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Read the Bible

New King James Version

Job 23:6

Would He contend with me in His great power? No! But He would take note of me.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blessing;   Faith;   God Continued...;   Penitent;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Greatness;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jacob;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Intercession;   Job, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Justification, Justify;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Plead;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Would he prosecute me forcefully?No, he would certainly pay attention to me.
Hebrew Names Version
Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No, but he would listen to me.
King James Version
Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me.
English Standard Version
Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; he would pay attention to me.
New Century Version
Would he not argue strongly against me? No, he would really listen to me.
New English Translation
Would he contend with me with great power? No, he would only pay attention to me.
Amplified Bible
"Would He contend against me with His great power? No, surely He would give attention to me.
New American Standard Bible
"Would He contend with me by the greatness of His power? No, surely He would pay attention to me.
World English Bible
Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No, but he would listen to me.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Would he plead against me with his great power? No, but he would put strength in me.
Legacy Standard Bible
Would He contend with me by the greatness of His power?No, surely He would pay attention to me.
Berean Standard Bible
Would He contend with me in His great power? No, He would certainly take note of me.
Contemporary English Version
Would he overwhelm me with his greatness? No! He would listen
Complete Jewish Bible
Would he browbeat me with his great power? No, he would pay attention to me.
Darby Translation
Would he plead against me with [his] great power? Nay; but he would give heed unto me.
Easy-to-Read Version
Would God use his power against me? No, he would listen to me!
George Lamsa Translation
Would he contend with me with his great power? If he would not, then he will put his fear into me.
Good News Translation
Would God use all his strength against me? No, he would listen as I spoke.
Lexham English Bible
Would he contend with me in the greatness of his strength? No, but he himself would give heed to me.
Literal Translation
Would He plead against me with greatness of strength? No, surely He would put it in me.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wil he pleate agaynst me with his greate power & strength, or wyll he leane him self vtterly vpon me?
American Standard Version
Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? Nay; but he would give heed unto me.
Bible in Basic English
Would he make use of his great power to overcome me? No, but he would give attention to me.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Would He contend with me in His great power? Nay; but He would give heed unto me.
King James Version (1611)
Will he plead against me with his great power? No, but hee would put strength in me.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Will he pleade against me with his great power? No, but he will make me the stronger.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Though he should come on me in his great strength, then he would not threaten me;
English Revised Version
Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? Nay; but he would give heed unto me.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Y nyle, that he stryue with me bi greet strengthe, nether oppresse me with the heuynesse of his greetnesse.
Update Bible Version
Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; but he would give heed to me.
Webster's Bible Translation
Would he plead against me with [his] great power? No; but he would put [strength] in me.
New Living Translation
Would he use his great power to argue with me? No, he would give me a fair hearing.
New Life Bible
Would He go against me using His great power? No, He would listen to me.
New Revised Standard
Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; but he would give heed to me.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Would he, with fulness of might, contend with me? Nay, surely, he, would give heed to me!
Douay-Rheims Bible
I would not that he should contend with me with much strength, nor overwhelm me with the weight of his greatness.
Revised Standard Version
Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; he would give heed to me.
Young's Literal Translation
In the abundance of power doth He strive with me? No! surely He putteth [it] in me.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Would He contend with me by the greatness of His power? No, surely He would pay attention to me.

Contextual Overview

1 Then Job answered and said: 2 "Even today my complaint is bitter;My [fn] hand is listless because of my groaning. 3 Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, That I might come to His seat! 4 I would present my case before Him, And fill my mouth with arguments. 5 I would know the words which He would answer me, And understand what He would say to me. 6 Would He contend with me in His great power? No! But He would take note of me. 7 There the upright could reason with Him, And I would be delivered forever from my Judge.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

plead: Job 9:19, Job 9:33, Job 9:34, Job 13:21, Isaiah 27:4, Isaiah 27:8, Ezekiel 20:33, Ezekiel 20:35

but he would: Psalms 138:3, 2 Corinthians 12:9, 2 Corinthians 12:10

Reciprocal: Job 22:4 - will he enter Job 30:21 - thy strong hand Job 40:9 - Hast Daniel 10:18 - he Ephesians 3:16 - to be

Cross-References

Genesis 13:2
Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
Genesis 14:14
Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
Genesis 18:12
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"
Genesis 21:22
And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, "God is with you in all that you do.
Genesis 23:1
Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.
Genesis 23:2
So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
Genesis 23:4
"I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."
Genesis 23:5
And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,
Genesis 24:18
So she said, "Drink, my lord." Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink.
Genesis 24:35
The LORD has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Will he plead against me with [his] great power?.... God will not plead against his people at all, but for them: much less will he plead against them with his great strength, use all his power to run them down, crush, and oppress them; for he is a great God, and of great power, he is mighty in strength, and there is no contending with him, or answering of him, Job 9:3; nor will he deal with them according to the strict rigour of his justice, nor stir up all his wrath, nor contend for ever with them in such a way; for then the spirits would fail before him, and the souls that he has made; whatever he does with others, making known his power on the vessels of wrath, he will never act after this manner with the vessels of mercy:

no, but he would put [strength] in me: to pray unto him, and prevail with him to lay hold on him, and not let him go without the blessing, as Jacob did, Hosea 12:3; or to stand before him, and plead his own cause with him, in such a strong and powerful manner as to bear down all the accusations and charges brought against him: or "he will set [his heart] upon me" d; deal mildly and gently, kindly and graciously, and not with his great strength and strict justice; or "will not put [sins] upon me", as Jarchi, or lay charges to him, however guilty of them, as his friends did, or impute such to him he never committed: God is so far from doing this to his people, that he does not impute their sins to them they have committed, but to his son, much less will he lay upon them more than is right, Job 34:23. Some take the sense of the words to be this, in answer to the above question, "will he plead against me with his great power?" let him do it, "only let him not set upon me" e, in an hostile way, and then I do not decline entering the debate with him; which expresses great boldness and confidence, and even too much, and must be reckoned among the unbecoming expressions Job was afterwards convinced of; but this he utters in his passion, in order the more clearly to show, and the more strongly to assert, his innocence.

d ישם בי "ipse apponeret ad me animum", Junius Tremellius so Piscator, Cocceius, & Aben Ezra. e Schultens.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Will he plead against me with his great power? - “Will he make use of his mere power to overwhelm me and confound me? Will he take advantage of omnipotence to triumph over me, instead of argument and justice? No: he will not do it. The discussion would be fair. He would hear what I have to say, and would decide according to truth. Though he is Almighty, yet he would not take advantage of that to prostrate and confound me.” When Job Job 13:3 wished to carry the cause directly before God, he asked of Him two conditions only. One was, that he would take off his hand from him, or remove his afflictions for a time, that he might be able to manage his own cause; and the other was, that He would not take advantage of his power to overwhelm him in the debate, and prevent his making a fair statement of his case; see the notes at Job 13:20-21. He here expresses his firm conviction that his wish in this respect would be granted. He would listen, says he, to what; I have to say in my defense as if I were an equal.

No; but he would put strength in me - The word “strength” is not improperly supplied by our translators. It means that he would enable him to make a fair presentation of his cause. So far from taking advantage of his mere “power” to crush him, and thus obtain an ascendency in the argument, he would rather “strengthen” him, that he might be able to make his case as strong as possible. He would rather aid him, though presenting his own cause in the controversy, than seek to weaken his arguments, or so to awe him by his dread majesty as to prevent his making the case as strong as it might be. This indicates remarkable confidence in God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 23:6. Will he plead against me — He would not exhibit his majesty and his sovereign authority to strike me dumb, or so overawe me that I could not speak in my own vindication.

No; but he would put strength in me. — On the contrary, he would treat me with tenderness, he would rectify my mistakes, he would show me what was in my favour, and would temper the rigid demands of justice by the mild interpretations of equity; and where law could not clear me, mercy would conduct all to the most favourable issue.


 
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