23:4 I would lay out my case 1 before him
and fill my mouth with arguments.
23:5 I would know with what words 2 he would answer me,
and understand what he would say to me.
1 tn The word מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) is normally “judgment; decision.” But in these contexts it refers to the legal case that Job will bring before God. With the verb עָרַךְ (’arakh, “to set in order; to lay out”) the whole image of drawing up a lawsuit is complete.
2 tn Heb “the words he would answer me.”