Ayub 40:23-24

40:23 If the river rages, ¹  it is not disturbed,

it is secure, ²  though the Jordan

should surge up to its mouth.

40:24 Can anyone catch it by its eyes, ³ 

or pierce its nose with a snare? ⁴ 

[40:23]  ¹ tn The word ordinarily means “to oppress.” So many commentators have proposed suitable changes: “overflows” (Beer), “gushes” (Duhm), “swells violently” (Dhorme, from a word that means “be strong”).

[40:23]  ² tn Or “he remains calm.”

[40:24]  ³ tn The idea would be either (1) catch it while it is watching, or (2) in some way disabling its eyes before the attack. But others change the reading; Ball suggested “with hooks” and this has been adopted by some modern English versions (e.g., NRSV).

[40:24]  ⁴ tn Ehrlich altered the MT slightly to get “with thorns,” a view accepted by Driver, Dhorme and Pope.