Job 27:9
Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?
Original Language Analysis
יִשְׁמַ֥ע׀
hear
H8085
יִשְׁמַ֥ע׀
hear
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
2 of 7
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
אֵ֑ל
Will God
H410
אֵ֑ל
Will God
Strong's:
H410
Word #:
3 of 7
strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the almighty (but used also of any deity)
כִּֽי
H3588
כִּֽי
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
4 of 7
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
Cross References
Isaiah 1:15And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.Proverbs 1:28Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:Jeremiah 14:12When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.Psalms 18:41They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.Micah 3:4Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.Psalms 66:18If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:Jeremiah 11:11Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.Zechariah 7:13Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:James 4:3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.Ezekiel 8:18Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.
Historical Context
The Ancient Near Eastern worldview assumed that deities responded to proper cultic worship, making unanswered prayer theologically problematic. Job's dialogue probes deeper—prayer's effectiveness depends on the pray-er's righteousness and relationship with God, not mere ritual correctness. This prepares for New Testament teaching on prayer in Jesus's name based on covenant relationship.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you reconcile Job's experience of feeling unheard with God's promise to hear the righteous?
- What does this verse teach about the relationship between lifestyle and effective prayer?
- How does Christ's forsakenness on the cross ensure that God will never ultimately abandon the prayers of His people?
Analysis & Commentary
Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? (הַצַעֲקָתוֹ יִשְׁמַע אֵל כִּי־תָבוֹא עָלָיו צָרָה). The rhetorical question expects a negative answer—the wicked man's cry (tsa'aqah, צְעָקָה, desperate outcry) will not be heard when tsarah (צָרָה, distress/trouble) overtakes him. Job describes the fate of the wicked in contrast to his own persistent prayer despite suffering.
The irony cuts deep: Job himself has been crying to God throughout his ordeal (chapters 3-31), yet feels unheard—now he describes how the wicked will truly go unheard. This anticipates Jesus's teaching that God doesn't hear sinners (John 9:31) and James's warning that prayers can be hindered by wrong motives (James 4:3). Yet Psalm 34:17 promises God hears the righteous when they cry. The text wrestles with theodicy: why does the righteous Job feel unheard while affirming that God won't hear the wicked? This tension resolves only in Christ, who was forsaken (Matthew 27:46) so believers' prayers would be heard.