Job 9
Job 9 is part of Job's response to Bildad, where Job reflects on God's power, justice, and how difficult it is for any human to stand before God in righteousness. Job wrestles with the idea of questioning God, acknowledging God's supremacy and the frailty of man. He laments the impossibility of arguing his case before God, highlighting both God's greatness and his own suffering.
Job 9:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Then Job answered and said:
2 "Truly I know it is so, But how can a man be righteous before God?
3 If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?
5 He removes the mountains, and they do not know when He overturns them in His anger."
Job acknowledges Bildad's argument about God's justice but wonders how any human could be righteous before God. He reflects on the vast wisdom and power of God, pointing out that no one can successfully oppose God. Job illustrates this power by describing how God can move mountains in His anger, showing how insignificant human efforts are compared to God's might.
Job 9:6 (NKJV)
6 He shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble.
Job continues to emphasize God's control over creation, saying that God can shake the earth itself. This reflects God's authority over even the most stable and foundational elements of the world, making any attempt to challenge or resist Him futile.
Job 9:7 (NKJV)
7 He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars.
Job speaks of God's dominion over time and light, stating that God can stop the sun from rising and block out the stars. This shows the absolute control God has over the universe, including the natural order that people rely on every day.
Job 9:8 (NKJV)
8 He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea.
Here, Job acknowledges God's creative power, referring to God's act of stretching out the heavens. The imagery of God walking on the sea emphasizes His dominion over even the chaotic and uncontrollable forces of nature.
Job 9:9 (NKJV)
9 He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south.
Job points to God's creation of the constellations as another testament to His unmatched power. By naming specific stars and star clusters, he highlights the vastness of the universe, all of which is under God's control.
Job 9:10 (NKJV)
10 He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without number.
Job acknowledges that God's works are beyond human comprehension. Even though people may try to understand God's actions, His ways and wonders are too numerous and too profound for human minds to fully grasp.
Job 9:11-12 (NKJV)
11 If He goes by me, I do not see Him; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him.
12 If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’
Job reflects on God's invisible nature, noting that humans cannot see or perceive God when He acts. Furthermore, if God chooses to take something or make a decision, no one can question Him or stop Him. This reinforces the idea that God’s will is sovereign.
Job 9:13 (NKJV)
13 God will not withdraw His anger, The allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him.
Here, Job underscores the futility of pride in the face of God's judgment. Even those who align themselves with the proud are brought down when God expresses His anger, demonstrating the futility of resisting God's will.
Job 9:14-16 (NKJV)
14 How then can I answer Him, And choose my words to reason with Him?
15 For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge.
16 If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice.
Job questions how anyone, even a righteous person, could respond to or reason with God. He feels that his only recourse would be to plead for mercy because even if God were to answer him, Job doubts he would be convinced that God was truly hearing him.
Job 9:17-18 (NKJV)
17 For He crushes me with a tempest, And multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 He will not allow me to catch my breath, But fills me with bitterness.
Job feels overwhelmed by his suffering, comparing it to being struck by a storm and wounded without reason. He describes his constant pain, stating that God has not given him any relief, leaving him filled with bitterness.
Job 9:19-20 (NKJV)
19 If it is a matter of strength, indeed He is strong; And if of justice, who will appoint my day in court?
20 Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse.
Job acknowledges that he cannot match God in strength or argue against Him in matters of justice. Even if Job were truly righteous, he believes that his words would somehow betray him and prove him guilty before God.
Job 9:21-24 (NKJV)
21 “I am blameless, yet I do not know myself; I despise my life.
22 It is all one thing; Therefore I say, ‘He destroys the blameless and the wicked.’
23 If the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the plight of the innocent.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If it is not He, who else could it be?"
Job expresses despair and confusion. Even though he considers himself blameless, he feels that God treats both the righteous and the wicked alike, bringing suffering to all without distinction. He laments that the world seems to be ruled by wickedness, and questions whether anyone else but God could allow such things to happen.
Job 9:25-26 (NKJV)
25 “Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good.
26 They pass by like swift ships, Like an eagle swooping on its prey.
Job laments the fleeting nature of life, comparing his days to a fast runner or a ship that passes by quickly. He feels that his life is slipping away without any hope of goodness or relief, as if he is being pursued by trouble.
Job 9:27-28 (NKJV)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile,’
28 I am afraid of all my sufferings; I know that You will not hold me innocent.
Even if Job tries to forget his suffering and force himself to be cheerful, he cannot escape the fear of his ongoing afflictions. He feels certain that God will not declare him innocent, no matter how much he tries to move past his pain.
Job 9:29-31 (NKJV)
29 If I am condemned, Why then do I labor in vain?
30 If I wash myself with snow water, And cleanse my hands with soap,
31 Yet You will plunge me into the pit, And my own clothes will abhor me.
Job questions the point of trying to prove his innocence when he feels condemned no matter what. Even if he cleansed himself thoroughly, he believes that God would still cast him into the pit, and his own righteousness would be of no use.
Job 9:32-33 (NKJV)
32 For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together.
33 Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both.
Job recognizes that God is not like a human being with whom he can reason or go to court. There is no one to mediate between them, leaving Job feeling hopeless in presenting his case before God.
Job 9:34-35 (NKJV)
34 Let Him take His rod away from me, And do not let dread of Him terrify me.
35 Then I would speak and not fear Him, But it is not so with me."
Job wishes that God would remove His hand of discipline so that he could speak without fear. However, he feels that this is not the case, as he remains terrified of God and unable to speak freely in his presence.