Ayub 12:10

12:10 in whose hand ¹  is the life ²  of every creature

and the breath of all the human race. ³ 

Ayub 12:14

12:14 If ⁴  he tears down, it cannot be rebuilt;

if he imprisons a person, there is no escape. ⁵ 

Ayub 32:21

32:21 I will not show partiality to anyone, ⁶ 

nor will I confer a title ⁷  on any man.

Ayub 34:23

34:23 For he does not still consider a person, ⁸ 

that he should come before God in judgment.

Ayub 37:20

37:20 Should he be informed that I want ⁹  to speak?

If a man speaks, surely he would be swallowed up!

Ayub 38:26

38:26 to cause it to rain on an uninhabited land, ¹⁰ 

a desert where there are no human beings, ¹¹ 

[12:10]  ¹ tn The construction with the relative clause includes a resumptive pronoun referring to God: “who in his hand” = “in whose hand.”

[12:10]  ² tn The two words נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) and רוּחַ (ruakh) are synonymous in general. They could be translated “soul” and “spirit,” but “soul” is not precise for נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh), and so “life” is to be preferred. Since that is the case for the first half of the verse, “breath” will be preferable in the second part.

[12:10]  ³ tn Human life is made of “flesh” and “spirit.” So here the line reads “and the spirit of all flesh of man.” If the text had simply said “all flesh,” that would have applied to all flesh in which there is the breath of life (see Gen 6:17; 7:15). But to limit this to human beings requires the qualification with “man.”

[12:14]  ⁴ tn The use of הֵן (hen, equivalent to הִנֵּה, hinneh, “behold”) introduces a hypothetical condition.

[12:14]  ⁵ tn The verse employs antithetical ideas: “tear down” and “build up,” “imprison” and “escape.” The Niphal verbs in the sentences are potential imperfects. All of this is to say that humans cannot reverse the will of God.

[32:21]  ⁶ tn The idiom is “I will not lift up the face of a man.” Elihu is going to show no favoritism, but speak his mind.

[32:21]  ⁷ tn The verb means “to confer an honorary title; to give a mark of distinction,” but it is often translated with the verb “flatter.” Elihu will not take sides, he will not use pompous titles.

[34:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “for he does not put upon man yet.” This has been given a wide variety of interpretations, all of which involve a lot of additional thoughts. The word עוֹד (’od, “yet, still”) has been replaced with מוֹעֵד (mo’ed, “an appointed time,” Reiske and Wright), with the ם (mem) having dropped out by haplography. This makes good sense. If the MT is retained, the best interpretation would be that God does not any more consider (from “place upon the heart”) man, that he might appear in judgment.

[37:20]  ⁹ tn This imperfect works well as a desiderative imperfect.

[38:26]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “on a land, no man.”

[38:26]  ¹¹ tn Heb “a desert, no man in it.”