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 26:12

26:12 By his power he stills ⁴  the sea;

by his wisdom he cut Rahab the great sea monster ⁵  to pieces. ⁶ 

Ayub 34:24

34:24 He shatters the great without inquiry, ⁷ 

and sets up others in their place.

Ayub 36:20

36:20 Do not long for the cover of night

to drag people away from their homes. ⁸ 

[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.

[26:12]  ⁴ tn The verb רָגַע (raga’) has developed a Semitic polarity, i.e., having totally opposite meanings. It can mean “to disturb; to stir up” or “to calm; to still.” Gordis thinks both meanings have been invoked here. But it seems more likely that “calm” fits the context better.

[26:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “Rahab” (רָהַב), the mythical sea monster that represents the forces of chaos in ancient Near Eastern literature. In the translation the words “the great sea monster” have been supplied appositionally in order to clarify “Rahab.”

[26:12]  ⁶ sn Here again there are possible mythological allusions or polemics. The god Yam, “Sea,” was important in Ugaritic as a god of chaos. And Rahab is another name for the monster of the deep (see Job 9:13).

[34:24]  ⁷ tn Heb “[with] no investigation.”

[36:20]  ⁸ tn The meaning of this line is difficult. There are numerous suggestions for emending the text. Kissane takes the first verb in the sense of “oppress,” and for “the night” he has “belonging to you,” meaning “your people.” This reads: “Oppress not them that belong not to you, that your kinsmen may mount up in their place.”