Ayub 5:26

5:26 You will come to your grave in a full age, ¹ 

As stacks of grain are harvested in their season.

Ayub 6:3

6:3 But because it is heavier ²  than the sand ³  of the sea,

that is why my words have been wild. ⁴ 

Ayub 9:23

9:23 If a scourge brings sudden death, ⁵ 

he mocks ⁶  at the despair ⁷  of the innocent. ⁸ 

Ayub 9:26

9:26 They glide by ⁹  like reed ¹⁰  boats,

like an eagle that swoops ¹¹  down on its prey. ¹² 

Ayub 9:35

9:35 Then ¹³  would I speak and not fear him,

but it is not so with me. ¹⁴ 

Ayub 10:12

10:12 You gave me ¹⁵  life and favor, ¹⁶ 

and your intervention ¹⁷  watched over my spirit.

Ayub 15:11

15:11 Are God’s consolations ¹⁸  too trivial for you; ¹⁹ 

or a word spoken ²⁰  in gentleness to you?

Ayub 18:15

18:15 Fire resides in his tent; ²¹ 

over his residence burning sulfur is scattered.

Ayub 19:3

19:3 These ten times ²²  you have been reproaching me; ²³ 

you are not ashamed to attack me! ²⁴ 

Ayub 19:5

19:5 If indeed ²⁵  you would exalt yourselves ²⁶  above me

and plead my disgrace against me, ²⁷ 

Ayub 19:8

19:8 He has blocked ²⁸  my way so I cannot pass,

and has set darkness ²⁹  over my paths.

Ayub 20:10

20:10 His sons must recompense ³⁰  the poor;

his own hands ³¹  must return his wealth.

Ayub 21:21

21:21 For what is his interest ³²  in his home

after his death, ³³ 

when the number of his months

has been broken off? ³⁴ 

Ayub 26:3

26:3 How you have advised the one without wisdom,

and abundantly ³⁵  revealed your insight!

Ayub 26:10

26:10 He marks out the horizon ³⁶  on the surface of the waters

as a boundary between light and darkness.

Ayub 26:13

26:13 By his breath ³⁷  the skies became fair;

his hand pierced the fleeing serpent. ³⁸ 

Ayub 27:7

The Condition of the Wicked

27:7 “May my enemy be like the wicked, ³⁹ 

my adversary ⁴⁰  like the unrighteous. ⁴¹ 

Ayub 28:18

28:18 Of coral and jasper no mention will be made;

the price ⁴²  of wisdom is more than pearls. ⁴³ 

Ayub 29:6

29:6 when my steps ⁴⁴  were bathed ⁴⁵  with butter ⁴⁶ 

and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil! ⁴⁷ 

Ayub 29:23

29:23 They waited for me as people wait ⁴⁸  for the rain,

and they opened their mouths ⁴⁹ 

as for ⁵⁰  the spring rains.

Ayub 30:25

30:25 Have I not wept for the unfortunate? ⁵¹ 

Was not my soul grieved for the poor?

Ayub 33:9

33:9 ⁵² ‘I am pure, without transgression;

I am clean ⁵³  and have no iniquity.

Ayub 33:16

33:16 Then he gives a revelation ⁵⁴  to people,

and terrifies them with warnings, ⁵⁵ 

Ayub 34:24

34:24 He shatters the great without inquiry, ⁵⁶ 

and sets up others in their place.

Ayub 36:9

36:9 then he reveals ⁵⁷  to them what they have done, ⁵⁸ 

and their transgressions,

that they were behaving proudly.

Ayub 37:20

37:20 Should he be informed that I want ⁵⁹  to speak?

If a man speaks, surely he would be swallowed up!

Ayub 39:18

39:18 But as soon as she springs up, ⁶⁰ 

she laughs at the horse and its rider.

Ayub 39:27

39:27 Is it at your command ⁶¹  that the eagle soars,

and builds its nest on high?

Ayub 40:4

40:4 “Indeed, I am completely unworthy ⁶²  – how could I reply to you?

I put ⁶³  my hand over my mouth to silence myself. ⁶⁴ 

Ayub 40:9

40:9 Do you have an arm as powerful as God’s, ⁶⁵ 

and can you thunder with a voice like his?

Ayub 40:14

40:14 Then I myself will acknowledge ⁶⁶  to you

that your own right hand can save you. ⁶⁷ 

[5:26]  ¹ tn The word translated “in a full age” has been given an array of meanings: “health; integrity”; “like a new blade of corn”; “in your strength [or vigor].” The numerical value of the letters in the word בְכֶלָח (bÿkhelakh, “in old age”) was 2, 20, 30, and 8, or 60. This led some of the commentators to say that at 60 one would enter the ripe old age (E. Dhorme, Job, 73).

[6:3]  ² tn E. Dhorme (Job, 76) notes that כִּי־עַתָּה (ki ’attah) has no more force than “but”; and that the construction is the same as in 17:4; 20:19-21; 23:14-15. The initial clause is causative, and the second half of the verse gives the consequence (“because”…“that is why”). Others take 3a as the apodosis of v. 2, and translate it “for now it would be heavier…” (see A. B. Davidson, Job, 43).

[6:3]  ³ sn The point of the comparison with the sand of the sea is that the sand is immeasurable. So the grief of Job cannot be measured.

[6:3]  ⁴ tn The verb לָעוּ (la’u) is traced by E. Dhorme (Job, 76) to a root לָעָה (la’ah), cognate to an Arabic root meaning “to chatter.” He shows how modern Hebrew has a meaning for the word “to stammer out.” But that does not really fit Job’s outbursts. The idea in the context is rather that of speaking wildly, rashly, or charged with grief. This would trace the word to a hollow or geminate word and link it to Arabic “talk wildly” (see D. J. A. Clines, Job [WBC], 158). In the older works the verb was taken from a geminate root meaning “to suck” or “to swallow” (cf. KJV), but that yields a very difficult sense to the line.

[9:23]  ⁵ tc The LXX contains a paraphrase: “for the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.”

[9:23]  sn The point of these verses is to show – rather boldly – that God does not distinguish between the innocent and the guilty.

[9:23]  ⁶ sn This bold anthropomorphism means that by his treatment of the despair of the innocent, God is in essence mocking them.

[9:23]  ⁷ tn The term מַסַּת (massat), a hapax legomenon, was translated “trial” in the older versions; but it is not from נָסָה (nasah, “to tempt; to test; to try”), but from מָסַס (masas, “to flow”). It is used in the Niphal to speak of the heart “melting” in suffering. So the idea behind this image is that of despair. This is the view that most interpreters adopt; it requires no change of the text whatsoever.

[9:23]  ⁸ sn Job uses this word to refute Eliphaz; cf. 4:7.

[9:26]  ⁹ tn Heb “they flee.”

[9:26]  ¹⁰ tn The word אֵבֶה (’eveh) means “reed, papyrus,” but it is a different word than was in 8:11. What is in view here is a light boat made from bundles of papyrus that glides swiftly along the Nile (cf. Isa 18:2 where papyrus vessels and swiftness are associated).

[9:26]  ¹¹ tn The verb יָטוּשׂ (yatus) is also a hapax legomenon; the Aramaic cognate means “to soar; to hover in flight.” The sentence here requires the idea of swooping down while in flight.

[9:26]  ¹² tn Heb “food.”

[9:35]  ¹³ tn There is no conjunction with this cohortative; but the implication from the context is that if God’s rod were withdrawn, if the terror were removed, then Job would speak up without fear.

[9:35]  ¹⁴ tn The last half of the verse is rather cryptic: “but not so I with me.” NIV renders it “but as it now stands with me, I cannot.” This is very smooth and interpretive. Others transpose the two halves of the verse to read, “Since it is not so, I with myself // will commune and not fear him.” Job would be saying that since he cannot contend with God on equal terms, and since there is no arbiter, he will come on his own terms. English versions have handled this differently: “for I know I am not what I am thought to be” (NEB); “since this is not the case with me” (NAB); “I do not see myself like that at all” (JB).

[10:12]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “you made with me.”

[10:12]  ¹⁶ tn E. Dhorme (Job, 150) suggests that the relation between these two words is like a hendiadys. In other words, “life,” which he says is made prominent by the shift of the copula, specifies the nature of the grace. He renders it “the favor of life.” D. J. A. Clines at least acknowledges that the expression “you showed loyal love with me” is primary. There are many other attempts to improve the translation of this unusual combination.

[10:12]  ¹⁷ tn The noun פְּקָָֻדּה (pÿquddah), originally translated “visitation,” actually refers to any divine intervention for blessing on the life. Here it would include the care and overseeing of the life of Job. “Providence” may be too general for the translation, but it is not far from the meaning of this line. The LXX has “your oversight.”

[15:11]  ¹⁸ sn The word תַּנְחֻמוֹת (tankhumot) occurs here and only in Job 21:34. The words of comfort and consolation that they have been offering to Job are here said to be “of God.” But Job will call them miserable comforters (16:2).

[15:11]  ¹⁹ tn The formula “is it too little for you” or “is it too slight a matter for you” is also found in Isa 7:13 (see GKC 430 §133.c).

[15:11]  ²⁰ tn The word “spoken” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation.

[18:15]  ²¹ tn This line is difficult as well. The verb, again a third feminine form, says “it dwells in his tent.” But the next part (מִבְּלִי לוֹ, mibbÿli lo) means something like “things of what are not his.” The best that can be made of the MT is “There shall live in his tent they that are not his” (referring to persons and animals; see J. E. Hartley, Job [NICOT], 279). G. R. Driver and G. B. Gray (Job [ICC], 2:161) refer “that which is naught of his” to weeds and wild animals. M. Dahood suggested a reading מַבֶּל (mabbel) and a connection to Akkadian nablu, “fire” (cf. Ugaritic nbl). The interchange of m and n is not a problem, and the parallelism with the next line makes good sense (“Some Northwest Semitic words in Job,” Bib 38 [1957]: 312ff.). Others suggest an emendation to get “night-hag” or vampire. This suggestion, as well as Driver’s “mixed herbs,” are linked to the idea of exorcism. But if a change is to be made, Dahood’s is the most compelling.

[19:3]  ²² sn The number “ten” is a general expression to convey that this has been done often (see Gen 31:7; Num 14:22).

[19:3]  ²³ tn The Hiphil of the verb כָּלַם (kalam) means “outrage; insult; shame.” The verbs in this verse are prefixed conjugations, and may be interpreted as preterites if the reference is to the past time. But since the action is still going on, progressive imperfects work well.

[19:3]  ²⁴ tn The second half of the verse uses two verbs, the one dependent on the other. It could be translated “you are not ashamed to attack me” (see GKC 385-86 §120.c), or “you attack me shamelessly.” The verb חָכַר (hakhar) poses some difficulties for both the ancient versions and the modern commentators. The verb seems to be cognate to Arabic hakara, “to oppress; to ill-treat.” This would mean that there has been a transformation of ח (khet) to ה (he). Three Hebrew mss actually have the ח (khet). This has been widely accepted; other suggestions are irrelevant.

[19:5]  ²⁵ tn The introductory particles repeat אָמְנָם (’amnam, “indeed”) but now with אִם (’im, “if”). It could be interpreted to mean “is it not true,” or as here in another conditional clause.

[19:5]  ²⁶ tn The verb is the Hiphil of גָּדַל (gadal); it can mean “to make great” or as an internal causative “to make oneself great” or “to assume a lofty attitude, to be insolent.” There is no reason to assume another root here with the meaning of “quarrel” (as Gordis does).

[19:5]  ²⁷ sn Job’s friends have been using his shame, his humiliation in all his sufferings, as proof against him in their case.

[19:8]  ²⁸ tn The verb גָּדַר (gadar) means “to wall up; to fence up; to block.” God has blocked Job’s way so that he cannot get through. See the note on 3:23. Cf. Lam 3:7.

[19:8]  ²⁹ tn Some commentators take the word to be חָשַׁךְ (hasak), related to an Arabic word for “thorn hedge.”

[20:10]  ³⁰ tn The early versions confused the root of this verb, taking it from רָצַץ (ratsats, “mistreat”) and not from רָצָה (ratsah, “be please with”). So it was taken to mean, “Let inferiors destroy his children.” But the verb is רָצָה (ratsah). This has been taken to mean “his sons will seek the favor of the poor.” This would mean that they would be reduced to poverty and need help from even the poor. Some commentators see this as another root רָצָה (ratsah) meaning “to compensate; to restore” wealth their father had gained by impoverishing others. This fits the parallelism well, but not the whole context that well.

[20:10]  ³¹ tn Some commentators are surprised to see “his hands” here, thinking the passage talks about his death. Budde changed it to “his children,” by altering one letter. R. Gordis argued that “hand” can mean offspring, and so translated it that way without changing anything in the text (“A note on YAD,” JBL 62 [1943]: 343).

[21:21]  ³² tn Heb “his desire.” The meaning is that after he is gone he does not care about what happens to his household (“house” meaning “family” here).

[21:21]  ³³ tn Heb “after him,” but clearly the meaning is “after he is gone.”

[21:21]  ³⁴ tc The rare word חֻצָּצוּ (khutsatsu) is probably a cognate of hassa in Arabic, meaning “to cut off.” There is also an Akkadian word “to cut in two” and “to break.” These fit the context here rather well. The other Hebrew words that are connected to the root חָצַצ (khatsats) do not offer any help.

[26:3]  ³⁵ tc The phrase לָרֹב (larov) means “to abundance” or “in a large quantity.” It is also used ironically like all these expressions. This makes very good sense, but some wish to see a closer parallel and so offer emendations. Reiske and Kissane thought “to the tender” for the word. But the timid are not the same as the ignorant and unwise. So Graetz supplied “to the boorish” by reading לְבָעַר (lÿba’ar). G. R. Driver did the same with less of a change: לַבּוֹר (labbor; HTR 29 [1936]: 172).

[26:10]  ³⁶ tn The expression חֹק־חָג (khoq-khag) means “he has drawn a limit as a circle.” According to some the form should have been חָק־חוּג (khaq-khug, “He has traced a circle”). But others argues that the text is acceptable as is, and can be interpreted as “a limit he has circled.” The Hebrew verbal roots are חָקַק (khaqaq, “to engrave; to sketch out; to trace”) and חוּג (khug, “describe a circle”) respectively.

[26:13]  ³⁷ tn Or “wind”; or perhaps “Spirit.” The same Hebrew word, רוּחַ (ruakh), may be translated as “wind,” “breath,” or “spirit/Spirit” depending on the context.

[26:13]  ³⁸ sn Here too is a reference to pagan views indirectly. The fleeing serpent was a designation for Leviathan, whom the book will simply describe as an animal, but the pagans thought to be a monster of the deep. God’s power over nature is associated with defeat of pagan gods (see further W. F. Albright, Yahweh and the Gods of Canaan; idem, BASOR 53 [1941]: 39).

[27:7]  ³⁹ sn Of course, he means like his enemy when he is judged, not when he is thriving in prosperity and luxury.

[27:7]  ⁴⁰ tn The form is the Hitpolel participle from קוּם (qum): “those who are rising up against me,” or “my adversary.”

[27:7]  ⁴¹ tc The LXX made a free paraphrase: “No, but let my enemies be as the overthrow of the ungodly, and they that rise up against me as the destruction of transgressors.”

[28:18]  ⁴² tn The word מֶשֶׁךְ (meshekh) comes from a root meaning “to grasp; to seize; to hold,” and so the derived noun means “grasping; acquiring; taking possession,” and therefore, “price” (see the discussion in R. Gordis, Job, 309). Gray renders it “acquisition” (so A. Cohen, AJSL 40 [1923/24]: 175).

[28:18]  ⁴³ tn In Lam 4:7 these are described as red, and so have been identified as rubies (so NIV) or corals.

[29:6]  ⁴⁴ tn The word is a hapax legomenon, but the meaning is clear enough. It refers to the walking, the steps, or even the paths where one walks. It is figurative of his course of life.

[29:6]  ⁴⁵ tn The Hebrew word means “to wash; to bathe”; here it is the infinitive construct in a temporal clause, “my steps” being the genitive: “in the washing of my steps in butter.”

[29:6]  ⁴⁶ tn Again, as in Job 21:17, “curds.”

[29:6]  ⁴⁷ tn The MT reads literally, “and the rock was poured out [passive participle] for me as streams of oil.” There are some who delete the word “rock” to shorten the line because it seems out of place. But olive trees thrive in rocky soil, and the oil presses are cut into the rock; it is possible that by metonymy all this is intended here (H. H. Rowley, Job [NCBC], 186).

[29:23]  ⁴⁸ tn The phrase “people wait for” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation.

[29:23]  ⁴⁹ sn The analogy is that they received his words eagerly as the dry ground opens to receive the rains.

[29:23]  ⁵⁰ tn The כּ (kaf) preposition is to be supplied by analogy with the preceding phrase. This leaves a double proposition, “as for” (but see Job 29:2).

[30:25]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “for the hard of day.”

[33:9]  ⁵² sn See Job 9:21; 10:7; 23:7; 27:4; ch. 31.

[33:9]  ⁵³ tn The word is a hapax legomenon; hap is from חָפַף (khafaf). It is used in New Hebrew in expressions like “to wash” the head. Cognates in Syriac and Akkadian support the meaning “to wash; to clean.”

[33:16]  ⁵⁴ tn The idiom is “he uncovers the ear of men.” This expression means “inform” in Ruth 4:4; 1 Sam 20:2, etc. But when God is the subject it means “make a revelation” (see 1 Sam 9:15; 2 Sam 7:27).

[33:16]  ⁵⁵ tc Heb “and seals their bonds.” The form of the present translation, “and terrifies them with warnings,” is derived only by emending the text. Aquila, the Vulgate, Syriac, and Targum Job have “their correction” for “their bond,” which is what the KJV used. But the LXX, Aquila, and the Syriac have “terrifies” for the verb. This involves a change in pointing from יָחְתֹּם (yakhtom) to יְחִתֵּם (yÿkhittem). The LXX has “appearances of fear” instead of “bonds.” The point of the verse seems to be that by terrifying dreams God makes people aware of their ways.

[34:24]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “[with] no investigation.”

[36:9]  ⁵⁷ tn The verb נָגַד (nagad) means “to declare; to tell.” Here it is clear that God is making known the sins that caused the enslavement or captivity, so “reveal” makes a good interpretive translation.

[36:9]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “their work.”

[37:20]  ⁵⁹ tn This imperfect works well as a desiderative imperfect.

[39:18]  ⁶⁰ tn The colon poses a slight problem here. The literal meaning of the Hebrew verb translated “springs up” (i.e., “lifts herself on high”) might suggest flight. But some of the proposals involve a reading about readying herself to run.

[39:27]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “your mouth.”

[40:4]  ⁶² tn The word קַלֹּתִי (qalloti) means “to be light; to be of small account; to be unimportant.” From this comes the meaning “contemptible,” which in the causative stem would mean “to treat with contempt; to curse.” Dhorme tries to make the sentence a conditional clause and suggests this meaning: “If I have been thoughtless.” There is really no “if” in Job’s mind.

[40:4]  ⁶³ tn The perfect verb here should be classified as an instantaneous perfect; the action is simultaneous with the words.

[40:4]  ⁶⁴ tn The words “to silence myself” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[40:9]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “do you have an arm like God?” The words “as powerful as” have been supplied in the translation to clarify the metaphor.

[40:14]  ⁶⁶ tn The verb is usually translated “praise,” but with the sense of a public declaration or acknowledgment. It is from יָדָה (yadah, in the Hiphil, as here, “give thanks, laud”).

[40:14]  ⁶⁷ tn The imperfect verb has the nuance of potential imperfect: “can save; is able to save.”