to call out to (i.e. properly · verb, qal perfect, 1st person common singular
answered
וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑נִיvai.ya.'a.Ne.ni
H6030
properly · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix
believe
אַ֝אֲמִ֗ין'a.'a.Min
H539
properly · verb, hiphil imperfect, 1st person common singular
hearkened
יַאֲזִ֥יןya.'a.Zin
H238
to broaden out the ear (with the hand) · verb, hiphil imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
voice
קוֹלִֽיko.Li
H6963
a voice or sound · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Exodus 6:9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
Judges 6:13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fath…
Job 29:24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
Psalms 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his…
Psalms 66:18-20 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
Psalms 116:1-2 I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
Psalms 126:1 When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
Luke 24:41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Job 9:14-21
What Job had said of man's utter inability to contend with God he here applies to himself, and in effect despairs of gaining his favour, which (some think) arises from the hard thoughts he had of God, as one who, having set himself against him, right or wrong, would be too hard for him. I rather think it arises from the sense he had of the imperfection of his own righteousness, and the dark and cloudy apprehensions which at present he had of God's displeasure against him.
I. He durst not dispute with God (Job 9:14): "If the proud helpers do stoop under him, how much less shall I (a poor weak creature, so far from being a helper that I am very helpless) answer him? What can I say against that…
would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice--who breaketh me (as a tree stripped of its leaves) with a tempest.
John Gill on Job 9:16
If I had called, and he had answered me,.... Mr. Broughton reads the words, "if I cry, will he answer me?" as if Job had some doubt upon his mind whether God would vouchsafe to answer him, though he should make his supplication to him, as he proposed; seeing he had so sorely afflicted him, and still continued his hand upon him; or the words may be rendered, "though I have called, and he has answered" (q), in times past. Job was a praying person, he had often prayed to God in his closet, and in his family, for himself, and for his children, and for his friends, and he had found God to be a God hearing and answering prayer, but seems to question whether he would answer him now, if he did pray…
16 If when I called He really answered,
I could not believe that He would hearken to me;
17 He would rather crush me in a tempest,
And only multiply my wounds without cause;
18 He would not suffer me to take my breath,
But would fill me with bitter things.
19 If it is a question of the strength of the strong - : "Behold here!"
And if of right - : "Who will challenge me?"
20 Where I in the right, my mouth must condemn me;
Were I innocent, He would declare me guilty.
The answer of God when called upon, i.e., summoned, is represented in Job 9:16 as an actual result (praet. followed by fut. consec.), therefore Job 9:16 cannot be intended to express: I could not believe that He answers me, but: I…
The Church Fathers
"If I call on him and he does not answer me, I will not believe that he heard my voice. When I ask for his judgment, if he does not hear me, I will not believe that he has ever heard me, but that he has listened to my words for secret motives and not because of the excellence of my prayer. Or, I do not think he does not give me a license now, since he has sometimes answered me. Here is another explanation: If he gives me what I ask, I will believe that he answered me, because if I do not believe it, although I have what I asked, I'm not answered point; so the faith of the one who prays would be the sign that he has been answered.
And when I have called and He hath answered me, yet do I not believe that He hath hearkened unto my voice. For very often the mind is set on fire with the flame of Divine love, and is uplifted to behold heavenly things and secret mysteries. It is now transported on high, and pierced with full affection, is made strange to things below; but being struck with sudden temptation, the soul which with set purpose had been established erect in God, pierced with arising temptations is bowed low; so that it cannot discern itself, and being held fast between good and evil practices, cannot tell on which side it is strongest. For very often it is brought to this pass, to wonder how it so lays hold of the highest truths, when unlawful thoughts defile it; and again how it admits unlawful thoughts, when the fervour of the Holy Spirit with power transports it above itself. Which alternate motions of thought in the mind being viewed aright by the Psalmist, he exclaims, They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths. For we mount up to the heaven, when we enter into the things above, but we go down to the depths, when we are suddenly cast down from the height of contemplation by grovelling temptations. Thus whilst the motions of the mind alternate between vows and vices, too truly they cloud for themselves the certainty of their being heard. Therefore it is rightly said, When I have called and He hath answered me, yet do I not believe that He hath hearkened unto my voice. In that the mind is rendered fearful from its mere changeableness, and by that which it is unwillingly subject to, imagines itself cast off and rejected. It is interesting to observe with what exactness the holy man passes judgment on himself, that the judgments of God may find nought in him to take hold of. For having an eye to his own frailty, he says, How much less shall I answer, and talk in my words with Him? Not relying upon the claims of his own righteousness, but betaking himself to the hope alone of entreating, he adds, Who, though I had any thing righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my Judge. But apprehensive for the very entreaty itself, he adds, And when I have called, and He hath answered me, yet do I not believe that He hath hearkened unto my voice. Why does he shrink with so great apprehension, why does he tremble with such sore misgiving? but…
Dictionary and topics
Blasphemy · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Doubting · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
monsters of the sea (literally the helpers of Rahab): Job personified demonic powers as creatures like this mythical sea monster that represents chaos in ancient literature (26:12; Ps 89:11; Isa 51:9).
Rashi on Job 9:16
I will not believe I will be unable to believe out of my fear for Him, for how do I not see Him?
