Job 33 26

Job 33:26 kjv

He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.

Job 33:26 nkjv

He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him, He shall see His face with joy, For He restores to man His righteousness.

Job 33:26 niv

then that person can pray to God and find favor with him, they will see God's face and shout for joy; he will restore them to full well-being.

Job 33:26 esv

then man prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness.

Job 33:26 nlt

When he prays to God,
he will be accepted.
And God will receive him with joy
and restore him to good standing.

Job 33 verses

Job 33 26 Meaning

This verse describes the blessed outcome for an individual who heeds God's voice through His messenger and turns in sincere repentance. God, in His graciousness, accepts their prayer and restores them fully. The person experiences the divine favor and presence, expressed in triumphant joy, and is reinstated into a state of right standing and blessing, indicating both spiritual and possibly physical well-being. Elihu uses this to illustrate God's merciful nature in His dealings with humanity, where suffering can be a means to lead to spiritual correction and ultimately, restoration.

Job 33 26 Context

Elihu's discourse to Job and his friends, found in chapters 32-37 of the book of Job, offers a new perspective on suffering. He corrects what he perceives as errors in both Job's self-vindication and the friends' simplistic view that suffering is solely punishment for sin. Elihu posits that God uses suffering not always as punitive judgment, but as a form of divine discipline and instruction, a way to prevent greater evil and draw humanity closer to Him (Job 33:14-18).

Specifically, Job 33:26 describes the glorious outcome for a person who, through their suffering, receives an enlightened "messenger" (often interpreted as a divine agent or an insightful human mediator like Elihu himself) who explains God's purpose and pleads on their behalf (Job 33:23-24). This suffering individual is brought to a point of humble prayer and confession (Job 33:27-28), which is met with God's compassionate response. The verse encapsulates the climax of this restorative process, where God accepts the one who has turned to Him, restores them from the pit of affliction (Job 33:24), and grants them joy and right standing with Him. The historical and cultural context reflects the ancient Near Eastern belief that illness and distress were often associated with divine disfavor due to sin, but Elihu's nuanced view adds the dimension of God's redemptive discipline and merciful restoration, a departure from pure retribution theology.

Job 33 26 Word analysis

• Then he prays (וַיֶּעְתַּר, vayyeʿtar): Derived from the root ʿātar (עָתַר), meaning to supplicate, entreat, or offer prayer. It signifies earnest, often urgent, pleading from a position of need or distress. This is not a casual prayer, but a heartfelt outpouring. It suggests the person has recognized their need and turns wholly to God.
• to God (אֶל אֱלוֹהַּ, ʾel ʾEloah): ʾEloah (אֱלוֹהַּ) is a singular form for God, emphasizing His uniqueness, omnipotence, and His personal relation to humanity. It speaks to the one true God who hears and responds. The prepositin ʾel implies movement toward, signifying direction of the prayer.
• and he accepts him (וַיִּרְצֵהוּ, vayyirṣēhû): From the verb rāṣāh (רָצָה), meaning to be pleased with, accept, delight in, or take pleasure in. This goes beyond mere toleration; it signifies divine pleasure and approval. God not only hears the prayer but embraces the petitioner, showing favor and grace.
• he sees his face (פָּנָיו יְשׂוּר, pānāw yĕshûr): Pānîm (פָּנִים), "face," often denotes presence, disposition, or favor in Hebrew. "Seeing God's face" is an idiom for experiencing His benevolent presence and favor, the dispelling of divine anger or judgment. It indicates intimate communion and restored relationship, resulting in great reassurance.
• with a shout of joy (בִּתְרוּעָה, bitĕrûʿâ): Tĕrûʿâ (תְּרוּעָה) describes a loud acclamation, a joyful shout, a trumpet blast signaling victory, triumph, or celebration. Here, it signifies overflowing jubilation, an exultant declaration of the mighty salvation and deliverance God has provided. It implies public testimony of God's saving power.
• and he restores to man (וַיָּשֶׁב לֶאֱנוֹשׁ, vayyāšēv leʾenôš): From šûv (שׁוּב), meaning to turn back, return, restore, or bring back. It indicates a reversal of fortune, a restitution to a former or better state. ʾĔnôš (אֱנוֹשׁ) refers to humanity in its frailty, mortality, and commonality, emphasizing God's mercy towards frail mortals.
• his righteousness (צִדְקָתוֹ, ṣidqātô): Ṣidqāh (צִדְקָה) means righteousness, justice, integrity, a right standing or state of rectitude. In this context, it refers not necessarily to inherent moral perfection but to a divinely restored status of rightness before God. It's the righteousness imputed or graciously granted by God after the person's repentance and intercession, reinstating them into a covenant relationship and removing the shadow of guilt or unworthiness associated with their affliction.

Words-group analysis:

• Then he prays to God, and he accepts him: This pairing highlights the causal relationship between turning to God in earnest prayer and receiving divine favor. God's acceptance is a direct, gracious response to humble supplication, signifying a renewal of covenant relationship.
• he sees his face with a shout of joy: This phrase depicts the emotional and spiritual consequences of God's acceptance. "Seeing God's face" represents experiencing His favorable presence, leading to an overwhelming, triumphant expression of joy, indicative of deliverance from fear and despair.
• and he restores to man his righteousness: This climax summarizes the comprehensive restoration God provides. It encompasses more than physical healing, reaching to the deeper spiritual reality of being put back in a right, justified standing with God. It signifies an inner and outer renewal, establishing a state of blessing.

Job 33 26 Bonus section

• The messenger (מַלְאָךְ, malʾāḵ) mentioned in Job 33:23, described as an "intercessor" (מֵלִיץ, mēliṣ) who can interpret for man what is right for him, is key to understanding the context of this restoration. Elihu proposes that divine insight or mediation is often necessary for suffering individuals to understand God's purpose and humble themselves. Verse 26 describes the successful outcome of such an intervention, leading to God's gracious response. This strongly anticipates the future need for a perfect mediator, uniquely fulfilled in Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2:5), who alone can fully declare righteousness to humanity and intercede perfectly.
• This verse provides an important polemic against the strict retributive theology held by Job's friends, which asserted that all suffering stemmed directly and exclusively from personal sin requiring immediate punishment. Elihu argues here that suffering can be corrective and God desires restoration rather than permanent destruction, even offering an avenue for such a reversal through prayer and intercession. It also corrects Job's own perception of God as unjustly oppressing him, showing that God's ways, even through suffering, are ultimately redemptive for those who humble themselves.

Job 33 26 Commentary

Job 33:26 offers a pivotal theological insight from Elihu, portraying God as actively redemptive rather than merely punitive. The verse delineates the joyous outcome for an afflicted individual who turns to God in sincere prayer, often prompted by a divine messenger's insight (vv. 23-24). It highlights the reciprocal action: human repentance leads to divine acceptance. The term "accepts him" (rāṣāh) speaks to God's delight, not grudging allowance, indicating full reconciliation. This restored relationship is expressed in "seeing His face," which signifies experiencing God's benevolent presence and favor, rather than judgment, leading to profound exultant "shout of joy." The ultimate restoration is not just physical well-being, but God restoring to the person "his righteousness." This is critical because it's a righteousness given by God, a restored spiritual standing and justification that removes the perceived stain of unrighteousness that the suffering implied according to contemporary beliefs. Elihu, therefore, presents a hopeful and gracious view of divine interaction, foreshadowing the salvific nature of God revealed more fully in the New Testament through the ultimate Mediator. This is God's grace manifest in response to true turning.