Job 19:25-27 | TNotes | STEP | 19:25 Job’s faith in a Redeemer could find fulfillment only in Christ; the same was true of his request for an advocate (9:33 ) and a witness in heaven (16:19 ). The term “Redeemer” (Hebrew go’el ) comes from both criminal and civil law. An individual could redeem or avenge wrongful bloodshed (Num 35:12-18 ) or redeem lost property, perhaps by buying back a slave or marrying the heir’s widow (Lev 25:25 , 47-49 ; 27:11-13 ; Ruth 3:13 ). The Old Testament knew the Lord as redeemer (Exod 6:6 ; Pss 19:14 ; 103:4 ; Prov 23:10-11 ; Isa 43:1 [“ransomed”]; Isa 54:5 ); New Testament believers know the Redeemer as the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 1:7 , 14 ; Heb 9:12 ; 1 Pet 1:18 ). Job wanted his Redeemer to declare his innocence (see Job 1:1 and corresponding study note).

19:25 ^a Job’s faith in a Redeemer could find fulfillment only in Christ; the same was true of his request for an advocate (9:33 ^b) and a witness in heaven (16:19 ^c). The term “Redeemer” (Hebrew go’el) comes from both criminal and civil law. An individual could redeem or avenge wrongful bloodshed (Num 35:12-18 ^d) or redeem lost property, perhaps by buying back a slave or marrying the heir’s widow (Lev 25:25 ^e, 47-49 ^f; 27:11-13 ^g; Ruth 3:13 ^h). The Old Testament knew the Lord as redeemer (Exod 6:6 ⁱ; Pss 19:14 ^j; 103:4 ^k; Prov 23:10-11 ^l; Isa 43:1 ^m [“ransomed”]; Isa 54:5 ⁿ); New Testament believers know the Redeemer as the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 1:7 ^o, 14 ^p; Heb 9:12 ^q; 1 Pet 1:18 ^r). Job wanted his Redeemer to declare his innocence (see Job 1:1 ^s and corresponding study note).
19:26 ^t Job had faith that he would be vindicated even if death came first.
19:27 ^u I will see him for myself: The thought is the same as the psalmist’s in “when I awake” (Ps 17:15 ^v). For Job, this hope could only be fulfilled in seeing God at the end of time (Matt 5:8 ^w; 1 Cor 13:12 ^x; 1 Jn 3:2 ^y; Rev 1:7 ^z) in transformed flesh (1 Cor 15:43-53 ^aa; Phil 3:21 ^ab).