Job 9:21
Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
Original Language Analysis
תָּֽם
Though I were perfect
H8535
תָּֽם
Though I were perfect
Strong's:
H8535
Word #:
1 of 7
complete; usually (morally) pious; specifically, gentle, dear
לֹֽא
H3808
לֹֽא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
3 of 7
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
אֵדַ֥ע
yet would I not know
H3045
אֵדַ֥ע
yet would I not know
Strong's:
H3045
Word #:
4 of 7
to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including o
נַפְשִׁ֗י
my soul
H5315
נַפְשִׁ֗י
my soul
Strong's:
H5315
Word #:
5 of 7
properly, a breathing creature, i.e., animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or ment
Cross References
Job 1:1There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.Job 7:21And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.Proverbs 28:26He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
Historical Context
Ancient identity was corporately and externally defined—by family, tribe, reputation, possessions. Job's loss of all these markers creates identity crisis. Who is he when stripped of all external indicators? The question anticipates Christian teaching that identity rests in Christ, not circumstances.
Questions for Reflection
- How do we maintain sense of identity when circumstances contradict our conscience?
- What does Job's self-alienation teach about suffering's power to distort self-understanding?
- In what ways does union with Christ provide stable identity independent of circumstances?
Analysis & Commentary
Job declares self-forgetfulness in despair: 'Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.' The phrase 'though I were perfect' (tam-ani, תָּם-אָנִי) uses the same word God used to describe Job (1:8). 'I would not know my soul' (lo eda naphshi, לֹא אֵדַע נַפְשִׁי) expresses alienation from self—Job cannot recognize himself. He would 'despise my life' (ma'as chayyay, מָאַס חַיַּי), rejecting his own existence.
Suffering has disoriented Job so completely that even his self-understanding collapses. He knows he's perfect (righteous) yet cannot affirm it—his experience contradicts his conscience. This creates cognitive dissonance: inner witness says 'innocent,' external circumstances say 'guilty.' The conflict generates despair. Job cannot trust his own assessment of himself when God seems to contradict it.
The gospel addresses this identity crisis: our righteousness doesn't rest on self-assessment but on Christ's imputed righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). We are simultaneously sinners (in ourselves) and righteous (in Christ). Job's struggle to know his own soul finds resolution when believers' identity is secured in Christ, not in self-perception or circumstances.