Job 19:23
New International Version
“Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll,

New Living Translation
“Oh, that my words could be recorded. Oh, that they could be inscribed on a monument,

English Standard Version
“Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

Berean Standard Bible
I wish that my words were recorded and inscribed in a book,

King James Bible
Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!

New King James Version
“Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!

New American Standard Bible
“Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were recorded in a book!

NASB 1995
“Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

NASB 1977
“Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

Legacy Standard Bible
“Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

Amplified Bible
“Oh, that the words I now speak were written! Oh, that they were recorded in a scroll!

Christian Standard Bible
I wish that my words were written down, that they were recorded on a scroll

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I wish that my words were written down, that they were recorded on a scroll

American Standard Version
Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

Contemporary English Version
I wish that my words could be written down

English Revised Version
Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were inscribed in a book!

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"I wish now my words were written. I wish they were inscribed on a scroll.

Good News Translation
How I wish that someone would remember my words and record them in a book!

International Standard Version
If only my words were written down; if only they were inscribed in a book

Majority Standard Bible
I wish that my words were recorded and inscribed in a book,

NET Bible
"O that my words were written down, O that they were written on a scroll,

New Heart English Bible
"Oh that my words were now written. Oh that they were inscribed in a scroll.

Webster's Bible Translation
Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!

World English Bible
“Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Who grants now, that my words may be written? Who grants that they may be inscribed in a scroll?

Young's Literal Translation
Who doth grant now, That my words may be written? Who doth grant that in a book they may be graven?

Smith's Literal Translation
Who will give now, and my words shall be written? who will give and they shall be delineated in a book?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who will grant me that my words may be written? Who will grant me that they may be marked down in a book?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Who will grant to me that my words may be written down? Who will grant to me that they may be inscribed in a book,

New American Bible
Oh, would that my words were written down! Would that they were inscribed in a record:

New Revised Standard Version
“O that my words were written down! O that they were inscribed in a book!
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a scroll!

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
But, oh Creator, that my words were written and inscribed in a scroll
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For oh that my words were written, and that they were recorded in a book forever,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job: My Redeemer Lives
22Why do you persecute me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh? 23I wish that my words were recorded and inscribed in a book, 24by an iron stylus on lead, or chiseled in stone forever.…

Cross References
Isaiah 30:8
Go now, write it on a tablet in their presence and inscribe it on a scroll; it will be for the days to come, a witness forever and ever.

Jeremiah 30:2
“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you.

Exodus 17:14
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”

Deuteronomy 31:19
Now therefore, write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites; have them recite it, so that it may be a witness for Me against them.

Isaiah 8:1
Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary stylus: Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

Habakkuk 2:2
Then the LORD answered me: “Write down this vision and clearly inscribe it on tablets, so that a herald may run with it.

Psalm 102:18
Let this be written for the generation to come, so that a people not yet created may praise the LORD.

Jeremiah 36:2
“Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah, and all the nations, from the day I first spoke to you during the reign of Josiah until today.

Isaiah 30:8
Go now, write it on a tablet in their presence and inscribe it on a scroll; it will be for the days to come, a witness forever and ever.

Luke 1:63
Zechariah asked for a tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed.

John 20:31
But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.

Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.

2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Revelation 1:19
Therefore write down the things you have seen, the things that are, and the things that will happen after this.

Revelation 21:5
And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.”


Treasury of Scripture

Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!

Oh.

Job 31:35
Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.

Isaiah 8:1
Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz.

Isaiah 30:8
Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:

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Job 19
1. Job, complaining of his friends' cruelty,
6. shows there is misery enough in him to feed their cruelty
21. He craves pity
23. He believes the resurrection














I wish
The phrase "I wish" reflects a deep yearning and desire from Job. In the Hebrew text, the word used here is "מִי־יִתֵּן" (mi-yitten), which is an expression of longing or a heartfelt plea. This reveals Job's intense emotional state and his desire for his words to be preserved. It underscores the human need for understanding and validation, especially in times of suffering. Job's wish is not just for personal vindication but also for a lasting testimony of his integrity and faithfulness amidst trials.

that my words
The term "words" in Hebrew is "דְּבָרַי" (devarai), which can mean speech, sayings, or declarations. In the context of Job, these are not just casual utterances but profound expressions of his inner turmoil and steadfast faith. Words hold power and significance, especially in the biblical context, where they are often seen as a reflection of one's heart and character. Job's desire for his words to be recorded indicates their importance and the weight they carry in his quest for justice and understanding.

were recorded
The concept of recording words in ancient times was significant, as it implied permanence and authority. The Hebrew root "כָּתַב" (katav) means to write or inscribe. In Job's era, writing was a means to ensure that important messages were preserved for future generations. This reflects Job's hope that his experiences and insights would not be lost but would serve as a testament to his faith and the reality of human suffering.

and inscribed
The word "inscribed" comes from the Hebrew "חָקַק" (chaqaq), which means to engrave or carve. This suggests a more permanent and enduring form of recording than mere writing. In ancient cultures, inscriptions were often made on stone or metal, signifying their importance and durability. Job's desire for his words to be inscribed indicates his wish for them to endure through time, much like the eternal truths found in God's Word.

in a book
The term "book" in Hebrew is "סֵפֶר" (sefer), which refers to a scroll or document. In the ancient Near East, books were not bound volumes as we know them today but were scrolls made of papyrus or parchment. The use of the word "book" signifies a formal and authoritative record. Job's longing for his words to be included in such a document highlights his desire for them to be taken seriously and to be accessible to others who seek wisdom and understanding.

(23) Oh that my words were now written!--Some understand this to refer to the words he is about to utter; by others they are interpreted generally. The former view is probably owing to the Christian acceptation given to them, and the consequently great importance attaching to them. Since, however, the three verses, Job 19:25-27, are manifestly more emphatic than any he has yet spoken, though they do not stand quite alone, there is no reason why it should not be especially these very words which he desires more than any others to have recorded. Perhaps the "now" = here shows this.

Oh that they were printed.--This points us to primitive time, when writing materials and the use of writing involved more or less of engraving, as, for instance, in later times was the case with tablets of wax.

Verse 23. - Oh that my words were written! It is questioned what words of his Job is so anxious to have committed to writing - those that precede the expression of the wish, or those that follow, or both. As there is nothing that is very remarkable in the preceding words, whereas the latter are among the most striking in the book, the general opinion has been that he refers to these last. It is now universally allowed, even by those whose date for Job is the most remote, that books were common long before his time, and so that he might naturally have been familiar with them. Writing is, of course, even anterior to books, and was certainly in use before B.C. 2000. The earliest writing was probably on stone or brick, and was perhaps in every case hieroglyphical. When writing on papyrus, or parchment, or the bark of trees, came into use, a cursive character soon superseded the hieroglyphical, though the latter continued In be employed for religious purposes, and for inscriptions on stone. Oh that they were printed in a book! rather, inscribed, or engraved. The impression of the characters below the surface of the writing material, as in the Babylonian and Assyrian clay-tablets, seems to be pointed at.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I wish
מִֽי־ (mî-)
Interjection
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

that my words
מִלָּ֑י (mil·lāy)
Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4405: A word, a discourse, a topic

were recorded
וְיִכָּתְב֣וּן (wə·yik·kā·ṯə·ḇūn)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 3789: To grave, to write

and inscribed
וְיֻחָֽקוּ׃ (wə·yu·ḥā·qū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hofal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2710: To hack, engrave, to enact, prescribe

in a book,
בַּסֵּ֣פֶר (bas·sê·p̄er)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5612: A missive, document, writing, book


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OT Poetry: Job 19:23 Oh that my words were now written! (Jb)
Job 19:22
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