Job 16:21

O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!

One - rather, He (God). 'O that, he would plead for a man (namely me) against God.' Job quaintly says, God must support me against God; for He makes me to suffer, and He alone knows me to be innocent (Umbreit). So God helped Jacob in wrestling against Himself (Job 23:6; Genesis 32:25). God in Jesus Christ does plead with God for man (Romans 8:26, "The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us ... And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God;" cf. Hebrews 7:25).

As a man - literally, the Son of man х ben (H1121) 'aadaam (H120),]. A prefiguring of the advocacy of Jesus Christ-a boon longed for by Job (Job 9:33), though the spiritual pregnancy of his own words, designed for all ages, was but little understood by him (Psalms 80:17).

For his neighbour - Hebrew, friend. Job himself (Job 42:8) pleaded as intercessor for his 'friend,' though 'his scorners' (Job 16:20): so Jesus Christ, the Son of man (Luke 23:34, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do") 'for friends' (John 15:13, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends"). etc. Umbreit's translation, 'And for the Son of man against his friend' (against his friends, alluding to Job's friends) (Maurer) - is opposed by the Hebrew; for the same particle lª- in the two clauses must clearly be translated the same way, 'FOR a man,' 'FOR his, neighbour' (friend); besides, the insertion of 'for' before 'the Son of man' is unsupported by the Hebrew.