The Meaning of Job 9:19 Explained

Job 9:19

KJV: If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

YLT: If of power, lo, the Strong One; And if of judgment -- who doth convene me?

Darby: Be it a question of strength, lo, he is strong; and be it of judgment, who will set me a time?

ASV: If we speak of strength, lo, he is mighty! And if of justice, Who,'saith he , will summon me?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

If [I speak] of strength,  lo, [he is] strong:  and if of judgment,  who shall set  me a time [to plead]? 

What does Job 9:19 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 9:1-35 - "the Daysman"
Ponder the sublimity of the conceptions of God given in this magnificent passage. To God are attributed the earthquake that rocks the pillars on which the world rests, Job 9:6; the eclipse which hides the heavenly bodies, Job 9:7; the storm in which he bows the heavens and treads majestically on the waves, Job 9:8; and the creation of the constellations, Job 9:10-1960. Who can dare to argue with or call to account so great a God as this? 1714146288_2. Even if a man be outwardly and inwardly righteous (that is, so far as the measure of his light), yet in such a Presence the heart of the most perfect must condemn him. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves"¦. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." We cannot but feel that this old-world thinker had a truer view of that conscious imperfection and sin which must be experienced by every mortal who has a right appreciation of the holiness of God, than have those who refuse to say the Lord's Prayer because it contains a petition for forgiveness!
Truly we need that Daysman! But we have Him in Jesus our Mediator, who can lay His hand on God and us, Job 9:33; 1 Timothy 2:5. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 9

1  Job acknowledges God's justice
22  Man's innocence is not to be condemned by afflictions

What do the individual words in Job 9:19 mean?

If [it is a matter] of strength [He is] strong indeed and if of justice who will appoint my day [in court]
אִם־ לְכֹ֣חַ אַמִּ֣יץ הִנֵּ֑ה וְאִם־ לְ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט מִ֣י יוֹעִידֵֽנִי

אִם־  If  [it  is  a  matter] 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
לְכֹ֣חַ  of  strength 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּחַ 
Sense: strength, power, might.
אַמִּ֣יץ  [He  is]  strong 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אַמִּיץ  
Sense: strong, mighty.
הִנֵּ֑ה  indeed 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
וְאִם־  and  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
לְ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט  of  justice 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
יוֹעִידֵֽנִי  will  appoint  my  day  [in  court] 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: יָעַד  
Sense: to fix, appoint, assemble, meet, set, betroth.