Job 23:6

“Will he plead against me with [his] great power? etc.] God will not plead against his people at all, but for them: much less will he plead against them with his great strength, use all his power to run them down, crush, and oppress them; for he is a great God, and of great power, he is mighty in strength, and there is no contending with him, or answering of him, (<180903>Job 9:3,9,19); nor will he deal with them according to the strict rigour of his justice, nor stir up all his wrath, nor contend for ever with them in such a way; for then the spirits would fail before him, and the souls that he has made; whatever he does with others, making known his power on the vessels of wrath, he will…”

“An objection suggests itself, while he utters the wish (Job 23:5). Do I hereby wish that He should plead against me with His omnipotence? Far from it! (Job 9:19, Job 9:34; Job 13:21; Job 30:18). strength--so as to prevail with Him: as in Jacob's case (Hos 12:3-4). UMBREIT and MAURER better translate as in Job 4:20 (I only wish that He) "would attend to me," that is, give me a patient hearing as an ordinary judge, not using His omnipotence, but only His divine knowledge of my innocence.”

“Will he plead against me with his great power? - “Will he make use of his mere power to overwhelm me and confound me? Will he take advantage of omnipotence to triumph over me, instead of argument and justice? No: he will not do it. The discussion would be fair. He would hear what I have to say, and would decide according to truth. Though he is Almighty, yet he would not take advantage of that to prostrate and confound me.” When Job Job 13:3 wished to carry the cause directly before God, he asked of Him two conditions only. One was, that he would take off his hand from him, or remove his afflictions for a time, that he might be able to manage his own cause; and the other was, that He would…”

“No - He would not use his power against me, but for me; by enabling me to plead my cause, and giving sentence according to that clemency, which he uses towards his children. Job 23:7”

“23:6-7 Earlier, Job had believed that God was too strong for him to summon (9:19), so he had requested an arbiter (9:33-34) and asked God not to terrify him (13:21). Here he expressed more hope that God would grant him a fair hearing. • acquitted: Job did not want to be pardoned as a guilty man but to be declared innocent (13:18; see Pss 17:2-3; 26:1-3).”

“plead: Job 9:19, Job 9:33, Job 9:34, Job 13:21; Isa 27:4, Isa 27:8; Eze 20:33, Eze 20:35 but he would: Psa 138:3; Co2 12:9, Co2 12:10 Job 23:7”

“6 Will He contend with me with great power? No, indeed; He will only regard me! 7 Then the upright would be disputing with Him, And I should for ever escape my judge. 8 Yet I go eastward, He is not there, And westward, but I perceive Him not; 9 Northwards where He worketh, but I behold Him not; He turneth aside southwards, and I see Him not. The question which Job, in Job 23:6, puts forth: will He contend with me in the greatness or fulness of His strength, i.e., (as Job 30:18) with a calling forth of all His strength? he himself answers in Job 23:6, hoping that the contrary may be the case: no, indeed, He will not do that. (Note: With this interpretation, לא should certainly have Rebia…”