Job 16 Footnotes

16:19-21 The need for an intermediary between God and man is an important theme in Job (9:33). Job feels that his desire to speak directly to God was not possible (13:3), so he spoke of his “advocate . . . in the heights” (16:19). Such an advocate need not have been some personal angel or other heavenly figure; Job may have had in mind that God would intercede with himself on his behalf (see Hs 11:8). See Jb 5:1; 33:23 and note on 19:25-27.