry. The prologue and epilogue form a frame around the main emphasis of the revelation, the poetic section, and ...
  • Satan again claimed that Job served God only because God had made it advantageous for Job to do so. Job still had his own life. Satan insinuated that Job had been willing to part with his own children and his animals (wealth)...
  • The two soliloquies of Job (chs. 3 and 29-31) enclose three cycles of dialogue between Job and his three friends. Each cycle consists of speeches by Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar in that order interspersed with Job's reply to e...
  • Job began his response to Bildad by acknowledging that much of what his friends had said was true (v. 2). Many of Job's speeches began with sarcasm or irony. He then turned to a question that Eliphaz had raised earlier (4:17)...
  • Rahab (v. 13) was a name ancient Near Easterners used to describe a mythical sea monster that was symbolic of evil. Such a monster, also called Leviathan (7:12), was a major character in the creation legends of several ancien...
  • Verse 2 is irony; his companions were not as wise as they thought. Job pointed out that much of what they had said about God was common knowledge (cf. 5:9-10; 8:13-19; 11:7-9). Nonetheless their conclusion, that the basis of ...
  • As in his replies to Eliphaz (7:12-21) and Bildad (9:28-33; 10:2-19), Job also addressed God in this reply to Zophar (13:20-14:22).Job asked God to stop afflicting him and to stop terrifying him (13:20-21). He also requested ...
  • Job admitted that he had rebelled against God to the extent that he had complained about his condition (v. 2a). "His hand"(v. 2b) is "My hand"in the Hebrew text. Job had not given up his desire to present his case before God ...
  • The brevity of this speech reflects the fact that Job's companions were running out of arguments. Job's responses were at least silencing them if not convincing them.Bildad seems to have abandoned the earlier theme of the wic...
  • "Chapter 26 is one of the grandest recitals in the whole book. It is excelled only by the Lord's speeches, as is fitting. It sounds well in Job's mouth, and ends the dialogue, like the first movement of a symphony, with great...
  • Because the speech in this chapter is more soliloquy than dialogue some scholars have concluded that someone other than Job spoke it: Zophar, Bildad, or God. One writer argued for its being a speech by none of the characters,...
  • Elihu began by voicing his respect for Job's three friends (vv. 6-10). They were older than he, and for this reason he said he had refrained from speaking until now. However he had become convinced that advancing age does not...
  • As Job's friends had done, God began to break Job down blow by verbal blow. Finally all his pride was gone. However where Job's friends had failed, God succeeded."The function of the questions needs to be properly understood....
  • Earlier in the book Job had hesitated to confront God (9:14). Gradually he became more confident and demanded an audience with God (13:22a). Still later he spoke almost as God's equal boasting that he would approach God as a ...
  • 139:7 Evidently the confining awareness of God's omniscience led David to try to escape from the Lord. His two rhetorical questions in this verse express his inability to hide from God (cf. Jer. 23:24).139:8-10 David gave hyp...
  • Even though the righteous sometimes do not receive a reward in this life and the wicked prosper, it is still better to live righteously."Proper evaluation of a man's character helps to explain the apparent inequalities in div...
  • 3:1 Jeremiah claimed to have seen much affliction because Yahweh had struck Jerusalem in His anger (cf. Job 9:34; 21:9; Ps. 89:32; Isa. 10:5)."The two preceding poems ended with sorrowful complaint. This third poem begins wit...
  • "The opening verses of Nahum form a prologue dominated by the revelation of God's eternal power and divine nature in creation (cf. Rom 1:20). As in Romans 1:18-32, this revelation is characterized preeminently by God's justic...
  • This miracle followed the feeding of the 5,000 by just a few hours. Both miracles were important parts of Jesus' discipleship training program for the Twelve.6:45 The feeding of the 5,000 evidently happened on the northeast s...
  • Paul mentioned the incident in which he reproved Peter, the Judaizers' favorite apostle, to further establish his own apostolic authority and to emphasize the truth of his gospel.2:11 Peter had shaken hands with Paul in Jerus...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • "Then Job answered the Lord, and said, 2. I know that Thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from Thee. 3. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood ...
  • Not till the last watch of the night does He come, when they have long struggled, and the boat is out in the very middle of the lake, and the storm is fiercest. We may learn from this the delays of His love. Because He loved ...
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