That he would maintain the right of a man with God: in 9.33 Job complained “There is no umpire between us” (Revised Standard Version). Job’s desire is that his witness be an “arbiter, umpire, mediator” between man (himself) and God. Revised Standard Version that he links verse 21 to verse 19 by referring apparently to “my witness in heaven.” Maintain the right translates the verb from which the noun “umpire” comes in 9.33. It means “reprove, argue, or reason,” as in Isaiah 1.18. If the translator does not interpret the line to mean “that God would argue a man’s case with God,” he must, like Revised Standard Version, refer to someone already mentioned; for example, “my witness in heaven,” or, as in Good News Translation, repeat an indefinite “someone.” New English Bible says “If only there were one to arbitrate between man and God.” Bible en français courant makes the reference back to verse 19: “Oh! That my witness would arbitrate between God and me!” If the translator follows Revised Standard Version or Bible en français courant, linking this verse to verse 19, this line may be rendered “I want my witness to speak to God for me” or “I wish my witness would take up my case with God.” If the one to plead on Job’s behalf is understood to be someone else, Good News Translation provides a good model for translating.

Like that of a man with his neighbor: the Hebrew text has the connective waw “and,” and not “like.” However, the ancient versions understood the connective to serve here as a comparison, and it is best to take it as in Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation. Man in this line translates the Hebrew “son of man,” but this expression simply means “a man.” Some scholars change the Hebrew word for “son” to “between” and understand the meaning to be “as between a man and his neighbor.” The verb in this line must be supplied from the previous line. Neighbor translates the word for “friend” used in verse 20. In some languages the simile may have to be placed at the beginning of the verse; for example, “As a person pleads for his friend, I want someone to speak to God for me.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .