Job Chapter 19    

“Redeemer.” The Hebrew text often refers to a kinsman-redeemer (see commentary on Ruth 2:20, “kinsman-redeemer”), but it can also refer to Yahweh the redeemer (Exod. 6:6; Ps. 19:15; 78:35).

“In the end, he will rise up over the dust.” Job 19:25 is difficult because of its unusual wording, for example, the Hebrew word translated as “stand” in most versions is more properly “rise” or “rise up,” and the word translated in most English versions as “earth” is actually “dust.”

It seems the best explanation of Job 19:25 is that Job is declaring his confidence that the living God, his Redeemer (e.g., Exod. 6:6, Psa. 19:15, 78:35, where God is Redeemer), will testify to his righteousness. While Job acknowledges that yes, God has brought difficulties and that others persecute him (Job 19:5-19), he believes in the end he will be vindicated by God (Job 19:25).

The Hebrew word that many versions translate as “stand” is qum (#06965 קוּם quwm), and it is not the typical word for “stand,” it has more the meaning of “rise,” “rise up,” or “stand up.” For example, the CEB reads, “But I know that my redeemer is alive and afterward he'll rise upon the dust” (cp. CJB). However, the preferred understanding in the HALOT Hebrew-English lexicon is that “rise,” i.e., “stand up,” refers to standing up as a witness. HALOT gives its meaning as “to get up, stand up,” and it is used of witnesses (Deut. 19:15ff; Ps. 27:12; 35:11; Zeph. 3:8) and HALOT even points out that in Job 19:25 God would be the witness, even saying “stand up for” (as a defense witness) (cp. Ps. 94:16; cp. Job 19:25). In other words, Job is stating that God will rise up as a defense witness that Job—who is just dust—is innocent and one day God will testify to that fact.

It is also possible, but seems less likely, that Job 19:25 could be a resurrection verse with the sense of “In the end he will rise up over the dust.” Or, it is also possible that the phrase “rise up over” could be understood to have the meaning “conquer” in the sense of conquering over the dust. We see the basic meaning of stand in battle, or conquer, in Psalm 89:43, where qum refers to “standing” in the battle, that is, being the victor.

The Septuagint also takes the “Redeemer” in the verse to be God, but goes in a different direction with the rest of the verse: “I know that He who is about to undo me on earth is everlasting.

“in my flesh I will see God.” Job knew that he would be resurrected from the dead and granted everlasting life, which was promised to Old Testament people who lived righteous lives. The Old Testament has a number of verses about God raising the dead in the future (cp. Deut. 32:39; Job. 19:25-27; Ps. 71:20; Isa. 26:19; 66:14; Ezek. 37:12-14; Dan. 12:2, 13; and Hos. 13:14). Job has said in a number of places that he, and everyone else, will die and be dead (cp. Job 3:11-13; 7:7-10; 14:12; 19:25-26; 30:23).