King James Version

Job 9:3

If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

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Hebrew

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אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…יַ֭חְפֹּץyachpotsdesireחָפֵץverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “desire”, an unfinished actionH2654properly, to incline to; by implication (literally but rarely) to bend; figuratively, to be pleased with, desire[idiom] any at all, (have, take) delight, desire, favour, like, move, be (well) pleased, have pleasure, will, would.לָרִ֣יבlarivto adversaryרִיבpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to adversary”, the to-form of the verbH7378properly, to toss, i.e. grapple; mostly figuratively, to wrangle, i.e. hold a controversy; (by implication) to defendadversary, chide, complain, contend, debate, [idiom] ever, [idiom] lay wait, plead, rebuke, strive, [idiom] thoroughly.עִמּ֑וֹimvowithעִםpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “with”H5973adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)accompanying, against, and, as ([idiom] long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-) to, with(-al).לֹֽאlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יַ֝עֲנֶ֗נּוּyaanenvshoutעָנָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “shout”, an unfinished actionH6030properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extension to begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announcegive account, afflict (by mistake for H6031 (עָנָה)), (cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for H6031 (עָנָה)), cry, hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, [idiom] scholar, (give a) shout, sing (together by course), speak, testify, utter,…אַחַ֥תachatfirstאֶחָדadjective, cardinal, feminine, singular, absolute — “first”, the ordinary formH259properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) firsta, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,מִנִּיminifromמִןpreposition — “from”H4480properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many sensesabove, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, [idiom] neither, [idiom] nor, (out) of, over, since, [idiom] then, through, [idiom] whether, with.אָֽלֶףalefthousandאֶלֶףadjective, cardinal, both genders, singular, absolute — “thousand”, the ordinary formH505hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousandthousand.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

If one should desire to contend with Him, he could not answer Him one of a thousand.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

If he be pleased to contend with him, He cannot answer him one of a thousand.

Young’s Literal Translation

If he delight to strive with Him — He doth not answer him one of a thousand.

World English Bible

If he is pleased to contend with him, he can’t answer him one time in a thousand.

Darby Translation

If he shall choose to strive with him, he cannot answer him one thing of a thousand.

Douay-Rheims

If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one for a thousand.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

If one should desire to contend with Him, he could not answer Him one of a thousand.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

For if he would enter into judgment with him, God would not hearken to him, so that he should answer to one of his charges of a thousand.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐὰν γὰρ βούληται κριθῆναι αὐτῷ, οὐ μὴ ὑπακούσῃ αὐτῷ, ἵνα μὴ ἀντείπῃ πρὸς ἕνα λόγον αὐτοῦ ἐκ χιλίων.