Ayub 1:2

1:2 Seven ¹  sons and three daughters were born to him. ² 

Ayub 3:10

3:10 because it ³  did not shut the doors ⁴  of my mother’s womb on me, ⁵ 

nor did it hide trouble ⁶  from my eyes!

Ayub 5:3

5:3 I myself ⁷  have seen the fool ⁸  taking root,

but suddenly I cursed his place of residence. ⁹ 

Ayub 5:6

5:6 For evil does not come up from the dust, ¹⁰ 

nor does trouble spring up from the ground,

Ayub 6:3

6:3 But because it is heavier ¹¹  than the sand ¹²  of the sea,

that is why my words have been wild. ¹³ 

Ayub 6:17

6:17 When they are scorched, ¹⁴  they dry up,

when it is hot, they vanish ¹⁵  from their place.

Ayub 7:13

7:13 If ¹⁶  I say, ¹⁷  “My bed will comfort me, ¹⁸ 

my couch will ease ¹⁹  my complaint,”

Ayub 8:12

8:12 While they are still beginning to flower ²⁰ 

and not ripe for cutting, ²¹ 

they can wither away ²² 

faster ²³  than any grass! ²⁴ 

Ayub 8:18

8:18 If he is uprooted ²⁵  from his place,

then that place ²⁶  will disown him, saying, ²⁷ 

‘I have never seen you!’

Ayub 9:27-28

9:27 If I say, ²⁸  ‘I will ²⁹  forget my complaint,

I will change my expression ³⁰  and be cheerful,’ ³¹ 

9:28 I dread ³²  all my sufferings, ³³ 

for ³⁴  I know that you do not hold me blameless. ³⁵ 

Ayub 10:12

10:12 You gave me ³⁶  life and favor, ³⁷ 

and your intervention ³⁸  watched over my spirit.

Ayub 11:11

11:11 For he ³⁹  knows deceitful ⁴⁰  men;

when he sees evil, will he not ⁴¹  consider it? ⁴² 

Ayub 12:17

12:17 He ⁴³  leads ⁴⁴  counselors away stripped ⁴⁵ 

and makes judges ⁴⁶  into fools. ⁴⁷ 

Ayub 12:23

12:23 He makes nations great, ⁴⁸  and destroys them;

he extends the boundaries of nations

and disperses ⁴⁹  them. ⁵⁰ 

Ayub 13:10

13:10 He would certainly rebuke ⁵¹  you

if you secretly ⁵²  showed partiality!

Ayub 14:2

14:2 He grows up ⁵³  like a flower and then withers away; ⁵⁴ 

he flees like a shadow, and does not remain. ⁵⁵ 

Ayub 14:8

14:8 Although its roots may grow old ⁵⁶  in the ground

and its stump begins to die ⁵⁷  in the soil, ⁵⁸ 

Ayub 14:21

14:21 If ⁵⁹  his sons are honored, ⁶⁰ 

he does not know it; ⁶¹ 

if they are brought low,

he does not see ⁶²  it.

Ayub 15:29

15:29 He will not grow rich,

and his wealth will not endure,

nor will his possessions ⁶³  spread over the land.

Ayub 15:32

15:32 Before his time ⁶⁴  he will be paid in full, ⁶⁵ 

and his branches will not flourish. ⁶⁶ 

Ayub 16:5-6

16:5 But ⁶⁷  I would strengthen ⁶⁸  you with my words; ⁶⁹ 

comfort from my lips would bring ⁷⁰  you relief.

Abandonment by God and Man

16:6 “But ⁷¹  if I speak, my pain is not relieved, ⁷² 

and if I refrain from speaking

– how ⁷³  much of it goes away?

Ayub 16:10

16:10 People ⁷⁴  have opened their mouths against me,

they have struck my cheek in scorn; ⁷⁵ 

they unite ⁷⁶  together against me.

Ayub 17:12

17:12 These men ⁷⁷  change ⁷⁸  night into day;

they say, ⁷⁹  ‘The light is near

in the face of darkness.’ ⁸⁰ 

Ayub 17:16

17:16 Will ⁸¹  it ⁸²  go down to the barred gates ⁸³  of death?

Will ⁸⁴  we descend ⁸⁵  together into the dust?”

Ayub 19:5

19:5 If indeed ⁸⁶  you would exalt yourselves ⁸⁷  above me

and plead my disgrace against me, ⁸⁸ 

Ayub 20:14

20:14 his food is turned sour ⁸⁹  in his stomach; ⁹⁰ 

it becomes the venom of serpents ⁹¹  within him.

Ayub 22:28

22:28 Whatever you decide ⁹²  on a matter,

it will be established for you,

and light will shine on your ways.

Ayub 23:2

23:2 “Even today my complaint is still bitter; ⁹³ 

his ⁹⁴  hand is heavy despite ⁹⁵  my groaning.

Ayub 23:11

23:11 My feet ⁹⁶  have followed ⁹⁷  his steps closely;

I have kept to his way and have not turned aside. ⁹⁸ 

Ayub 24:10

24:10 They go about naked, without clothing,

and go hungry while they carry the sheaves. ⁹⁹ 

Ayub 26:9-10

26:9 He conceals ¹⁰⁰  the face of the full moon, ¹⁰¹ 

shrouding it with his clouds.

26:10 He marks out the horizon ¹⁰²  on the surface of the waters

as a boundary between light and darkness.

Ayub 27:3

27:3 for while ¹⁰³  my spirit ¹⁰⁴  is still in me,

and the breath from God is in my nostrils,

Ayub 28:14

28:14 The deep ¹⁰⁵  says, ‘It is not with ¹⁰⁶  me.’

And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’

Ayub 28:18

28:18 Of coral and jasper no mention will be made;

the price ¹⁰⁷  of wisdom is more than pearls. ¹⁰⁸ 

Ayub 28:27

28:27 then he looked at wisdom ¹⁰⁹  and assessed its value; ¹¹⁰ 

he established ¹¹¹  it and examined it closely. ¹¹² 

Ayub 29:7

29:7 When I went out to the city gate

and secured my seat in the public square, ¹¹³ 

Ayub 29:23-24

29:23 They waited for me as people wait ¹¹⁴  for the rain,

and they opened their mouths ¹¹⁵ 

as for ¹¹⁶  the spring rains.

29:24 If I smiled at them, they hardly believed it; ¹¹⁷ 

and they did not cause the light of my face to darken. ¹¹⁸ 

Ayub 30:11

30:11 Because God has untied ¹¹⁹  my tent cord and afflicted me,

people throw off all restraint in my presence. ¹²⁰ 

Ayub 30:21

30:21 You have become cruel to me; ¹²¹ 

with the strength of your hand you attack me. ¹²² 

Ayub 30:31

30:31 My harp is used for ¹²³  mourning

and my flute for the sound of weeping.

Ayub 31:14

31:14 then what will I do when God confronts me in judgment; ¹²⁴ 

when he intervenes, ¹²⁵ 

how will I respond to him?

Ayub 31:32

31:32 But ¹²⁶  no stranger had to spend the night outside,

for I opened my doors to the traveler ¹²⁷  –

Ayub 32:4

32:4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking ¹²⁸  to Job, because the others ¹²⁹  were older than he was.

Ayub 32:22

32:22 for I do not know how to give honorary titles, ¹³⁰ 

if I did, ¹³¹  my Creator would quickly do away with me. ¹³² 

Ayub 33:13

33:13 Why do you contend against him,

that he does not answer all a person’s ¹³³  words?

Ayub 33:15

33:15 In a dream, a night vision,

when deep sleep falls on people

as they sleep in their beds.

Ayub 33:19

33:19 Or a person is chastened ¹³⁴  by pain on his bed,

and with the continual strife of his bones, ¹³⁵ 

Ayub 33:33

33:33 If not, you listen to me;

be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Ayub 34:26

34:26 He strikes them for their wickedness, ¹³⁶ 

in a place where people can see, ¹³⁷ 

Ayub 34:37

34:37 For he adds transgression ¹³⁸  to his sin;

in our midst he claps his hands, ¹³⁹ 

and multiplies his words against God.”

Ayub 36:30

36:30 See how he scattered ¹⁴⁰  his lightning ¹⁴¹  about him;

he has covered the depths ¹⁴²  of the sea.

Ayub 36:32

36:32 With his hands ¹⁴³  he covers ¹⁴⁴  the lightning,

and directs it against its target.

Ayub 37:7

37:7 He causes everyone to stop working, ¹⁴⁵ 

so that all people ¹⁴⁶  may know ¹⁴⁷  his work.

Ayub 37:20

37:20 Should he be informed that I want ¹⁴⁸  to speak?

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

Ayub 38:3

38:3 Get ready for a difficult task ¹⁴⁹  like a man;

I will question you

and you will inform me!

Ayub 38:13

38:13 that it might seize the corners of the earth, ¹⁵⁰ 

and shake the wicked out of it?

Ayub 39:7

39:7 It scorns the tumult in the town;

it does not hear the shouts of a driver. ¹⁵¹ 

Ayub 39:17

39:17 For God deprived her of wisdom,

and did not impart understanding to her.

Ayub 39:22

39:22 It laughs at fear and is not dismayed;

it does not shy away from the sword.

Ayub 40:4

40:4 “Indeed, I am completely unworthy ¹⁵²  – how could I reply to you?

I put ¹⁵³  my hand over my mouth to silence myself. ¹⁵⁴ 

Ayub 40:9

40:9 Do you have an arm as powerful as God’s, ¹⁵⁵ 

and can you thunder with a voice like his?

Ayub 40:21-22

40:21 Under the lotus trees it lies,

in the secrecy of the reeds and the marsh.

40:22 The lotus trees conceal it in their ¹⁵⁶  shadow;

the poplars by the stream conceal it.

Ayub 41:6-7

41:6 Will partners ¹⁵⁷  bargain ¹⁵⁸  for it?

Will they divide it up ¹⁵⁹  among the merchants?

41:7 Can you fill its hide with harpoons

or its head with fishing spears?

Ayub 41:9

41:9 (41:1) ¹⁶⁰  See, his expectation is wrong, ¹⁶¹ 

he is laid low even at the sight of it. ¹⁶² 

Ayub 42:4

42:4 You said, ¹⁶³ 

‘Pay attention, and I will speak;

I will question you, and you will answer me.’

Ayub 42:13

42:13 And he also had seven sons ¹⁶⁴  and three daughters.

[1:2]  ¹ sn The numbers used in the chapter, seven, three, and five, carry the symbolism in the Bible of perfection and completeness (see J. J. Davis, Biblical Numerology). Job’s “seven sons” are listed first because in the East sons were considered more valuable than daughters (recall Ruth, who is “better than seven sons” [Ruth 4:15]).

[1:2]  ² tn The verb begins the sentence: “and there were born.” This use of the preterite with vav (ו) consecutive, especially after the verb הָיָה (hayah, “to be”), is explanatory: there was a man…and there was born to him…” (IBHS 551-52 §33.2.2b).

[3:10]  ³ tn The subject is still “that night.” Here, at the end of this first section, Job finally expresses the crime of that night – it did not hinder his birth.

[3:10]  ⁴ sn This use of doors for the womb forms an implied comparison; the night should have hindered conception (see Gen 20:18 and 1 Sam 1:5).

[3:10]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew has simply “my belly [= womb].” The suffix on the noun must be objective – it was the womb of Job’s mother in which he lay before his birth. See however N. C. Habel, “The Dative Suffix in Job 33:13,” Bib 63 (1982): 258-59, who thinks it is deliberately ambiguous.

[3:10]  ⁶ tn The word עָמָל (’amal) means “work, heavy labor, agonizing labor, struggle” with the idea of fatigue and pain.

[5:3]  ⁷ tn The use of the pronoun here adds emphasis to the subject of the sentence (see GKC 437 §135.a).

[5:3]  ⁸ tn This word is אֱוִיל (’evil), the same word for the “senseless man” in the preceding verse. Eliphaz is citing an example of his principle just given – he saw such a fool for a brief while appearing to prosper (i.e., taking root).

[5:3]  ⁹ tn A. B. Davidson argues that the verse does not mean that Eliphaz cursed his place during his prosperity. This line is metonymical (giving the effect). God judged the fool and his place was ruined; consequently, Eliphaz pronounced it accursed of God (see A. B. Davidson, Job, 36). Many emend the verb slightly to read “and it was suddenly cursed” (וַיֻּכַב [vayyukhav] instead of וָאֶקּוֹב [va’eqqov]; see H. H. Rowley, Job [NCBC], 51).

[5:6]  ¹⁰ sn The previous discussion shows how trouble rises, namely, from the rebelliousness of the fool. Here Eliphaz simply summarizes the points made with this general principle – trouble does not come from outside man, nor does it come as a part of the natural order, but rather it comes from the evil nature of man.

[6:3]  ¹¹ tn E. Dhorme (Job, 76) notes that כִּי־עַתָּה (ki ’attah) has no more force than “but”; and that the construction is the same as in 17:4; 20:19-21; 23:14-15. The initial clause is causative, and the second half of the verse gives the consequence (“because”…“that is why”). Others take 3a as the apodosis of v. 2, and translate it “for now it would be heavier…” (see A. B. Davidson, Job, 43).

[6:3]  ¹² sn The point of the comparison with the sand of the sea is that the sand is immeasurable. So the grief of Job cannot be measured.

[6:3]  ¹³ tn The verb לָעוּ (la’u) is traced by E. Dhorme (Job, 76) to a root לָעָה (la’ah), cognate to an Arabic root meaning “to chatter.” He shows how modern Hebrew has a meaning for the word “to stammer out.” But that does not really fit Job’s outbursts. The idea in the context is rather that of speaking wildly, rashly, or charged with grief. This would trace the word to a hollow or geminate word and link it to Arabic “talk wildly” (see D. J. A. Clines, Job [WBC], 158). In the older works the verb was taken from a geminate root meaning “to suck” or “to swallow” (cf. KJV), but that yields a very difficult sense to the line.

[6:17]  ¹⁴ tn The verb יְזֹרְבוּ (yÿzorÿvu, “burnt, scorched”) occurs only here. A good number of interpretations take the root as a by-form of צָרַב (tsarav) which means in the Niphal “to be burnt” (Ezek 21:3). The expression then would mean “in the time they are burnt,” a reference to the scorching heat of the summer (“when the great heat comes”) and the rivers dry up. Qimchi connected it to the Arabic “canal,” and this has led to the suggestion by E. Dhorme (Job, 88) that the root זָרַב (zarav) would mean “to flow.” In the Piel it would be “to cause to flow,” and in the passive “to be made to flow,” or “melt.” This is attractive, but it does require the understanding (or supplying) of “ice/snow” as the subject. G. R. Driver took the same meaning but translated it “when they (the streams) pour down in torrents, they (straightway) die down” (ZAW 65 [1953]: 216-17). Both interpretations capture the sense of the brooks drying up.

[6:17]  ¹⁵ tn The verb נִדְעֲכוּ (nid’akhu) literally means “they are extinguished” or “they vanish” (cf. 18:5-6; 21:17). The LXX, perhaps confusing the word with the verb יָדַע (yada’, “to know”) has “and it is not known what it was.”

[7:13]  ¹⁶ tn The particle כִּי (ki) could also be translated “when,” but “if” might work better to introduce the conditional clause and to parallel the earlier reasoning of Job in v. 4 (using אִם, ’im). See GKC 336-37 §112.hh.

[7:13]  ¹⁷ tn The verb literally means “say,” but here the connotation must be “think” or “say to oneself” – “when I think my bed….”

[7:13]  ¹⁸ sn Sleep is the recourse of the troubled and unhappy. Here “bed” is metonymical for sleep. Job expects sleep to give him the comfort that his friends have not.

[7:13]  ¹⁹ tn The verb means “to lift up; to take away” (נָשָׂא, nasa’). When followed by the preposition בּ (bet) with the complement of the verb, the idea is “to bear a part; to take a share,” or “to share in the burden” (cf. Num 11:7). The idea then would be that the sleep would ease the complaint. It would not end the illness, but the complaining for a while.

[8:12]  ²⁰ tn The word has been traditionally translated “greenness” (so KJV, ASV), but some modern commentators argue for “in flower.” The word is found only in Song 6:11 (where it may be translated “blossoms”). From the same root is אָבִיב (’aviv, “fresh young ears of barley”). Here the word refers to the plant that is still in its early stages of flowering. It should not be translated to suggest the plant is flowering (cf. NRSV), but translating as if the plant is green (so NASB) is also problematic.

[8:12]  ²¹ sn The idea is that as the plant begins to flower, but before it is to be cut down, there is no sign of withering or decay in it. But if the water is withdrawn, it will wither sooner than any other herb. The point Bildad will make of this is that when people rebel against God and his grace is withheld, they perish more swiftly than the water reed.

[8:12]  ²² tn The imperfect verb here is the modal use of potential, “can wither away” if the water is not there.

[8:12]  ²³ tn Heb “before.”

[8:12]  ²⁴ tn The LXX interprets the line: “does not any herb wither before it has received moisture?”

[8:18]  ²⁵ tc Ball reads אֵל (’el, “God”) instead of אִם (’im, “if”): “God destroys it” – but there is no reason for this. The idea would be implied in the context. A. B. Davidson rightly points out that who destroys it is not important, but the fact that it is destroyed.

[8:18]  tn The Hebrew has “if one destroys it”; the indefinite subject allows for a passive interpretation. The verb means “swallow” in the Qal, but in the Piel it means “to engulf; to destroy; to ruin” (2:3; 10:8). It could here be rendered “removed from its place” (the place where it is rooted); since the picture is that of complete destruction, “uprooted” would be a good rendering.

[8:18]  ²⁶ tn Heb “it”; the referent (“his place” in the preceding line) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:18]  sn The place where the plant once grew will deny ever knowing it. Such is the completeness of the uprooting that there is not a trace left.

[8:18]  ²⁷ tn Here “saying” is supplied in the translation.

[9:27]  ²⁸ tn The construction here uses the infinitive construct with a pronominal suffix – “if my saying” is this, or “if I say.” For the conditional clause using אִם (’im) with a noun clause, see GKC 496 §159.u.

[9:27]  ²⁹ tn The verbal form is a cohortative of resolve: “I will forget” or “I am determined to forget.” The same will be used in the second colon of the verse.

[9:27]  ³⁰ tn Heb “I will abandon my face,” i.e., change my expression. The construction here is unusual; G. R. Driver connected it to an Arabic word ‘adaba, “made agreeable” (IV), and so interpreted this line to mean “make my countenance pleasant” (“Problems in the Hebrew text of Job,” VTSup 3 [1955]: 76). M. Dahood found a Ugaritic root meaning “make, arrange” (“The Root ’zb II in Job,” JBL 78 [1959]: 303-9), and said, “I will arrange my face.” But see H. G. Williamson, “A Reconsideration of `azab II in Ugaritic,” ZAW 87 (1985): 74-85; Williamson shows it is probably not a legitimate cognate. D. J. A. Clines (Job [WBC], 219) observes that with all these suggestions there are too many homonyms for the root. The MT construction is still plausible.

[9:27]  ³¹ tn In the Hiphil of בָּלַג (balag) corresponds to Arabic balija which means “to shine” and “to be merry.” The shining face would signify cheerfulness and smiling. It could be translated “and brighten [my face].”

[9:28]  ³² tn The word was used in Job 3:25; it has the idea of “dread, fear, tremble at.” The point here is that even if Job changes his appearance, he still dreads the sufferings, because he knows that God is treating him as a criminal.

[9:28]  ³³ sn See Job 7:15; see also the translation by G. Perles, “I tremble in every nerve” (“The Fourteenth Edition of Gesenius-Buhl’s Dictionary,” JQR 18 [1905/06]: 383-90).

[9:28]  ³⁴ tn The conjunction “for” is supplied in the translation.

[9:28]  ³⁵ sn A. B. Davidson (Job, 73) appropriately notes that Job’s afflictions were the proof of his guilt in the estimation of God. If God held him innocent, he would remove the afflictions.

[10:12]  ³⁶ tn Heb “you made with me.”

[10:12]  ³⁷ tn E. Dhorme (Job, 150) suggests that the relation between these two words is like a hendiadys. In other words, “life,” which he says is made prominent by the shift of the copula, specifies the nature of the grace. He renders it “the favor of life.” D. J. A. Clines at least acknowledges that the expression “you showed loyal love with me” is primary. There are many other attempts to improve the translation of this unusual combination.

[10:12]  ³⁸ tn The noun פְּקָָֻדּה (pÿquddah), originally translated “visitation,” actually refers to any divine intervention for blessing on the life. Here it would include the care and overseeing of the life of Job. “Providence” may be too general for the translation, but it is not far from the meaning of this line. The LXX has “your oversight.”

[11:11]  ³⁹ tn The pronoun is emphatic implying that Zophar indicates that God indeed knows Job’s sin even if Job does not.

[11:11]  ⁴⁰ tn The expression is literally “men of emptiness” (see Ps 26:4). These are false men, for שָׁוְא (shavÿ’) can mean “vain, empty, or false, deceitful.”

[11:11]  ⁴¹ tn E. Dhorme (Job, 162) reads the prepositional phrase “to him” rather than the negative; he translates the line as “he sees iniquity and observes it closely.”

[11:11]  ⁴² tn Some commentators do not take this last clause as a question, but simply as a statement, namely, that when God sees evil he does not need to ponder or consider it – he knows it instantly. In that case it would be a circumstantial clause: “without considering it.” D. J. A. Clines lists quite an array of other interpretations for the line (Job [WBC], 255); for example, “and he is himself unobserved”; taking the word לֹא (lo’) as an emphatic; taking the negative as a noun, “considering them as nothing”; and others that change the verb to “they do not understand it.” But none of these are compelling; they offer no major improvement.

[12:17]  ⁴³ tn The personal pronoun normally present as the subject of the participle is frequently omitted (see GKC 381 §119.s).

[12:17]  ⁴⁴ tn GKC 361-62 §116.x notes that almost as a rule a participle beginning a sentence is continued with a finite verb with or without a ו (vav). Here the participle (“leads”) is followed by an imperfect (“makes fools”) after a ו (vav).

[12:17]  ⁴⁵ tn The word שׁוֹלָל (sholal), from the root שָׁלַל (shalal, “to plunder; to strip”), is an adjective expressing the state (and is in the singular, as if to say, “in the state of one naked” [GKC 375 §118.o]). The word is found in military contexts (see Mic 1:8). It refers to the carrying away of people in nakedness and shame by enemies who plunder (see also Isa 8:1-4). They will go away as slaves and captives, deprived of their outer garments. Some (cf. NAB) suggest “barefoot,” based on the LXX of Mic 1:8; but the meaning of that is uncertain. G. R. Driver wanted to derive the word from an Arabic root “to be mad; to be giddy,” forming a better parallel.

[12:17]  ⁴⁶ sn The judges, like the counselors, are nobles in the cities. God may reverse their lot, either by captivity or by shame, and they cannot resist his power.

[12:17]  ⁴⁷ tn Some translate this “makes mad” as in Isa 44:25, but this gives the wrong connotation today; more likely God shows them to be fools.

[12:23]  ⁴⁸ tn The word מַשְׂגִּיא (masgi’, “makes great”) is a common Aramaic word, but only occurs in Hebrew here and in Job 8:11 and 36:24. Some mss have a change, reading the form from שָׁגָה (shagah, “leading astray”). The LXX omits the line entirely.

[12:23]  ⁴⁹ tn The difficulty with the verb נָחָה (nakhah) is that it means “to lead; to guide,” but not “to lead away” or “to disperse,” unless this passage provides the context for such a meaning. Moreover, it never has a negative connotation. Some vocalize it וַיַּנִּיחֶם (vayyannikhem), from נוּחַ (nuakh), the causative meaning of “rest,” or “abandon” (Driver, Gray, Gordis). But even there it would mean “leave in peace.” Blommerde suggests the second part is antithetical parallelism, and so should be positive. So Ball proposed וַיִּמְחֶם (vayyimkhem) from מָחָה (makhah): “and he cuts them off.”

[12:23]  ⁵⁰ sn The rise and fall of nations, which does not seem to be governed by any moral principle, is for Job another example of God’s arbitrary power.

[13:10]  ⁵¹ tn The verbal idea is intensified with the infinitive absolute. This is the same verb used in v. 3; here it would have the sense of “rebuke, convict.”

[13:10]  sn Peake’s observation is worth noting, namely, that as Job attacks the unrighteousness of God boldly he nonetheless has confidence in God’s righteousness that would not allow liars to defend him.

[13:10]  ⁵² sn The use of the word “in secret” or “secretly” suggests that what they do is a guilty action (31:27a).

[14:2]  ⁵³ tn Heb יָצָא (yatsa’, “comes forth”). The perfect verb expresses characteristic action and so is translated by the present tense (see GKC 329 §111.s).

[14:2]  ⁵⁴ tn The verb וַיִּמָּל (vayyimmal) is from the root מָלַל (malal, “to languish; to wither”) and not from a different root מָלַל (malal, “to cut off”).

[14:2]  ⁵⁵ tn The verb is “and he does not stand.” Here the verb means “to stay fixed; to abide.” The shadow does not stay fixed, but continues to advance toward darkness.

[14:8]  ⁵⁶ tn The Hiphil of זָקַן (zaqan, “to be old”) is here an internal causative, “to grow old.”

[14:8]  ⁵⁷ tn The Hiphil is here classified as an inchoative Hiphil (see GKC 145 §53.e), for the tree only begins to die. In other words, it appears to be dead, but actually is not completely dead.

[14:8]  ⁵⁸ tn The LXX translates “dust” [soil] with “rock,” probably in light of the earlier illustration of the tree growing in the rocks.

[14:8]  sn Job is thinking here of a tree that dies or decays because of a drought rather than being uprooted, because the next verse will tell how it can revive with water.

[14:21]  ⁵⁹ tn The clause may be interpreted as a conditional clause, with the second clause beginning with the conjunction serving as the apodosis.

[14:21]  ⁶⁰ tn There is no expressed subject for the verb “they honor,” and so it may be taken as a passive.

[14:21]  ⁶¹ sn Death is separation from the living, from the land of the living. And ignorance of what goes on in this life, good or bad, is part of death. See also Eccl 9:5-6, which makes a similar point.

[14:21]  ⁶² tn The verb is בִּין (bin, “to perceive; to discern”). The parallelism between “know” and “perceive” stress the point that in death a man does not realize what is happening here in the present life.

[15:29]  ⁶³ 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].

[15:32]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “before his day.”

[15:32]  ⁶⁵ tn Those who put the last colon of v. 31 with v. 32 also have to change the verb תִּמָּלֵא (timmale’, “will be fulfilled”). E. Dhorme (Job, 225) says, “a mere glance at the use of yimmal…abundantly proves that the original text had timmal (G, Syr., Vulg), which became timmale’ through the accidental transposition of the ‘alep of bÿsi’o…in verse 31….” This, of course, is possible, if all the other changes up to now are granted. But the meaning of a word elsewhere in no way assures it should be the word here. The LXX has “his harvest shall perish before the time,” which could translate any number of words that might have been in the underlying Hebrew text. A commercial metaphor is not out of place here, since parallelism does not demand that the same metaphor appear in both lines.

[15:32]  ⁶⁶ tn Now, in the second half of the verse, the metaphor of a tree with branches begins.

[16:5]  ⁶⁷ tn “But” has been added in the translation to strengthen the contrast.

[16:5]  ⁶⁸ tn The Piel of אָמַץ (’amats) means “to strengthen, fortify.”

[16:5]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “my mouth.”

[16:5]  ⁷⁰ tn The verb יַחְשֹׂךְ (yakhsokh) means “to restrain; to withhold.” There is no object, so many make it first person subject, “I will not restrain.” The LXX and the Syriac have a different person – “I would not restrain.” G. R. Driver, arguing that the verb is intransitive here, made it “the solace of my lips would not [added] be withheld” (see JTS 34 [1933]: 380). D. J. A. Clines says that what is definitive is the use of the verb in the next line, where it clearly means “soothed, assuaged.”

[16:6]  ⁷¹ tn “But” is supplied in the translation to strengthen the contrast.

[16:6]  ⁷² tn The Niphal יֵחָשֵׂךְ (yekhasekh) means “to be soothed; to be assuaged.”

[16:6]  ⁷³ tn Some argue that מָה (mah) in the text is the Arabic ma, the simple negative. This would then mean “it does not depart far from me.” The interrogative used rhetorically amounts to the same thing, however, so the suggestion is not necessary.

[16:10]  ⁷⁴ tn “People” is supplied; the Hebrew verb is third plural. The colon reads, “they have opened against me with [the preposition is instrumental] their mouth.” The gestures here follow the animal imagery; they reflect destructive opposition and attack (see Ps 22:13 among others).

[16:10]  ⁷⁵ tn This is an “insult” or a “reproach.”

[16:10]  ⁷⁶ tn The verb יִתְמַלָּאוּן (yitmalla’un) is taken from מָלֵא (male’), “to be full,” and in this stem, “to pile up; to press together.” The term has a military connotation, such as “to mobilize” (see D. W. Thomas, “ml'w in Jeremiah 4:5 : a military term,” JJS 3 [1952]: 47-52). Job sees himself surrounded by enemies who persecute him and mock him.

[17:12]  ⁷⁷ tn The verse simply has the plural, “they change.” But since this verse seems to be a description of his friends, a clarification of the referent in the translation is helpful.

[17:12]  ⁷⁸ tn The same verb שִׂים (sim, “set”) is used this way in Isa 5:20: “…who change darkness into light.”

[17:12]  ⁷⁹ tn The rest of the verse makes better sense if it is interpreted as what his friends say.

[17:12]  ⁸⁰ tn This expression is open to alternative translations: (1) It could mean that they say in the face of darkness, “Light is near.” (2) It could also mean “The light is near the darkness” or “The light is nearer than the darkness.”

[17:16]  ⁸¹ sn It is natural to assume that this verse continues the interrogative clause of the preceding verse.

[17:16]  ⁸² 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]  ⁸³ 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]  ⁸⁴ tn The conjunction אִם (’im) confirms the interrogative interpretation.

[17:16]  ⁸⁵ 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.

[19:5]  ⁸⁶ tn The introductory particles repeat אָמְנָם (’amnam, “indeed”) but now with אִם (’im, “if”). It could be interpreted to mean “is it not true,” or as here in another conditional clause.

[19:5]  ⁸⁷ tn The verb is the Hiphil of גָּדַל (gadal); it can mean “to make great” or as an internal causative “to make oneself great” or “to assume a lofty attitude, to be insolent.” There is no reason to assume another root here with the meaning of “quarrel” (as Gordis does).

[19:5]  ⁸⁸ sn Job’s friends have been using his shame, his humiliation in all his sufferings, as proof against him in their case.

[20:14]  ⁸⁹ tn The perfect verb in the apodosis might express the suddenness of the change (see S. R. Driver, Tenses in Hebrew, 204), or it might be a constative perfect looking at the action as a whole without reference to inception, progress, or completion (see IBHS 480-81 §30.1d). The Niphal perfect simply means “is turned” or “turns”; “sour is supplied in the translation to clarify what is meant.

[20:14]  ⁹⁰ tn The word is “in his loins” or “within him.” Some translate more specifically “bowels.”

[20:14]  ⁹¹ sn Some commentators suggest that the ancients believed that serpents secreted poison in the gall bladder, or that the poison came from the gall bladder of serpents. In any case, there is poison (from the root “bitter”) in the system of the wicked person; it may simply be saying it is that type of poison.

[22:28]  ⁹² tn The word is גָּזַר (gazar, “to cut”), in the sense of deciding a matter.

[23:2]  ⁹³ tc The MT reads here מְרִי (mÿri, “rebellious”). The word is related to the verb מָרָה (marah, “to revolt”). Many commentators follow the Vulgate, Targum Job, and the Syriac to read מַר (mar, “bitter”). The LXX offers no help here.

[23:2]  ⁹⁴ tc The MT (followed by the Vulgate and Targum) has “my hand is heavy on my groaning.” This would mean “my stroke is heavier than my groaning” (an improbable view from Targum Job). A better suggestion is that the meaning would be that Job tries to suppress his groans but the hand with which he suppresses them is too heavy (H. H. Rowley, Job [NCBC], 159). Budde, E. Dhorme, J. E. Hartley, and F. I. Andersen all maintain the MT as the more difficult reading. F. I. Andersen (Job [TOTC], 208) indicates that the ִי(i) suffix could be an example of an unusual third masculine singular. Both the LXX and the Syriac versions have “his hand,” and many modern commentators follow this, along with the present translation. In this case the referent of “his” would be God, whose hand is heavy upon Job in spite of Job’s groaning.

[23:2]  ⁹⁵ tn The preposition can take this meaning; it could be also translated simply “upon.” R. Gordis (Job, 260) reads the preposition “more than,” saying that Job had been defiant (he takes that view) but God’s hand had been far worse.

[23:11]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “my foot.”

[23:11]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “held fast.”

[23:11]  ⁹⁸ tn The last clause, “and I have not turned aside,” functions adverbially in the sentence. The form אָט (’at) is a pausal form of אַתֶּה (’atteh), the Hiphil of נָטָה (natah, “stretch out”).

[24:10]  ⁹⁹ sn The point should not be missed – amidst abundant harvests, carrying sheaves about, they are still going hungry.

[26:9]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The verb means “to hold; to seize,” here in the sense of shutting up, enshrouding, or concealing.

[26:9]  ¹⁰¹ tc The MT has כִסֵּה (khisseh), which is a problematic vocalization. Most certainly כֵּסֶה (keseh), alternative for כֶּסֶא (kese’, “full moon”) is intended here. The MT is close to the form of “throne,” which would be כִּסֵּא (kisse’, cf. NLT “he shrouds his throne with his clouds”). But here God is covering the face of the moon by hiding it behind clouds.

[26:10]  ¹⁰² tn The expression חֹק־חָג (khoq-khag) means “he has drawn a limit as a circle.” According to some the form should have been חָק־חוּג (khaq-khug, “He has traced a circle”). But others argues that the text is acceptable as is, and can be interpreted as “a limit he has circled.” The Hebrew verbal roots are חָקַק (khaqaq, “to engrave; to sketch out; to trace”) and חוּג (khug, “describe a circle”) respectively.

[27:3]  ¹⁰³ tn The adverb עוֹד (’od) was originally a noun, and so here it could be rendered “all the existence of my spirit.” The word comes between the noun in construct and its actual genitive (see GKC 415 §128.e).

[27:3]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The word נְשָׁמָה (nÿshamah) is the “breath” that was breathed into Adam in Gen 2:7. Its usage includes the animating breath, the spiritual understanding, and the functioning conscience – so the whole spirit of the person. The other word in this verse, רוּחַ (ruakh), may be translated as “wind,” “breath,” or “spirit/Spirit” depending on the context. Here, since it talks about the nostrils, it should be translated “breath.”

[28:14]  ¹⁰⁵ sn The תְּהוֹם (tÿhom) is the “deep” of Gen 1:2, the abyss or primordial sea. It was always understood to be a place of darkness and danger. As remote as it is, it asserts that wisdom is not found there (personification). So here we have the abyss and the sea, then death and destruction – but they are not the places that wisdom resides.

[28:14]  ¹⁰⁶ tn The בּ (bet) preposition is taken here to mean “with” in the light of the parallel preposition.

[28:18]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The word מֶשֶׁךְ (meshekh) comes from a root meaning “to grasp; to seize; to hold,” and so the derived noun means “grasping; acquiring; taking possession,” and therefore, “price” (see the discussion in R. Gordis, Job, 309). Gray renders it “acquisition” (so A. Cohen, AJSL 40 [1923/24]: 175).

[28:18]  ¹⁰⁸ tn In Lam 4:7 these are described as red, and so have been identified as rubies (so NIV) or corals.

[28:27]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “it”; the referent (wisdom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:27]  ¹¹⁰ tn The verb סָפַר (safar) in the Piel basically means “to tell; to declare; to show” or “to count; to number.” Many commentators offer different suggestions for the translation. “Declared” (as in the RSV, NASB, and NRSV) would be the simplest – but to whom did God declare it? Besides “appraised” which is the view of Pope, Dhorme and others (cf. NAB, NIV), J. Reider has suggested “probed” (“Etymological studies in biblical Hebrew,” VT 2 [1952]: 127), Strahan has “studied,” and Kissane has “reckoned.” The difficulty is that the line has a series of verbs, which seem to build to a climax; but without more details it is hard to know how to translate them when they have such a range of meaning.

[28:27]  ¹¹¹ tc The verb כּוּן (kun) means “to establish; to prepare” in this stem. There are several mss that have the form from בִּין (bin, “discern”), giving “he discerned it,” making more of a parallel with the first colon. But the weight of the evidence supports the traditional MT reading.

[28:27]  ¹¹² tn The verb חָקַר (khaqar) means “to examine; to search out.” Some of the language used here is anthropomorphic, for the sovereign Lord did not have to research or investigate wisdom. The point is that it is as if he did this human activity, meaning that as in the results of such a search God knows everything about wisdom.

[29:7]  ¹¹³ sn In the public square. The area referred to here should not be thought of in terms of modern western dimensions. The wide space, plaza, or public square mentioned here is the open area in the gate complex where legal and business matters were conducted. The area could be as small as a few hundred square feet.

[29:23]  ¹¹⁴ tn The phrase “people wait for” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation.

[29:23]  ¹¹⁵ sn The analogy is that they received his words eagerly as the dry ground opens to receive the rains.

[29:23]  ¹¹⁶ 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).

[29:24]  ¹¹⁷ tn The connection of this clause with the verse is difficult. The line simply reads: “[if] I would smile at them, they would not believe.” Obviously something has to be supplied to make sense out of this. The view adopted here makes the most sense, namely, that when he smiled at people, they could hardly believe their good fortune. Other interpretations are strained, such as Kissane’s, “If I laughed at them, they believed not,” meaning, people rejected the views that Job laughed at.

[29:24]  ¹¹⁸ tn The meaning, according to Gordis, is that they did nothing to provoke Job’s displeasure.

[30:11]  ¹¹⁹ 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]  ¹²⁰ 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).

[30:21]  ¹²¹ tn The idiom uses the Niphal verb “you are turned” with “to cruelty.” See Job 41:20b, as well as Isa 63:10.

[30:21]  ¹²² tc The LXX reads this verb as “you scourged/whipped me.” But there is no reason to adopt this change.

[30:31]  ¹²³ tn The verb הָיָה (hayah, “to be”) followed by the preposition ל (lamed) means “to serve the purpose of” (see Gen 1:14ff., 17:7, etc.).

[31:14]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “arises.” The LXX reads “takes vengeance,” an interpretation that is somewhat correct but unnecessary. The verb “to rise” would mean “to confront in judgment.”

[31:14]  ¹²⁵ tn The verb פָקַד (paqad) means “to visit,” but with God as the subject it means any divine intervention for blessing or cursing, anything God does that changes a person’s life. Here it is “visit to judge.”

[31:32]  ¹²⁶ tn This verse forms another parenthesis. Job stops almost at every point now in the conditional clauses to affirm his purity and integrity.

[31:32]  ¹²⁷ tn The word in the MT, אֹרחַ (’orakh, “way”), is a contraction from אֹרֵחַ (’oreakh, “wayfarer”); thus, “traveler.” The same parallelism is found in Jer 14:8. The reading here “on/to the road” is meaningless otherwise.

[32:4]  ¹²⁸ tc This reading requires repointing the word בִּדְבָרִים (bidbarim, “with words”) to בְּדָבְּרָם (bÿdabbÿram, “while they spoke [with Job]”). If the MT is retained, it would mean “he waited for Job with words,” which while understandable is awkward.

[32:4]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the other friends) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:22]  ¹³⁰ tn The construction uses a perfect verb followed by the imperfect. This is a form of subordination equivalent to a complementary infinitive (see GKC 385-86 §120.c).

[32:22]  ¹³¹ tn The words “if I did” are supplied in the translation to make sense out of the two clauses.

[32:22]  ¹³² tn Heb “quickly carry me away.”

[33:13]  ¹³³ tc The MT has “all his words.” This must refer to “man” in the previous verse. But many wish to change it to “my words,” since it would be summarizing Job’s complaint to God.

[33:19]  ¹³⁴ tc The MT has the passive form, and so a subject has to be added: “[a man] is chastened.” The LXX has the active form, indicating “[God] chastens,” but the object “a man” has to be added. It is understandable why the LXX thought this was active, within this sequence of verbs; and that is why it is the inferior reading.

[33:19]  ¹³⁵ tc The Kethib “the strife of his bones is continual,” whereas the Qere has “the multitude of his bones are firm.” The former is the better reading in this passage. It indicates that the pain is caused by the ongoing strife.

[34:26]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “under wicked men,” or “under wickednesses.” J. C. Greenfield shows that the preposition can mean “among” as well (“Prepositions B Tachat in Jes 57:5,” ZAW 32 [1961]: 227). That would allow “among wicked men.” It could also be “instead of” or even “in return for [their wickedness]” which is what the RSV does.

[34:26]  ¹³⁷ tn The text simply uses רֹאִים (ro’im): “[in the place where there are] seers,” i.e., spectators.

[34:37]  ¹³⁸ tn Although frequently translated “rebellion,” the basic meaning of this Hebrew term is “transgression.”

[34:37]  ¹³⁹ tc If this reading stands, it would mean that Job shows contempt, meaning that he mocks them and accuses God. It is a bold touch, but workable. Of the many suggested emendations, Dhorme alters some of the vowels and obtains a reading “and casts doubt among us,” and then takes “transgression” from the first colon for the complement. Some commentators simply delete the line.

[36:30]  ¹⁴⁰ tn The word actually means “to spread,” but with lightning as the object, “to scatter” appears to fit the context better.

[36:30]  ¹⁴¹ tn The word is “light,” but taken to mean “lightning.” Theodotion had “mist” here, and so most commentators follow that because it is more appropriate to the verb and the context.

[36:30]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “roots.”

[36:32]  ¹⁴³ tn R. Gordis (Job, 422) prefers to link this word with the later Hebrew word for “arch,” not “hands.”

[36:32]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Because the image might mean that God grabs the lightning and hurls it like a javelin (cf. NLT), some commentators want to change “covers” to other verbs. Dhorme has “lifts” (נִשָּׂא [nissa’] for כִּסָּה [kissah]). This fit the idea of God directing the lightning bolts.

[37:7]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “by the hand of every man he seals.” This line is intended to mean with the heavy rains God suspends all agricultural activity.

[37:7]  ¹⁴⁶ tc This reading involves a change in the text, for in MT “men” is in the construct. It would be translated, “all men whom he made” (i.e., all men of his making”). This is the translation followed by the NIV and NRSV. Olshausen suggested that the word should have been אֲנָשִׁים (’anashim) with the final ם (mem) being lost to haplography.

[37:7]  ¹⁴⁷ tn D. W. Thomas suggested a meaning of “rest” for the verb, based on Arabic. He then reads אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh) for man, and supplies a ם (mem) to “his work” to get “that every man might rest from his work [in the fields].”

[37:20]  ¹⁴⁸ tn This imperfect works well as a desiderative imperfect.

[38:3]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “Gird up your loins.” This idiom basically describes taking the hem of the long garment or robe and pulling it up between the legs and tucking it into the front of the belt, allowing easier and freer movement of the legs. “Girding the loins” meant the preparation for some difficult task (Jer 1:17), or for battle (Isa 5:27), or for running (1 Kgs 18:46). C. Gordon suggests that it includes belt-wrestling, a form of hand-to-hand mortal combat (“Belt-wrestling in the Bible World,” HUCA 23 [1950/51]: 136).

[38:13]  ¹⁵⁰ sn The poetic image is that darkness or night is like a blanket that covers the earth, and at dawn it is taken by the edges and shaken out. Since the wicked function under the cover of night, they are included in the shaking when the dawn comes up.

[39:7]  ¹⁵¹ sn The animal is happier in open countryside than in a busy town, and on its own rather than being driven by a herdsman.

[40:4]  ¹⁵² tn The word קַלֹּתִי (qalloti) means “to be light; to be of small account; to be unimportant.” From this comes the meaning “contemptible,” which in the causative stem would mean “to treat with contempt; to curse.” Dhorme tries to make the sentence a conditional clause and suggests this meaning: “If I have been thoughtless.” There is really no “if” in Job’s mind.

[40:4]  ¹⁵³ tn The perfect verb here should be classified as an instantaneous perfect; the action is simultaneous with the words.

[40:4]  ¹⁵⁴ tn The words “to silence myself” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[40:9]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “do you have an arm like God?” The words “as powerful as” have been supplied in the translation to clarify the metaphor.

[40:22]  ¹⁵⁶ tn The suffix is singular, but must refer to the trees’ shade.

[41:6]  ¹⁵⁷ tn The word חָבַּר (khabbar) is a hapax legomenon, but the meaning is “to associate” since it is etymologically related to the verb “to join together.” The idea is that fishermen usually work in companies or groups, and then divide up the catch when they come ashore – which involves bargaining.

[41:6]  ¹⁵⁸ tn The word כָּרַה (karah) means “to sell.” With the preposition עַל (’al, “upon”) it has the sense “to bargain over something.”

[41:6]  ¹⁵⁹ tn The verb means “to cut up; to divide up” in the sense of selling the dead body (see Exod 21:35). This will be between them and the merchants (כְּנַעֲנִים, kÿna’anim).

[41:9]  ¹⁶⁰ sn Job 41:9 in the English Bible is 41:1 in the Hebrew text (BHS). From here to the end of the chapter the Hebrew verse numbers differ from those in the English Bible, with 41:10 ET = 41:2 HT, 41:11 ET = 41:3 HT, etc. See also the note on 41:1.

[41:9]  ¹⁶¹ tn The line is difficult. “His hope [= expectation]” must refer to any assailant who hopes or expects to capture the creature. Because there is no antecedent, Dhorme and others transpose it with the next verse. The point is that the man who thought he was sufficient to confront Leviathan soon finds his hope – his expectation – false (a derivative from the verb כָּזַב [kazab, “lie”] is used for a mirage).

[41:9]  ¹⁶² tn There is an interrogative particle in this line, which most commentators ignore. But others freely emend the MT. Gunkel, following the mythological approach, has “his appearance casts down even a god.” Cheyne likewise has: “even divine beings the fear of him brings low” (JQR 9 [1896/97]: 579). Pope has, “Were not the gods cast down at the sight of him?” There is no need to bring in this mythological element.

[42:4]  ¹⁶³ tn This phrase, “you said,” is supplied in the translation to introduce the recollection of God’s words.

[42:13]  ¹⁶⁴ tn The word for “seven” is spelled in an unusual way. From this some have thought it means “twice seven,” or fourteen sons. Several commentators take this view; but it is probably not warranted.