Ayub 3:14

3:14 with kings and counselors of the earth

who built for themselves places now desolate, ¹ 

Ayub 8:16

8:16 He is a well-watered plant ²  in ³  the sun,

its shoots spread ⁴  over its garden. ⁵ 

Ayub 9:7

9:7 he who commands the sun and ⁶  it does not shine ⁷ 

and seals up ⁸  the stars;

Ayub 13:3

13:3 But I wish to speak ⁹  to the Almighty, ¹⁰ 

and I desire to argue ¹¹  my case ¹²  with God.

Ayub 15:14

15:14 What is man that he should be pure,

or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?

Ayub 15:21

15:21 Terrifying sounds fill ¹³  his ears;

in a time of peace marauders ¹⁴  attack him.

Ayub 15:29

15:29 He will not grow rich,

and his wealth will not endure,

nor will his possessions ¹⁵  spread over the land.

Ayub 17:16

17:16 Will ¹⁶  it ¹⁷  go down to the barred gates ¹⁸  of death?

Will ¹⁹  we descend ²⁰  together into the dust?”

Ayub 21:21-22

21:21 For what is his interest ²¹  in his home

after his death, ²² 

when the number of his months

has been broken off? ²³ 

21:22 Can anyone teach ²⁴  God knowledge,

since ²⁵  he judges those that are on high? ²⁶ 

Ayub 22:14

22:14 Thick clouds are a veil for him, so he does not see us, ²⁷ 

as he goes back and forth

in the vault ²⁸  of heaven.’ ²⁹ 

Ayub 22:24

22:24 and throw ³⁰  your gold ³¹  in the dust –

your gold ³²  of Ophir

among the rocks in the ravines –

Ayub 23:4

23:4 I would lay out my case ³³  before him

and fill my mouth with arguments.

Ayub 23:15

23:15 That is why I am terrified in his presence;

when I consider, I am afraid because of him.

Ayub 24:4

24:4 They turn the needy from the pathway,

and the poor of the land hide themselves together. ³⁴ 

Ayub 24:11

24:11 They press out the olive oil between the rows of olive trees; ³⁵ 

they tread the winepresses while they are thirsty. ³⁶ 

Ayub 24:16

24:16 In the dark the robber ³⁷  breaks into houses, ³⁸ 

but by day they shut themselves in; ³⁹ 

they do not know the light. ⁴⁰ 

Ayub 25:5

25:5 If even the moon is not bright,

and the stars are not pure as far as he is concerned, ⁴¹ 

Ayub 28:5

28:5 The earth, from which food comes,

is overturned below as though by fire; ⁴² 

Ayub 28:23

28:23 God understands the way to it,

and he alone knows its place.

Ayub 29:6

29:6 when my steps ⁴³  were bathed ⁴⁴  with butter ⁴⁵ 

and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil! ⁴⁶ 

Ayub 29:23

29:23 They waited for me as people wait ⁴⁷  for the rain,

and they opened their mouths ⁴⁸ 

as for ⁴⁹  the spring rains.

Ayub 30:11

30:11 Because God has untied ⁵⁰  my tent cord and afflicted me,

people throw off all restraint in my presence. ⁵¹ 

Ayub 33:6

33:6 Look, I am just like you in relation to God;

I too have been molded ⁵²  from clay.

Ayub 34:4

34:4 Let us evaluate ⁵³  for ourselves what is right; ⁵⁴ 

let us come to know among ourselves what is good.

Ayub 34:22

34:22 There is no darkness, and no deep darkness,

where evildoers can hide themselves. ⁵⁵ 

Ayub 35:2

35:2 “Do you think this to be ⁵⁶  just:

when ⁵⁷  you say, ‘My right before God.’ ⁵⁸ 

Ayub 38:5

38:5 Who set its measurements – if ⁵⁹  you know –

or who stretched a measuring line across it?

Ayub 38:16

38:16 Have you gone to the springs that fill the sea, ⁶⁰ 

or walked about in the recesses of the deep?

Ayub 38:29

38:29 From whose womb does the ice emerge,

and the frost from the sky, ⁶¹  who gives birth to it,

Ayub 38:36

38:36 Who has put wisdom in the heart, ⁶² 

or has imparted understanding to the mind?

[3:14]  ¹ tn The difficult term חֳרָבוֹת (khoravot) is translated “desolate [places]”. The LXX confused the word and translated it “who gloried in their swords.” One would expect a word for monuments, or tombs (T. K. Cheyne emended it to “everlasting tombs” [“More Critical Gleanings in Job,” ExpTim 10 (1898/99): 380-83]). But this difficult word is of uncertain etymology and therefore cannot simply be made to mean “royal tombs.” The verb means “be desolate, solitary.” In Isa 48:21 there is the clear sense of a desert. That is the meaning of Assyrian huribtu. It may be that like the pyramids of Egypt these tombs would have been built in the desert regions. Or it may describe how they rebuilt ruins for themselves. He would be saying then that instead of lying here in pain and shame if he had died he would be with the great ones of the earth. Otherwise, the word could be interpreted as a metonymy of effect, indicating that the once glorious tomb now is desolate. But this does not fit the context – the verse is talking about the state of the great ones after their death.

[8:16]  ² tn The figure now changes to a plant that is flourishing and spreading and then suddenly cut off. The word רָטַב (ratav) means “to be moist; to be watered.” The word occurs in Arabic, Aramaic, and Akkadian, but only twice in the Bible: here as the adjective and in 24:8 as the verb.

[8:16]  ³ tn The Hebrew is לִפְנֵי (lifne, “before”). Does this mean “in the presence of the sun,” i.e., under a sweltering sun, or “before” the sun rises? It seems more natural to take לִפְנֵי (lifne) as “in the presence of” or “under.”

[8:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “its shoot goes out.”

[8:16]  ⁵ tc Some have emended this phrase to obtain “over the roofs.” The LXX has “out of his corruption.” H. M. Orlinsky has shown that this reading arose from an internal LXX change, saprias having replaced prasias, “garden” (JQR 26 [1935/36]: 134-35).

[9:7]  ⁶ tn The form could also be subordinated, “that it shine not” (see further GKC 323 §109.g).

[9:7]  ⁷ tn The verb זָרַח (zarakh) means “rise.” This is the ordinary word for the sunrise. But here it probably has the idea of “shine; glisten,” which is also attested in Hebrew and Aramaic.

[9:7]  sn There are various views on the meaning of this line in this verse. Some think it refers to some mysterious darkness like the judgment in Egypt (Exod 10:21-23), or to clouds building (3:5), often in accompaniment of earthquakes (see Joel 2:10, 3:15-16; Isa 13:10-13). It could also refer to an eclipse. All this assumes that the phenomenon here is limited to the morning or the day; but it could simply be saying that God controls light and darkness.

[9:7]  ⁸ tn The verb חָתַם (khatam) with בְּעַד (bÿ’ad) before its complement, means “to seal; to wall up; to enclose.” This is a poetic way of saying that God prevents the stars from showing their light.

[13:3]  ⁹ tn The verb is simply the Piel imperfect אֲדַבֵּר (’adabber, “I speak”). It should be classified as a desiderative imperfect, saying, “I desire to speak.” This is reinforced with the verb “to wish, desire” in the second half of the verse.

[13:3]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew title for God here is אֶל־שַׁדַּי (’el shadday, “El Shaddai”).

[13:3]  ¹¹ tn The infinitive absolute functions here as the direct object of the verb “desire” (see GKC 340 §113.b).

[13:3]  ¹² tn The infinitive הוֹכֵחַ (hokheakh) is from the verb יָכַח (yakhakh), which means “to argue, plead, debate.” It has the legal sense here of arguing a case (cf. 5:17).

[15:21]  ¹³ tn The word “fill” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation.

[15:21]  ¹⁴ tn The word שׁוֹדֵד (shoded) means “a robber; a plunderer” (see Job 12:6). With the verb bo’ the sentence means that the robber pounces on or comes against him (see GKC 373 §118.f). H. H. Rowley observes that the text does not say that he is under attack, but that the sound of fears is in his ears, i.e., that he is terrified by thoughts of this.

[15:29]  ¹⁵ tn This word מִנְלָם (minlam) also is a hapax legomenon, although almost always interpreted to mean “possession” (with Arabic manal) and repointed as מְנֹלָם (mÿnolam). M. Dahood further changes “earth” to the netherworld, and interprets it to mean “his possessions will not go down to the netherworld (“Value of Ugaritic for Textual Criticism,” Bib 40 [1959]: 164-66). Others suggest it means “ear of grain,” either from the common word for “ears of grain” or a hapax legomenon in Deuteronomy 23:26 [25].

[17:16]  ¹⁶ sn It is natural to assume that this verse continues the interrogative clause of the preceding verse.

[17:16]  ¹⁷ tn The plural form of the verb probably refers to the two words, or the two senses of the word in the preceding verse. Hope and what it produces will perish with Job.

[17:16]  ¹⁸ tn The Hebrew word בַּדִּים (baddim) describes the “bars” or “bolts” of Sheol, referring (by synecdoche) to the “gates of Sheol.” The LXX has “with me to Sheol,” and many adopt that as “by my side.”

[17:16]  ¹⁹ tn The conjunction אִם (’im) confirms the interrogative interpretation.

[17:16]  ²⁰ tn The translation follows the LXX and the Syriac versions with the change of vocalization in the MT. The MT has the noun “rest,” yielding, “will our rest be together in the dust?” The verb נָחַת (nakhat) in Aramaic means “to go down; to descend.” If that is the preferred reading – and it almost is universally accepted here – then it would be spelled נֵחַת (nekhat). In either case the point of the verse is clearly describing death and going to the grave.

[21:21]  ²¹ tn Heb “his desire.” The meaning is that after he is gone he does not care about what happens to his household (“house” meaning “family” here).

[21:21]  ²² tn Heb “after him,” but clearly the meaning is “after he is gone.”

[21:21]  ²³ tc The rare word חֻצָּצוּ (khutsatsu) is probably a cognate of hassa in Arabic, meaning “to cut off.” There is also an Akkadian word “to cut in two” and “to break.” These fit the context here rather well. The other Hebrew words that are connected to the root חָצַצ (khatsats) do not offer any help.

[21:22]  ²⁴ tn The imperfect verb in this question should be given the modal nuance of potential imperfect. The question is rhetorical – it is affirming that no one can teach God.

[21:22]  ²⁵ tn The clause begins with the disjunctive vav (ו) and the pronoun, “and he.” This is to be subordinated as a circumstantial clause. See GKC 456 §142.d.

[21:22]  ²⁶ tc The Hebrew has רָמִים (ramim), a plural masculine participle of רוּם (rum, “to be high; to be exalted”). This is probably a reference to the angels. But M. Dahood restores an older interpretation that it refers to “the Most High” (“Some Northwest Semitic words in Job,”Bib 38 [1957]: 316-17). He would take the word as a singular form with an enclitic mem (ם). He reads the verse, “will he judge the Most High?”

[22:14]  ²⁷ tn Heb “and he does not see.” The implied object is “us.”

[22:14]  ²⁸ sn The word is “circle; dome”; here it is the dome that covers the earth, beyond which God sits enthroned. A. B. Davidson (Job, 165) suggests “on the arch of heaven” that covers the earth.

[22:14]  ²⁹ sn The idea suggested here is that God is not only far off, but he is unconcerned as he strolls around heaven – this is what Eliphaz says Job means.

[22:24]  ³⁰ tc The form is the imperative. Eliphaz is telling Job to get rid of his gold as evidence of his repentance. Many commentators think that this is too improbable for Eliphaz to have said, and that Job has lost everything anyway, and so they make proposals for the text. Most would follow Theodotion and the Syriac to read וְשָׁתָּ (vÿshatta, “and you will esteem….”). This would mean that he is promising Job restoration of his wealth.

[22:24]  tn Heb “place.”

[22:24]  ³¹ tn The word for “gold” is the rare בֶּצֶר (betser), which may be derived from a cognate of Arabic basara, “to see; to examine.” If this is the case, the word here would refer to refined gold. The word also forms a fine wordplay with בְצוּר (bÿtsur, “in the rock”).

[22:24]  ³² tn The Hebrew text simply has “Ophir,” a metonymy for the gold that comes from there.

[23:4]  ³³ tn The word מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) is normally “judgment; decision.” But in these contexts it refers to the legal case that Job will bring before God. With the verb עָרַךְ (’arakh, “to set in order; to lay out”) the whole image of drawing up a lawsuit is complete.

[24:4]  ³⁴ sn Because of the violence and oppression of the wicked, the poor and needy, the widows and orphans, all are deprived of their rights and forced out of the ways and into hiding just to survive.

[24:11]  ³⁵ tc The Hebrew term is שׁוּרֹתָם (shurotam), which may be translated “terraces” or “olive rows.” But that would not be the proper place to have a press to press the olives and make oil. E. Dhorme (Job, 360-61) proposes on the analogy of an Arabic word that this should be read as “millstones” (which he would also write in the dual). But the argument does not come from a clean cognate, but from a possible development of words. The meaning of “olive rows” works well enough.

[24:11]  ³⁶ tn The final verb, a preterite with the ו (vav) consecutive, is here interpreted as a circumstantial clause.

[24:16]  ³⁷ tn The phrase “the robber” has been supplied in the English translation for clarification.

[24:16]  ³⁸ tc This is not the idea of the adulterer, but of the thief. So some commentators reverse the order and put this verse after v. 14.

[24:16]  ³⁹ tc The verb חִתְּמוּ (khittÿmu) is the Piel from the verb חָתַם (khatam, “to seal”). The verb is now in the plural, covering all the groups mentioned that work under the cover of darkness. The suggestion that they “seal,” i.e., “mark” the house they will rob, goes against the meaning of the word “seal.”

[24:16]  ⁴⁰ tc Some commentators join this very short colon to the beginning of v. 17: “they do not know the light. For together…” becomes “for together they have not known the light.”

[25:5]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “not pure in his eyes.”

[28:5]  ⁴² sn The verse has been properly understood, on the whole, as comparing the earth above and all its produce with the upheaval down below.

[29:6]  ⁴³ tn The word is a hapax legomenon, but the meaning is clear enough. It refers to the walking, the steps, or even the paths where one walks. It is figurative of his course of life.

[29:6]  ⁴⁴ tn The Hebrew word means “to wash; to bathe”; here it is the infinitive construct in a temporal clause, “my steps” being the genitive: “in the washing of my steps in butter.”

[29:6]  ⁴⁵ tn Again, as in Job 21:17, “curds.”

[29:6]  ⁴⁶ tn The MT reads literally, “and the rock was poured out [passive participle] for me as streams of oil.” There are some who delete the word “rock” to shorten the line because it seems out of place. But olive trees thrive in rocky soil, and the oil presses are cut into the rock; it is possible that by metonymy all this is intended here (H. H. Rowley, Job [NCBC], 186).

[29:23]  ⁴⁷ tn The phrase “people wait for” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation.

[29:23]  ⁴⁸ sn The analogy is that they received his words eagerly as the dry ground opens to receive the rains.

[29:23]  ⁴⁹ tn The כּ (kaf) preposition is to be supplied by analogy with the preceding phrase. This leaves a double proposition, “as for” (but see Job 29:2).

[30:11]  ⁵⁰ tn The verb פָּתַח (patakh) means “to untie [or undo]” a rope or bonds. In this verse יִתְרוֹ (yitro, the Kethib, LXX, and Vulgate) would mean “his rope” (see יֶתֶר [yeter] in Judg 16:7-9). The Qere would be יִתְרִי (yitri, “my rope [or cord]”), meaning “me.” The word could mean “rope,” “cord,” or “bowstring.” If the reading “my cord” is accepted, the cord would be something like “my tent cord” (as in Job 29:20), more than K&D 12:147 “cord of life.” This has been followed in the present translation. If it were “my bowstring,” it would give the sense of disablement. If “his cord” is taken, it would signify that the restraint that God had in afflicting Job was loosened – nothing was held back.

[30:11]  ⁵¹ sn People throw off all restraint in my presence means that when people saw how God afflicted Job, robbing him of his influence and power, then they turned on him with unrestrained insolence (H. H. Rowley, Job [NCBC], 193).

[33:6]  ⁵² tn The verb means “nipped off,” as a potter breaks off a piece of clay when molding a vessel.

[34:4]  ⁵³ sn Elihu means “choose after careful examination.”

[34:4]  ⁵⁴ tn The word is מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) again, with the sense of what is right or just.

[34:22]  ⁵⁵ tn The construction of this colon uses the Niphal infinitive construct from סָתַר (satar, “to be hidden; to hide”). The resumptive adverb makes this a relative clause in its usage: “where the evildoers can hide themselves.”

[35:2]  ⁵⁶ tn The line could be read as “do you reckon this for justice? Here “to be” is understood.

[35:2]  ⁵⁷ tn The word “when” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

[35:2]  ⁵⁸ tn The brief line could be interpreted in a number of ways. The MT simply has “my right from God.” It could be “I am right before God,” “I am more just/right than God” (identifying the preposition as a comparative min (מִן); cf. J. E. Hartley, Job [NICOT], 463), “I will be right before God,” or “My just cause against God.”

[38:5]  ⁵⁹ tn The particle כּ (ki) is taken here for a conditional clause, “if you know” (see GKC 498 §159.dd). Others take it as “surely” with a biting irony.

[38:16]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “the springs of the sea.” The words “that fill” are supplied in the translation to clarify the meaning of the phrase.

[38:29]  ⁶¹ tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.

[38:36]  ⁶² tn This verse is difficult because of the two words, טֻחוֹת (tukhot, rendered here “heart”) and שֶׂכְוִי (sekhvi, here “mind”). They have been translated a number of ways: “meteor” and “celestial appearance”; the stars “Procyon” and “Sirius”; “inward part” and “mind”; even as birds, “ibis” and “cock.” One expects them to have something to do with nature – clouds and the like. The RSV accordingly took them to mean “meteor” (from a verb “to wander”) and “a celestial appearance.” But these meanings are not well-attested.