(Hebrew: mokiah), which is the option Job really focuses on. It is unclear what kind of third party Job expects, whether it is an actual or a hypothetical figure. Job pursues the possibility of an arbiter again in Job 16:18–22 and 19:23–27. Verses 30–31 [Job said:] "If I wash myself with snowand cleanse my hands with lye, yet you will plunge me into a pit,and my own clothes will abhor me.""With snow": translated from the written Hebrew ,vmo, "(in) snow", whereas it is read as ,vme sheleg, "with water of snow", as supported by the Syriac versions and Targum; here apparently symbolizes "purification" (cf. Psalm 51:9 and Isaiah 1:18. The term sheleg (only appeared for "reading" not in "writing"), also rendered as “soap” (NIV, NRSV, NLT). "Lye": from Hebrew , bor ("lye", potash"), which has the same meaning as , borit, the alkali or soda made from the ashes of certain plants used as an ingredient to wash or to make (hands) pure or clean. "Pit": rendered based on the pointing in the Masoretic Text (, sakhat, also means "ditch"). A change in the pointing of the Hebrew word to , shukhot, obtains the equivalent of , sukhot or , sukhot'', which means "filth" (Isaiah 5:25). M. H. Pope argues that the word "pit" in the Masoretic Text includes the idea of "filth", so an emendation is unnecessary. See also Related Bible parts: Job 4, Job 6, Job 7, Job 38, Job 42, Isaiah 5, Amos 5 References Sources External links Jewish translations: Iyov - Job - Chapter 9 (Judaica Press) translation [with Rashi's commentary] at Chabad.org Christian translations: Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English) Book of Job Chapter 9. Various versions Various versions 09