Job 9 3

Job 9:3 kjv

If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

Job 9:3 nkjv

If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

Job 9:3 niv

Though they wished to dispute with him, they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.

Job 9:3 esv

If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times.

Job 9:3 nlt

If someone wanted to take God to court,
would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times?

Job 9 verses

Job 9 3 Meaning

Job 9:3 conveys Job's deep conviction that humanity stands no chance in a legal or intellectual dispute with God. He posits that even if a person were to attempt to argue their case or righteousness before the Almighty, they would be utterly overwhelmed and unable to adequately respond to even a single point out of a thousand that God could raise against them. It highlights the vast, unbridgeable chasm between divine perfection and human fallibility, underscoring the futility of human self-justification before an all-knowing and all-powerful God.

Job 9 3 Context

Job chapter 9 follows Bildad's second discourse, where Bildad vigorously defended God's justice, suggesting that suffering is always a direct result of sin and implying that Job and his children must have deserved their fate. In response, Job begins chapter 9 by acknowledging God's omnipotence and absolute sovereignty, stating "Truly I know it is so." However, his despair intensifies as he contemplates the vastness of God's power. Verse 3 specifically articulates Job's hopeless assessment of ever being able to successfully argue his innocence or gain a favorable judgment when standing before such an infinitely powerful and just Being. This verse sets the stage for Job's lament over the inaccessibility of justice for himself and highlights his feeling that God, while perfectly righteous in general, appears to be acting arbitrarily and beyond human comprehension in his specific case.

Job 9 3 Word analysis

• If (אִם, im): This particle introduces a hypothetical or conditional clause, setting up a scenario. It implies that while it's a possibility one might consider contending with God, the outcome is predetermined as impossible for the human.
• one wished to contend (חָפֵץ לִקּוֹחַ, chaphets liqchoaḥ):
  • wished/desired (חָפֵץ, chaphets): Conveys a strong inclination, pleasure, or intent. Here, it indicates someone delighting in or having the will to initiate a dispute, emphasizing the audacity of such a thought.
  • to contend/to take (לִקּוֹחַ, liqchoaḥ): Derived from the verb laqach, meaning "to take, seize, grasp." In a legal or argumentative context, it refers to taking a matter, initiating a case, or engaging in a legal dispute. This points to the verse's underlying legal metaphor, depicting a courtroom scenario.
• with Him (עִמּוֹ, immo): Signifies direct engagement against God, reinforcing the judicial confrontation.
• He could not answer Him (לֹא־יַעֲנֶנּוּ, lo-ya'anennu):
  • not (לֹא, lo): A strong negation.
  • answer Him (יַעֲנֶנּוּ, ya'anennu): From 'anah, meaning "to answer, respond, testify, reply." It specifically denotes an adequate and satisfactory response or defense in a debate or legal argument. The construct emphasizes the utter inability to provide such a response.
• one in a thousand (אֶחָד מֵאֶלֶף, echad me'elef): This is a powerful numerical expression indicating an extremely small fraction or an overwhelming majority against the subject.
  • Literally "one from a thousand," it serves as hyperbole to express the absolute futility of argument. It means a human could not respond sufficiently even to a single charge out of a multitude of charges God might bring, or perhaps not adequately answer one question out of a thousand asked by God. It strongly suggests a complete lack of defensible ground for humanity when standing before divine scrutiny.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "If one wished to contend with Him": This phrase introduces the hypothetical scenario of a direct legal challenge or debate against God. It speaks to Job's profound despair that despite his feeling of injustice, the very idea of prosecuting his case before the Almighty is an exercise in futility, a wish that carries no practical hope of success. It acknowledges a human desire for justification but underscores the audaciousness of challenging the divine.
• "He could not answer Him one in a thousand": This is the stark consequence of such a desire. It highlights the absolute inability of any human to articulate a defensible position or provide satisfactory answers against the myriad of potential divine arguments or charges. It conveys an extreme power imbalance: not merely a disadvantage, but an almost infinite disparity in wisdom, righteousness, and power, making any attempt at self-vindication impossible. The "thousand" represents an insurmountable number of points, indicating that humanity lacks even one valid counter-argument in the face of divine perfect judgment.

Job 9 3 Bonus section

The "one in a thousand" imagery, beyond a literal numerical interpretation, powerfully conveys the concept of utter helplessness and insignificance. It's a hyperbole suggesting a zero-percent chance. This is further illuminated by the later chapters of Job where God himself speaks from the whirlwind, overwhelming Job with a barrage of unanswerable questions, truly proving Job's point from 9:3 (Job 38-41). Job 9:3, therefore, not only reflects Job's current despair but also prophetically anticipates his future experience with divine confrontation. This verse resonates with the broader biblical truth that no human can attain righteousness or vindication by their own merit or arguments before God's perfect standard; righteousness must be received from God, rather than achieved. The legal context in Job 9:3 hints at humanity's predicament as condemned without intervention, setting a backdrop for the biblical doctrine of justification through a divine advocate.

Job 9 3 Commentary

Job 9:3 is a pivotal verse that encapsulates Job's deep sense of despair regarding his standing before God. It moves beyond merely acknowledging God's immense power (a point on which he and his friends generally agree) to articulate the profound implication of that power for humanity's capacity for self-justification. Job presents a courtroom scenario where a human wishes to challenge God's actions or judgment, but realizes the encounter is completely futile. The "one in a thousand" signifies not just a quantitative failure, but a qualitative one—no matter how small a point, a human cannot offer a sufficient defense against God's omniscient scrutiny and righteous judgments. This reveals Job's accurate perception of humanity's sinfulness and inherent inadequacy before divine holiness, a truth affirmed throughout Scripture. Paradoxically, this same Job, who feels such utter powerlessness to contend with God, eventually encounters God directly in Chapters 38-41, at which point he indeed finds himself completely unable to answer any of God's questions, ultimately leading to his repentance (Job 42:6). The verse sets up the profound theological dilemma for Job: how can a just God allow suffering without cause, if humanity cannot even articulate its own case? It subtly points to the need for a mediator, though Job is not yet fully aware of such a concept, and ultimately highlights that salvation or vindication comes not from human self-defense but from God's gracious intervention.