Ayub 8:12

8:12 While they are still beginning to flower ¹ 

and not ripe for cutting, ² 

they can wither away ³ 

faster ⁴  than any grass! ⁵ 

Ayub 9:28

9:28 I dread ⁶  all my sufferings, ⁷ 

for ⁸  I know that you do not hold me blameless. ⁹ 

Ayub 20:20

20:20 For he knows no satisfaction in his appetite; ¹⁰ 

he does not let anything he desires ¹¹  escape. ¹² 

Ayub 20:24

20:24 If he flees from an iron weapon,

then an arrow ¹³  from a bronze bow pierces him.

Ayub 22:13

22:13 But you have said, ‘What does God know?

Does he judge through such deep darkness? ¹⁴ 

Ayub 29:11

Job’s Benevolence

29:11 “As soon as the ear heard these things, ¹⁵  it blessed me, ¹⁶ 

and when the eye saw them, it bore witness to me,

[8:12]  ¹ tn The word has been traditionally translated “greenness” (so KJV, ASV), but some modern commentators argue for “in flower.” The word is found only in Song 6:11 (where it may be translated “blossoms”). From the same root is אָבִיב (’aviv, “fresh young ears of barley”). Here the word refers to the plant that is still in its early stages of flowering. It should not be translated to suggest the plant is flowering (cf. NRSV), but translating as if the plant is green (so NASB) is also problematic.

[8:12]  ² sn The idea is that as the plant begins to flower, but before it is to be cut down, there is no sign of withering or decay in it. But if the water is withdrawn, it will wither sooner than any other herb. The point Bildad will make of this is that when people rebel against God and his grace is withheld, they perish more swiftly than the water reed.

[8:12]  ³ tn The imperfect verb here is the modal use of potential, “can wither away” if the water is not there.

[8:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “before.”

[8:12]  ⁵ tn The LXX interprets the line: “does not any herb wither before it has received moisture?”

[9:28]  ⁶ tn The word was used in Job 3:25; it has the idea of “dread, fear, tremble at.” The point here is that even if Job changes his appearance, he still dreads the sufferings, because he knows that God is treating him as a criminal.

[9:28]  ⁷ sn See Job 7:15; see also the translation by G. Perles, “I tremble in every nerve” (“The Fourteenth Edition of Gesenius-Buhl’s Dictionary,” JQR 18 [1905/06]: 383-90).

[9:28]  ⁸ tn The conjunction “for” is supplied in the translation.

[9:28]  ⁹ sn A. B. Davidson (Job, 73) appropriately notes that Job’s afflictions were the proof of his guilt in the estimation of God. If God held him innocent, he would remove the afflictions.

[20:20]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “belly,” which represents his cravings, his desires and appetites. The “satisfaction” is actually the word for “quiet; peace; calmness; ease.” He was driven by greedy desires, or he felt and displayed an insatiable greed.

[20:20]  ¹¹ tn The verb is the passive participle of the verb חָמַד (khamad) which is one of the words for “covet; desire.” This person is controlled by his desires; there is no escape. He is a slave.

[20:20]  ¹² tn The verb is difficult to translate in this line. It basically means “to cause to escape; to rescue.” Some translate this verb as “it is impossible to escape”; this may work, but is uncertain. Others translate the verb in the sense of saving something else: N. Sarna says, “Of his most cherished possessions he shall save nothing” (“The Interchange of the Preposition bet and min in Biblical Hebrew,” JBL 78 [1959]: 315-16). The RSV has “he will save nothing in which he delights”; NIV has “he cannot save himself by his treasure.”

[20:24]  ¹³ tn Heb “a bronze bow pierces him.” The words “an arrow from” are implied and are supplied in the translation; cf. “pulls it out” in the following verse.

[22:13]  ¹⁴ sn Eliphaz is giving to Job the thoughts and words of the pagans, for they say, “How does God know, and is there knowledge in the Most High?” (see Ps 73:11; 94:11).

[29:11]  ¹⁵ tn The words “these things” and “them” in the next colon are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[29:11]  ¹⁶ tn The main clause is introduced by the preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive (see GKC 327 §111.h); the clause before it is therefore temporal and circumstantial to the main clause.