Chapter Thirteen

Continuation of Job’s reply to Zophar’s speech. 1–14. Job’s desire to bring his case to God’s judgment and the reasons for this. 14–28. Job’s confidence, under certain conditions, in his vindication.

Job 13:1. “Behold, my eye has seen all this, my ear has heard and understood it. Job 13:2. “What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. Job 13:3. “But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God. Job knows no less than his friends and yet is unable to understand the reason for his sufferings; that reason is therefore incomprehensible to them as well. Therefore, to resolve the question: why did God condemn him, he decides to turn to Him Himself, as the only being who knows this.

Job 13:4. “But you are forgers of lies; you are all physicians of no value. Job 13:5. “Oh that you would keep silent, and it would be your wisdom! When Job makes the decision to bring his case to God’s judgment, the friends should remain silent. Their silence would be pleasant (“oh that you would”) for the sufferer, since by their lies — direct accusations of him in sins (Job 11:6) and suspicion of them (Job 5:17) — they cause him suffering (Job 19:2), and their discussions about divine wisdom, their advice to commit himself to it give as little comfort (Job 16:2) as a physician who does not understand the disease gives relief to the patient. Besides, silence, as evidence of the friends’ consciousness of their own wrongness, would testify to their wisdom (Prov 10:19), which they boast about so much.

Job 13:6. “Hear now my argument, and listen to the pleadings of my lips. Job 13:7. “Will you speak falsely for God, and speak deceitfully for Him? Job 13:8. “Will you show partiality to Him? Will you plead the case for God? Job 13:9. “Will it be well when He examines you? Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man? Job 13:10. “He will surely rebuke you if you secretly show partiality. Job 13:11. “Does not His majesty terrify you, and does not the dread of Him fall upon you? Job 13:12. “Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay. But since such exhortations to silence might appear unconvincing to the friends, Job points out another reason — fear of divine punishment (v. 11) for attempting to defend God’s justice by unjustly accusing Job of sins (v. 7–8). The Great in justice God, great to the point of not respecting persons (Deut 10:17), and considering lying lips an abomination (Prov 12:22), will not leave them without punishment for their lies (v. 10; cf. Ps 30:19). It is inevitable: one cannot deceive God (v. 9), even with hidden hypocrisy (Job 11:11); one cannot prove the truth of his judgments when they are weak, like fortresses made of clay (v. 12). Job 13:13-19. Considerations supporting Job’s resolve to bring his case to God’s judgment (v. 3).

Job 13:13. “Let me have silence, and I will speak whatever comes to me. Job 13:14. “Why do I take my flesh in my teeth and put my life in my hand? Job 13:15. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him; But I will defend my ways before Him. According to the testimony of Judg 12:3; 1 Sam 19:5; Ps 118:109, the expression “put my life in my hand” means “expose oneself to the greatest dangers.” The same sense, as is thought, is connected with the first, which occurs nowhere else in Scripture, half of v. 14: “Why do I take my flesh in my teeth.” Accordingly, v. 13–14 have the following sense. Job’s intention to “contend with God” (v. 3) is weakened by fear of being punished for bold speech. But this feeling is in turn eliminated by the consideration that he will not experience greater calamities than those he now endures. Therefore he has nothing to fear and dread: “I will speak whatever comes to me” (v. 13). Job waits fearlessly even for death; it would be terrible for him only if he had to die without vindication (v. 15 cf. Job 6:10).

Job 13:16. “This itself will be my salvation, for a godless man would not come before Him. Job 13:17. “Listen carefully to my speech, and let my declaration be in your ears. Job 13:18. “Behold, I have prepared my case; I know that I will be vindicated. Job 13:19. “Who is he that will contend with me? For then I would be silent and expire. Job’s resolve to bring his case to God’s judgment testifies to his innocence: “a godless man would not come before Him” (cf. v. 7–11). On the basis of this consciousness, there arises confidence in vindication (v. 18); a confidence so strong that Job is willing to die if anyone proves him guilty of transgression (v. 19).

Job 13:20. “Only grant me two things, then I will not hide myself from Your face: Job 13:21. “Withdraw Your hand far from me, and let not the dread of You terrify me. Job is confident in his innocence, confident as well that he will be vindicated before God. An obstacle to this can come only from the Lord’s side. If He “does not withdraw His hand from Job,” that is, does not ease or cease the sufferings altogether, then the latter will the whole time be in a state of trembling, of spiritual agitation (Job 9:28), which paralyzes clarity of thought and thereby prevents the clarification of innocence. Hence “the withdrawal of God’s hand,” the granting of peace — appears as the first condition, upon which Job can prove his righteousness. The second — is the granting to him during the entire trial with God the right to speak, therefore he asks that God not bring him to silence through fear of His divine majesty (v. 21; cf. Job 9:34-35).

Job 13:22. “Then call, and I will answer; or let me speak, and You reply to me. Upon the condition of fulfilling his request, Job is ready to appear both in the role of the accused (“then call, and I will answer”) and in the role of the accuser (“or let me speak, and You reply to me”).

Job 13:23. “How many are my iniquities and sins? Make known to me my transgression and my sin. Job 14:13. Facts on the basis of which Job counts on his vindication.

Job 13:24. “Why do You hide Your face and consider me Your enemy? Not counting himself entirely without sin (v. 26), Job nonetheless does not know of such great sins within himself that would provoke God’s hostile relations toward him, such heavy sufferings.

Job 13:25. “Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro? And will You pursue dry chaff? Job 13:26. “For You write bitter things against me and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth, Job 13:27. “You put my feet in the stocks and watch all my paths; You set a limit for the soles of my feet. Job 13:28. “Man decays like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten. God acts toward Job as a strict, merciless judge. Without declaring to Job his guilt, He directly pronounces upon him a harsh judicial verdict (“you write bitter things” cf. Job 10:1; Hos 8:12); He imputes to one who has not committed any significant offenses in recent years the sin of youth — that is, recklessness (v. 26; cf. Ps 24:7), He does not allow to move from one place without pain (“you put my feet in the stocks” — v. 27) to one whose body is eaten up by disease, ready to fall apart (v. 28).