Job 19 Footnotes

19:20 The phrase “with only the skin of my teeth” was a common metaphor, with “skin” being a play on an idea in the preceding line. It spoke of Job’s desperate circumstances. Skeptical suggestions that the Bible teaches error in saying that teeth literally have skin are nonsense.

19:25-27 The translation of this passage is difficult, but most English versions take it as a glimpse into the reality of the resurrection. Commentators who consider Job’s hopeful words inconsistent with his feelings expressed elsewhere fail to reckon with his vacillating thoughts throughout the dialogue. His suffering often caused him to expect (17:1) and desire death (3:3-19; 10:18), considering it a place of nonexistence and no return (7:7-10; 10:21-22; 14:12; 17:13-16). Although Job had viewed God as his enemy (6:4; 7:17-21; 10:3,8-14; 13:21,24; 16:7-14; 17:6; 19:7-12,22) from whom he could receive no justice (9:2-3,16,20,28-33; 10:15; 19:7) but only death (16:18), yet his faith in God (12:13,16,18; 13:15-18; 17:3) and hope in immortality had surfaced previously (14:13-17). Job’s words indicate that God was his Redeemer (19:25) whom he would see in some future day after his body had wasted away in death. Job expected to live again bodily and, from the vantage point of his own flesh, behold God (vv. 26-27). See note on 14:13-15 (see Jn 11:25; Heb 7:25).