Job 9:16
"If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice."

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

If I had called, and he had answered me,.... Mr. Broughton reads the words, "if I cry, will he answer me?" as if Job had some doubt upon his mind whether God would vouchsafe to answer him, though he should make his supplication to him, as he proposed; seeing he had so sorely afflicted him, and still continued his hand upon him; or the words may be rendered, "though I have called, and he has answered" (q), in times past. Job was a praying person, he

had often prayed to God in his closet, and in his family, for himself, and for his children, and for his friends, and he had found God to be a God hearing and answering prayer, but seems to question whether he would answer him now, if he did pray to him: yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice, or "would hearken" (r), at this time, and under the present circumstances; or should he, the mercy would be so great, that he could hardly believe it; so sometimes through joy men cannot believe what they hear and see, as the apostles, when Christ appeared to them after his resurrection; or as it was with the Jews returned from Babylon, they were like them that dream, they could scarcely tell whether their deliverance was a real fact, or whether they only dreamed of it, see Luk 24:41 ; so Job intimates, that should he pray to God, and be heard and delivered, it would be so astonishing and transporting, that at first he should not be able to give credit to it; or, however, he should not believe that it was for his prayers and supplications, for any worth and value, virtue and efficacy, there was in them, that he was heard; but it must be purely for his mercy's sake, for the sake of the mediation of Christ, and because these prayers were the breathings of his own spirit: or else the sense is, that though he had heard and answered him formerly, when he prayed in a supplicating way, yet if he should contend with him in a judicial way, and insist upon his own righteousness, and present his supplication to God on that account, he could never expect to be heard; and, indeed, he could not believe he should be heard on any account, so long as his present sufferings lasted; which seems to be the sense of what follows, where he gives his reasons for such belief, or rather unbelief. (q) "etiamsi clamavi et respondit mihi", Schmidt. (r) "quod exauditurus esset", Schmidt.

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (8 words)

H0518 אִם
Definition:

see NöM p. 208, ZMG 1886, p. 739; WAG i. § 367 e)**ᵑ7Onk Jonאִם,ᵑ7Hagאין.1. hypothetical particleif.a.construction(see more fully Dr§ 136-138, 143FriedrichDie Hebr. Condit. sätze 1884): (1) withimperf see NöM p. 208, ZMG 1886, p. 739; WAG i. § 367 e)**ᵑ7Onk Jonאִם,ᵑ7Hagאין.1. hypothetical particleif.a.construction(see more fully Dr§ 136-138, 143FriedrichDie Hebr. Condit. sätze 1884): (1) withimperf

Possible Meanings:
  • mother (semantic_range)
  • mother (semantic_range)
  • dam (semantic_range)
  • point of departure (semantic_range)
  • division (semantic_range)
H7121 קָרָא
Definition:

9+, 3 feminine singular consecutiveוְקָרָזתIsaiah 7:14(Ges§ 74g); 2 masculine singularקָרָאתָJudges 12:1+, etc.;Imperfect3masculine singularיִקְרָאGenesis 2:19+; suffixיִקְרְאוֺJeremiah 23:6,אֵהוּ-Isa 9+, 3 feminine singular consecutiveוְקָרָזתIsaiah 7:14(Ges§ 74g); 2 masculine singularקָרָאתָJudges 12:1+, etc.;Imperfect3masculine singularיִקְרָאGenesis 2:19+; suffixיִקְרְאוֺJeremiah 23:6,אֵהוּ-Isa

Possible Meanings:
  • call (semantic_range)
  • read out (semantic_range)
  • aloud (semantic_range)
  • call (semantic_range)
  • proclaim (semantic_range)
H6030 עָנָה
Definition:

A primitive root; properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. Pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extens. To begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announce -- give account, A primitive root; properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. Pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extens. To begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announce -- give account,

Possible Meanings:
  • answer (semantic_range)
H3808 לֹא
Definition:

11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. Negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows) -- X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, 11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. Negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows) -- X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay,

H0539 אָמַן
Definition:

1,5;Esther 2:7,2as substantivefoster-fatherNumbers 11:12(J)Isaiah 49:23.3אֹמֶנֶתfoster-mother, nurseRuth 4:16;2 Samuel 4:4.4אֹמְנוֺתpillars, supporters of the door2 Kings 18:16. Participlepassivea.הָא 1,5;Esther 2:7,2as substantivefoster-fatherNumbers 11:12(J)Isaiah 49:23.3אֹמֶנֶתfoster-mother, nurseRuth 4:16;2 Samuel 4:4.4אֹמְנוֺתpillars, supporters of the door2 Kings 18:16. Participlepassivea.הָא

Possible Meanings:
  • trust (semantic_range)
H3588 כִּי
Definition:

Phoenicianכ. Probably from the same demonstrative basis found inhere, and in certain pronouns, as Aramaicדֵּךְthis(WSG 110 f.); perhaps also ultimately akin withthat, in order that, andthen, enclitic, Phoenicianכ. Probably from the same demonstrative basis found inhere, and in certain pronouns, as Aramaicדֵּךְthis(WSG 110 f.); perhaps also ultimately akin withthat, in order that, andthen, enclitic,

Possible Meanings:
  • for (semantic_range)
  • when (semantic_range)
  • when (semantic_range)
H0238 אָזַן
Definition:

45;וְהַאֲזִיןconsecutivePsalm 77:2(see De Kö1, p. 390);וְהַאֲזַנְתָּ֫Exodus 15:26;הֶאֱזִינוּIsaiah 64:3+;ImperfectיַאֲזִיןJob 9:16+;אָזִין(forאַאֲזִין)Job 32:11, etc.;Imperativemasculine singularהַאֲז 45;וְהַאֲזִיןconsecutivePsalm 77:2(see De Kö1, p. 390);וְהַאֲזַנְתָּ֫Exodus 15:26;הֶאֱזִינוּIsaiah 64:3+;ImperfectיַאֲזִיןJob 9:16+;אָזִין(forאַאֲזִין)Job 32:11, etc.;Imperativemasculine singularהַאֲז

Possible Meanings:
  • weigh (semantic_range)
  • test (semantic_range)
  • prove (semantic_range)
H6963 קוֹל
Definition:

14sound, voice; — absoluteקוֺלGenesis 4:10+ (הַקֹּלGenesis 27:22;Genesis 45:16); constructקוֺלGenesis 3:8+ (וְקֹלExodus 19:16,לְקֹלExodus 4:8(twice in verse)); suffixקוֺלִי1 Samuel 26:17+,קוֺלְךָJudge 14sound, voice; — absoluteקוֺלGenesis 4:10+ (הַקֹּלGenesis 27:22;Genesis 45:16); constructקוֺלGenesis 3:8+ (וְקֹלExodus 19:16,לְקֹלExodus 4:8(twice in verse)); suffixקוֺלִי1 Samuel 26:17+,קוֺלְךָJudge

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