Job 16:21

and ¹  he contends with God on behalf of man as a man ²  pleads ³  for his friend.

on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend.

"O that a man might plead with God As a man with his neighbor!

Oh, that someone would mediate between God and me, as a person mediates between friends.

I appeal to the One who represents mortals before God as a neighbor stands up for a neighbor.

So that he may give decision for a man in his cause with God, and between a son of man and his neighbour.

that he would maintain the right of a mortal with God, as one does for a neighbor.

Oh, that one might plead for a man with God, As a man pleads for his neighbor!

and ¹  he contends with God on behalf of man as a man ²  pleads ³  for his friend.

¹ tn E. Dhorme (Job, 240) alters this slightly to read “Would that” or “Ah! if only.”

² tn This is the simple translation of the expression “son of man” in Job. But some commentators wish to change the word בֵּן (ben, “son”) to בֵּין (ben, “between”). It would then be “[as] between a man and [for] his friend.” Even though a few mss have this reading, it is to be rejected. But see J. Barr, “Some Notes on ‘ben’ in Classical Hebrew,” JSS 23 (1978): 1-22.

³ tn The verb is supplied from the parallel clause.