Job 9:20
If I would justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I would shew myself innocent, he shall prove me wicked.
Open Job 9:20 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Si justificare me voluero, os meum condemnabit me ; si innocentem ostendero, pravum me comprobabit.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἐὰν γὰρ ὦ δίκαιος, τὸ στόμα μου ἀσεβήσει· ἐάν τε ὦ ἄμεμπτος, σκολιὸς ἀποβήσομαι.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- אִם אֶ֭צְדָּק פִּ֣י יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי תָּֽם אָ֝֗נִי וַֽיַּעְקְשֵֽׁנִי
Haydock's commentary
Condemn me, as this conduct would appear presumptuous. (Calmet)
Septuagint, "if I be just, my mouth will utter impiety," (Haydock) in declaring it. (Olymp.)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants, Job Was Not Without Sin
But let us see what Job has to say of himself, after God’s great testimony of his righteousness. “I know of a truth,” he says, “that it is so: for how shall a mortal man be just before the Lord? For if He should enter into judgment with him, he would not be able to obey Him.” And shortly afterwards he asks: “Who shall resist His judgment? Even if I should seem righteous, my mouth will speak profanely.” And again, further on, he says: “I know He will not leave me unpunished. But since I am ungodly, why have I not died? If I should wash myself with snow, and be purged with clean hands, thou hadst thoroughly stained me with filth.” In another of his discourses he says: “For Thou hast written evil things against me, and hast compassed me with the sins of my youth; and Thou hast placed my foot in the stocks. …
St Jerome Against the Pelagians, Book I
A. You have cited passages which have been detached not only from the rest of Scripture, but from the books in which they occur. For even Job, after he was stricken with the plague, is convicted of having spoken many things against the ruling of God, and to have summoned Him to the bar: “Would that a man stood with God in the judgment as a son of man stands with his fellow.” And again:“Oh that I had one to hear me! that the Almighty might hear my desire, and that the judge would himself write a book!” And again: “Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me: though I be perfect, it shall prove me perverse. If I wash myself with snow-water, and make my hands never so clean, Thou hast dyed me again and again with filth. …