Bible Commentaries
Job 23

Verses 1-17

Job’s Seventh Speech (Job 23, 24)

Job makes but slight reference to the remarks of Eliphaz, but continues to brood over the mysteries of God’s dealings with himself (Job 23), and with mankind (Job 24). All seems to betoken a God that hideth Himself. Yet he is evidently calmer and more trustful in God’s justice than in earlier speeches.

1-7. Job longs that he may find God and plead his cause before Him, confident that He wifl acquit him of guilt.

2b. RM ’My hand is heavy upon my groaning,’ i.e. I suppress it as much as I can.

6. Render, ’Would He contend with me with great force? Nay, He would hear me!’ A truer conception of God’s character than e.g. in Job 9.

7a. Lit. ’Then a righteous man would be pleading with him,’ i.e. then it would appear that the man who pleads with Him is righteous (Davidson).

8, 9. The bright vision fades. God ever escapes his search.

8. Forward.. backward] better,’ east’. ’west.’

9. Left.. right] better, ’north’. ’south.’ In ancient times the cardinal points were described by facing the east.

10a. RM ’For he knoweth the way that is with me’; i.e. my innocence.

11. Declined] RV ’turned aside.’

12b. LXX better, ’In my breast I have stored up his words.’

13-17. Job returns to the old tormenting idea that God must be resolved to hold him guilty, since he suffers so much in spite of his innocence.

14b. Job is not the only victim of the inscrutable actions of Providence.

16. Soft] RV ’faint.’

17. RM ’For I am not dismayed because of the darkness, not because thick darkness covereth my face.’ Job means that his sufferings do not distress him so much as the fact that it is God who so mysteriously sends them without just cause.