3 If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.
3 Though they wished to dispute with him, they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.
3 If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times.
3 If we wanted to bring our case before him, what chance would we have? Not one in a thousand!
3 If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
3 If someone wanted to take God to court, would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times?
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Job 9:3
Commentary on Job 9:1-13
(Read Job 9:1-13)
In this answer Job declared that he did not doubt the justice of God, when he denied himself to be a hypocrite; for how should man be just with God? Before him he pleaded guilty of sins more than could be counted; and if God should contend with him in judgment, he could not justify one out of a thousand, of all the thoughts, words, and actions of his life; therefore he deserved worse than all his present sufferings. When Job mentions the wisdom and power of God, he forgets his complaints. We are unfit to judge of God's proceedings, because we know not what he does, or what he designs. God acts with power which no creature can resist. Those who think they have strength enough to help others, will not be able to help themselves against it.