Job 33:23

Job 33:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:
• New International Version (NIV)Yet if there is an angel at their side, a messenger, one out of a thousand, sent to tell them how to be upright,
• English Standard Version (ESV)If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him,
• New Living Translation (NLT)“But if an angel from heaven appears— a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is upright—

Context of Job 33:23

21His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones stick out which once were not seen. 22Yes, his soul draws near the Pit, And his life to the executioners. “If there is a messenger for him, A mediator, one among a thousand, To show man His uprightness, 24Then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom’; 25His flesh shall be young like a child’s, He shall return to the days of his youth.

Job 33:23 word by word

אִם־יֵ֤שׁ עָלָ֨יו׀ מַלְאָ֗ךְ מֵלִ֗יץ אֶחָ֥ד מִנִּי־אָ֑לֶף לְהַגִּ֖יד לְאָדָ֣ם יָשְׁרֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• If thereיֵשׁyêsh · thereH3426
• be a messengerמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messenger: angelH4397
• with him, an interpreterלִיץlûts · to mockH3887
• oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• among a thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• to shewנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• unto manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• his uprightnessיֹ֫שֶׁרyôsher · uprightnessH3476

Cross-references for Job 33:23

• Judges 2:1Then the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you.
• 2 Chronicles 36:15And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place.
• Haggai 1:13Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s message to the people, saying, “I am with you, says the Lord.”
• Malachi 2:7“For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
• Malachi 3:1“Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the Lord of hosts.
• 2 Corinthians 5:20Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
• Job 34:32Teach me what I do not see; If I have done iniquity, I will do no more’?
• Psalms 94:12Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, And teach out of Your law,
• Isaiah 61:1“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
• Acts 8:30So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
• 1 Corinthians 11:30For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
• Hebrews 12:5And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
• Job 9:3If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
• Ecclesiastes 7:28Which my soul still seeks but I cannot find: One man among a thousand I have found, But a woman among all these I have not found.
• Romans 11:13For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
• Job 11:6That He would show you the secrets of wisdom! For they would double your prudence. Know therefore that God exacts from you Less than your iniquity deserves.

Commentaries on Job 33:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23V. The Messengers If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, etc. - The Messengers of righteousness; this is a Fifth method, מליץ מלאך עליו יש אם im yesh alaiv malach melits, "If there be over him an interpreting or mediatorial angel or messenger." One among a thousand, אלף מני אחד echad minni aleph . "One from the Chief, Head, or Teacher." To show unto man his uprightness - ישרו לאדם להגיד lehaggid leadam yoshro, "to manifest or cause to be…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23If there be a messenger with him - This part of the speech of Elihu has given rise to scarcely less diversity of opinion, and to scarcely less discussion, than the celebrated passage in Job 19:25-27. Almost every interpreter has had a special view of its meaning, and of course it is very difficult, if not impossible, to determine its true sense. Before the opinions which have been entertained are specified, and an attempt made to determine the true sense…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-28Verses 19-28 Job complained of his diseases, and judged by them that God was angry with him; his friends did so too: but Elihu shows that God often afflicts the body for good to the soul. This thought will be of great use for our getting good from sickness, in and by which God speaks to men. Pain is the fruit of sin; yet, by the grace of God, the pain of the body is often made a means of good to the soul. When afflictions have done their work, they shall…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23An angel or messenger from heaven would act as the mediator Job desired (see 5:1; 9:33–34; 16:18–21).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. Elihu refers to himself as the divinely-sent (Job 32:8; 33:6) "messenger," the "interpreter" to explain to Job and vindicate God's righteousness; such a one Eliphaz had denied that Job could look for (Job 5:1), and Job (Job 9:33) had wished for such a "daysman" or umpire between him and God. The "messenger" of good is antithetical to the "destroyers" (Job 33:23). with him--if there be vouchsafed to the sufferer. The office of the interpreter is stated…Read the comment

Topics related to Job 33:23

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Agency
• Ambassadors
• Conviction
• God
• God Continued...
• Interpreter
• Jesus Continued
• Philosophy
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Account
• Elihu
• Path
• Ransom
• Soul
• Stick
• Wish
• Affliction
• Angel
• Elihu (2)

Commentaries on Job 33

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings