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Job 23:5 meaning

Job’s words remind us that even in our deepest affliction, genuine faith clings to the hope of God’s response.

“I would learn the words which He would answer, And perceive what He would say to me.” (v.5) Here, Job expresses a longing desire to grasp the fullness of God’s response. Job, a key figure believed by many to have lived during the patriarchal period (around 2100-1700 BC), struggles to make sense of unprecedented suffering and yearns for direct communication with the Almighty to ease his anguish. His words portray a steadfast faith that God holds deeper wisdom and insight, even when circumstances are grim.

By saying he would “learn the words which He would answer,” Job conveys not just curiosity, but genuine humility in seeking guidance. Though he feels abandoned in his trials, he trusts there is purpose behind God’s silence. This echoes a longing found throughout Scripture where believers cry out for understanding (Job 10:2; Psalm 25:4). The conviction that God’s message is upright—even if mysterious—foreshadows the New Testament principle of seeking greater clarity from Christ (Matthew 7:7).

His intention to “perceive” reveals he wants more than just an audible answer—he seeks comprehension of God's perspective. Such earnest pursuit often characterizes genuine faith: a willingness to hear divine truth and, in turn, respond to it obediently. Like many believers who later encountered Jesus and recognized Him as the perfect revelation of God (Hebrews 1:2), Job stands ready to receive whatever message the Lord may offer.

Job 23:5