Job 9

1 Tercer discurso de Job: respuesta a Bildad
Entonces Job habló de nuevo:

2 «Sí, yo sé que en teoría todo esto es verdad.
Pero ¿cómo puede una persona ser declarada inocente a los ojos de Dios?

3 Si alguien quisiera llevar a Dios a juicio,
¿sería posible responderle siquiera una vez entre mil?

4 Dios es tan sabio y tan poderoso.
¿Quién lo ha desafiado alguna vez con éxito?

5 »Él mueve las montañas sin dar aviso,
en su enojo las voltea.

6 Él sacude la tierra de su lugar
y tiemblan sus cimientos.

7 Si él lo ordena, el sol no saldrá
ni brillarán las estrellas.

8 Él solo extendió los cielos
y marcha sobre las olas del mar.

9 Él hizo todas las estrellas: la Osa y el Orión,
las Pléyades y las constelaciones del cielo del sur.

10 Él hace grandezas, demasiado maravillosas para comprenderlas,
y realiza milagros incontables.

11 »Sin embargo, cuando él se acerca no puedo verlo;
cuando se mueve, no lo veo pasar.

12 Si arrebata la vida de alguien, ¿quién podrá detenerlo?
¿Quién se atreve a preguntarle: “¿Qué haces?”?

13 Dios no contiene su enojo;
aun los monstruos del mar
son aplastados bajo sus pies.

14 »Así que, ¿quién soy yo para intentar responder a Dios
o incluso razonar con él?

15 Aunque yo tuviera razón, no tendría ninguna defensa;
sólo podría rogar misericordia.

16 Y aunque lo llamara y él me respondiera,
dudo que me preste atención.

17 Pues él me ataca con una tormenta
y vez tras vez me hiere sin motivo.

18 No me deja recobrar el aliento
sino que me llena de amargas tristezas.

19 Si es cuestión de fuerza, él es el fuerte,
y si de justicia, ¿quién se atreverá a llevarlo al tribunal?

20 Aunque soy inocente, mi boca me declararía culpable,
aunque soy intachable, la misma boca
demostraría que soy malvado.

21 »Soy inocente,
pero para mí no marca ninguna diferencia;
desprecio mi vida.

22 Inocente o perverso, para Dios es lo mismo,
por eso digo: “Él destruye tanto al intachable como al perverso”.

23 Cuando azota la plaga,
él se ríe de la muerte del inocente.

24 Toda la tierra está en manos de los malvados,
y Dios ciega los ojos de los jueces.
Si no es él quien lo hace, ¿entonces quién?

25 »Mi vida pasa más rápido que un corredor
y se va volando sin una pizca de felicidad;

26 desaparece como un barco veloz hecho de papiro,
como un águila que se lanza en picada sobre su presa.

27 Si decidiera olvidar mis quejas,
abandonar mi cara triste y alegrarme,

28 aun así le tendría pavor a todo el dolor
porque, oh Dios, sé que no me encontrarías inocente.

29 Pase lo que pase, seré declarado culpable;
entonces, ¿para qué seguir luchando?

30 Incluso aunque me lavara con jabón
y limpiara mis manos con lejía,

31 me hundirías en un pozo lleno de lodo,
y mis propias ropas sucias me odiarían.

32 »Dios no es un mortal como yo,
por eso no puedo discutir con él ni llevarlo a juicio.

33 Si tan solo hubiera un mediador entre nosotros,
alguien que pudiera acercarnos el uno al otro.

34 Ese mediador podría hacer que Dios dejara de golpearme,
y ya no viviría aterrorizado de su castigo.

35 Entonces podría hablar con él sin temor,
pero no puedo lograrlo con mis propias fuerzas.

Job 9 Commentary

Chapter 9

Job acknowledges God's justice. (1-13) He is not able to contend with God. (14-21) Men not to be judged by outward condition. (22-24) Job complains of troubles. (25-35)

Verses 1-13 In this answer Job declared that he did not doubt the justice of God, when he denied himself to be a hypocrite; for how should man be just with God? Before him he pleaded guilty of sins more than could be counted; and if God should contend with him in judgment, he could not justify one out of a thousand, of all the thoughts, words, and actions of his life; therefore he deserved worse than all his present sufferings. When Job mentions the wisdom and power of God, he forgets his complaints. We are unfit to judge of God's proceedings, because we know not what he does, or what he designs. God acts with power which no creature can resist. Those who think they have strength enough to help others, will not be able to help themselves against it.

Verses 14-21 Job is still righteous in his own eyes, ch. 32:1 , and this answer, though it sets forth the power and majesty of God, implies that the question between the afflicted and the Lord of providence, is a question of might, and not of right; and we begin to discover the evil fruits of pride and of a self-righteous spirit. Job begins to manifest a disposition to condemn God, that he may justify himself, for which he is afterwards reproved. Still Job knew so much of himself, that he durst not stand a trial. If we say, We have no sin, we not only deceive ourselves, but we affront God; for we sin in saying so, and give the lie to the Scripture. But Job reflected on God's goodness and justice in saying his affliction was without cause.

Verses 22-24 Job touches briefly upon the main point now in dispute. His friends maintained that those who are righteous and good, always prosper in this world, and that none but the wicked are in misery and distress: he said, on the contrary, that it is a common thing for the wicked to prosper, and the righteous to be greatly afflicted. Yet there is too much passion in what Job here says, for God doth not afflict willingly. When the spirit is heated with dispute or with discontent, we have need to set a watch before our lips.

Verses 25-35 What little need have we of pastimes, and what great need to redeem time, when it runs on so fast towards eternity! How vain the enjoyments of time, which we may quite lose while yet time continues! The remembrance of having done our duty will be pleasing afterwards; so will not the remembrance of having got worldly wealth, when it is all lost and gone. Job's complaint of God, as one that could not be appeased and would not relent, was the language of his corruption. There is a Mediator, a Daysman, or Umpire, for us, even God's own beloved Son, who has purchased peace for us with the blood of his cross, who is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God through him. If we trust in his name, our sins will be buried in the depths of the sea, we shall be washed from all our filthiness, and made whiter than snow, so that none can lay any thing to our charge. We shall be clothed with the robes of righteousness and salvation, adorned with the graces of the Holy Spirit, and presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. May we learn the difference between justifying ourselves, and being thus justified by God himself. Let the tempest-tossed soul consider Job, and notice that others have passed this dreadful gulf; and though they found it hard to believe that God would hear or deliver them, yet he rebuked the storm, and brought them to the desired haven. Resist the devil; give not place to hard thoughts of God, or desperate conclusions about thyself. Come to Him who invites the weary and heavy laden; who promises in nowise to cast them out.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 9

This and the following chapter contain Job's answer to Bildad, and in this he asserts the strict justice at God; which is such, that no man can be just in his sight, not being able to answer to one charge, or for one sin, of a thousand he is guilty of, Job 9:1-3; and that such are his wisdom and power, that the most daring man cannot expect to succeed in an opposition to him, Job 9:4; instances are given of his power in the works of nature and providence, Job 9:5-10; notice is taken of the imperceptibleness of his actions and motions, and of his sovereignty in all his ways, Job 9:11,12; and of his fierce wrath and anger, which is such as obliges the proudest of men to stoop under him; and therefore Job chose not to contend in a judicial way with him, but in a suppliant manner would entreat him, since his hand was so heavy upon him, Job 9:13-21; he affirms, in direct opposition to Bildad and his friends, and insists upon it, that God afflicts both the righteous and the wicked; yea, gives the earth to the latter when he slays the former, Job 9:22-24; he then observes the shortness of his days, and complains of his heavy afflictions, Job 9:25-28; and concludes, that it was in vain for him to expect his cause to be heard before God, there being no daysman between them; and wishes that the dread of the Divine Majesty might be taken from him, and then he would freely and without fear speak unto him, Job 9:29-35.