Job 23:5

Translation
King James Version
I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.
Ask
KJV (with Strong's)
I would know H3045 the words H4405 which he would answer H6030 me, and understand H995 what he would say H559 unto me.
Ask
Complete Jewish Bible
I would know his answering words and grasp what he would tell me.
Ask
Berean Standard Bible
I would learn how He would answer, and consider what He would say.
Ask
American Standard Version
I would know the words which he would answer me, And understand what he would say unto me.
Ask
World English Bible Messianic
I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would tell me.
Ask
Geneva Bible (1599)
I would knowe the wordes, that he would answere me, and would vnderstand what he would say vnto me.
Ask
Young's Literal Translation
I know the words He doth answer me, And understand what He saith to me.
Ask
See also
1 Corinthians 4:31 Corinthians 4:4Job 42:2Job 42:6Job 13:22Job 13:23Job 10:2
See on the biblical-era map
Job
Job View full PDF

Map © Biblica Open Bible Maps · CC BY-SA 4.0

In the KJVVerse 13,425 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Job 23:5 encapsulates the patriarch Job's profound and desperate yearning for a direct, personal encounter with God. Amidst his inexplicable suffering, the relentless accusations of his friends, and the perceived divine silence, Job expresses a fervent desire not merely for information, but for an intimate, experiential knowledge of God's words and a comprehensive understanding of His divine response to his plight. He longs for a clear vindication and an explanation for his agony, believing that a direct audience with the Almighty would bring clarity, resolution, and a renewed sense of divine justice.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Job 23:5 is situated within Job's third and final monologue (chapters 23-24), a section where his focus shifts definitively from debating his friends to directly addressing God. Having exhausted arguments with Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, Job's deep spiritual anguish intensifies his longing for a divine audience. This verse follows his poignant lament in Job 23:3, "Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!" It echoes his earlier audacious desire expressed in Job 13:3, "Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God." The immediate context reveals Job's profound frustration with God's hiddenness and his unwavering conviction that if he could just present his case before the divine judge, he would be justified and receive a definitive answer.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: In the ancient Near East, legal proceedings often involved direct confrontation between accuser and accused before a judge, with both parties presenting their cases and awaiting a verdict. Job's repeated desire for a "hearing" or "reasoning" with God reflects this cultural framework, where he envisions himself presenting his case before the ultimate divine judge. The concept of divine justice was paramount, often linked directly to earthly prosperity or suffering. Job's situation challenges this conventional wisdom, as he experiences immense suffering despite maintaining his righteousness. His plea for God to "answer" him is rooted in the expectation that a just deity would provide clarity and vindication, especially when a righteous individual faced such profound calamity. The patriarchal setting also implies a direct, personal relationship with God, which Job deeply craves, making God's silence all the more agonizing.
  • Key Themes: Job 23:5 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the book of Job. Firstly, it highlights The Quest for Divine Communication, portraying Job's desperate longing for God to break His silence and engage directly with him. This is not a mere intellectual curiosity but a deep spiritual need for connection and understanding in the face of overwhelming adversity. Secondly, the verse encapsulates The Problem of Unanswered Suffering, as Job grapples with the apparent disconnect between his blameless life and his devastating afflictions, feeling unheard and unseen by the very God he trusts. Thirdly, it underscores Seeking Understanding, Not Just Information, as Job desires not just "words" but to "understand what he would say," indicating a yearning for insight into God's purposes and ways, especially concerning his own plight. Finally, Job's plea implicitly asserts The Right to a Fair Hearing, reflecting his conviction that he has a legitimate case and that a just God would provide an opportunity for him to present it and receive vindication, a theme foreshadowed in Job 13:18.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Know (Hebrew, yâdaʻ', H3045): This Hebrew verb (H3045) signifies a deep, intimate, and experiential knowledge, extending far beyond mere intellectual apprehension of facts. When Job states, "I would know the words," he is not simply desiring to hear sounds or receive information. He yearns for a profound, personal encounter with God's very utterances, to grasp their full import, and to experience the truth and reality they convey in his innermost being. It implies a desire for relational understanding and certainty regarding God's perspective on his situation, a desire to truly acknowledge and comprehend divine communication.
  • Words (Hebrew, millâh', H4405): This noun (H4405) refers to a word or, collectively, a discourse. In this context, it emphasizes the specific, articulate communication Job seeks from God. It's not a vague sense of presence, but a concrete, verbal response to his plight. Job desires God's "answer" (from ʻânâh, H6030), a definitive statement that would clarify his suffering and vindicate his righteousness, moving beyond the speculative "sayings" (from ʼâmar, H559) of his friends.
  • Understand (Hebrew, bîyn', H995): This term (H995) denotes discernment, insight, and the ability to distinguish between things, to perceive the meaning and implications of something. Following "know the words," Job's desire to "understand what he would say" emphasizes that he seeks not just the raw data of divine speech, but the wisdom and clarity to grasp its purpose, its justice, and its relevance to his suffering. He wants to comprehend God's rationale, to see the divine logic behind his circumstances, and to gain insight into the divine will that seems so inscrutable to him.

Verse Breakdown

  • "I would know the words [which] he would answer me": This clause expresses Job's profound and desperate yearning for direct, verbal communication from God. He is not content with the interpretations or accusations of his friends, nor with general theological principles. He desires specific, personal words from God Himself, a definitive response to his cries and his perceived innocence. The use of "answer" implies a legal context, where Job expects God to address his case directly, providing the vindication or explanation he so desperately seeks, akin to a defendant awaiting a judge's verdict.
  • "and understand what he would say unto me": This second clause deepens the first, moving beyond mere reception of words to a comprehensive grasp of their meaning and implications. Job desires not just to hear God's voice, but to discern the truth and purpose behind His words. He seeks insight into God's ways, His justice, and His plan concerning his suffering. This highlights Job's intellectual and spiritual struggle to reconcile his experience with his theology, seeking clarity and comprehension from the divine source itself, a quest for wisdom that transcends mere information.

Literary Devices

Job 23:5, like much of the book, is rich in literary artistry that amplifies its emotional and theological weight. The dominant device is Lament, as Job's entire speech is a heartfelt cry of anguish and confusion directed towards God. His words are imbued with a deep sense of pain and frustration at God's perceived silence and hiddenness, making this verse a poignant expression of his spiritual agony. The verse also employs Parallelism, specifically synonymous parallelism, where the second clause ("and understand what he would say unto me") reiterates and intensifies the meaning of the first ("I would know the words [which] he would answer me"). This repetition emphasizes the depth and dual nature of Job's desire: to hear God's specific words and to grasp their profound meaning, highlighting both the intellectual and spiritual dimensions of his quest. There is also an element of profound Irony woven throughout the book that touches this verse; Job desperately seeks a direct, logical explanation for his suffering, but when God finally answers from the whirlwind in Job 38:1, His response is not a direct explanation of Job's suffering, but a majestic display of divine power and wisdom that ultimately challenges Job's limited human perspective, demonstrating that God's ways are beyond human comprehension.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Job 23:5 resonates deeply with the universal human longing for divine communication and understanding, especially in times of profound suffering. It highlights the theological tension between God's sovereignty and His perceived hiddenness, and the human struggle to reconcile a just God with inexplicable pain. Job's desire for a direct "answer" from God underscores the biblical theme of divine-human dialogue, a relationship where God speaks and humanity responds, often with questions, laments, and pleas for clarity. This verse reminds us that honest, even challenging, prayer is a legitimate and vital form of communion with God, reflecting a profound trust that He is indeed present and capable of answering, even if His answers are not always what we expect or in the timing we desire. It affirms the human right to question God, not in defiance, but in a desperate search for meaning and vindication within a covenant relationship.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Job's raw, unvarnished honesty in expressing his confusion, pain, and longing for answers provides a profound model for our own spiritual lives. His desperate plea in Job 23:5 invites us to bring our deepest questions, frustrations, and desires for clarity directly to God, without pretense or fear of judgment. It reminds us that authentic faith does not require us to suppress our doubts or to pretend to understand what we don't. Instead, it encourages a posture of humble yet persistent seeking, trusting that even in periods of perceived divine silence, God remains sovereign, attentive, and ultimately good. While Job yearns for an immediate, explicit answer, the ultimate trajectory of the book teaches us the importance of trusting God's character and wisdom even when His specific ways remain mysterious to us. Our spiritual growth often occurs not in the immediate receipt of explicit answers, but in the patient, faithful endurance through the silence, learning to listen for God's voice in His Word, through prayer, and in the unfolding of His providence, cultivating a deeper trust in His incomprehensible wisdom.

Questions for Reflection

  • What does Job's desperate desire for direct communication with God reveal about our own longing for divine presence and understanding in times of distress?
  • How do we navigate periods of perceived divine silence in our lives, and what does Job's example teach us about maintaining faith during such times?
  • What is the difference between merely "knowing" God's words and truly "understanding" what He says to us, and how can we cultivate deeper spiritual comprehension and discernment?

FAQ

Why does Job want to hear from God so badly?

Answer: Job's intense desire to hear directly from God stems from his profound and inexplicable suffering, coupled with the relentless accusations of his friends who insist his pain is due to hidden sin. He believes that if he could present his case directly to God, the ultimate Judge, he would be vindicated and receive a clear explanation for his inexplicable calamities. He feels unheard and misunderstood by both God and man, and longs for a divine "answer" that would bring clarity, justice, and an end to his spiritual and physical agony. He seeks not just comfort, but a direct encounter with the source of his suffering, believing that only God can truly explain His actions or provide the justification Job seeks, thereby restoring his honor and peace.

Does God ever answer Job directly?

Answer: Yes, God does eventually answer Job directly, but not in the way Job anticipates or demands. In Job 38:1, God speaks to Job "out of the whirlwind," a powerful and awe-inspiring manifestation of His presence. However, instead of providing a direct explanation for Job's suffering or a detailed defense of His actions, God poses a series of rhetorical questions that highlight His infinite power, wisdom, and sovereignty over creation, contrasting it with Job's limited human understanding. This divine discourse humbles Job and leads him to repentance, not for specific sins that caused his suffering, but for presuming to question God's justice and wisdom from a finite perspective, as seen in Job 42:1-6.

What does this verse teach us about suffering?

Answer: Job 23:5 teaches us that it is natural, legitimate, and even healthy to express our deepest questions, confusion, and pain to God during suffering. Job's raw honesty validates the human experience of feeling unheard or misunderstood by God. It underscores that suffering often leads to a profound longing for divine clarity, purpose, and a sense of justice. While God may not always provide the specific answers we demand or in the timing we expect, the verse encourages persistent, honest prayer and reminds us that our ultimate desire should be for a deeper understanding of God Himself and His character, rather than merely an explanation for our circumstances. It points to the spiritual anguish that accompanies physical pain when God's presence feels distant or His ways inscrutable, yet it still encourages a faithful pursuit of divine communication.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Job's desperate yearning to "know the words" God would speak and to "understand what He would say" finds its ultimate and glorious fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. Job longed for a direct, personal encounter with God's voice, a clear revelation that would bridge the chasm of his suffering and divine silence. In the New Testament, we discover that God has spoken His final and most comprehensive word in His Son. As Hebrews 1:1-2 declares, "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by His Son." Jesus is the living Word, the perfect embodiment of God's communication and character, the very Logos through whom all things were made, as described in John 1:1-3. He is not merely a messenger, but the message itself, the one through whom God fully reveals His love, justice, and redemptive plan. Through Christ, the hiddenness Job experienced is overcome; the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, making God intimately knowable and understandable. Furthermore, Jesus serves as our great High Priest and Advocate, providing the very access to God's "seat" that Job so desperately desired. Through Him, we can now draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, knowing that our prayers are heard and that we have a Mediator who fully understands our suffering, having experienced it Himself, as articulated in Hebrews 4:15. The direct, personal encounter Job yearned for is now a reality for all who come to God through Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the ultimate answer to Job's profound longing.

Copy as

Commentary on Job 23 verses 1–7

I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points

Job is confident that he has wrong done him by his friends, and therefore, ill as he is, he will not give up the cause, nor let them have the last word. Here,

I. He justifies his own resentments of his trouble (Job 23:2): Even to day, I own, my complaint is bitter; for the affliction, the cause of the complaint, is so. There are wormwood and gall in the affliction and misery; my soul has them still in remembrance and is embittered by them, Lam 3:19, Lam 3:20. Even to day is my complaint counted rebellion (so some read it); his friends construed the innocent expressions of his grief into reflections upon God and his providence, and called them rebellion. "But," says he, "I do not complain more than there is cause; for my stroke is heavier than my groaning. Even today, after all you have said to convince and comfort me, still the pains of my body and the wounds of my spirit are such that I have reason enough for my complaints, if they were more bitter than they are." We wrong God if our groaning be heavier than our stroke, like froward children, who, when they cry for nothing, have justly something given them to cry for; but we do not wrong ourselves though our stroke be heavier than our groaning, for little said is soon amended.

II. He appeals from the censures of his friends to the just judgment of God; and this he thought was an evidence for him that he was not a hypocrite, for then he durst not have made such an appeal as this. St Paul comforted himself in this, that he that judged him was the Lord, and therefore he valued not man's judgment (Co1 4:3, Co1 4:4), but he was willing to wait till the appointed day of decision came; whereas Job is impatient, and passionately wishes to have the judgment-day anticipated, and to have his cause tried quickly, as it were, by a special commission. The apostle found it necessary to press it much upon suffering Christians patiently to expect the Judge's coming, Jam 5:7-9.

1.He is so sure of the equity of God's tribunal that he longs to appear before it (Job 23:3): O that I knew where I might find him! This may properly express the pious breathings of a soul convinced that it has by sin lost God and is undone for ever if it recover not its interest in his favour. "O that I knew how I might recover his favour! How I might come into his covenant and communion with him!" Mic 6:6, Mic 6:7. It is the cry of a poor deserted soul. "Saw you him whom my soul loveth? O that I knew where I might find him! O that he who has laid open the way to himself would direct me into it and lead me in it!" But Job here seems to complain too boldly that his friends wronged him and he knew not which way to apply himself to God to have justice done him, else he would go even to his seat, to demand it. A patient waiting for death and judgment is our wisdom and duty, and, if we duly consider things, that cannot be without a holy fear and trembling; but a passionate wishing for death or judgment, without any such fear and trembling, is our sin and folly, and ill becomes us. Do we know what death and judgment are, and are we so very ready for them, that we need not time to get readier? Woe to those that thus, in a heat, desire the day of the Lord, Amo 5:18.

2.He is so sure of the goodness of his own cause that he longs to be opening it at God's bar (Job 23:4): "I would order my cause before him, and set it in a true light. I would produce the evidences of my sincerity in a proper method, and would fill my mouth with arguments to prove it." We may apply this to the duty of prayer, in which we have boldness to enter into the holiest and to come even to the footstool of the throne of grace. We have not only liberty of access, but liberty of speech. We have leave, (1.) To be particular in our requests, to order our cause before God, to speak the whole matter, to lay before him all our grievances, in what method we think most proper; we durst not be so free with earthly princes as a humble holy soul may be with God. (2.) To be importunate in our requests. We are allowed, not only to pray, but to plead, not only to ask, but to argue; nay, to fill our mouths with arguments, not to move God (he is perfectly apprized of the merits of the cause without our showing), but to move ourselves, to excite our fervency and encourage our faith in prayer.

3.He is so sure of a sentence in favour of him that he even longed to hear it (Job 23:5): "I would know the words which he would answer me," that is, "I would gladly hear what God will say to this matter in dispute between you and me, and will entirely acquiesce in his judgment." This becomes us, in all controversies; let the word of God determine them; let us know what he answers, and understand what he says. Job knew well enough what his friends would answer him; they would condemn him, and run him down. "But" (says he) "I would fain know what God would answer me; for I am sure his judgment is according to truth, which theirs is not. I cannot understand them; they talk so little to the purpose. But what he says I should understand and therefore be fully satisfied in."

III. He comforts himself with the hope that God would deal favourably with him in this matter, Job 23:6, Job 23:7. Note, It is of great use to us, in every thing wherein we have to do with God, to keep up good thoughts of him. He believes, 1. That God would not overpower him, that he would not deal with him either by absolute sovereignty or in strict justice, not with a high hand, nor with a strong hand: Will he plead against me with his great power? No. Job's friends pleaded against him with all the power they had; but will God do so? No; his power is all just and holy, whatever men's is. Against those that are obstinate in their unbelief and impenitency God will plead with his great power; their destruction will come from the glory of his power. But with his own people, that love him and trust in him, he will deal in tender compassion. 2. That, on the contrary, he would empower him to plead his own cause before God: "He would put strength in me, to support me and bear me up, in maintaining my integrity." Note, The same power that is engaged against proud sinners is engaged for humble saints, who prevail with God by strength derived from him, as Jacob did, Hos 12:3. See Psa 68:35. 3. That the issue would certainly be comfortable, Job 23:7. There, in the court of heaven, when the final sentence is to be given, the righteous might dispute with him and come off in his righteousness. Now, even the upright are often chastened of the Lord, and they cannot dispute against it; integrity itself is no fence either against calamity or calumny; but in that day they shall not be condemned with the world, though God may afflict by prerogative. Then you shall discern between the righteous and the wicked (Mal 3:18), so vast will be the difference between them in their everlasting state; whereas now we can scarcely distinguish them, so little is the difference between them as to their outward condition, for all things come alike to all. Then, when the final doom is given, "I shall be delivered for ever from my Judge," that is, "I shall be saved from the unjust censures of my friends and from that divine sentence which is now so much a terror to me." Those that are delivered up to God as their owner and ruler shall be for ever delivered from him as their judge and avenger; and there is no flying from his justice but by flying to his mercy.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–7. Public domain.
Copy as
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
MORALS ON THE BOOK OF JOB 16.36-37
We bewail our sins when we begin to weigh them. We weigh them the more exactly when more anxiously we bewail them. By our lamentations it rises up more perfectly in our hearts that the severity of God threatens those who commit sin. What will be those reproofs on the children of perdition, what terror, what the abhorrence of the unappeasable majesty? Great things shall the Lord then, being angry, declare to the lost, as great as he permits them of justice to undergo.…Who else except the Mediator between God and humankind, the man Christ Jesus, is denoted by the title of “equity”? Concerning whom it is written, “Who of God is made to us wisdom and righteousness.” And whereas this same righteousness came into this world against the ways of sinners, we get the better of our old enemy, by whom we were held captive. So let him say, “I do not want him to contend with me with great power or oppress me with the weight of his mightiness. Let him judge me justly, and my judgment will come to victory.” In other words, for the correction of my ways let him send his incarnate Son. Then by the sentence of my absolution, I will turn out as a victor over the plotting foe.
If the only begotten Son of God had so remained invisible in the strength of divine nature as not to have admitted anything derived from our weakness, when could weak people ever have found the access of grace to him? For the weight of his greatness, being considered, would rather have oppressed than aided things. Yet he agreed with us by assuming our weakness, that he might elevate us to his own abiding strength.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
36. For we then bewail our sins, when we begin to weigh them; but we then weigh them the more exactly, when more anxiously we bewail them, and by our lamentations it rises up [one Ms. ‘is known’] more perfectly in our hearts, what the severity of God threatens those with that commit sin, what will be those rebukings upon the children of perdition, what the terror, what the abhorrence of the unappeasable Majesty. For so great things shall the Lord then being angry ‘say’ to the lost, as great as He permits them of justice to undergo. Which same words of His visitation, the righteous, because now they anxiously fear them, escape free from. But who in that inquisition might be found righteous, if God according to the Majesty of His Might, so sifted the life of man?
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as

Continue studying Job 23:5 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.

Read & Compare

Commentaries

Original Language & Research

Sermons, Hymns & Audio

TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.