Job 19:5

19:5 If indeed ¹  you would exalt yourselves ²  above me

and plead my disgrace against me, ³ 

Job 33:5-7

33:5 Reply to me, if you can;

set your arguments ⁴  in order before me

and take your stand!

33:6 Look, I am just like you in relation to God;

I too have been molded ⁵  from clay.

33:7 Therefore no fear of me should terrify you,

nor should my pressure ⁶  be heavy on you. ⁷ 

Job 33:32

33:32 If you have any words, ⁸  reply to me;

speak, for I want to justify you. ⁹ 

Isaiah 50:7-8

50:7 But the sovereign Lord helps me,

so I am not humiliated.

For that reason I am steadfastly resolved; ¹⁰ 

I know I will not be put to shame.

50:8 The one who vindicates me is close by.

Who dares to argue with me? Let us confront each other! ¹¹ 

Who is my accuser? ¹²  Let him challenge me! ¹³ 

Romans 8:33

8:33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? ¹⁴  It is God who justifies.

[19:5]  ¹ tn The introductory particles repeat אָמְנָם (’amnam, “indeed”) but now with אִם (’im, “if”). It could be interpreted to mean “is it not true,” or as here in another conditional clause.

[19:5]  ² tn The verb is the Hiphil of גָּדַל (gadal); it can mean “to make great” or as an internal causative “to make oneself great” or “to assume a lofty attitude, to be insolent.” There is no reason to assume another root here with the meaning of “quarrel” (as Gordis does).

[19:5]  ³ sn Job’s friends have been using his shame, his humiliation in all his sufferings, as proof against him in their case.

[33:5]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew text does not contain the term “arguments,” but this verb has been used already for preparing or arranging a defense.

[33:6]  ⁵ tn The verb means “nipped off,” as a potter breaks off a piece of clay when molding a vessel.

[33:7]  ⁶ tc The noun means “my pressure; my burden” in the light of the verb אָכֲף (’akhaf, “to press on; to grip tightly”). In the parallel passages the text used “hand” and “rod” in the hand to terrify. The LXX has “hand” here for this word. But simply changing it to “hand” is ruled out because the verb is masculine.

[33:7]  ⁷ tn See Job 9:34 and 13:21.

[33:32]  ⁸ tn Heb “if there are words.”

[33:32]  ⁹ tn The infinitive construct serves as the complement or object of “I desire.” It could be rendered “to justify you” or “your justification, “namely, “that you be justified.”

[50:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Therefore I set my face like flint.”

[50:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Let us stand together!”

[50:8]  ¹² tn Heb “Who is the master of my judgment?”

[50:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “let him approach me”; NAB, NIV “Let him confront me.”

[8:33]  ¹⁴ sn An allusion to Isa 50:8 where the reference is singular; Paul applies this to all believers (“God’s elect” is plural here).