Job 19:21

19:21 Have pity on me, my friends, have pity on me,

for the hand of God has struck me.

Job 19:28

19:28 If you say, ‘How we will pursue him,

since the root of the trouble is found in him!’ ¹ 

Job 23:6

23:6 Would he contend ²  with me with great power?

No, he would only pay attention to me. ³ 

Job 28:14

28:14 The deep ⁴  says, ‘It is not with ⁵  me.’

And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’

¹ tc The MT reads “in me.” If that is retained, then the question would be in the first colon, and the reasoning of the second colon would be Job’s. But over 100 mss have “in him,” and so this reading is accepted by most editors. The verse is a little difficult, but it seems to form a warning by Job that God’s appearance which will vindicate Job will bring judgment on those who persecute him and charge him falsely.

¹ tn The verb is now רִיב (riv) and not יָכַח (yakhakh, “contend”); רִיב (riv) means “to quarrel; to dispute; to contend,” often in a legal context. Here it is still part of Job’s questioning about this hypothetical meeting – would God contend with all his power?

² tn The verbal clause יָשִׂם בִּי (yasim bi) has been translated “he would pay [attention] to me.” Job is saying that God will not need all his power – he will just have pay attention to Job’s complaint. Job does not need the display of power – he just wants a hearing.

¹ sn The תְּהוֹם (tÿhom) is the “deep” of Gen 1:2, the abyss or primordial sea. It was always understood to be a place of darkness and danger. As remote as it is, it asserts that wisdom is not found there (personification). So here we have the abyss and the sea, then death and destruction – but they are not the places that wisdom resides.

² tn The בּ (bet) preposition is taken here to mean “with” in the light of the parallel preposition.