Job 9 16

Job 9:16 kjv

If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

Job 9:16 nkjv

If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice.

Job 9:16 niv

Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing.

Job 9:16 esv

If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.

Job 9:16 nlt

And even if I summoned him and he responded,
I'm not sure he would listen to me.

Job 9 verses

Job 9 16 Meaning

Job 9:16 expresses Job's profound despair and cynicism regarding God's willingness to genuinely listen and respond to his pleas, even if a divine encounter were to occur. He believes that even an apparent answer from God would lack true attentiveness or sincere care, driven by his overwhelming suffering and sense of God's unapproachability and inscrutable power. It highlights a crisis of faith where trust in divine interaction is shattered by personal experience.

Job 9 16 Context

Job 9:16 falls within Job's extended response to Bildad, particularly following Job's admission that no one can justify themselves before God (Job 9:2). The entire chapter emphasizes God's immeasurable power, inscrutable wisdom, and ultimate sovereignty, making Him unapproachable and His actions inexplicable to humanity. Job lists God's mighty deeds in creation and cosmic order, establishing God's overwhelming majesty. Against this backdrop, Job feels utterly insignificant and unable to contend with or even appeal to such a formidable Being. He laments the absence of an "umpire" between himself and God (Job 9:33), illustrating his despair. This verse reflects the culmination of his frustration: not only is God too mighty to contend with, but He is also perceived as too detached or severe to genuinely engage with human suffering. Job is speaking from the depths of personal anguish, feeling isolated and misunderstood by both his friends and God. This personal agony makes him express an emotional truth—that God's perceived unresponsiveness feels like genuine deafness—rather than a theological statement about God's intrinsic nature.

Job 9 16 Word analysis

• If I called (אִם-קָרָ֫אתִי, 'im-qārāʾṯî):
  • "If" (אִם, 'im): A conditional particle, introducing a hypothetical scenario. It underscores the unlikelihood from Job's perspective.
  • "I called" (קָרָ֫אתִי, qārāʾṯî): The Hebrew verb means "to call," "to summon," "to cry out," or "to appeal." It denotes a formal appeal or an earnest plea. Job is contemplating a direct address to God, but only as a hypothetical exercise, as his trust is eroded.
• and he answered me (וַיַּעֲנֵנִי, wayyaʿănēnî):
  • "and he answered me" (וַיַּעֲנֵנִי, wayyaʿănēnî): From the Hebrew root ענה ('ānāh), meaning "to answer," "to respond," "to testify," or "to humiliate/afflict." In this context, it refers to God's verbal or demonstrative response. The waw-consecutive imperfect verb implies a direct consequence or sequence to the calling. Even if the expected response occurs, Job's internal state remains unconvinced.
• I would not believe (לֹֽא אֹ֭מִין, lōʾ ʾōmîn):
  • "I would not" (לֹֽא, lōʾ): A strong negation.
  • "believe" (אֹ֭מִין, ʾōmîn): From the root אמן (ʾāman), meaning "to be firm," "to be reliable," "to trust," or "to be faithful." It is the root for "amen" and "faith." Here, Job uses it not as an intellectual disbelief in God's existence, but a lack of trust or confidence in the sincerity or genuineness of the answer. It means, "I would not be certain/assured that He was truly engaged." His cynicism is profound.
• that he had listened (כִּי־יַאֲזִ֣ין, kî-yaʾăzîn):
  • "that" (כִּי, kî): Conjunction, meaning "that," "for," "because." It introduces the content of what Job wouldn't believe.
  • "he had listened" (יַאֲזִ֣ין, yaʾăzîn): From the root אָזַן (ʾāzan), meaning "to give ear," "to listen attentively," "to perceive." This is stronger than merely hearing (שָׁמַע, shama')—it implies paying heed, understanding, and considering with a view to action. Job's despair means he doubts God would offer genuine, caring attention to his suffering, even if He replied.
• to my voice (קֹולִֽי, qōlî):
  • "to my voice" (קֹולִֽי, qōlî): Refers to his appeal, his cry, his plea. It is his audible, verbal expression of distress and desire for justice. Job wants not just a mechanical answer but an empathetic hearing.

Job 9 16 Bonus section

• This verse provides a powerful human perspective on God's hiddenness during suffering. It emphasizes the phenomenological experience of Job, distinct from objective theological truth about God.
• Job's words reflect a common human temptation to interpret God's silence or inscrutable actions as indifference or active neglect, rather than understanding them as part of a larger, unseen divine purpose or trial of faith.
• The progression in Job 9: "no defense" (v.3), "no umpire" (v.33), and now "no genuine listening" (v.16) illustrates Job's increasing sense of alienation and utter helplessness before God.
• Ancient Near Eastern understanding often involved gods being capricious or self-serving; Job's statement may reflect a subconscious polemic against a God who, while powerful, could still be perceived as uncaring, a stark contrast to Yahweh's revealed character elsewhere.

Job 9 16 Commentary

Job 9:16 vividly portrays the psychological and spiritual depth of Job's suffering. It's not a theological treatise on God's true character but a raw cry from a man pushed to his breaking point. His skepticism isn't a denial of God's power or existence, but a deep-seated mistrust in God's attentiveness and justice in the face of his inexplicable pain. Job is trapped between God's overwhelming might and his own intense suffering. He cannot contend with God, yet he feels God is not truly hearing him. The verse implies that even if God were to manifest Himself and respond, Job’s suffering has so warped his perception that he would view any divine answer as either insincere, detached, or merely a display of power rather than genuine compassion. This internal crisis reflects how extreme circumstances can challenge fundamental beliefs about God's nature, particularly His benevolent care and responsiveness to human suffering. Job's doubt highlights a profound human experience of feeling unheard by the divine when anguish is immense, underscoring the necessity for faith to persevere through profound mystery.