“Would He contend with me by the greatness of His power? No, surely He would pay attention to 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.
- BSB Would He contend with me in His great power? No, He would certainly take note of me.
- NKJV Would He contend with me in His great power? No! But He would take note of 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 9:33–34There is no umpire between us, that might lay his hand on us both.
- Job 13:21withdraw your hand far from me; and don’t let your terror make me afraid.
- 2 Cor 12:9–10He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
- Ezek 20:35I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.
- Job 9:4God who is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who has hardened himself against him, and prospered?
- Isa 27:8In measure, when you send them away, you contend with them. He has removed them with his rough blast in the day of the east wind.
- Isa 27:4Wrath is not in me, but if I should find briers and thorns, I would do battle! I would march on them and I would burn them together.
- Job 9:19If it is a matter of strength, behold, he is mighty! If of justice, ‘Who,’ says he, ‘will summon me?’
- Ezek 20:33As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, I will be king over you.
- Ps 138:3In the day that I called, you answered me. You encouraged me with strength in 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.