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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Job 9:23 When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/job/9-23.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/8/18_Job_09_23.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Job 9:23 - Job: How Can I Argue with God?" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent." /><script type="application/javascript" 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src="/ad3.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/job/9-22.htm" title="Job 9:22">◄</a> Job 9:23 <a href="/job/9-24.htm" title="Job 9:24">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/job/9.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/job/9.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />When a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/job/9.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />When a plague sweeps through, he laughs at the death of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/job/9.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />When disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/job/9.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/job/9.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/job/9.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />If the scourge slays suddenly, He laughs at the plight of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/job/9.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />“If the whip kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/job/9.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220If the scourge kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/job/9.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“If the scourge kills suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/job/9.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />If the scourge puts to death suddenly, He mocks the despair of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/job/9.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />“When [His] scourge kills suddenly, He mocks at the despair of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/job/9.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />When catastrophe brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/job/9.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />When disaster brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/job/9.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the trial of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/job/9.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />When a good person dies a sudden death, God sits back and laughs. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/job/9.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />If the scourge slay suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/job/9.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />When a sudden disaster brings death, he makes fun of the despair of innocent people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/job/9.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />When an innocent person suddenly dies, God laughs. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/job/9.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />If a calamity causes sudden death, he'll mock at the despair of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/job/9.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/job/9.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />If a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks at the despair of the innocent. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/job/9.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />If the scourge kills suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/job/9.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />If the scourge shall slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/job/9.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />If the scourge kills suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the innocent. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/job/9.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />If a scourge puts to death suddenly, He laughs at the trial of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/job/9.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> If a scourge doth put to death suddenly, At the trial of the innocent He laugheth.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/job/9.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />If the scourge shall fall suddenly, he will deride at the trial of the innocent.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/job/9.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />If he scourge, let him kill at once, and not laugh at the pains of the innocent. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/job/9.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />If he scourges, let him kill all at once, and not laugh at the punishment of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/job/9.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />When the scourge slays suddenly, he scoffs at the despair of the innocent. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/job/9.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />When disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity of the innocent.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/job/9.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />If his rod slays suddenly, he will laugh at the foolishness of the innocent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/job/9.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />If his rod kills suddenly, also he is mocking the senselessness of the innocent<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/job/9.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the calamity of the guiltless.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/job/9.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />For the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/job/9-23.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XAwuD5NuZq0?start=1417" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/job/9.htm">Job: How Can I Argue with God?</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">22</span>It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’ <span class="reftext">23</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/518.htm" title="518: ’i·mō·šō- (Conj) -- If. A primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!">When</a> <a href="/hebrew/7752.htm" title="7752: wṭ (N-ms) -- A scourge, whip. From shuwt; a lash.">the scourge</a> <a href="/hebrew/6597.htm" title="6597: piṯ·’ōm (Adv) -- Suddenness, suddenly. Or pith.om; from petha'; instantly.">brings sudden</a> <a href="/hebrew/4191.htm" title="4191: yā·mîṯ (V-Hifil-Imperf-3ms) -- To die. A primitive root: to die; causatively, to kill.">death,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3932.htm" title="3932: yil·‘āḡ (V-Qal-Imperf-3ms) -- To mock, deride, stammer. A primitive root; to deride; by implication to speak unintelligibly.">He mocks</a> <a href="/hebrew/4531.htm" title="4531: lə·mas·saṯ (Prep-l:: N-fsc) -- A testing, of men, of God. From nacah; a testing, of men or of God.">the despair</a> <a href="/hebrew/5355.htm" title="5355: nə·qî·yim (Adj-mp) -- Clean, free from, exempt. Or naqiyi,; from naqah; innocent.">of the innocent.</a> </span><span class="reftext">24</span>The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ecclesiastes/9-2.htm">Ecclesiastes 9:2-3</a></span><br />It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow. / This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun: There is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive, and afterward they join the dead.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/73-12.htm">Psalm 73:12-14</a></span><br />Behold, these are the wicked—always carefree as they increase their wealth. / Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure; in innocence I have washed my hands. / For I am afflicted all day long and punished every morning.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/57-1.htm">Isaiah 57:1-2</a></span><br />The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous are taken away from the presence of evil. / Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest, lying down in death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/12-1.htm">Jeremiah 12:1</a></span><br />Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/habakkuk/1-13.htm">Habakkuk 1:13</a></span><br />Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/37-12.htm">Psalm 37:12-13</a></span><br />The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them, / but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/44-22.htm">Psalm 44:22</a></span><br />Yet for Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/lamentations/3-34.htm">Lamentations 3:34-36</a></span><br />To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land, / to deny a man justice before the Most High, / to subvert a man in his lawsuit—of these the Lord does not approve.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/3-12.htm">Proverbs 3:12</a></span><br />for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/11-5.htm">Psalm 11:5</a></span><br />The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked; His soul hates the lover of violence.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/5-45.htm">Matthew 5:45</a></span><br />that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/13-1.htm">Luke 13:1-5</a></span><br />At that time some of those present told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. / To this He replied, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered this way? / No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/8-28.htm">Romans 8:28</a></span><br />And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_peter/4-12.htm">1 Peter 4:12-13</a></span><br />Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you. / But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_corinthians/4-17.htm">2 Corinthians 4:17</a></span><br />For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">If the whip slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.</p><p class="hdg">If the</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/1-13.htm">Job 1:13-19</a></b></br> And there was a day when his sons and his daughters <i>were</i> eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/2-7.htm">Job 2:7</a></b></br> So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.</p><p class="hdg">he will</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/4-7.htm">Job 4:7</a></b></br> Remember, I pray thee, who <i>ever</i> perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/8-20.htm">Job 8:20</a></b></br> Behold, God will not cast away a perfect <i>man</i>, neither will he help the evil doers:</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/2_samuel/14-15.htm">2 Samuel 14:15,17</a></b></br> Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, <i>it is</i> because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid… </p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/job/6-30.htm">Calamity</a> <a href="/job/7-15.htm">Death</a> <a href="/job/6-26.htm">Despair</a> <a href="/esther/8-6.htm">Disaster</a> <a href="/job/7-13.htm">Disease</a> <a href="/job/5-7.htm">Fate</a> <a href="/job/9-22.htm">Guiltless</a> <a href="/job/9-22.htm">Innocent</a> <a href="/esther/9-16.htm">Kill</a> <a href="/job/5-2.htm">Kills</a> <a href="/job/5-22.htm">Laugh</a> <a href="/job/9-9.htm">Makes</a> <a href="/nehemiah/2-19.htm">Mock</a> <a href="/nehemiah/4-1.htm">Mocketh</a> <a href="/2_kings/19-21.htm">Mocks</a> <a href="/job/5-21.htm">Scourge</a> <a href="/esther/8-11.htm">Slay</a> <a href="/job/5-22.htm">Sport</a> <a href="/judges/20-35.htm">Sudden</a> <a href="/job/5-3.htm">Suddenly</a> <a href="/judges/6-39.htm">Trial</a> <a href="/job/9-22.htm">Wrong</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/job/12-5.htm">Calamity</a> <a href="/job/10-21.htm">Death</a> <a href="/job/24-22.htm">Despair</a> <a href="/job/18-12.htm">Disaster</a> <a href="/job/18-13.htm">Disease</a> <a href="/job/12-5.htm">Fate</a> <a href="/job/9-28.htm">Guiltless</a> <a href="/job/9-28.htm">Innocent</a> <a href="/job/13-15.htm">Kill</a> <a href="/job/24-14.htm">Kills</a> <a href="/job/22-19.htm">Laugh</a> <a href="/job/12-4.htm">Makes</a> <a href="/job/11-3.htm">Mock</a> <a href="/job/13-9.htm">Mocketh</a> <a href="/job/39-22.htm">Mocks</a> <a href="/psalms/39-10.htm">Scourge</a> <a href="/job/13-15.htm">Slay</a> <a href="/job/11-3.htm">Sport</a> <a href="/job/22-10.htm">Sudden</a> <a href="/job/9-26.htm">Suddenly</a> <a href="/job/9-32.htm">Trial</a> <a href="/job/10-14.htm">Wrong</a><div class="vheading2">Job 9</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/job/9-1.htm">Job acknowledges God's justice</a></span><br><span class="reftext">22. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/job/9-22.htm">Man's innocence is not to be condemned by afflictions</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/job/9.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/job/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/job/9.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>When the scourge brings sudden death</b><br>This phrase reflects the sudden and often inexplicable nature of suffering and calamity in the world. In the context of Job, it highlights the unpredictability of life's trials. The "scourge" can be understood as a metaphor for any form of disaster or divine judgment. Historically, scourges were instruments of punishment, and their use in this text underscores the severity of the affliction. This aligns with the broader biblical theme of the righteous suffering without apparent cause, as seen in the lives of figures like Joseph and Daniel. The suddenness of death here echoes the transient nature of life, as expressed in <a href="/james/4-14.htm">James 4:14</a>, where life is described as a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.<p><b>He mocks the despair of the innocent</b><br>This phrase can be challenging, as it suggests a divine response that seems contrary to the character of God as compassionate and just. In the context of Job, it reflects Job's perception of God's actions, not necessarily a theological assertion about God's nature. Job feels that God is indifferent to human suffering, a sentiment echoed in <a href="/psalms/73.htm">Psalm 73</a>, where the psalmist struggles with the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous. Theologically, this phrase invites reflection on the mystery of divine providence and the problem of evil. It also foreshadows the ultimate resolution of such despair in the person of Jesus Christ, who, though innocent, suffered and died, yet through His resurrection, offers hope and redemption. This paradox of suffering and divine purpose is central to the Christian understanding of the cross and the hope of eternal life.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/j/job.htm">Job</a></b><br>A man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, experiencing immense suffering and questioning the justice of God.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/g/god.htm">God</a></b><br>The sovereign Creator, whose ways and thoughts are higher than human understanding. In this context, Job is wrestling with his perception of God's justice.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_innocent.htm">The Innocent</a></b><br>Those who are righteous or blameless, yet suffer without apparent cause. Job considers himself among these, as he grapples with his undeserved suffering.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_scourge.htm">The Scourge</a></b><br>Represents calamity or disaster that brings sudden death, a metaphor for the trials and tribulations that can befall anyone, regardless of their righteousness.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/d/despair.htm">Despair</a></b><br>The deep sorrow and hopelessness that can accompany suffering, especially when it seems unjust or inexplicable.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_mystery_of_suffering.htm">The Mystery of Suffering</a></b><br>Suffering is a complex and often mysterious part of the human experience. Job's lament highlights the difficulty in understanding why the innocent suffer, reminding us that God's ways are beyond our full comprehension.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_sovereignty.htm">God's Sovereignty</a></b><br>Despite the apparent injustice, believers are called to trust in God's sovereignty. Job's account encourages us to maintain faith even when we cannot see the full picture.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/e/empathy_and_compassion.htm">Empathy and Compassion</a></b><br>Job's experience teaches us the importance of empathy and compassion for those who suffer. We should be careful not to judge others' suffering as a result of their sin.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_role_of_faith_in_trials.htm">The Role of Faith in Trials</a></b><br>Trials test and refine our faith. Job's perseverance, despite his doubts and questions, serves as an example of steadfast faith in the face of adversity.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/hope_beyond_understanding.htm">Hope Beyond Understanding</a></b><br>While we may not always understand God's purposes, we can hold onto the hope that He is just and loving, and that ultimate justice will be realized in His timing.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_job_9.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Job 9</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what's_the_'valley_of_death'.htm">What is the 'valley of the shadow of death'?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/job_30_23__how_does_this_view_fit_scripture.htm">Job 30:23 - If Job believes God will bring him to death, how does this align or conflict with the broader theology of afterlife or resurrection found elsewhere in Scripture?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_does_a_wise_god_allow_suffering.htm">In Job 9:4, how can an all-powerful God allow innocent suffering if He is truly wise and mighty?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_does_job's_innocence_fit_with_sin.htm">If Job's firm claim of innocence in Job 27:5-6 is correct, how do we reconcile this with Biblical teachings on universal human sin (e.g., Romans 3:23)?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/job/9.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(23) <span class= "bld">The scourge slay suddenly.</span>--Probably meaning that in the case of hidden calamity overtaking an innocent man, He, God, will laugh at it: that is to say, take no more notice of it than if it furnished Him with sport. The very fact of such calamity befalling, as it often does, the innocent is at all events, in one view, a proof of His indifference to it who, by the exercise of His providence, could easily interpose to prevent it, and so looks as if He verily winked at it. Job's argument is the argument of a man who wilfully shuts out faith in his estimate of God's dealings; not that Job is devoid of faith, but in the course of arguing with his friends, who maintain the strict, rigid justice of God, he confronts them with the severe logic of facts, which they can neither contradict nor explain. Of course, for the very requirements of argument, he takes the pessimist view of the Divine providence, and declares even that the earth is given over into the hands of the wicked man. "He covereth the face of the judges thereof; and if it is not He that doeth this, who is it? there can be none other. He either doeth the evil Himself, or He permits it to be done; and what is the difference, supposing Him able to prevent it?" When we review the disorders of the earth--and how much more in Job's days was it so--all must admit that faith is sorely tried; and even faith can render but a very partial explanation of them, so that such a line as this is fully justified, when the adversary is determined to maintain that all is rose-coloured, happy, and equal as Job's friends did. They had before them an instance of inequality in the Divine conduct, and they must either make it square with the Divine justice or give up the contest. They could not do the one, and were unwilling to do the other; it only remained, therefore, for Job to assert the inequality of the Divine dealings, and he puts the case as strongly as he can, all the time, it must never be forgotten, <span class= "ital">holding fast his faith in God, </span>so that at the last he is even justified by God, who says to his friends, "Ye have not spoken of me that which is right, like my servant" (<a href="/job/42-8.htm" title="Therefore take to you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that you have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.">Job 42:8</a>).<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/job/9.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 23.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">If the scourge slay suddenly</span>. Such a "scourge" as war, or pestilence, or famine, is probably meant. If one of these be let loose upon a land, and slay, as it always does slay, <span class="accented">indifferently</span> the good and the bad, the innocent and the guilty, what is God's attitude? Does he interpose to save the righteous? By no means. He looks on passively, indifferently. Job even goes further, and says, with an audacity that borders on irreverence, if it does not even overstep the border, <span class="cmt_word">He will laugh at the trial of the innocent</span>. St. Jerome says, "There is nothing in the whole book harsher than this." It may, perhaps, be excused, partly as rhetorical, partly as needful for the full expansion of Job's argument. But it is a fearful utterance. (Professor Lee's attempt to explain the whole passage differently is scarcely a successful one.) <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/job/9-23.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">When</span><br /><span class="heb">אִם־</span> <span class="translit">(’i·mō·šō-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_518.htm">Strong's 518: </a> </span><span class="str2">Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the scourge</span><br /><span class="heb">שׁ֭וֹט</span> <span class="translit">(wṭ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7752.htm">Strong's 7752: </a> </span><span class="str2">A scourge, whip</span><br /><br /><span class="word">brings sudden</span><br /><span class="heb">פִּתְאֹ֑ם</span> <span class="translit">(piṯ·’ōm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6597.htm">Strong's 6597: </a> </span><span class="str2">Suddenness, suddenly</span><br /><br /><span class="word">death,</span><br /><span class="heb">יָמִ֣ית</span> <span class="translit">(yā·mîṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4191.htm">Strong's 4191: </a> </span><span class="str2">To die, to kill</span><br /><br /><span class="word">He mocks</span><br /><span class="heb">יִלְעָֽג׃</span> <span class="translit">(yil·‘āḡ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3932.htm">Strong's 3932: </a> </span><span class="str2">To deride, to speak unintelligibly</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the despair</span><br /><span class="heb">לְמַסַּ֖ת</span> <span class="translit">(lə·mas·saṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4531.htm">Strong's 4531: </a> </span><span class="str2">A testing, of men, of God</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of the innocent.</span><br /><span class="heb">נְקִיִּ֣ם</span> <span class="translit">(nə·qî·yim)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adjective - masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5355.htm">Strong's 5355: </a> </span><span class="str2">Clean, free from, exempt</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/job/9-23.htm">Job 9:23 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/job/9-23.htm">Job 9:23 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/job/9-23.htm">Job 9:23 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/job/9-23.htm">Job 9:23 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/job/9-23.htm">Job 9:23 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/job/9-23.htm">Job 9:23 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/job/9-23.htm">Job 9:23 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/job/9-23.htm">Job 9:23 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/job/9-23.htm">Job 9:23 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/job/9-23.htm">Job 9:23 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/job/9-23.htm">OT Poetry: Job 9:23 If the scourge kills suddenly he will (Jb) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/job/9-22.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Job 9:22"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Job 9:22" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/job/9-24.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Job 9:24"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Job 9:24" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>