Job 13:8

Old Testament Wisdom/Poetry ASV (1901)

What does Job 13:8 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Will ye show partiality to him? Will ye contend for God?” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Will ye show partiality to him? Will ye contend for God?
Job 13:8 — American Standard Version

Context — Job 13

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
8Will ye show partiality to him? Will ye contend for God?

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Will ye accept his person? etc.] Accepting persons ought not to be done in judgment by earthly judges; which is done when they give a cause to one through favour and affection to his person, because rich, or their friend, and against another, because otherwise; and something like this Job intimates his friends did in the present case; they only considered what God was, holy, just, wise, and good in all he did, and so far they were right, and too much respect cannot be given him; but the fault was, that they only attended to this, and did not look into the cause of Job itself, but wholly neglected it, and gave it against him, he being poor, abject, and miserable, on the above consideration of…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“accept his person--God's; that is, be partial for Him, as when a judge favors one party in a trial, because of personal considerations. contend for God--namely, with fallacies and prepossessions against Job before judgment (Jdg 6:31). Partiality can never please the impartial God, nor the goodness of the cause excuse the unfairness of the arguments.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Will ye accept his person? - That is, will you be partial to him? The language is such as is used in relation to courts of justice, where a judge shows favor to one of the parties on account of birth, rank, wealth, or personal friendship. The idea here is, “will you, from partiality to God, maintain unjust principles, and defend positions which are really untenable?” There was a controversy between Job and God. Job maintained that he was punished too severely; that the divine dealings were unequal and disproportioned to his offences. His friends, he alleges, have not done justice to the arguments which he had urged, but had taken sides with God against him, no matter what he urged or what he…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Accept - Not judging according to the right of the cause, but the quality or the person. Job 13:12”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Job 32:21, Job 34:19; Exo 23:2, Exo 23:3; Pro 24:23; Mal 2:9 \*marg. Job 13:9”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification