Ayub 14:19

14:19 as water wears away stones,

and torrents ¹  wash away the soil, ² 

so you destroy man’s hope. ³ 

Ayub 22:2

22:2 “Is it to God that a strong man is of benefit?

Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable? ⁴ 

Ayub 34:11

34:11 For he repays a person for his work, ⁵ 

and according to the conduct of a person,

he causes the consequences to find him. ⁶ 

[14:19]  ¹ tn Heb “the overflowings of it”; the word סְפִיחֶיהָ (sÿfikheyha) in the text is changed by just about everyone. The idea of “its overflowings” or more properly “its aftergrowths” (Lev 25:5; 2 Kgs 19:29; etc.) does not fit here at all. Budde suggested reading סְחִפָה (sÿkhifah), which is cognate to Arabic sahifeh, “torrential rain, rainstorm” – that which sweeps away” the soil. The word סָחַף (sakhaf) in Hebrew might have a wider usage than the effects of rain.

[14:19]  ² tn Heb “[the] dust of [the] earth.”

[14:19]  ³ sn The meaning for Job is that death shatters all of man’s hopes for the continuation of life.

[22:2]  ⁴ tn Some do not take this to be parallel to the first colon, taking this line as a statement, but the parallel expressions here suggest the question is repeated.

[34:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “for the work of man, he [= God] repays him.”

[34:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “he causes it to find him.” The text means that God will cause a man to find (or receive) the consequences of his actions.