Job 19:23 (DBY)

Passage

Oh would that my words were written! oh that they were inscribed in a book!

Nearby Context

Job 19:21 Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.

Job 19:22 Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

Job 19:23 Oh would that my words were written! oh that they were inscribed in a book!

Job 19:24 That with an iron style and lead they were graven in the rock for ever!

Job 19:25 And [as for] me, I know that my Redeemer liveth, and the Last, he shall stand upon the earth;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "words", "written", "inscribed", and "book". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "words" and "written", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "Why do ye persecute me as God..." into verse 24's "That with an iron style and lead...", so "words" and "written" belong inside that flow. In Job context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "words" and "written" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.