Job 9 19

Job 9:19 kjv

If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

Job 9:19 nkjv

If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?

Job 9:19 niv

If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him?

Job 9:19 esv

If it is a contest of strength, behold, he is mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him?

Job 9:19 nlt

If it's a question of strength, he's the strong one.
If it's a matter of justice, who dares to summon him to court?

Job 9 verses

Job 9 19 Meaning

Job 9:19 expresses Job's deep understanding and profound despair regarding God's unassailable power and justice. He recognizes that in any contest of strength, God is supremely mighty, and concerning any legal or judicial matter, no one can possibly summon God or hold Him accountable to human standards. It signifies God's ultimate sovereignty and inapproachable transcendence.

Job 9 19 Context

Job 9:19 occurs in Job's second discourse (Job 9-10), specifically in response to Bildad's challenge (Job 8) to humble himself and return to God. Job agrees with his friends that God is powerful and righteous (Job 9:4-10), yet he also recognizes God's overwhelming might is precisely why he, a mere human, cannot contend with Him or comprehend His ways in his suffering. Job feels God's power is used arbitrarily against him, but he cannot logically challenge God. The verse underscores Job's paradoxical struggle: acknowledging God's sovereignty while despairing over his inability to appeal his case, leaving him without a known avenue for justice or understanding in his plight.

Job 9 19 Word analysis

• If it is a matter of strength, (אִם־לְכֹ֣חַ - im l'khoakh)

  • If (אִם - im): A conditional particle, introducing a hypothetical premise. It sets up a scenario for consideration.
  • is a matter of (לְ - le): The preposition "to" or "for," here denoting "concerning" or "as to."
  • strength (כֹּ֣חַ - khoakh): Refers to physical power, might, vigor, or force. It implies capability, potency, or superiority in exertion. Here, it denotes God's raw, unmatchable power.

• behold, he is mighty! (הִנֵּ֖ה אַמִּץ־הֽוּא׃ - hineh ammitz-hu)

  • behold, (הִנֵּ֖ה - hineh): An interjection used to draw attention, similar to "lo!" or "indeed!" It emphasizes the immediate and self-evident truth that follows.
  • he is (הוּא - hu): The pronoun "he," referring to God. Its placement at the end emphasizes the subject.
  • mighty! (אַמִּץ - ammitz): An adjective meaning strong, powerful, firm, courageous. It describes an inherent, active quality of being overwhelming in power. This is an undeniable declaration of God's essence.

• And if of justice, (וְאִם־לְמִשְׁפָּט֙ - v'im-l'mishpat)

  • And if (וְאִם - v'im): Connecting to the previous "if" clause, it introduces a second hypothetical scenario, shifting from raw power to the realm of law and judgment.
  • of justice, (לְמִשְׁפָּט֙ - l'mishpat): Refers to judgment, justice, a legal case, right, or due. It signifies the established principles of law or the process of adjudication. Job is contemplating appealing to a legal standard.

• who can summon him? (מִ֣י יוֹעִדֶ֑נּוּ - mi yo'idennu)

  • who (מִ֣י - mi): A rhetorical interrogative, indicating that the answer is "no one." It conveys impossibility.
  • can summon him? (יוֹעִדֶ֑נּוּ - yo'idennu): From the verb יָעַד (ya'ad), meaning to appoint, meet, summon, assign, testify. In a legal context, it implies summoning to a court, serving a subpoena, or calling to an appointed meeting for arbitration. The question highlights that there is no higher authority to whom God can be called to account.

• Words-group by words-group analysis

  • "If it is a matter of strength, behold, he is mighty!": This clause articulates an obvious and undeniable truth: God's power is absolute and unparalleled. Job is not questioning God's might but rather wrestling with its implications for his suffering. This establishes God as omnipotent.
  • "And if of justice, who can summon him?": This part poses a profound rhetorical question. Even if Job were to argue based on justice or try to bring God to court, there is no higher authority, no tribunal, and no equal capable of challenging or compelling God. This underscores God's unassailable sovereignty and the futility of a human trying to contend with Him in legal terms.

Job 9 19 Bonus section

• This verse captures the essence of divine aseity – God's self-existence and independence from all external forces or constraints, including human scrutiny or legal challenge.
• It functions as an implicit polemic against pagan polytheistic views where gods could sometimes be manipulated, deceived, or even defeated by other deities or exceptionally clever mortals. Job firmly asserts Yahweh's absolute and uncontestable supremacy.
• The phrase "who can summon him?" implies not just legal immunity but an existential reality: God cannot be limited, confined, or compelled by any aspect of His creation. There is no dimension or realm where God is not sovereign.
• Job's insight here foreshadows New Testament teachings on God's sovereignty over all things, including the seemingly inexplicable events of life (e.g., Rom 11:33-36).

Job 9 19 Commentary

Job 9:19 lays bare Job's profound spiritual crisis. He comprehends the two immutable facts of God's nature that appear to trap him: God's unquantifiable power and His unassailable authority in matters of justice. The verse is a powerful declaration of God's utter transcendence, asserting that He is neither bound by human measures of strength nor answerable to any created being for His judgments. For Job, this truth, while acknowledging God's greatness, simultaneously highlights his own utter helplessness and lack of recourse in his perceived unjust suffering. There is no appeal from the Creator's decision. This pushes Job towards despair, yet paradoxically, his accurate theological assessment of God's nature stands even amid his emotional turmoil. It subtly points towards the need for faith in a God whose ways are inscrutable to humanity.