Would He contend with me in His great power? No, He would certainly take note of me.
Parallel translations
- WEB Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No, but he would listen to me.
- KJV Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me.
- NKJV Would He contend with me in His great power? No! But He would take note of me.
- NASB “Would He contend with me by the greatness of His power? No, surely He would pay attention to me.
- NLT Would he use his great power to argue with me? No, he would give me a fair hearing.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Job wonders whether God would overwhelm him with raw power, then concludes that no, God would actually listen to him. Beneath his complaint lies real trust in God's fairness.
Overview
Even while feeling crushed, Job believes God would not merely overpower him but would give him a hearing. This is a striking confession of confidence in God's character. It reveals that Job's faith persists beneath his pain. Such hope is fully secured in Christ, through whom believers know that God hears and welcomes them rather than crushing them.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Job 9:33–34Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.
- Job 13:21Withdraw Your hand from me, and do not let Your terror frighten me.
- 2 Cor 12:9–10But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.
- Ezek 20:35And I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, where I will enter into judgment with you face to face.
- Job 9:4God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?
- Isa 27:8By warfare and exile You contended with her and removed her with a fierce wind, as on the day the east wind blows.
- Isa 27:4I am not angry. If only thorns and briers confronted Me, I would march and trample them, I would burn them to the ground.
- Job 9:19If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?
- Ezek 20:33As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will rule over you.
- Ps 138:3On the day I called, You answered me; You emboldened me and strengthened my soul.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 23:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.