Ayub 22:3

22:3 Is it of any special benefit ¹  to the Almighty

that you should be righteous,

or is it any gain to him

that you make your ways blameless? ² 

Ayub 37:16

37:16 Do you know about the balancing ³  of the clouds,

that wondrous activity of him who is perfect in knowledge?

Ayub 12:13

12:13 “With God ⁴  are wisdom and power;

counsel and understanding are his. ⁵ 

[22:3]  ¹ tn The word חֵפֶץ (khefets) in this passage has the nuance of “special benefit; favor.” It does not just express the desire for something or the interest in it, but the profit one derives from it.

[22:3]  ² tn The verb תַתֵּם (tattem) is the Hiphil imperfect of תָּמַם (tamam, “be complete, finished”), following the Aramaic form of the geminate verb with a doubling of the first letter.

[37:16]  ³ tn As indicated by HALOT 618 s.v. מִפְלָשׂ, the concept of “balancing” probably refers to “floating” or “suspension” (cf. NIV’s “how the clouds hang poised” and J. E. Hartley, Job [NICOT], 481-82, n. 2).

[12:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:13]  ⁵ sn A. B. Davidson (Job, 91) says, “These attributes of God’s [sic] confound and bring to nought everything bearing the same name among men.”