In reply to Bildad, Job’s rhetorical question about a mortal being right before God (9:2) holds the spark of the fire that will increasingly consume Job’s mind (9:2–13). Here he ignites the idea of standing before God in court (9:3), but he quickly lets the flame die down, overwhelmed by the disparity between human and divine (9:4–13). In hymnlike doxology, with motifs paralleled elsewhere in the Bible or the ancient Near East, Job explores the destructive (9:5–7) and creative (9:8–10) omnipotence of God.

A lawsuit with God is impossible. For Job, God is both judge and enemy (9:14–24). There is no higher court, yet this one who hears cases also overwhelms and crushes. God is an oppressive presence, destroying both blameless and wicked, mocking the despair of the …