Job 9:33 · Bible study
Job 9:33 Commentary: The Cry for a Daysman
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Job laments there is no umpire between him and God. Explore the Hebrew term mokhiach, the longing for a mediator, and Christ's fulfillment.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Job laments the absence of a neutral arbiter between himself and God, reflecting a deep need for mediation.
- Key words: “Umpire” (Hebrew mokhiach, from yakach “to decide, reprove”); “lay his hand” (sit yad, to impose authority).
- Main debate: Is Job foreseeing Christ the mediator (Gill, Wesley) or simply expressing despair without Messianic intent (Barnes, Cambridge)?
- Theological theme: The necessity of a mediator between holy God and sinful humanity.
- Best use: Evangelistic, pointing to Christ as the one who bridges the infinite gap.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.
WEB World English Bible 2000
There is no umpire between us, that might lay his hand on us both.
KJV King James Version 1769
Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
There is no umpire betwixt us, That might lay his hand upon us both.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
If there were between us an umpire, He doth place his hand on us both.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
There is not an umpire between us, who should lay his hand upon us both.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
There is none that may be able to reprove both, and to put his hand between both.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
No hay entre nosotros árbitro que ponga su mano sobre nosotros ambos.
Não há entre nós árbitro que ponha sua mão sobre nós ambos,
Il n’ y a pas entre nous d’ arbitre,
Es ist zwischen uns kein Schiedsmann, der seine Hand auf uns beide lege.
Er is geen scheidsman tussen ons, die zijn hand op ons beiden leggen mocht.
Non c’è fra noi un arbitro, che posi la mano su tutti e due!
Bo nie masz między nami rozjemcy, któryby mógł rozwieść sprawę naszę.
Нет между нами посредника, который положил бы руку свою на обоих нас.
我們中間 沒 有 聽訟的人 可以向 我們兩造 按 手。
There is no one to give a decision between us, who might have control over us.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Job 9:33
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Job 9:33 captures a moment of profound distress. Job feels trapped in a legal dispute with God, where the Almighty is both opponent and judge. There is no neutral third party to arbitrate. Barnes notes that the Hebrew verb yakach (to argue, decide) points to an arbiter rather than a mediator in a strict theological sense. Gill and Wesley, however, read the verse as a cry that looks forward to Christ, the “daysman” who can lay hand on both God and man. The Cambridge Bible cautions against reading the incarnation directly into the text, but acknowledges the human heart’s deep cry for God to be approachable. All agree that Job is expressing the impossibility of a fair contest with an omnipotent being.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Typological/Christological: Gill, Wesley, and Clarke see Job's cry as prophetic, pointing to Christ the mediator (1 Timothy 2:5).
- Non-Christological: Barnes and the Cambridge Bible argue Job voices despair without Messianic intent; any connection to Christ is analogical, not predictive.
- Text-critical reading: Clarke notes the variant 'O that there were' (Septuagint, Syriac) which changes the emotional register but not the fundamental need for an umpire.
What is clear: Job is expressing a deep longing for someone to arbitrate between himself and God, acknowledging the vast gap between them.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Christological interpretation | Job expresses a need for someone to stand between him and God. | Some see a direct foreshadowing of Christ (Gill, Wesley); others argue Job only longs for an impartial arbiter, not a redeemer (Barnes, Cambridge). |
| Role of the umpire | The umpire would lay hand on both parties, imposing authority and deciding the case. | Is the role primarily judicial (arbitrator) or reconciliatory (mediator)? The Hebrew mokhiach leans toward judge/convictor, while the Septuagint uses mesites (mediator). |
| The hand image | “Lay his hand” symbolizes authority and the power to restrain or protect. | Does it picture an umpire stopping a fight (restraint) or a reconciler bringing peace (blessing)? |
| Textual variant | Some manuscripts read “O that there were” (lu yesh) instead of “there is no” (lo yesh). | Which reading is original? The MT supports lo yesh; the Septuagint and some Hebrew mss support lu yesh, affecting the tone from statement to wish. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Job 9:33 sits within Job's anguished reply to Bildad (Job 9). In the ancient Near East, legal disputes were often settled by an impartial third party, an umpire or arbitrator. The Hebrew word mokhiach (from yakach) describes someone who judges, reproves, or decides. Job wishes for such a figure to stand between him and God.
The phrase “lay his hand on us both” suggests authority and restraint. Gill cites a custom described by Herodotus where covenant-makers cut their hands and anointed stones, with a man standing in the middle to mediate. Whether Job alludes to such a practice or simply pictures an umpire imposing order, the image is one of power and peace.
Job’s complaint reflects his cultural context: a patriarchal society where the head of the household could appeal to elders or a king for judgment (as in 1 Kings 3:16, 28). But with God, there is no higher authority. Job’s despair is rooted in the conviction that God is not a man (v. 32). The gap between Creator and creature feels unbridgeable.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note one significant textual variant. According to Adam Clarke, fifteen Hebrew manuscripts, along with the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic, read “lu yesh” (O that there were) instead of “lo yesh” (there is no). This reading changes the tone from a statement of absence to a longing wish. The Masoretic Text supports “lo yesh,” which the majority of English translations follow. The variant does not affect the core meaning that Job desires an umpire, but it highlights the emotional intensity of his cry. No other variants are mentioned in the supplied sources.
Reception History
This verse has deeply resonated with Christians who see in it a foreshadowing of Christ. John Wesley called Jesus “the blessed days-man” who mediates between heaven and earth. Matthew Henry used it to contrast Job’s ignorance with gospel clarity. Adam Clarke explicitly connected it to 1 Timothy 2:5. However, commentators like Barnes and the Cambridge Bible warn against reading the incarnation back into the text, arguing that Job desired an impartial arbiter, not a reconciler. The verse continues to be used in evangelistic contexts to demonstrate the human need for a mediator, as well as in pastoral care for those who feel distant from God. Its raw honesty also provides a model for lament in Christian worship.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Great Inequality: Job acknowledges God's unmatched power (Job 9:4, 10). He cannot argue his case.
- The Missing Mediator: Job cries for a “daysman”, one who can fairly adjudicate and impose peace.
- The Gospel Answer: Christ Jesus is the one mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). He is God and man, able to lay his hand on both.
Five-point outline
- Job's Legal Predicament, God is both judge and adversary.
- The Impossibility of Self-Justification, no human effort can bridge the gap.
- The Profile of a Daysman, equal to both, able to reprove and reconcile.
- Christ as the Fulfillment, fully God, fully man, our advocate (1 John 2:1, 2).
- The Believer's Confidence, through Christ we can speak and not fear (Job 9:35).
Illustration hooks
- A courtroom where the judge is also the plaintiff. No one can get a fair hearing.
- In sports, an umpire stands between two teams, ensuring fair play. Job wants one between him and God.
- A parent mediating between two fighting children, both trust the parent to be fair.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Why doesn't God defend me when I'm innocent?”
- “How do I know Christ is enough to stand between me and God?”
- “Is it wrong to feel frustrated with God when life seems unfair?”
Leading a Discussion
In Job 9, we hear a man who feels trapped. He believes God is too powerful, too holy, too other to be approached in court. His cry for an umpire is raw and honest. Today we can ask: Does this longing point us to Christ?
Discussion questions
- What does Job mean by an “umpire” or “daysman”? How does he describe the role?
- Why does Job think no such person exists? (Consider v. 32 and surrounding context.)
- How does Job's frustration compare to his earlier trust in God's wisdom (chapters 1, 2)?
- In what ways does the New Testament present Jesus as the answer to this cry? (Read 1 Timothy 2:5, 1 John 2:1, 2.)
- How does the fact of Christ as mediator change the way we approach God in prayer?
- Is it possible to bring Job-like complaints to God today? Why or why not?
- What does this passage teach us about the character of God and the need for grace?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 2:25 | If one man sins against another, God will judge him; but if a man sins against Yahweh, who will intercede for him?” Notwithstanding, they didn’t listen to the voice of their father, because Yahweh intended to kill them. |
| I Kings 3:16 | Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him. |
| I Kings 3:28 | All Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice. |
| Job 9:19 | If it is a matter of strength, behold, he is mighty! If of justice, ‘Who,’ says he, ‘will summon me?’ |
| Psalms 106:23 | Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had Moses, his chosen, not stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, so that he wouldn’t destroy them. |
| I John 2:1 | My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. |
| I John 2:2 | And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that some ancient manuscripts read a wish for a mediator instead of saying none exists. He believes Job longed for such a helper before knowing Christ as the only true Mediator between God and people.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes observes that Job’s “daysman” is not a mediator in the Christian sense but an impartial umpire who could restrain both parties. Job laments that no such neutral judge exists above both him and God, making his case hopeless. Barnes warns against applying this passage to Christ, since Christ reconciles rather than arbitrates a dispute.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Christians who hold the view that Jesus became human point to Job 9:33, while others emphasize other verses. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture. Your hope lies in Christ and the resurrection.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes observe that Job declares there is no umpire or mediator who can arbitrate between him and God. This highlights Job’s sense of utter isolation, with no neutral third party to bring reconciliation or peace between a flawed human and his Creator.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill clarifies that Job is not doubting Christ as the final mediator for salvation. Instead, Job laments the lack of any human arbiter to settle his present dispute with God over his undeserved suffering, a role he recognizes only Christ can ultimately fulfill.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Christians who hold the view that God became human point to this verse, while others emphasize other passages. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture. You may find hope in Christ and the resurrection.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stresses that even the most thorough self-cleansing, symbolised by snow and lye, cannot help Job because God would still plunge him into the pit so thoroughly that his own clothes would recoil in horror. The point is that there is no arbitrator between Job and God, who is both accuser and judge in one person.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange observes that Job does not deny his friends’ general truths about God’s justice, but turns those truths back on them with satire. Job portrays God as such an overpowering, arbitrary force that no mediator exists to arbitrate fairly between them, leaving the innocent helpless.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Job’s complaint about his days passing quickly is appropriate because his good times vanished suddenly without a trace. He sees no reason to complain about God instead of about his own lost prosperity.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights the Old Testament complaint that no one could arbitrate between God and humanity. He sees Jesus Christ as the answer to that longing—the true mediator who has laid his hand on both sides. What was only dimly hoped for in earlier times is now made clear through the gospel.