Albert Barnes Commentary Job 23:6

"Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? Nay; but he would give heed unto me." — Job 23:6 (ASV)

Will he plead against me with his great power? Will he make use of his mere power to overwhelm and confound me? Will he take advantage of omnipotence to triumph over me, instead of argument and justice? No; he will not do it. The discussion would be fair. He would hear what I have to say and would decide according to truth. Though he is Almighty, yet he would not take advantage of that to prostrate and confound me.

When Job (Job 13:3) wished to carry the cause directly before God, he asked of Him two conditions only. One was that He would take off his hand from him, or remove his afflictions for a time, so that he might be able to manage his own cause. The other was that He would not take advantage of his power to overwhelm him in the debate and prevent his making a fair statement of his case (see the notes at Job 13:20-21). Job here expresses his firm conviction that his wish in this respect would be granted. He would listen, Job says, to what I have to say in my defense as if I were an equal.

No; but he would put strength in me. The word “strength” is not improperly supplied by our translators. It means that he would enable him to make a fair presentation of his cause. So far from taking advantage of his mere “power” to crush him, and thus obtain an ascendancy in the argument, he would rather “strengthen” him, so that he might be able to make his case as strong as possible. He would rather aid him, though presenting his own cause in the controversy, than seek to weaken his arguments, or so to awe him by his dread majesty as to prevent his making the case as strong as it might be. This indicates remarkable confidence in God.