Job 13:19

13:19 Who ¹  will contend with me?

If anyone can, I will be silent and die. ² 

Job 31:13

31:13 “If I have disregarded the right of my male servants

or my female servants

when they disputed ³  with me,

Job 33:13

33:13 Why do you contend against him,

that he does not answer all a person’s ⁴  words?

Job 40:2

40:2 “Will the one who contends ⁵  with the Almighty correct him? ⁶ 

Let the person who accuses God give him an answer!”

[13:19]  ¹ tn The interrogative is joined with the emphatic pronoun, stressing “who is he [who] will contend,” or more emphatically, “who in the world will contend.” Job is confident that no one can bring charges against him. He is certain of success.

[13:19]  ² sn Job is confident that he will be vindicated. But if someone were to show up and have proof of sin against him, he would be silent and die (literally “keep silent and expire”).

[31:13]  ³ tn This construction is an adverbial clause using the temporal preposition, the infinitive from רִיב (riv, “contend”), and the suffix which is the subjective genitive.

[33:13]  ⁵ tc The MT has “all his words.” This must refer to “man” in the previous verse. But many wish to change it to “my words,” since it would be summarizing Job’s complaint to God.

[40:2]  ⁷ tn The form רֹב (rov) is the infinitive absolute from the verb רִיב (riv, “contend”). Dhorme wishes to repoint it to make it the active participle, the “one who argues with the Almighty.”

[40:2]  ⁸ tn The verb יִסּוֹר (yissor) is found only here, but comes from a common root meaning “to correct; to reprove.” Several suggestions have been made to improve on the MT. Dhorme read it יָסוּר (yasur) in the sense of “to turn aside; to yield.” Ehrlich read this emendation as “to come to an end.” But the MT could be read as “to correct; to instruct.”