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 King James Version (NKJV)“If there is a messenger for him, A mediator, one among a thousand, To show man His uprightness,

Context of Job 33:23

21Their flesh wastes away, and their bones stick out. 22They are at death’s door; the angels of death wait for them. “But if an angel from heaven appears— a special messenger to intercede for a person and declare that he is upright— 24he will be gracious and say, ‘Rescue him from the grave, for I have found a ransom for his life.’ 25Then his body will become as healthy as a child’s, firm and youthful again.

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 2:1The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said to the Israelites, “I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my covenant with you.
• 2 Chronicles 36:15The Lord, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent his prophets to warn them, for he had compassion on his people and his Temple.
• Haggai 1:13Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: “I am with you, says the Lord!”
• Malachi 2:7“The words of a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
• Malachi 3:1“Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
• 2 Corinthians 5:20So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
• Job 34:32Or ‘I don’t know what evil I have done—tell me. If I have done wrong, I will stop at once’?
• Psalms 94:12Joyful are those you discipline, Lord, those you teach with your instructions.
• Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.
• Acts 8:30Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
• 1 Corinthians 11:30That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.
• Hebrews 12:5And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you.
• Job 9:3If someone wanted to take God to court, would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times?
• Ecclesiastes 7:28Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman!
• Romans 11:13I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this,
• Job 11:6If only he would tell you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom is not a simple matter. Listen! God is doubtless punishing you far less than you deserve!

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