Job Says There Is No Arbitrator between God and Mankind
Then Job responded,
2 “In truth I know that this is so;But how can a aperson be in the right with God?Job 4:17; 25:43 “If one wished to adispute with Him,He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.Job 10:2; 13:19; 23:6; 40:24 “aWise in heart and bmighty in strength,Who has 1cdefied Him 2without harm?Lit stiffened his neck againstLit and remained safeJob 11:6; 12:13; 28:23; 38:36, 37Job 9:19; 23:62 Chr 13:12; Prov 29:15 “aIt is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know how,When He overturns them in His anger.Job 9:5-10; 26:6-14; 41:116 “It is He who ashakes the earth from its place,And its bpillars tremble;Is 2:19, 21; 13:13; Hag 2:6Ps 75:37 Who commands the asun 1not to shine,And puts a seal on the stars;Lit and it does not shineIs 13:10; Ezek 32:7, 88 Who alone astretches out the heavens,And 1btramples down the waves of the sea;Lit treads upon the heights ofGen 1:1; Job 37:18; Ps 104:2; Is 40:22Job 38:16; Ps 77:199 Who makes the aBear, Orion, and the Pleiades,And the 1bconstellations of the south.Lit chambersJob 38:31, 32; Amos 5:8Job 37:910 “It is He who adoes great things, 1the unfathomable,And wondrous works without number.Lit until there is no searching outJob 5:911 “If He were to pass by me, aI would not see Him;Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.Job 23:8, 9; 35:1412 “If He were to snatch away, who could arestrain Him?Who could say to Him, ‘bWhat are You doing?’Job 10:7; 11:10Is 45:9
13 “God will not turn back His anger;Beneath Him the helpers of 1aRahab cower.I.e., a sea monster, not to be confused with Rahab in Joshua 2Job 26:12; Ps 89:10; Is 30:7; 51:914 “How then can aI 1answer Him,And choose my words 2before Him?Or plead my caseLit withJob 9:3, 3215 “For athough I were right, I could not 1answer;I would have to bimplore the mercy of my Judge.Or plead my caseJob 9:20, 21; 10:15Job 8:516 “If I called and He answered me,I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.17 “For He abruises me with a stormAnd multiplies my wounds without cause.Job 16:12, 14; 30:2218 “He will anot allow me to get my breath,But He saturates me with bbitterness.Job 7:19; 10:20Job 13:26; 27:219 “If it is a matter of power, abehold, He is the strong one!And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon 1Him?As in LXX; Heb meJob 9:420 “aThough I am righteous, my mouth will bcondemn me;Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.Job 9:15Job 9:29; 15:621 “I am aguiltless;I do not take notice of myself;I breject my life.Job 1:1; 12:4; 13:18Job 7:1622 “It is all one; therefore I say,‘He adestroys the guiltless and the wicked.’Job 10:7, 823 “If the whip kills suddenly,He amocks the despair of the innocent.Job 24:1224 “The earth ais handed over to the wicked;He bcovers the faces of its judges.If it is not He, then who is it?Job 10:3; 12:6; 16:11Job 12:17
25 “Now amy days are swifter than a runner;They flee away, bthey see no good.Job 7:6Job 7:726 “They slip by like areed boats,Like an beagle that swoops on 1its prey.Lit foodIs 18:2Job 39:29; Hab 1:827 “Though I say, ‘I will forget amy complaint,I will 1put my face in order and be cheerful,’I.e., improve the lookJob 7:1128 I am aafraid of all my pains,I know that bYou will not acquit me.Job 3:25Job 7:21; 10:1429 “I am aguilty,Why then should I struggle in vain?Job 10:2; Ps 37:3330 “If I awashed myself with snow,And cleansed bmy hands with lye,Jer 2:22Job 31:731 Then You would plunge me into the pit,And my own clothes would loathe me.32 “For aHe is not a man, as I am, that bI may answer Him—That we may go to 1court together!Lit judgmentEccl 6:10Job 9:3; Rom 9:2033 “There is no aarbitrator between us,Who can place his hand upon us both.1 Sam 2:25; Job 9:19; Is 1:1834 “Let Him aremove His rod from me,And let not the dread of Him terrify me.Job 13:2135 “Then I awould speak and not fear Him;But I am not like that in myself.Job 13:22