Job 13: Job answers his friends and turns to God
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Job tells his friends that he knows what they know, calls them forgers of lies and worthless physicians, and asks them to be silent so that he can speak to the Almighty and reason with God. He says that God will kill him, that he will still argue his ways before him, and that he knows he is in the right. Then he turns to God, asks him to take his hand and his dread away, asks how many his sins are, and asks why God hides his face and counts him as an enemy.
Who is speaking?
God does not speak in this chapter, so nothing is in gold. Job speaks the whole chapter, continuing the answer that starts at [[JOB 12:1|Job 12:1]] ("Then Job answered"). In verses 1 to 19 he speaks to his friends and of God, and from verse 20 he speaks to God as "you" (in verse 3 he says he would speak to the Almighty). The narrator speaks no words in this chapter. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1“Behold, my eye has seen all this. My ear has heard and understood it.
In plain English: Look, my eye has seen all this. My ear has heard it and understood it.
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2What you know, I know also. I am not inferior to you.
In plain English: What you know, I know also. I am not less than you.
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3“Surely I would speak to the Almighty. I desire to reason with God.
In plain English: But I would speak to the Almighty. I desire to reason with God.
The Hebrew words: "The Almighty" is Shaddai, which the dictionary gives as "the Almighty". "God" is El, which the dictionary gives as "strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity)".
How it is translated: Shaddai is in 31 verses of Job, and the WEB says "Almighty" in all 31. El is in 56 verses of Job, and the WEB says "God" in 55 of them.
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4But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value.
In plain English: But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value.
The Hebrew words: "Forgers" is tapal, which the dictionary gives as "properly, to stick on" and "figuratively, to impute falsely". "Physicians" is rapha, which the dictionary gives as "properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to cure".
How it is translated: Tapal is in 3 verses of the Bible: here, and . The WEB says "forgers" here, "fasten up" in Job 14:17 and "smeared" in Psalm 119:69. Rapha is in 2 verses of Job, and the WEB says "physicians" in 1 of them, this one.
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5Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise.
In plain English: If only you would be completely silent! That would be wisdom for you.
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6Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips.
In plain English: Please listen to my reasoning. Pay attention to the pleadings of my lips.
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7Will you speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him?
In plain English: Will you speak wrongly for God? Will you speak deceit for him?
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8Will you show partiality to him? Will you contend for God?
In plain English: Will you show partiality to him (the Hebrew says: lift up his face)? Will you argue the case for God?
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9Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him?
In plain English: Will it be good if he searches you out? Or, as one deceives a man, will you deceive him?
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10He will surely reprove you if you secretly show partiality.
In plain English: He will surely reprove you if you secretly show partiality (the Hebrew says: lift up faces).
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11Won’t his majesty make you afraid and his dread fall on you?
In plain English: Will his majesty not make you afraid, and his dread fall on you?
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12Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes. Your defenses are defenses of clay.
In plain English: Your sayings to remember are proverbs of ashes. Your defenses are defenses of clay.
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13“Be silent! Leave me alone, that I may speak. Let come on me what will.
In plain English: Be silent and leave me alone, so that I may speak. And let come on me whatever may.
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14Why should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand?
In plain English: Why should I take my flesh in my teeth and put my life in my hand?
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15Behold, he will kill me. I have no hope. Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him.
In plain English: Look, he will kill me. I have no hope (or: I will hope in him; see the note). Even so, I will argue (or: maintain) my ways to his face.
The Hebrew words: The word that the WEB gives as "no" in "I have no hope" is a small Hebrew word that can be "not" or "to him". With "not" the line is "I have no hope". With "to him" it reads "I will hope in him" (or: "I will wait for him"). "Hope" is yachal, which the dictionary gives as "to wait; by implication, to be patient, hope". "Kill" is qatal, which the dictionary gives as "properly, to cut off, i.e. (figuratively) put to death". "Maintain" is yakach, which the dictionary gives as "to be right (i.e. correct); reciprocal, to argue; causatively, to decide, justify or convict".
How it is translated: Yachal is in 8 verses of Job, and the WEB says "hope" in 1 of them, this one, and "wait" or "waited" in 7. Qatal is in 3 verses of the Bible: here, and . Yakach is in 15 verses of Job, and the WEB says "reprove" or "reproves" in 4, "reason" in 3, "maintain" in 2 and "argues" in 1.
What changes: With "I have no hope", Job says that nothing is left to wait for, and he will still argue his ways to God's face. With "I will hope in him", he says that even if God kills him he will wait for him. The text does not say which Job means.
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16This also will be my salvation, that a godless man will not come before him.
In plain English: This also will be my salvation, that a godless man will not come before him.
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17Listen carefully to my speech. Let my declaration be in your ears.
In plain English: Listen carefully to my speech. Let my declaration be in your ears.
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18See now, I have set my cause in order. I know that I am righteous.
In plain English: Look now, I have set my case in order. I know that I am in the right.
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19Who is he who will contend with me? For then I would hold my peace and give up the spirit.
In plain English: Who is the one who will contend with me? For then I would keep silent and give up the spirit.
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20“Only don’t do two things to me, then I will not hide myself from your face:
In plain English: Only do not do two things to me, and then I will not hide myself from your face:
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21withdraw your hand far from me, and don’t let your terror make me afraid.
In plain English: take your hand far away from me, and do not let your dread make me afraid.
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22Then call, and I will answer, or let me speak, and you answer me.
In plain English: Then call, and I will answer, or let me speak, and you answer me.
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23How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my disobedience and my sin.
In plain English: How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin.
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24Why do you hide your face, and consider me your enemy?
In plain English: Why do you hide your face, and count me as your enemy?
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25Will you harass a driven leaf? Will you pursue the dry stubble?
In plain English: Will you harass a leaf that is blown about? Will you chase dry chaff (the WEB says: stubble)?
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26For you write bitter things against me, and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
In plain English: For you write bitter things against me, and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
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27You also put my feet in the stocks, and mark all my paths. You set a bound to the soles of my feet,
In plain English: You also put my feet in the stocks and watch all my paths. You make a mark on (or: set a bound to) the soles of my feet (the Hebrew says: the roots of my feet),
The Hebrew word: "Stocks" is sad, which the dictionary gives as "the stocks". It is in 2 verses of the Bible: here and . There Elihu gives these words ("He puts my feet in the stocks. He marks all my paths") as something Job had said.
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28though I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.
In plain English: though I (the Hebrew says: he) wear out like a rotten thing, like a garment that a moth has eaten.
The Hebrew word: The Hebrew says "he", not "I": "and he wears out like a rotten thing". The WEB reads it as Job speaking of himself.
What changes: With "he" the line can be about a man in general, who wears out like a garment eaten by a moth. The text does not say more.
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