Ayub 19:27

19:27 whom I will see for myself, ¹ 

and whom my own eyes will behold,

and not another. ² 

My heart ³  grows faint within me. ⁴ 

Ayub 24:24

24:24 They are exalted for a little while,

and then they are gone, ⁵ 

they are brought low ⁶  like all others,

and gathered in, ⁷ 

and like a head of grain they are cut off.’ ⁸ 

Ayub 42:9

42:9 So they went, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, and did just as the Lord had told them; and the Lord had respect for Job. ⁹ 

[19:27]  ¹ tn The emphasis is on “I” and “for myself.” No other will be seeing this vindication, but Job himself will see it. Of that he is confident. Some take לִי (li, “for myself”) to mean favorable to me, or on my side (see A. B. Davidson, Job, 143). But Job is expecting (not just wishing for) a face-to-face encounter in the vindication.

[19:27]  ² tn Hitzig offered another interpretation that is somewhat forced. The “other” (זָר, zar) or “stranger” would refer to Job. He would see God, not as an enemy, but in peace.

[19:27]  ³ tn Heb “kidneys,” a poetic expression for the seat of emotions.

[19:27]  ⁴ tn Heb “fail/grow faint in my breast.” Job is saying that he has expended all his energy with his longing for vindication.

[24:24]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew throughout this section (vv. 18-24) interchanges the singular and the plural. Here again we have “they are exalted…but he is not.” The verse is clear nonetheless: the wicked rise high, and then suddenly they are gone.

[24:24]  ⁶ tn The verb is the Hophal of the rare verb מָכַךְ (makhakh), which seems to mean “to bend; to collapse.” The text would read “they are made to collapse like all others.” There is no reason here to change “like others” just because the MT is banal. But many do, following the LXX with “like mallows.” The LXX was making a translation according to sense. R. Gordis (Job, 271) prefers “like grass.”

[24:24]  ⁷ tn The verb קָפַץ (qafats) actually means “to shut in,” which does not provide exactly the idea of being gathered, not directly at least. But a change to קָטַף (qataf, “pluck”) while attractive, is not necessary.

[24:24]  ⁸ sn This marks the end of the disputed section, taken here to be a quotation by Job of their sentiments.

[42:9]  ⁹ tn The expression “had respect for Job” means God answered his prayer.