Job 13:15

Trust in him. It is possible to translate the Hebrew of the first half of this verse in two different ways: (1) as here, and (2) “behold he will kill me, I have no hope.” The difference resides in the spelling of the Hebrew word lo’, translated “in him.” Lo’ almost invariably means “not,” being the common Hebrew adverb of negation. To get the translation “in him,” the spelling would normally be lo. However, the KJV rendering is supported by the LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, and the Targums. Either the translators of the ancient versions had before them in their Hebrew text lo, or they regarded lo’ as at times equivalent to lo. Other texts where lo’, “not,” is apparently written lo, “to him,” or its equivalent, are Ex. 21:8; Lev. 11:21; 25:30; 1 Sam. 2:3; 2 Sam. 16:18.

Accepting the wording of the KJV, we have the first rung in the ladder by which Job emerged from the abyss of despair. “From the depths of discouragement and despondency Job rose to the heights of implicit trust in the mercy and the saving power of God. Triumphantly he declared: ‘Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him’” (PK 163, 164).

Maintain mine own ways. Job repeats the resolve of vs. 13 and 14 to argue his case.