Job 13 16

Job 13:16 kjv

He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

Job 13:16 nkjv

He also shall be my salvation, For a hypocrite could not come before Him.

Job 13:16 niv

Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless person would dare come before him!

Job 13:16 esv

This will be my salvation, that the godless shall not come before him.

Job 13:16 nlt

But this is what will save me ? I am not godless.
If I were, I could not stand before him.

Job 13 verses

Job 13 16 Meaning

Job 13:16 encapsulates Job’s profound declaration of faith and trust in God, despite his severe suffering and God's apparent adversarial stance. He asserts that the very God who seems to be afflicting him will ultimately be his source of deliverance and vindication. This conviction stems from Job’s knowledge of God's character: genuine faith, not hypocrisy, is required to stand in God's presence and receive His salvation. Job implicitly contrasts himself with his accusers and their legalistic understanding of righteousness, proclaiming his own integrity before God.

Job 13 16 Context

Job 13 is part of Job’s second round of responses to his friends (chapters 12-14). Having dismissed their counsel as "proverbs of ashes" and "defenses of clay" (Job 13:12), Job longs to speak directly to God (Job 13:3). He believes his friends are misrepresenting God by blindly defending His actions and condemning Job. Job asserts his desire for a divine confrontation, even declaring he is willing to die (Job 13:15), because he holds a deep-seated conviction in his own innocence compared to the accusations laid against him. This verse, Job 13:16, becomes a pivotal declaration amidst his intense struggle, moving from desperation to a profound statement of faith that God himself will be his deliverer. Historically, ancient Near Eastern legal traditions emphasized the importance of a litigant appearing before a just judge. Job appeals beyond human, flawed judgment to the ultimate divine judge.

Job 13 16 Word analysis

• He: Refers directly to God (אֱלוֹהַּ Eloah / אֵל El). This personal address underscores Job's direct engagement with the Divine, highlighting a developing, paradoxical trust in the very One who is inflicting suffering.
• also: Implies "even He," or "He too." This emphatic particle suggests that despite God's seemingly hostile actions toward Job, God is simultaneously Job's ultimate hope. It emphasizes that no one else can provide this salvation.
• shall be: A future-oriented, declarative statement expressing absolute certainty and conviction in a future vindication or deliverance, rooted in God’s inherent nature.
• my salvation (יְשׁוּעָתִי yeshu'ati): Derived from yasha, meaning "to save," "to deliver," "to rescue." It denotes comprehensive deliverance, rescue from a predicament, or victory. In Job's context, this means vindication before his accusers, justification before God, and ultimately, deliverance from his current plight and restoration. It is not necessarily primarily about spiritual redemption from sin as understood in the New Testament, but about deliverance and vindication in this life or ultimately from the grave.
• for (כִּי ki): A conjunction indicating cause or reason. It explains why Job is so confident in God being his salvation—because God's character is such that hypocrites cannot stand before Him, implying Job is not one.
• an hypocrite (חָנֵף chanef): Root meaning "to be polluted," "to be profaned." It describes one who is impious, ungodly, a deceiver, or one who makes an outward show of piety without inward sincerity. In the ancient world, it depicted someone defiled or corrupted morally and spiritually, incapable of truly approaching a holy deity or person of authority. This is a direct jab at the basis of his friends' theology, which assumes suffering is proof of hidden sin or hypocrisy.
• shall not come before him (יָבֹא לְפָנָיו yavo lefanav): "Come before" (יָבֹא yavo) means to enter, appear, or stand in the presence of. "Before Him" (לְפָנָיו lefanav) refers to God's immediate presence or judgment seat. The phrase signifies that an insincere or wicked person cannot approach, endure, or escape judgment in God's presence. Job's assertion is that his own sincere (though agonizing) relationship with God makes his access and eventual vindication certain, unlike the fate of the hypocrite.

Job 13 16 Bonus section

This verse encapsulates a pivotal shift in Job's internal dialogue, revealing his profound theological insight that true access to God and genuine salvation require sincere righteousness, not external conformity or feigned piety. It demonstrates Job's spiritual resilience, affirming God’s immutable justice that distinguishes between the genuine and the disingenuous, providing a foundation for his continued dialogue with the Almighty and eventual vindication. This understanding allows Job to paradoxically maintain faith in God's saving power even as he continues to confront God about his suffering, illustrating that authentic faith is not negated by lament or struggle but often deepened through it.

Job 13 16 Commentary

Job 13:16 is a powerful testament to Job's faith. Even while declaring his willingness to argue his case against God, he maintains an unwavering belief in God's ultimate justice and His unique role as deliverer. This verse beautifully captures the paradox of Job's struggle: God is both his accuser and his only hope for vindication. Job expresses a defiant yet hopeful trust, understanding that unlike the "hypocrites"—those who merely profess but lack genuine integrity or purity of heart—he, with his unwavering commitment, will ultimately find salvation from God. His integrity, which his friends question, becomes the basis of his hope that he will stand justified before the very Being who afflicts him, because a hypocrite cannot.