Ayub 7:21

7:21 And why do you not pardon my transgression,

and take away my iniquity?

For now I will lie down in the dust, ¹ 

and you will seek me diligently, ² 

but I will be gone.”

Ayub 33:26

33:26 He entreats God, and God ³  delights in him,

he sees God’s face ⁴  with rejoicing,

and God ⁵  restores to him his righteousness. ⁶ 

Ayub 34:29

34:29 But if God ⁷  is quiet, who can condemn ⁸  him?

If he hides his face, then who can see him?

Yet ⁹  he is over the individual and the nation alike, ¹⁰ 

[7:21]  ¹ tn The LXX has, “for now I will depart to the earth.”

[7:21]  ² tn The verb שָׁחַר (shakhar) in the Piel has been translated “to seek early in the morning” because of the possible link with the word “dawn.” But the verb more properly means “to seek diligently” (by implication).

[33:26]  ³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:26]  ⁴ tn Heb “his face”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:26]  sn This is usually taken to mean that as a worshiper this individual comes into the presence of the Lord in prayer, and in the sanctuary he sees God’s face, i.e., he sees the evidence of God’s presence.

[33:26]  ⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:26]  ⁶ tc Many commentators think this line is superfluous and so delete it. The RSV changed the verb to “he recounts,” making the idea that the man publishes the news of his victory or salvation (taking “righteousness” as a metonymy of cause).

[34:29]  ⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:29]  ⁸ tn The verb in this position is somewhat difficult, although it does make good sense in the sentence – it is just not what the parallelism would suggest. So several emendations have been put forward, for which see the commentaries.

[34:29]  ⁹ tn The line simply reads “and over a nation and over a man together.” But it must be the qualification for the points being made in the previous lines, namely, that even if God hides himself so no one can see, yet he is still watching over them all (see H. H. Rowley, Job [NCBC], 222).

[34:29]  ¹⁰ tn The word translated “alike” (Heb “together”) has bothered some interpreters. In the reading taken here it is acceptable. But others have emended it to gain a verb, such as “he visits” (Beer), “he watches over” (Duhm), “he is compassionate” (Kissane), etc. But it is sufficient to say “he is over.”