Ayub 17:9

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

and the one with clean hands grows stronger. ¹ 

Ayub 25:5

25:5 If even the moon is not bright,

and the stars are not pure as far as he is concerned, ² 

Ayub 37:21

37:21 But now, the sun ³  cannot be looked at ⁴  –

it is bright in the skies –

after a wind passed and swept the clouds away. ⁵ 

[17:9]  ¹ 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.”

[25:5]  ² tn Heb “not pure in his eyes.”

[37:21]  ³ tn The light here must refer to the sun in the skies that had been veiled by the storm. Then, when the winds blew the clouds away, it could not be looked at because it was so dazzling. Elihu’s analogy will be that God is the same – in his glory one cannot look at him or challenge him.

[37:21]  ⁴ tn The verb has an indefinite subject, and so should be a passive here.

[37:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “and cleaned them.” The referent is the clouds (v. 18), which has been supplied in the translation for clarity. There is another way of reading this verse: the word translated “bright” means “dark; obscured” in Syriac. In this interpretation the first line would mean that they could not see the sun, because it was darkened by the clouds, but then the wind came and blew the clouds away. Dhorme, Gray, and several others take it this way, as does the NAB.