Ayub 21:2

21:2 “Listen carefully ¹  to my words;

let this be ²  the consolation you offer me. ³ 

Ayub 29:22

29:22 After I had spoken, they did not respond;

my words fell on them drop by drop. ⁴ 

Ayub 34:2

34:2 “Listen to my words, you wise men;

hear ⁵  me, you learned men. ⁶ 

Ayub 34:16

God Is Impartial and Omniscient

34:16 “If you have ⁷  understanding, listen to this,

hear what I have to say. ⁸ 

[21:2]  ¹ tn The intensity of the appeal is again expressed by the imperative followed by the infinitive absolute for emphasis. See note on “listen carefully” in 13:17.

[21:2]  ² tc The LXX negates the sentence, “that I may not have this consolation from you.”

[21:2]  ³ tn The word תַּנְחוּמֹתֵיכֶם (tankhumotekhem) is literally “your consolations,” the suffix being a subjective genitive. The friends had thought they were offering Job consolation (Job 14:11), but the consolation he wants from them is that they listen to him and respond accordingly.

[29:22]  ⁴ tn The verb simply means “dropped,” but this means like the rain. So the picture of his words falling on them like the gentle rain, drop by drop, is what is intended (see Deut 32:2).

[34:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “give ear to me.”

[34:2]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew word means “the men who know,” and without a complement it means “to possess knowledge.”

[34:16]  ⁷ tn The phrase “you have” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

[34:16]  ⁸ tn Heb “the sound of my words.”