Ayub 1:9

1:9 Then Satan answered the Lord, “Is it for nothing that Job fears God? ¹ 

Ayub 11:11

11:11 For he ²  knows deceitful ³  men;

when he sees evil, will he not ⁴  consider it? ⁵ 

Ayub 13:3

13:3 But I wish to speak ⁶  to the Almighty, ⁷ 

and I desire to argue ⁸  my case ⁹  with God.

Ayub 13:10

13:10 He would certainly rebuke ¹⁰  you

if you secretly ¹¹  showed partiality!

Ayub 17:9

17:9 But the righteous man holds to his way,

and the one with clean hands grows stronger. ¹² 

Ayub 19:28

19:28 If you say, ‘How we will pursue him,

since the root of the trouble is found in him!’ ¹³ 

Ayub 22:15

22:15 Will you keep to the old path ¹⁴ 

that evil men have walked –

Ayub 27:13

27:13 This is the portion of the wicked man

allotted by God, ¹⁵ 

the inheritance that evildoers receive

from the Almighty.

Ayub 29:16

29:16 I was a father ¹⁶  to the needy,

and I investigated the case of the person I did not know;

Ayub 32:22

32:22 for I do not know how to give honorary titles, ¹⁷ 

if I did, ¹⁸  my Creator would quickly do away with me. ¹⁹ 

Ayub 34:26

34:26 He strikes them for their wickedness, ²⁰ 

in a place where people can see, ²¹ 

Ayub 34:36

34:36 But ²²  Job will be tested to the end,

because his answers are like those of wicked men.

Ayub 36:31

36:31 It is by these that he judges ²³  the nations

and supplies food in abundance.

[1:9]  ¹ tn The Hebrew form has the interrogative ה (he) on the adverb חִנָּם (khinnam, “gratis”), a derivative either of the verb חָנַן (khanan, “to be gracious, show favor”), or its related noun חֵן (khen, “grace, favor”). The adverb has the sense of “free; gratis; gratuitously; for nothing; for no reason” (see BDB 336 s.v. חִנָּם). The idea is that Satan does not disagree that Job is pious, but that Job is loyal to God because of what he receives from God. He will test the sincerity of Job.

[11:11]  ² tn The pronoun is emphatic implying that Zophar indicates that God indeed knows Job’s sin even if Job does not.

[11:11]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ 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.

[13:3]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew title for God here is אֶל־שַׁדַּי (’el shadday, “El Shaddai”).

[13:3]  ⁸ tn The infinitive absolute functions here as the direct object of the verb “desire” (see GKC 340 §113.b).

[13:3]  ⁹ 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).

[13:10]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ sn The use of the word “in secret” or “secretly” suggests that what they do is a guilty action (31:27a).

[17:9]  ¹² tn The last two words are the imperfect verb יֹסִיף (yosif) which means “he adds,” and the abstract noun “energy, strength.” This noun is not found elsewhere; its Piel verb occurs in Job 4:4 and 16:5. “he increases strength.”

[19:28]  ¹³ tc The MT reads “in me.” If that is retained, then the question would be in the first colon, and the reasoning of the second colon would be Job’s. But over 100 mss have “in him,” and so this reading is accepted by most editors. The verse is a little difficult, but it seems to form a warning by Job that God’s appearance which will vindicate Job will bring judgment on those who persecute him and charge him falsely.

[22:15]  ¹⁴ tn The “old path” here is the way of defiance to God. The text in these two verses is no doubt making reference to the flood in Genesis, one of the perennial examples of divine judgment.

[27:13]  ¹⁵ tn The expression “allotted by God” interprets the simple prepositional phrase in the text: “with/from God.”

[29:16]  ¹⁶ sn The word “father” does not have a wide range of meanings in the OT. But there are places that it is metaphorical, especially in a legal setting like this where the poor need aid.

[32:22]  ¹⁷ 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]  ¹⁸ tn The words “if I did” are supplied in the translation to make sense out of the two clauses.

[32:22]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “quickly carry me away.”

[34:26]  ²⁰ 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]  ²¹ tn The text simply uses רֹאִים (ro’im): “[in the place where there are] seers,” i.e., spectators.

[34:36]  ²² tc The MT reads אָבִי (’avi, “my father”), which makes no sense. Some follow the KJV and emend the word to make a verb “I desire” or use the noun “my desire of it.” Others follow an Arabic word meaning “entreat, I pray” (cf. ESV, “Would that Job were tried”). The LXX and the Syriac versions have “but” and “surely” respectively. Since this is the only ms support, albeit weak, it may be the best choice. In this sense Elihu would be saying that because of Job’s attitude God will continue to test him.

[36:31]  ²³ tn The verb is יָדִין (yadin, “he judges”). Houbigant proposedיָזוּן (yazun, “he nourishes”). This has found wide acceptance among commentators (cf. NAB). G. R. Driver retained the MT but gave a meaning “enriches” to the verb (“Problems in the Hebrew text of Job,” VTSup 3 [1955]: 88ff.).