Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing. New Living Translation And even if I summoned him and he responded, I’m not sure he would listen to me. English Standard Version If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice. Berean Standard Bible If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice. King James Bible If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice. New King James Version If I called and He answered me, I would not believe that He was listening to my voice. New American Standard Bible “If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice. NASB 1995 “If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice. NASB 1977 “If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice. Legacy Standard Bible If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was giving ear to my voice. Amplified Bible “If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice. Christian Standard Bible If I summoned him and he answered me, I do not believe he would pay attention to what I said. Holman Christian Standard Bible If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would pay attention to what I said. American Standard Version If I had called, and he had answered me, Yet would I not believe that he hearkened unto my voice. Contemporary English Version And if God came into court when I called him, he would not hear my case. English Revised Version If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he hearkened unto my voice. GOD'S WORD® Translation If I cried out and he answered me, I do not believe that he would listen to me. Good News Translation Yet even then, if he lets me speak, I can't believe he would listen to me. International Standard Version "Were I to be summoned, and he were to answer me, I wouldn't even believe that he was listening to what I have to say. NET Bible If I summoned him, and he answered me, I would not believe that he would be listening to my voice-- New Heart English Bible If I had called, and he had answered me, yet I wouldn't believe that he listened to my voice. Webster's Bible Translation If I had called, and he had answered me; yet I would not believe that he had hearkened to my voice. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleIf I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice. World English Bible If I had called, and he had answered me, yet I wouldn’t believe that he listened to my voice. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionThough I had called and He answers me, I do not believe that He gives ear [to] my voice. Young's Literal Translation Though I had called and He answereth me, I do not believe that He giveth ear to my voice. Smith's Literal Translation If I called and he will answer me, I shall not believe that he will give ear to my voice. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd if he should hear me when I call, I should not believe that he had heard my voice. Catholic Public Domain Version And if he should listen to me when I call, I would not believe that he had heard my voice. New American Bible If I appealed to him and he answered me, I could not believe that he would listen to me; New Revised Standard Version If I summoned him and he answered me, I do not believe that he would listen to my voice. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleIf I had called, and he had answered me, yet I would not believe that he had hearkened to my voice. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated If I called and he answered me, still I would not believe that he heard my voice OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917If I had called, and He had answered me; Yet would I not believe that He would hearken unto my voice-- Brenton Septuagint Translation And if I should call and he should not hearken, I cannot believe that he has listened to my voice. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Job: How Can I Argue with God?…15For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy. 16If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice. 17For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.… Cross References Psalm 66:18-20 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. / But God has surely heard; He has attended to the sound of my prayer. / Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld from me His loving devotion! Isaiah 1:15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. Lamentations 3:8 Even when I cry out and plead for help, He shuts out my prayer. Psalm 22:2 I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest. Psalm 18:41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—to the LORD, but He did not answer. Isaiah 59:1-2 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. / But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear. Proverbs 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous. Psalm 34:15-16 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry. / But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to wipe out all memory of them from the earth. Psalm 145:18-19 The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call out to Him in truth. / He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them. Jeremiah 11:11 Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I am about to bring upon them a disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to Me, but I will not listen to them. Matthew 7:7-8 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. / For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. John 9:31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will. 1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. / And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him. James 4:3 And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures. 1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Treasury of Scripture If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had listened to my voice. If I had Psalm 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. Psalm 66:18-20 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: … Psalm 116:1,2 I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications… would I Job 29:24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down. Exodus 6:9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. Judges 6:13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. Jump to Previous Believe Ear Faith Hearing Hearken Hearkened Listening Present Responded Summoned Voice Wouldn'tJump to Next Believe Ear Faith Hearing Hearken Hearkened Listening Present Responded Summoned Voice Wouldn'tJob 9 1. Job acknowledges God's justice22. Man's innocence is not to be condemned by afflictions If I summoned Him In the context of Job, this phrase reflects Job's desire to call upon God for a direct audience. Job is in the midst of his suffering and seeks to understand the reasons behind his afflictions. The idea of summoning God highlights the ancient Near Eastern practice where individuals sought divine intervention or answers through prayer or ritual. This reflects Job's deep yearning for a personal encounter with God, similar to the patriarchs like Abraham, who had direct communication with God (Genesis 18). and He answered me I do not believe He would listen to my voice Persons / Places / Events 1. JobA man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, experiencing intense suffering and questioning the justice and presence of God. 2. God The Almighty Creator, whom Job is addressing in his lament. Job is expressing his struggle to understand God's ways and his own suffering. 3. Job's Suffering The context of this verse is Job's immense suffering, having lost his wealth, children, and health. This suffering prompts his deep questioning and dialogue with God. Teaching Points Understanding God's SovereigntyJob's struggle highlights the mystery of God's sovereignty. We must acknowledge that God's ways are beyond our understanding, and trust in His ultimate wisdom and justice. The Reality of Human Doubt Job's expression of doubt is a common human experience. It is important to bring our doubts and questions to God, trusting that He is big enough to handle them. The Importance of Faith in Trials Even when we feel unheard, like Job, we are called to maintain faith. Our relationship with God is not based on our circumstances but on His unchanging nature. The Role of Lament in Faith Lament is a biblical way to process pain and suffering. It allows us to express our deepest emotions to God, paving the way for healing and restoration. The Assurance of God's Presence Unlike Job, we have the assurance of God's presence through the Holy Spirit. This should encourage us to approach God with confidence, knowing He hears us. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Job 9:16?2. How does Job 9:16 challenge our understanding of God's responsiveness to prayer? 3. What does Job 9:16 reveal about Job's perception of God's justice? 4. How can Job 9:16 deepen our trust in God's character despite doubts? 5. Compare Job 9:16 with Psalm 34:17 on God's response to the righteous. 6. How can we apply Job 9:16 when feeling unheard in our prayers? 7. How does Job 9:16 challenge the belief in a responsive God? 8. Why does Job doubt God's response in Job 9:16? 9. What does Job 9:16 reveal about human perception of divine communication? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Job 9? 11. Why does Job 35:9 imply people cry out but receive no answer, contradicting verses elsewhere describing divine rescue? 12. In light of Job 35:16, why would a merciful God remain silent if Job's pleas are without merit, given other scriptures showing God responding to human need? 13. Isaiah 40:26: In light of modern astronomy, how can God 'bring out the starry host' one by one, given what we know about billions of stars and galaxies? 14. In Job 22:5, Eliphaz accuses Job of great wickedness, yet Job 1:1 calls him blameless; how do we resolve this apparent contradiction? What Does Job 9:16 Mean If I summoned HimJob pictures himself daring to call the Almighty into court. Though suffering, he still acknowledges that God can be approached: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you” (Psalm 50:15). Yet Job realizes: • Approaching God is a privilege granted by grace, not a right (Psalm 65:2). • Even bold prayers must come with reverence (Hebrews 12:28-29). Job’s words echo other Scriptures where the faithful cry out in distress—David in Psalm 86:7 and Jeremiah in 33:3—reminding us that God welcomes honest petitions. and He answered me Job concedes that God could respond—He is not distant. Scripture consistently shows the Lord answering: Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:24), Hezekiah in his sickness (2 Kings 20:5), and believers generally (1 John 5:14-15). Job’s hypothetical answer acknowledges God’s sovereign freedom to intervene at any moment. I do not believe Here Job exposes raw doubts born of pain. Moments earlier he admitted, “How then can I answer Him?” (Job 9:14). This line reveals: • Emotional tension between faith and feeling (Mark 9:24). • The temptation to measure God’s care by present circumstances (Psalm 77:7-9). Job’s honesty teaches that confessing unbelief can coexist with clinging to God’s character. He would listen to my voice Job fears that even if God responded, He might still disregard Job’s personal plea. Suffering skews perception: • Sin makes humanity feel unheard (Isaiah 59:2). • Seasons of silence, like David’s “I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer” (Psalm 22:1-2), test trust. Yet other passages assure us that God “regards the prayer of the destitute” (Psalm 102:17) and stores our tears in His bottle (Psalm 56:8), affirming that apparent silence is not abandonment. summary Job 9:16 captures a believer wrestling with God’s transcendence amid intense affliction. He knows God can be summoned and can answer, yet pain clouds his confidence that the Lord truly hears. Scripture elsewhere confirms that God does listen, but Job’s lament reminds us that faith often walks through valleys where feelings lag behind truth. Even in doubt, turning to God remains the path to eventual assurance. Verse 16. - If I had called, and he had answered me. "If," that is, "I had challenged God to a controversy, and he had granted it, and bidden me to plead my cause at his bar, yet could I not suppose that he had really hearkened to me, and would allow me boldly to stand up before him and freely to challenge his doings. Such condescension on his part, such an abnegation of his supremacy, is inconceivable, and could not have acted on it." Yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice; rather, yet could I not believe. It was not that he would not have wished, but that he would not have been able, to believe.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Ifאִם־ (’im-) Conjunction Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not I summoned Him קָרָ֥אתִי (qā·rā·ṯî) Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read and He answered me, וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑נִי (way·ya·‘ă·nê·nî) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular Strong's 6030: To answer, respond I do not לֹֽא־ (lō-) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no believe אַ֝אֲמִ֗ין (’a·’ă·mîn) Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular Strong's 539: To confirm, support He would listen יַאֲזִ֥ין (ya·’ă·zîn) Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 238: To broaden out the ear, to listen to my voice. קוֹלִֽי׃ (qō·w·lî) Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Strong's 6963: A voice, sound Links Job 9:16 NIVJob 9:16 NLT Job 9:16 ESV Job 9:16 NASB Job 9:16 KJV Job 9:16 BibleApps.com Job 9:16 Biblia Paralela Job 9:16 Chinese Bible Job 9:16 French Bible Job 9:16 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Job 9:16 If I had called and he had (Jb) |
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