Job 17:3

Amplified Bible

"Give me a pledge (guarantee, promise) with Yourself [acknowledge my innocence before my death]; Who is there that will be my guarantor and give security for me?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Accept my pledge! Put up security for me.Who else will be my sponsor?

Hebrew Names Version
"Now give a pledge, be collateral for me with yourself. Who is there who will strike hands with me?

King James Version
Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?

English Standard Version
"Lay down a pledge for me with you; who is there who will put up security for me?

New Century Version
"God, make me a promise. No one will make a pledge for me.

New English Translation
Make then my pledge with you. Who else will put up security for me?

New American Standard Bible
"Make a pledge for me with Yourself; Who is there that will be my guarantor?

World English Bible
"Now give a pledge, be collateral for me with yourself. Who is there who will strike hands with me?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Lay downe nowe and put me in suretie for thee: who is hee, that will touch mine hand?

Legacy Standard Bible
"Establish, now, a pledge for me with Yourself;Who is there that will clap my hand in pledge?

Berean Standard Bible
Give me, I pray, the pledge You demand. Who else will be my guarantor?

Contemporary English Version
If you, Lord , don't help, who will pay the price for my release?

Complete Jewish Bible
Be my guarantor, yourself! Who else will put up a pledge for me?

Darby Translation
Lay down now [a pledge], be thou surety for me with thyself: who is he that striketh hands with me?

Easy-to-Read Version
"God, give me some support. No one else will!

George Lamsa Translation
Make me, I pray thee, a hostage with thee; then I will surrender myself.

Good News Translation
I am being honest, God. Accept my word. There is no one else to support what I say.

Lexham English Bible
Please lay down a pledge for me with yourself; who is he who will give security for my hand?

Literal Translation
Please lay down a pledge for me with Yourself; who is he who will strike my hand with me?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
O delyuer me, and set me by the, who shall then be able to thrust my hondes together?

American Standard Version
Give now a pledge, be surety for me with thyself; Who is there that will strike hands with me?

Bible in Basic English
Be pleased, now, to be responsible for me to yourself; for there is no other who will put his hand in mine.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Give now a pledge, be surety for me with Thyself; who else is there that will strike hands with me?

King James Version (1611)
Lay downe now, put me in a suretie with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
O deliuer me, and loke out one to be my suretie in thy sight: what is he that knoweth who wyll promise for me?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Who is this? let him join hands with me.

English Revised Version
Give now a pledge, be surety for me with thyself; who is there that will strike hands with me?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Lord, delyuere thou me, and sette thou me bisidis thee; and the hond of ech fiyte ayens me.

Update Bible Version
Give now a pledge, be surety for me with yourself; Who is there that will strike hands with me?

Webster's Bible Translation
Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who [is] he [that] will strike hands with me?

New King James Version
"Now put down a pledge for me with Yourself. Who is he who will shake hands with me?

New Living Translation
"You must defend my innocence, O God, since no one else will stand up for me.

New Life Bible
"Promise that You will hear me. Who is there that will trust me?

New Revised Standard
"Lay down a pledge for me with yourself; who is there that will give surety for me?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Appoint it, I pray thee - be thou surety for me with thyself, Who is there that, on my side, can pledge himself?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Deliver me, O Lord, and set me beside thee, and let any man’s hand fight against me.

Revised Standard Version
"Lay down a pledge for me with thyself; who is there that will give surety for me?

Young's Literal Translation
Place, I pray Thee, my pledge with Thee; Who is he that striketh hand with me?

THE MESSAGE
"O God, pledge your support for me. Give it to me in writing, with your signature. You're the only one who can do it! These people are so useless! You know firsthand how stupid they can be. You wouldn't let them have the last word, would you? Those who betray their own friends leave a legacy of abuse to their children.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Lay down, now, a pledge for me with Yourself; Who is there that will be my guarantor?

Contextual Overview

¹"My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me. ²"Surely there are mockers and mockery with me, And my eye gazes on their obstinacy and provocation. ³"Give me a pledge (guarantee, promise) with Yourself [acknowledge my innocence before my death]; Who is there that will be my guarantor and give security for me?⁴"But You [Lord] have closed their hearts to understanding, Therefore You will not exalt them [by giving a verdict against me]. ⁵"He who denounces and informs against his friends for a share of the spoil, The eyes of his children will also languish and fail. ⁶"But He has made me a byword and mockery among the people, And I have become one in whose face people spit. ⁷"My eye has grown dim (unexpressive) because of grief, And all my [body's] members are [wasted away] like a shadow. ⁸"The upright will be [astonished and] appalled at this, And the innocent will stir himself up against the godless and polluted. ⁹"Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his ways, And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

put me: Job 9:33, Genesis 43:9, Genesis 44:32, Proverbs 11:15, Proverbs 20:16, Hebrews 7:22

strike: Proverbs 6:11, Proverbs 11:15, *marg. Proverbs 17:18, Proverbs 22:26

Reciprocal: Job 31:35 - Oh

Cross-References

Genesis 17:17
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"

Genesis 17:18
And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael [my firstborn] might live before You!"

Genesis 17:23
Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all the servants who were born in his house and all who were purchased with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin the very same day, as God had said to him.

Genesis 17:24
So Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised.

Exodus 3:6
Then He said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

Numbers 14:5
Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the Israelites.

Numbers 16:22
But they fell on their faces [before the LORD], and said, "O God, God of the spirits of all flesh! When one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?"

Numbers 16:45
"Get away from among this congregation, so that I may consume them immediately." Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces [in silence before the LORD].

Joshua 5:14
He said, "No; rather I have come now as captain of the army of the LORD." Then Joshua fell with his face toward the earth and bowed down, and said to him, "What does my lord have to say to his servant?"

Judges 13:20
For when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the Angel of the LORD ascended in the altar flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this they fell on their faces to the ground.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Lay down now,.... A pledge that thou wilt provide a surety, appoint and admit one to plead for me, and that thou wilt hear my cause, and determine it; or "put now", or "put, I pray thee" r, thy heart and mind to me and my case, to my petition and request, and grant it:

put me in a surety with thee; appoint, provide, and place a surety for me with thee, and let him appear to do his work and office: such an one Jesus Christ is; he is of God the Father's appointing to be the Mediator between God and men, and who himself voluntarily engaged and agreed to be the surety of the better testament; and this was known to the Old Testament saints, and to Job; and his prayer was the prayer of faith: and this work and office Christ performs; he was surety for his people from eternity, he drew nigh to God on their account, and struck hands with his Father, or covenanted and agreed with him about the salvation of his people, and the manner of it; he gave his word, his bond, to his Father for them, that he would save them; and upon that suretyship engagement of Christ all the Old Testament saints were pardoned, justified, and glorified; he promised and bound himself to pay all their debts, to satisfy for all their sins, to bring in an everlasting righteousness for them, and to bring them all safe to heaven and happiness; in order to which, he put himself in their room and stead, and laid down his life a ransom for them; upon which Job might say, and so may every believer, what follows,

who [is] he [that] will strike hands with me? that will enter the lists, litigate and dispute the point with me, or bring any charge or accusation against me, having such a surety to answer for me, such an advocate to plead my cause, such a Mediator between God and man, who has made reconciliation for sin, brought in everlasting righteousness, and satisfied law and justice, see Romans 8:33; or else the sense is, "who [is] he", besides him that is a surety of God's appointing and providing, "can strike bands with me?" or be a surety for me? there is no other Mediator, Saviour, or Redeemer, besides him; if he had not undertaken the cause of his people, and the redemption of them, it must have ceased for ever, no other was equal to such a work; so that here is another reason used with the Lord to provide a surety, since no other could to any purpose.

r שימה נא "pone nunc", Montanus; "poae quaeso", Pagninus, Piscator, Mercerus, Cocceius, Schmidt; "sub cor tunm", Vatablus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Lay down now - This is evidently an address to God - a repetition of the wish which he had so often expressed, that he might be permitted to bring his cause directly before him; see Job 13:3. The whole passage here is obscure, because we are in a great measure ignorant of the ancient practices in courts of law, and of the ancient forms of trial. The general sense seems to be, that Job desires the Deity to enter into a judicial investigation, and to give him a “pledge” - or, as we should say, a “bond,” or “security” - that he would not avail himself of his almighty power, but would place him on an equality in the trial, and allow him to plead his cause on equal terms; see the notes at Job 13:20-22. The phrase “lay down now” means, lay down a pledge, or something of that kind; and may have referred to some ancient custom of giving security on going to trial, that no advantage would be taken, or that the parties would abide by the decision in the case.

Put me in a surety with thee - The word used here (ערבני ‛ârabı̂yn) is from ערב ‛ârab, to mix, mingle; to exchange, to barter and then to become surety for anyone - that is, to “exchange” places with him, or to stand in his place; Genesis 43:9; Genesis 44:32. Here the idea seems to be, that Job wished the Deity to give him some pledge or security that justice would be done, or that he would not take advantage of his power and majesty to overawe him. Or, as has been remarked, it may refer to some custom of furnishing security on a voluntary trial or arbitration, that the award of the referees would be observed. I think it most probable that this is the idea. The controversy here was to be voluntary. In a voluntary trial, or an arbitration, there is a necessity of some security by the parties that the decision shall be submitted to - a pledge to each other that they will abide by it. Such a pledge Job desired in this case. All this is language taken from courts, and should not be pressed too much, nor should Job be hastily charged with irreverence. Having once suggested the idea of a “trial” of the cause, it was natural for him to use the language which was commonly employed in reference to such trials; and these expressions are to be regarded as thrown in for the sake of “keeping,” or verisimilitude.

Who is he that will strike hands with me? - Striking hands then, as now, seems to have been one mode of confirming an agreement, or ratifying a compact. The idea here is,” Who is there that will be surety to me for thee?” that is, for the faithful observance of right and justice. There is an appearance of irreverence in this language, but it arises from carrying out the ideas pertaining to a form of trial in a court. In entering into “sureties,” it was usual to unite hands; see Proverbs 6:1 :

My son, if thou be surety for thy friend,

If thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger.

So Proverbs 17:18 :

A man void of understanding striketh hands,

And becometh surety in the presence of his friend

Compare Proverbs 11:15; Proverbs 22:26. The same custom prevailed in the times of Homer and of Virgil. Thus, Homer (Iliad, β b. 341) says:

Ποῦ δὴ -

- δεξιαὶ ἦς ἐπέπιθμεν -

Pou Deuteronomy 4:0 -

- dexiai hēs epepithmen -

And so Virgil (Aeneid 4:597) says;

- en dextra fidesque.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 17:3. Lay down now — Deposit a pledge; stake your conduct against mine, and your life and soul on the issue; let the cause come before God, let him try it; and see whether any of you shall be justified by him, while I am condemned.