Job 23:5
I would know the words [which] he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.
I would know {H3045} the words {H4405} which he would answer {H6030} me, and understand {H995} what he would say {H559} unto me.
I would know his answering words and grasp what he would tell me.
I would learn how He would answer, and consider what He would say.
I would know the words which he would answer me, And understand what he would say unto me.
Cross-References
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1 Corinthians 4:3 (3 votes)
But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. -
1 Corinthians 4:4 (3 votes)
For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. -
Job 42:2 (2 votes)
I know that thou canst do every [thing], and [that] no thought can be withholden from thee. -
Job 42:6 (2 votes)
Wherefore I abhor [myself], and repent in dust and ashes. -
Job 13:22 (2 votes)
Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me. -
Job 13:23 (2 votes)
ยถ How many [are] mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin. -
Job 10:2 (2 votes)
I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.
Commentary
In Job 23:5, the patriarch Job expresses his profound and desperate desire for a direct encounter and clear communication with God. Amidst his immense suffering and the relentless, often unhelpful, accusations from his friends, Job longs for a divine audience where he can present his case and receive a direct answer to his existential questions.
Context
This verse is part of Job's third monologue (Job chapters 23-24), where he continues to grapple with his inexplicable suffering. Having lost his children, wealth, and health, and being continually pressed by his three friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar) to confess sin as the cause of his calamities, Job steadfastly maintains his innocence. His greatest desire is not for comfort from his friends, but for a direct, face-to-face meeting with God himself. He believes that if he could just present his argument to the Almighty, he would be vindicated, as previously expressed in Job 13:3, "Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God." Here, his yearning follows his lament in Job 23:3, "Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!"
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The Hebrew words used here convey a depth beyond mere intellectual knowing:
Practical Application
Job's desperate plea resonates deeply with believers today:
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