Job 9 32

Job 9:32 kjv

For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

Job 9:32 nkjv

"For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together.

Job 9:32 niv

"He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court.

Job 9:32 esv

For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together.

Job 9:32 nlt

"God is not a mortal like me,
so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial.

Job 9 verses

Job 9 32 Meaning

Job 9:32 conveys Job's profound sense of his unworthiness and utter inability to contend with God in a judicial setting. He acknowledges the infinite disparity between a finite, fallen human being and the all-powerful, holy Creator. There is no common ground for a legal dispute or debate, as God transcends all human categories and is not subject to human judgment or process.

Job 9 32 Context

Job 9 stands as Job's bitter response to Bildad's sermon, which implicitly condemned Job for his suffering. Job acknowledges God's immeasurable power and righteousness, asserting that no human can ever truly justify themselves before Him. While agreeing that God is sovereign and mighty (Job 9:4-10), Job expresses despair over the apparent injustice of his suffering, believing God is actively against him (Job 9:15-24). This specific verse, Job 9:32, is a pivotal statement within this chapter, capturing Job's core dilemma: he recognizes God's absolute transcendence and his own utter inability to stand before such a being on equal legal terms, despite his profound desire to clear his name. He feels crushed by divine might and abandoned by justice, unable to present his case fairly.

Job 9 32 Word analysis

• For (כִּֽי - kî): A conjunction indicating reason or explanation, introducing the basis for Job's earlier assertion (v. 30-31) that ritual washing or appearing righteous does not change his actual standing before God.
• he is not (לֹֽא - lō): A strong negative particle, emphasizing the absolute negation of the idea that follows.
• a man (אִישׁ - 'îsh): Refers to a human being, a mortal, highlighting Job's creatureliness and frailty in contrast to God's divine, uncreated nature. Implies a being of finite power, limited knowledge, and moral imperfections.
• as I am: Explicitly contrasts God with Job himself. Job, despite his uprightness, is a mere human, subject to human limitations, flaws, and the common fate of humanity, including suffering and death. This phrase underscores the vast, unbridgeable chasm between the Creator and the created.
• that I should answer him: "Answer" (עָנָה - ‘ānâh) here means to reply in a formal, adversarial sense, like a defendant answering an accusation or a party in a legal dispute. It conveys the idea of arguing on an equal footing. Job cannot "answer" God because God is beyond the sphere of human judgment or accountability.
• and come together (וְנָב֥וֹא - vᵉnāvō’): Literally "and we might come," indicating a mutual approach, a confrontation or meeting for a specific purpose.
• in judgment (בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט - bammišpāṭ): Refers to a legal process, a courtroom, a judicial dispute, or a formal accusation. It denotes an expectation of fairness, rules, and equality before a law or a judge. Job expresses that such an adversarial proceeding with God is impossible, because God is both the accuser and the supreme Judge, who operates by a standard inscrutable to human beings. There is no neutral third party to mediate, and God cannot be held to account by human statutes.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• For he is not a man, as I am: This phrase profoundly establishes the theological bedrock of Job's struggle. It contrasts the immeasurable nature of God with the finite nature of man. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and holy, while Job is weak, limited, and sinful. This disparity is central to the problem of suffering presented in Job. There can be no equal footing or peer-to-peer litigation between them. This refutes any human-centric view that might seek to put God on trial or hold Him to human standards of justice.
• that I should answer him, and come together in judgment: This phrase captures the deep legal and forensic dilemma Job faces. He desperately wishes for a legal audience, to present his case, but recognizes the absurdity of bringing the Almighty Creator to a human court. It highlights the impossibility of self-justification before a holy God who sees all things and whose standards are beyond human attainment or even full comprehension. The desire for a courtroom setting reflects Job's expectation of human justice, but he acknowledges that God transcends such human structures, making his own legal vindication against God's actions impossible.

Job 9 32 Bonus section

This verse's assertion that God "is not a man" (אִישׁ - 'îsh) not only speaks to God's difference in power and morality but also subtly touches upon God's non-corporeal and infinite nature. Unlike human beings, God is not subject to physical limitations, emotional whims, or the corruptibility of the flesh. This is a point frequently echoed in the Old Testament to differentiate Yahweh from the anthropomorphic deities of surrounding cultures. Job here dismantles any polytheistic or anthropomorphic concept of God that might suggest a deity could be reasoned with or controlled by human legal rituals, unlike the "judgment" by oracles or magic performed on lesser deities in some pagan contexts. Job also doesn't question God's righteousness but his immediate experience and access to that righteousness. His despair stems not from God being unjust, but from God's justice being incomprehensible and unchallengeable from a human perspective, leaving him with no recourse for vindication.

Job 9 32 Commentary

Job 9:32 serves as a stark confession of human limitation and a foundational statement on God's absolute sovereignty and transcendence. Job articulates the impossibility of a finite, sinful human engaging the infinite, holy God in a courtroom dispute on equal terms. God is not bound by human conventions, processes, or standards of justice, nor can He be challenged by humanity. This verse encapsulates Job's realization that human beings cannot command God's presence for interrogation, nor can they measure divine justice by human scales. This fundamental asymmetry between Creator and creature implies an inherent powerlessness in demanding accountability from God for one's suffering, underscoring the deep theological problem of evil and divine justice explored throughout the book. It also implicitly sets the stage for the need for an advocate or mediator, which Job yearns for in the very next verse (Job 9:33), someone who can bridge this infinite chasm.