Job 9:32–33

Context

In chapter 8 of the Book of Job, Bildad explains Job's suffering as the consequence of sin, and in chapters 9–10 Job replies. At the opening of chapter 9, Job asks, "how should man be just with God?" (Job 9:2). He then uses the image of a lawsuit with God to argue that no human being can plead his case against the Creator's power. Verses 32–33 form the conclusion of this courtroom metaphor. God is not a party who stands on the same footing as a human being, so Job cannot face Him in judgment. Nor is there any third party who might lay a hand on both sides and decide between them. Immediately afterward, in verses 34–35, Job pleads that if God would take His rod away, he would speak without fear.

Interpretation

• Legal reading: Many Old Testament commentators understand the "daysman" (Hebrew mokiach) as an arbiter who settles a dispute between two parties. The phrase "lay his hand upon us both" is taken as the gesture of someone who holds authority over both sides. On this reading, the passage is not a prophecy but a lament expressing Job's despair.
• Reading within the development of the Book of Job: Job goes on to speak of a witness in heaven (Job 16:19–21) and of a living Redeemer (Job 19:25). Some interpreters therefore read this passage as the point where that hope first begins to emerge.
• Christological reading in Christian tradition: Many Christian preachers and commentators connect the arbiter Job longed for with Jesus Christ, the one mediator between God and men. A mediator is one who brings about reconciliation between two parties. This reading appeals to the Incarnation, in which God became man, and holds that the gap expressed in verse 32, "he is not a man, as I am," has been bridged in Christ. This interpretation is not the position of any particular denomination but is widespread across many traditions.

Debates and Issues

• Translation and textual tradition: The traditional Hebrew text (the Masoretic Text) reads "there is no arbiter." The Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament) and some other versions reportedly render the line as a wish: "would that there were an arbiter." Here the Septuagint uses the same word (mesitēs) that appears as "mediator" in 1 Timothy 2:5. Modern translations are likewise divided between these two renderings.
• The archaic Korean term yangcheok: In the Korean Revised Version, yangcheok is an archaic word meaning "both sides," that is, the two parties, God and Job. The New Korean Revised Version replaced it with "between us."
• Questions of application: Even among those who accept the Christological reading, some urge caution. They argue that treating Job's words simply as prophecy can diminish the weight of his suffering and protest. Others hold that this reading should be weighed alongside the fact that at the conclusion of the book (Job 42:7–10), God speaks to Job directly, without any mediator.

Related Passages

• Job 16:19–21
• Job 19:25–27
• 1 Timothy 2:5–6
• Hebrews 4:14–16
• 1 John 2:1–2