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Job 23

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Job Desires to Plead His Case Before God 1–7

1
Then Job answered and said, ​
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Even to-day is my complaint rebellious: My stroke is heavier than my groaning. ​
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Oh that I knew where I might find him! That I might come even to his seat! ​
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I would set my cause in order before him, And fill my mouth with arguments.
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I would know the words which he would answer me, And understand what he would say unto me.
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Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? Nay; but he would give heed unto me. ​
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There the upright might reason with him; So should I be delivered for ever from my judge. ​

God Is Hidden, But Job Remains Faithful 8–12

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Behold, I go forward, but he is notthere; And backward, but I cannot perceive him; ​
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On the left hand, when he doth work, but I cannot behold him; He hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him.
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But he knoweth the way that I take; When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. ​
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My foot hath held fast to his steps; His way have I kept, and turned not aside.
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I have not gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured up the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. ​

The Unchangeable Sovereignty of God 13–17

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But he is in onemind, and who can turn him? And what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. ​
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For he performeth that which is appointed for me: And many such things are with him. ​
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Therefore am I terrified at his presence; When I consider, I am afraid of him.
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For God hath made my heart faint, And the Almighty hath terrified me;
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Because I was not cut off before the darkness, Neither did he cover the thick darkness from my face. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Job 23

Verse 1

Then Job answered and said — This is Job's answer to Eliphaz, who had urged him to 'acquaint now thyself with him' (22:21). Job begins with the wish to find God himself (vv.3–9). The charges of 22:5–9 are answered later, at 29:12 and 31:16–21.

Verse 2

my stroke is heavier than my groaning — 'Stroke' is literally yad, 'hand', and 'groaning' is anachah, sighing. The hand laid on him weighs more than his sighs can show. He had said at 19:21, 'the hand of God hath touched me'. 'Complaint' is siach, speech or musing, and he had spoken 'in the bitterness of my soul' (7:11; 10:1).

Verse 3

Oh that I knew where I might find him! — The wish formula is Job's own: 'Oh that one would hear me!' (31:35). 'Seat' is tekunah, a fixed place, where a case is heard. He had said there was no one to stand between them (9:33); Hebrews speaks of 'the throne of grace', to which believers may 'come boldly' (Heb 4:16).

Verse 6

Will he plead against me with his great power? — 'Plead' is riv, to contend in a case. At 9:34–35 Job's condition for speaking was that God 'take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me'. 'Strength' is supplied in the KJV; the Hebrew says only 'he would put in me'. Job expects to be heard.

Verse 7

There the righteous might dispute with him — 'Righteous' is yashar, upright, the word the LORD used of Job in 1:8. 'Dispute' is yakach, to argue a case through to a decision, the verb of Isa 1:18, 'let us reason together'. 'My judge' recalls 'the Judge of all the earth' (Gen 18:25).

Verse 8

I go forward, but he is not there — 'Forward' is qedem, the east, and 'backward' is achor, the west, and v.9 gives north and south. The search covers every quarter. The psalmist finds the opposite: 'Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?' (Ps 139:7).

Verse 10

when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold — 'Tried' is bachan, to test metal, the verb of Zech 13:9, 'try them as gold is tried'. Peter speaks of 'the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth' (1 Pet 1:7). Job says he is known to God though he cannot see him.

Verse 12

more than my necessary food — 'Esteemed' is tsaphan, to store up, the verb of Ps 119:11, 'Thy word have I hid in mine heart'. 'Necessary food' is literally 'my portion', choq, as in 'food convenient for me' (Prov 30:8). Christ answers the tempter, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word' (Matt 4:4).

Verse 13

he is in one mind — The Hebrew says only 'he is in one' (echad). 'Who can turn him?' uses shuv, to turn back. 'He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased' (Ps 115:3). The LORD says of himself, 'I am the LORD, I change not' (Mal 3:6).

Verse 14

the thing that is appointed for me — 'Appointed' is choq, the word translated 'necessary food' in v.12: the portion that is assigned. 'Performeth' (shalam) is to complete. Paul writes in the same terms of afflictions: 'we are appointed thereunto' (1 Thess 3:3).

Verse 17

Because I was not cut off before the darkness — 'Cut off' is tsamath, to destroy. The wish echoes his earlier ones: 'Why died I not from the womb?' (3:11). 'Darkness' stands twice, as choshek and as ophel, deep gloom. He had said, 'he hath set darkness in my paths' (19:8).