Job 9:1-12

E. NOT GUILTYTHE CRIME OF INNOCENCEJOB'S CRY (Job 9:1, Job 10:22)

1. Man is no match before the all-powerful, all-wise God.

(Job 9:1-12)

TEXT 9:1-12

9 Then Job answered and said,

2 Of a truth I know that it is so:

But how can man be just with God?

3 If he be pleased to contend with him,

He cannot answer him one of a thousand.

4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength:

Who hath hardened himself against him, and prospered?

5 Him that removeth the mountains, and they know it not,

When he overturneth them in his anger;

6 That shaketh the earth out of its place,

And the pillars thereof tremble;

7 That commandeth the sun, and it riseth not,

And sealeth up the stars;

8 That alone stretcheth out the heavens,

And treadeth upon the waves of the sea;

9 That maketh the Bear, Orion, and the pleiades,

And the chambers of the south;

10 That doeth great things past finding out,

Yea, marvellous things without number.

11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not:

He passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

12 Behold, he seizeth the prey, who can hinder him?

Who will say unto him, What doest thou?

COMMENT 9:1-12

Job 9:1-2Job's second responsechps. Job 9:1, Job 10:22has the same general structure as his first chps. 67. (1) He answers his friends, Job 9:2-24; (2) Brief soliloquy, Job 9:25, Job 10:1 a; and (3) A direct address to God, Job 10:1-22. It is less personal than the previous speech; in fact, the three counselors are addressed only indirectly. The third section is another impassioned plea which subsides into an agonizing appeal for God to leave him alone.[119] It is important to take note of the fact that Job responds more to the things asserted by Eliphaz than Bildad. His opening words contain a sarcastic recognition of the principle enunciated by the three friends, that no man can be righteous in God's eyes. God's justice is identical with his power, i.e., whatever he does is justJob 4:12; Job 8:3; and Job 25:4.

[119] K. Fullerton, On Job, Chapter s 9-10, Journal Biblical Literature, 53, 1934, 321-49; and his Job, Chapter s 9-10, American Journal of Semitic Literature, 55, 1938, 225-69; see P. W. Skehan, Strophic Pattern in the Book of Job, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, XXIII, 1961, 125ff.

Job 9:3The verse in A. V. takes God as the subject of the verb. Contend is a forensic term meaning go to court with God, with the odds of winning once in a thousand times, literally one from a thousandDeuteronomy 32:30; and Joshua 23:10.

Job 9:4No one can challenge God and survive. One can never harden (object unexpressed) his heart (stands for intelligence) against God and win in the encounter(Remember Pharaoh[120])Deuteronomy 2:30; Deuteronomy 10:16; 2 Kings 17:14; Jeremiah 7:26; Psalms 95:8; Proverbs 28:14; and Proverbs 29:1.

[120] See my essay on Romans 9 and Theology of Promise and Universal History, Grace Unlimited, ed. by Dr. Clark Pinnock (Minnesota: Bethany Fellowship Press, 1975), pp. 190-208, and the issue of vocabulary and theology of hardening Pharaoh's heart.

Job 9:5The Hebrew text is to be preferred over LXX, etc., and thus we should take the meaning to be suddenly, i.e., before anyone realizes it, God has overtaken them.[121] Job thus begins a doxology clearly more powerful than Eliphaz'SJob 5:10-16. Content is limited to God's power, not His love and mercy.

[121] D. W. Thomas, Journal of Theological Studies, N. S., XV, 1964, 54ff, translates as so that they are no longer still, though here the hardening of human initiative.

Job 9:6For reference to the pillars, see Psalms 75:3; Psalms 104:5; and 1 Samuel 2:8. The verb translated tremble is found only here, and has root idea of tremble with horrorPsalms 18:7; Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:10.

Job 9:7-8God is presented as creator of the universe. Job is concurring with his three friends regarding God's creative work in natureIsaiah 44:24.[122]

[122] Some attempt to prove thesis that back of this imagery is a reference to the myth of the victory of Ba-al over the sea god Yamm, but this is highly imaginative correlationF. W. Albright, JBL, LVII, 1938, 227; H. H. Rowley, Studies in Old Testament Prophecy, 1950, p. 18. For data on myth of conflict between Baal and Yamm, see O. Kaiser, Die mythische Bedeutung des Meeres, 1959, pp. 44ff; F. M. Cross, Jr. and D. N. Freedman, JBL, 67, 1948, 196-210, n. 93; also J. B. Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts, p. 67. The above research is basis for R. S. V. marginal reading the back of the sea dragon.

Job 9:9The order and identity of these constellations varies in different textsJob 38:31-32; Amos 5:8: (1) The first constellation -ash, -ayish in Job 38:32, is probably Ursa major; (2) The second is kesilfool is probably Orion; and (3) The thirdkimahis generally taken to be PleiadesPsalms 78:26; Song of Solomon 4:16.[123]

[123] See article Astronomy in ISBI, Vol. I (Eerdmans); G. Schiaparelli, Astronomy in the Old Testament, 1905, pp. 54ff; S. Mowinckel, Die Sternnamen in A. T., 1928, pp. 52ff; and G. R. Driver, Journal Theological Studies, XII, 1956, 1 ff.

Job 9:10Job ironically repeats Job 5:9 from Eliphaz. While he asserts that all of God's works have ethical implications, Job maintains that God's immeasurable power is used for His cosmic chess game of arbitrary play with his creatures.

Job 9:11Job avers that he knows God's presence only by His power, manifested in nature. As a result of God's passing by, Job's life lies in ruins.

Job 9:12God snatches away (verbhatapfound only here), and no one can stop Him. The LXX translation is basis of the A. V.'S he seizeth the prey. The LXX translator attempted to remove any reference to destructive action by God. But even the Greek of the LXX can also be translated if he moves, and not necessarily if he destroys.[124]

[124] M. Dahood, Biblica, 38, 1957, 310, for analysis of the verb yahtopdespoils in Job 9:12 a, A. V. as seizeth.