Job 23:7

Job 23:7 There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.

Ver. 7. There the righteous might dispute with him] There for then; sc. when God shall put strength into him; the upright or honest man (who draweth near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having his heart sprinkled from an evil conscience by the blood of Jesus Christ, Heb 10:22) might dispute with God, but not unless he have that advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the just one, to appear in the presence of God for him, Heb 9:24, as the lawyer appeareth for his client, to put by and non suit all accusations, to plead his cause, and to justify him by the only merit of his righteousness and obedience. All St Paul’s care was to be found in Christ when sought for by the justice of God; not having his own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, Php 3:9; for sordet in conspectu iudicis, quod fulget in conspectu operantis (Aug.), "that which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God," Luk 16:15. They only may dispute with God, that is, in a humble and laudable manner plead with him, as did Jacob, Gen 32:24, and Jeremiah, Jer 12:1, who partake of Christ’s righteousness imputed and imparted; opposing to the appearances of God’s wrath the firm persuasion of his grace, by the seal of his Spirit, Et O quam hoc non est omnium! This is few men’s happiness.

So should I be delivered for ever from my judge] Who would quit me by proclamation; and then I should the less care to be condemned by you, my fellow prisoners. I care not for man’s day, since he that judgeth me is the Lord, 1Co 4:3-4; where note what boldness and confidence the upright have in God; neither shall they be herein deceived, as Job was not.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Job 23:7. There — At that throne of grace, where God lays aside his majesty and power, and judges according to his wonted grace and clemency; the righteous — Such as I trust I am in sincerity and truth; might dispute with him — Humbly and modestly propound the grounds of their confidence and the evidences of their righteousness. So — Upon such a fair and equal hearing; should I be delivered from my judge — From the severe censures of all corrupt and partial judges, such as my friends are, or rather, from the condemnatory sentence of God; for he is supposed to be pleading, not only before God, but with him. This and some such expressions of Job cannot be excused from irreverence toward God, and too great confidence in himself; for which, therefore, God afterward reproves him, and Job abhors himself.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When he of his mercy hath given strength to maintain their cause.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

There--rather, "Then": if God would "attend" to me (Job 23:6).

righteous--that is, the result of my dispute would be, He would acknowledge me as righteous.

delivered--from suspicion of guilt on the part of my Judge.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 7. There the righteous might dispute with him] נוכח nochach, might argue or plead. To dispute with God sounds very harsh.

So should I be delivered for ever] Mr. Good translates: "And triumphantly should I escape from my condemnation." The Hebrew word לנצח lanetsach may as well be translated to victory as for ever: and in this sense the Vulgate understood the words: Proponat aequitatem contra me; et perveniat ad victoriam judicium meum. "He would set up equity against me; and would lead on my cause to victory." Coverdale renders thus: - But let hym give me like power to go to lawe, then am I sure to wynne my matter. Nothing less than the fullest conviction of his own innocence could have led Job to express himself thus to the Judge of quick and dead!

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(7) There the righteous might dispute.—He has learnt this marvellous truth, which the Gospel has so effectually brought to light, that it is God the Saviour who is Himself the refuge from God the Judge (Joh_12:47); and then, in the solemn conviction of His presence, he makes use of the most sublime language expressive of it, being assured, though He may hide Himself with the express purpose of not interfering in his cause, yet that all things work together for good to them that love Him (Rom_8:28), and that when his time of trial is over, he himself will come forth like gold. Job’s case teaches us that if an innocent man is falsely accused, God’s honour is vindicated and maintained by his holding fast his conviction of innocence rather than by his yielding to the pressure of adversity and owning to sins he has not committed, or relaxing his hold on innocence by yielding to irritability.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7. This verse, as rendered in the A.V., seems to mean that in such circumstances (Job_23:3-6) a righteous man might plead his cause before God. Rather the words run literally, then a righteous man would be pleading with him, i. e. then it would appear that the man who pleads with Him (i. e. Job) is righteous. This sense fits into the parallelism of the second clause.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Behold, I go forward, but he is not there,.... Job here returns to what he had said before, Job 23:3; as Jarchi observes, where he expresses his earnest desire after God, that he might know where he was, and come up to his seat; here he relates the various ways he took to find him, and his fruitless search of him. Cocceius thinks, by these phrases "forward" and "backward", are meant times future and past; and that the sense is, that Job looked into the future times of the Messiah, and the grace promised him, his living Redeemer, that should stand on the earth in the latter day; and that he looked back to the ages before him, and to the first promise made to Adam; but could not understand by either the reason why good men were afflicted; and by the "right" hand and "left", the different dispensations of God to men, granting protection with his right hand, and distributing the blessings of his goodness by it; and with his left hand laying afflictions and evils upon them; and yet, neither from the one nor the other could he learn the mind and will of God concerning men, since love and hatred are not to be known by these things: but rather, with the Jewish commentators in general, we are to understand places by these various expressions; even each of the parts of the world, east, west, north, and south; which Job went through, and surveyed in his mind, to find God in, but to no purpose; for, when a man stands with his face to the rising sun, the east is before him, and, if he goes forward, he goes eastward; and behind him is the west, and, if he goes that way, he goes backward; so the eastern sea is called the former sea, and the western, or Mediterranean sea, the hinder sea, Zac 14:8; and a man, in this position, will have the north on his left hand, and the south on his right; see Gen 13:9; now Job says that he went "forward", that is, eastward; but, says he of God, "he is not there", or "is not" (g); meaning not that he was not in being, did not exist; for he most firmly believed the existence of God, or that he was, but, as we rightly supply, he was not there, that is, eastward; and yet the greatest, the most glorious, and most gracious appearances of him were in the east; man was made in the east; the garden of Eden was planted eastward; here God appeared to Adam, both before and after his fall; and it was in the east, Christ, the second Adam, was born; his star appeared in it, and his Gospel was first preached in the eastern parts; in the east Job now lived, and had been the greatest man in it; but now God did not appear to him, as the Vulgate Latin version, not in a kind and gracious manner; nor could he find him at his throne of justice here, as he wished for; he was there, though Job saw him not; for he is everywhere; indeed he is not confined or limited to any place; for, as the heaven of heavens cannot contain him, so much less any part or corner of the earth:

and backward, but I cannot perceive him; or understand where he is, or get intelligence of him, and of the reason of his dispensations, especially concerning himself.

(g) "et non ipse", Montanus, Drusius, Bolducius.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

There the righteous might dispute with him - One who is conscious of his integrity might carry his cause there, with the assurance that he would be heard, and that justice would be done him. There can be no doubt that Job here refers to himself, though. he speaks in the third person, and advances this as a general proposition.

So shall I be delivered forever from my judge - From him who would judge or condemn me (משׁפטי mı̂shâphaṭı̂y). He does not here refer to “God,” as if he would be delivered from him, but to anyone who would attempt to judge and condemn him, as his friends had done. The meaning is, that having, as he confidently expected he would, obtained the verdict of God in his favor, he would be ever after free from condemnation. The decision would be final. There was no higher tribunal, and no one would dare to condemn him afterward. This shows his consciousness of integrity. It may be applied to ourselves - to all. If we can obtain, at the last day, when our cause shall be brought before God, the divine verdict in our favor, it will settle the matter forever. No one, after that, will condemn us; never again shall our character or conduct be put on trial. The divine decision of that day will settle the question to all eternity. How momentous, then, is it that we should so live as to be acquitted in that day, and to have “an eternal sentence” in our favour!

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Victory. Before such a judge I should hope to be acquitted. Job must have been well convinced of his innocence. For woe to man, if God treat him according to the rigour of his justice! (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "For truth and reproof are with him. But, oh! that he would bring my judgment to an end." (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

There; at that throne of grace, as it is called, Heb 4:16, where God lays aside his majesty and power, and judgeth according to his wonted grace and clemency.

The righteous; such as I do and dare avow myself to be, to wit, in sincerity, though not in perfection. Might dispute with him; humbly and modestly propounding the grounds of their confidence, and the evidences of their righteousness. So; upon such a fair and equal hearing.

From my judge; either,

1. From the severe censures of all corrupt and partial judges, such as you my friends are. Or rather,

2. From the damnatory sentence of God; for he is not only pleading before him, but also with him. He would give sentence for me, and against himself. This and some such expressions of Job cannot be excused from reverence towards God, and too great a confidence in himself; for which therefore God sharply reproves him hereafter, and Job abhorreth himself.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7. Might dispute — נוכח, pleads, the Niphal form of the verb. With the same preposition, עם, the Hiphil form is also rendered plead in Job_16:21, which see. The passage before us reads, literally, A righteous one there pleads with Him, which, to say the least, “suggests the thought of the Great Intercessor. It is, too, not altogether foreign to the book.” — T. Lewis. See Excursus 4. Delivered… from — So should I be forever acquitted by my judge. God’s judgment would prove final; his words of absolution would be without repeal. When God did appear, his self-confidence, now so conspicuous, merged itself in the profoundest self-abasement. Job_40:4.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

There the righteous might dispute with him. There, before his high tribunal (ver. 3), the upright man (rvy) might argue or reason with him, appealing from his justice to his mercy from God the Judge to God the Saviour (Loathes), vindicating his integrity, acknowledging his transgressions, and pleading that they were sins of infirmity-and at last obtaining from God the acquittal anticipated in the second clause of the verse. In the absence of any revelation of an Advocate who will plead our cause before God for us, Job would seem to have been justified in expecting such a liberty of pleading his own cause as he here sets forth. So should I be delivered for ever from my Judge. The "Judge of all the earth" will certainly and necessarily "do right." Job"s conscience testifies to his substantial integrity and uprightness. (comp. 1Jn_3:21) He is, therefore, confident that, if he can once bring his cause to God"s cognizance, he will obtain acquittal and deliverance.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

There - At that throne of grace, where God lays aside his majesty, and Judges according to his wonted clemency. Dispute - Humbly propounding the grounds of their confidence. So - Upon such a fair and equal hearing. Delivered - From the damnatory sentence of God. This and some such expressions of Job cannot be excused from irreverence towards God, for which God afterwards reproves him, and Job abhorreth himself.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

There in the place of our contest.

integrity The propriety of my deeds will be proven, revealed, and it will appear with Him, i.e., before Him.

proven and there I will extricate [myself] forever because He will find no iniquity in me.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.