Job 9:20

9:20 Although I am innocent, ¹ 

my mouth ²  would condemn me; ³ 

although I am blameless,

it would declare me perverse. ⁴ 

Job 9:32-33

9:32 For he ⁵  is not a human being like I am,

that ⁶  I might answer him,

that we might come ⁷  together in judgment.

9:33 Nor is there an arbiter ⁸  between us,

who ⁹  might lay ¹⁰  his hand on us both, ¹¹ 

Job 10:2

10:2 I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn ¹²  me;

tell me ¹³  why you are contending ¹⁴  with me.’

Job 23:3-7

23:3 O that I knew ¹⁵  where I might find him, ¹⁶ 

that I could come ¹⁷  to his place of residence! ¹⁸ 

23:4 I would lay out my case ¹⁹  before him

and fill my mouth with arguments.

23:5 I would know with what words ²⁰  he would answer me,

and understand what he would say to me.

23:6 Would he contend ²¹  with me with great power?

No, he would only pay attention to me. ²² 

23:7 There ²³  an upright person

could present his case ²⁴  before him,

and I would be delivered forever from my judge.

Job 31:35-37

Job’s Appeal

31:35 “If only I had ²⁵  someone to hear me!

Here is my signature – ²⁶ 

let the Almighty answer me!

If only I had an indictment ²⁷ 

that my accuser had written. ²⁸ 

31:36 Surely ²⁹  I would wear it proudly ³⁰  on my shoulder,

I would bind ³¹  it on me like a crown;

31:37 I would give him an accounting of my steps;

like a prince I would approach him.

Job 33:13

33:13 Why do you contend against him,

that he does not answer all a person’s ³²  words?

Job 34:14-15

34:14 If God ³³  were to set his heart on it, ³⁴ 

and gather in his spirit and his breath,

34:15 all flesh would perish together

and human beings would return to dust.

Job 40:2

40:2 “Will the one who contends ³⁵  with the Almighty correct him? ³⁶ 

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

Isaiah 57:15-16

57:15 For this is what the high and exalted one says,

the one who rules ³⁷  forever, whose name is holy:

“I dwell in an exalted and holy place,

but also with the discouraged and humiliated, ³⁸ 

in order to cheer up the humiliated

and to encourage the discouraged. ³⁹ 

57:16 For I will not be hostile ⁴⁰  forever

or perpetually angry,

for then man’s spirit would grow faint before me, ⁴¹ 

the life-giving breath I created.

Romans 9:20

9:20 But who indeed are you – a mere human being ⁴²  – to talk back to God? ⁴³  Does what is molded say to the molder, “Why have you made me like this?” ⁴⁴ 

[9:20]  ¹ tn The idea is the same as that expressed in v. 15, although here the imperfect verb is used and not the perfect. Once again with the concessive clause (“although I am right”) Job knows that in a legal dispute he would be confused and would end up arguing against himself.

[9:20]  ² tn Some commentators wish to change this to “his mouth,” meaning God’s response to Job’s complaints. But the MT is far more expressive, and “my mouth” fits the context in which Job is saying that even though he is innocent, if he spoke in a court setting in the presence of God he would be overwhelmed, confused, and no doubt condemn himself.

[9:20]  ³ tn The verb has the declarative sense in the Hiphil, “to declare guilty [or wicked]” or “to condemn.”

[9:20]  ⁴ tn The verb עָקַשׁ (’aqash) means “to be twisted; to be tortuous.” The Piel has a meaning “to bend; to twist” (Mic 3:9) and “to pervert” (Jer 59:8). The form here is classified as a Hiphil, with the softening of the vowel i (see GKC 147 §53.n). It would then also be a declarative use of the Hiphil.

[9:32]  ⁵ tn The personal pronoun that would be expected as the subject of a noun clause is sometimes omitted (see GKC 360 §116.s). Here it has been supplied.

[9:32]  ⁶ tn The consecutive clause is here attached without the use of the ו (vav), but only by simple juxtaposition (see GKC 504-5 §166.a).

[9:32]  ⁷ tn The sense of the verb “come” with “together in judgment” means “to confront one another in court.” See Ps 143:2.

[9:33]  ⁸ tn The participle מוֹכִיחַ (mokhiakh) is the “arbiter” or “mediator.” The word comes from the verb יָכַח (yakhakh, “decide, judge”), which is concerned with legal and nonlegal disputes. The verbal forms can be used to describe the beginning of a dispute, the disputation in progress, or the settling of it (here, and in Isa 1:18).

[9:33]  ⁹ tn The relative pronoun is understood in this clause.

[9:33]  ¹⁰ tn The jussive in conditional sentences retains its voluntative sense: let something be so, and this must happen as a consequence (see GKC 323 §109.i).

[9:33]  ¹¹ sn The idiom of “lay his hand on the two of us” may come from a custom of a judge putting his hands on the two in order to show that he is taking them both under his jurisdiction. The expression can also be used for protection (see Ps 139:5). Job, however, has a problem in that the other party is God, who himself will be arbiter in judgment.

[10:2]  ¹² tn The negated jussive is the Hiphil jussive of רָשַׁע (rasha’); its meaning then would be literally “do not declare me guilty.” The negated jussive stresses the immediacy of the request.

[10:2]  ¹³ tn The Hiphil imperative of יָדַע (yada’) would more literally be “cause me to know.” It is a plea for God to help him understand the afflictions.

[10:2]  ¹⁴ tn The verb is רִיב (riv), meaning “to dispute; to contend; to strive; to quarrel” – often in the legal sense. The precise words chosen in this verse show that the setting is legal. The imperfect verb here is progressive, expressing what is currently going on.

[23:3]  ¹⁵ tn The optative here is again expressed with the verbal clause, “who will give [that] I knew….”

[23:3]  ¹⁶ tn The form in Hebrew is וְאֶמְצָאֵהוּ (vÿ’emtsa’ehu), simply “and I will find him.” But in the optative clause this verb is subordinated to the preceding verb: “O that I knew where [and] I might find him.” It is not unusual to have the perfect verb followed by the imperfect in such coordinate clauses (see GKC 386 §120.e). This could also be translated making the second verb a complementary infinitive: “knew how to find him.”

[23:3]  ¹⁷ tn This verb also depends on מִי־יִתֵּן (mi-yitten, “who will give”) of the first part, forming an additional clause in the wish formula.

[23:3]  ¹⁸ tn Or “his place of judgment.” The word is from כּוּן (kun, “to prepare; to arrange”) in the Polel and the Hiphil conjugations. The noun refers to a prepared place, a throne, a seat, or a sanctuary. A. B. Davidson (Job, 169) and others take the word to mean “judgment seat” or “tribunal” in this context.

[23:4]  ¹⁹ 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.

[23:5]  ²⁰ tn Heb “the words he would answer me.”

[23:6]  ²¹ 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?

[23:6]  ²² 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.

[23:7]  ²³ tn The adverb “there” has the sense of “then” – there in the future.

[23:7]  ²⁴ tn The form of the verb is the Niphal נוֹכָח (nokkakh, “argue, present a case”). E. Dhorme (Job, 346) is troubled by this verbal form and so changes it and other things in the line to say, “he would observe the upright man who argues with him.” The Niphal is used for “engaging discussion,” “arguing a case,” and “settling a dispute.”

[31:35]  ²⁵ tn The optative is again introduced with “who will give to me hearing me? – O that someone would listen to me!”

[31:35]  ²⁶ tn Heb “here is my ‘tav’” (הֵן תָּוִי, hen tavi). The letter ת (tav) is the last letter of the alphabet in Hebrew. In paleo-Hebrew the letter was in the form of a cross or an “X,” and so used for one making a mark or a signature. In this case Job has signed his statement and delivered it to the court – but he has yet to be charged. Kissane thought that this being the last letter of the alphabet, Job was saying, “This is my last word.” Others take the word to mean “desire” – “this is my desire, that God would answer me” (see E. F. Sutcliffe, “Notes on Job, textual and exegetical,” Bib 30 [1949]: 71-72; G. R. Driver, AJSL 3 [1935/36]: 166; P. P. Saydon, “Philological and Textual Notes to the Maltese Translation of the Old Testament,” CBQ 23 [1961]: 252). R. Gordis (Job, 355) also argues strongly for this view.

[31:35]  ²⁷ tn Heb “a scroll,” in the context referring to a scroll containing the accusations of Job’s legal adversary (see the next line).

[31:35]  ²⁸ tn The last line is very difficult; it simply says, “a scroll [that] my [legal] adversary had written.” The simplest way to handle this is to see it as a continuation of the optative (RSV).

[31:36]  ²⁹ tn The clause begins with the positive oath formula, אִם־לֹא (’im-lo’).

[31:36]  ³⁰ tn The word “proudly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied (note the following line).

[31:36]  ³¹ tn This verb is only found in Prov 6:21. But E. Dhorme (Job, 470) suggests that (with metathesis) we have a derivative מַעֲדַנּוֹת (ma’adannot, “bonds; ties”) in 38:31.

[33:13]  ³² 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.

[34:14]  ³³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:14]  ³⁴ tc This is the reading following the Qere. The Kethib and the Syriac and the LXX suggest a reading יָשִׂים (yasim, “if he [God] recalls”). But this would require leaving out “his heart,” and would also require redividing the verse to make “his spirit” the object. It makes better parallelism, but may require too many changes.

[40:2]  ³⁵ 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]  ³⁶ 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.”

[57:15]  ³⁷ tn Heb “the one who dwells forever.” שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) is sometimes translated “the one who lives forever,” and understood as a reference to God’s eternal existence. However, the immediately preceding and following descriptions (“high and exalted” and “holy”) emphasize his sovereign rule. In the next line, he declares, “I dwell in an exalted and holy [place],” which refers to the place from which he rules. Therefore it is more likely that שֹׁכֵן עַד (shokhen ’ad) means “I dwell [in my lofty palace] forever” and refers to God’s eternal kingship.

[57:15]  ³⁸ tn Heb “and also with the crushed and lowly of spirit.” This may refer to the repentant who have humbled themselves (see 66:2) or more generally to the exiles who have experienced discouragement and humiliation.

[57:15]  ³⁹ tn Heb “to restore the lowly of spirit and to restore the heart of the crushed.”

[57:16]  ⁴⁰ tn Or perhaps, “argue,” or “accuse” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[57:16]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “for a spirit from before me would be faint.”

[9:20]  ⁴² tn Grk “O man.”

[9:20]  ⁴³ tn Grk “On the contrary, O man, who are you to talk back to God?”

[9:20]  ⁴⁴ sn A quotation from Isa 29:16; 45:9.