Job 9 Footnotes

9:4 Job’s words do not indicate that God acts arbitrarily, capriciously, or maliciously in dealing with mankind, even those who oppose him (Hs 11:7-11; Rm 5:8; 6:23). God’s ultimate purposes are his glory (Is 48:11; Hab 2:14) and man’s good (Ps 145:7-13; Eph 2:7-10). See the note on Jb 6:1-4.

9:8 The name of the Canaanite goddess Asherah means “she who treads on the sea.” The Bible portrays God’s sovereignty using similar metaphors, countering pagan mythology with depictions of his greater power. He treads upon the sea with his horses and chariots (Hab 3:8,15) or upon the high places of earth (Am 4:13). He rides upon the clouds of the sky (Ps 68:4,33). The imagery shows God’s complete sovereignty over the natural world.