Job 31:35
in Job 31(Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Oh that I had one to hear me! (Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me) And that I had the indictment which mine adversary hath written!
KJV
Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.
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This verse in Job 31
Commentary
11 notes on this verseWho would give me a helper that the Almighty might hear my desire. The holy man after he related so many high achievements of the virtues in him, knowing well that he cannot attain to the things on high by his own deserts, seeks for a helper. And whom verily does he fix his eye on but the Only-begotten Son of God, Who whereas He took upon Him human nature travailing in this mortal state, did give help?
This site's exposition
Oh, that I had one to hear me
on Job 31:35-37
“Oh, that I had one to hear me” renews the plea for an arbiter in chapter 9 and a witness in heaven in chapter 16. He would “give account of all my steps” and “approach Him like a prince”, which Delitzsch reads as confident rather than defiant.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
Since he has said many great things about himself, he invokes divine witness about these things, and so he then says, "Who would give me an advocate," who will appeal to God with me? He shows why he desires help saying, "that the Almighty might …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Had written - Had given me his charge written in a book or paper, as the manner was in judicial proceedings. This shews that Job did not live, before letters were in use.
But an upright heart does particularly desire to be determined in every thing by the judgment of God, which we are sure is according to the truth. It was holy David's prayer, Search me, O God! and know my heart; and it was blessed Paul's comfort, He that judgeth me is the Lord.
Oh, that one would hear me!....
In all this we may see, 1. The sense of the patriarchal age concerning good and evil and what was so long ago condemned as sinful, that is, both hateful and hurtful. A noble pattern of piety and virtue proposed to us for our imitation, which, if our consciences can witness for us that we conform to it, will be our rejoicing, as it was Job's in the day of evil.
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
"Behold my sign," that is, my mark of subscription to the statements just given in my defense: the mark of signature was originally a cross; and hence the letter Tau or T. Translate, also "Oh, that the Almighty," &c. He marks "God" as the "One" meant in the first clause. adversary--that is, he who contends with me, refers also to God.
O that one would hear me! - I wish to have a fair and full hearing: I am grievously accused; and have no proper opportunity of clearing myself, and establishing my own innocence. Behold, my desire is - Or, הן תוי hen tavi, “There is my pledge.” I bind myself, on a great penalty, to come into court, and abide the issue. That the Almighty would answer me - That he would call this case immediately before himself; and oblige my adversary to come into court, to put his accusations into a legal form, that I might have the opportunity of vindicating myself in the presence of a judge who would hear dispassionately my pleadings, and bring the cause to a righteous issue. And that mine adversary had written a book - That he would not indulge himself in vague accusations, but would draw up a proper bill of indictment, that I might know to what I had to plead, and find the accusation in a tangible form.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
O that one would hear me! - This refers undoubtedly to God. It is, literally, “Who will give to me one hearing me;” and the wish is that which he has so often expressed, that he might get his cause fairly before God. He feels assured that there would be a favorable verdict, if there could be a fair judicial investigation; compare the notes at Job 13:
Modern Voices1 voice
Job does not in any sense look at life in a gloomy way. If wishing to be happy and being quite ready to be happy constitutes an optimist, Job is an optimist. He is a perplexed optimist; he is an exasperated optimist; he is an …
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מִ֤י | mi | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| יִתֶּן־ | yiten- | will he give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לִ֨י׀ | li | [will belong] to me | ||
| שֹׁ֘מֵ֤עַֽ | shomea' | [one who] listens | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| לִ֗י | li | to me | ||
| הֶן־ | hen- | here! | H2005 → | 316 times |
| תָּ֭וִי | tavi | mark my | H8420 → | |
| שַׁדַּ֣י | shadai | [the] Almighty | H7706 → | 48 times |
| יַעֲנֵ֑נִי | yaaneni | let him answer me | H6030 → | 331 times |
| וְסֵ֥פֶר | vesefer | and a document | H5612 → | |
| כָּ֝תַ֗ב | katav | [which] he had written | H3789 → | 224 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | [the] person of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| רִיבִֽי׃ | rivi | case my | H7379 → | 61 times |
מִ֤יwho?
miH4310 →423 times
יִתֶּן־will he give
yiten-H5414 →2011 times
לִ֨י׀[will belong] to me
li
שֹׁ֘מֵ֤עַֽ[one who] listens
shomea'H8085 →1159 times
לִ֗יto me
li
הֶן־here!
hen-H2005 →316 times
תָּ֭וִיmark my
taviH8420 →
שַׁדַּ֣י[the] Almighty
shadaiH7706 →48 times
יַעֲנֵ֑נִיlet him answer me
yaaneniH6030 →331 times
וְסֵ֥פֶרand a document
veseferH5612 →
כָּ֝תַ֗ב[which] he had written
katavH3789 →224 times
אִ֣ישׁ[the] person of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
רִיבִֽי׃case my
riviH7379 →61 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Job 13:24Why do You hide Your face and consider me as Your enemy?
it leads to
- Job 19:11
His anger burns against me, and He counts me among His enemies.
- Psalms 13:1
How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?
- Lamentations 2:5
The Lord is like an enemy; He has swallowed up Israel. He has swallowed up all her palaces and destroyed her strongholds. He has multiplied mourning and lamentation for the Daughter of Judah.
- Job 33:10
Yet God finds occasions against me; He counts me as His enemy.
- Psalms 88:14
Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?
- Job 19:11
Through
Job 33:6I am just like you before God; I was also formed from clay.
it leads to
- Job 4:19
how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who can be crushed like a moth!
- Job 10:9
Please remember that You molded me like clay. Would You now return me to dust?
- 2 Corinthians 5:1
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
- Job 4:19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Job
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job; GK Chesterton, Introduction to the Book of Job (1907); Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XXII; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.