Ayub 18:11

18:11 Terrors ¹  frighten him on all sides

and dog ²  his every step.

Ayub 20:22

20:22 In the fullness of his sufficiency, ³ 

distress ⁴  overtakes him.

the full force of misery will come upon him. ⁵ 

Ayub 21:23

Death Levels Everything

21:23 “One man dies in his full vigor, ⁶ 

completely secure and prosperous,

Ayub 27:3

27:3 for while ⁷  my spirit ⁸  is still in me,

and the breath from God is in my nostrils,

Ayub 27:14

27:14 If his children increase – it is for the sword! ⁹ 

His offspring never have enough to eat. ¹⁰ 

Ayub 36:17

36:17 But now you are preoccupied with the judgment due the wicked,

judgment and justice take hold of you.

Ayub 36:19

36:19 Would your wealth ¹¹  sustain you,

so that you would not be in distress, ¹² 

even all your mighty efforts? ¹³ 

Ayub 38:4

God’s questions to Job

38:4 “Where were you

when I laid the foundation ¹⁴  of the earth?

Tell me, ¹⁵  if you possess understanding!

[18:11]  ¹ sn Bildad is referring here to all the things that afflict a person and cause terror. It would then be a metonymy of effect, the cause being the afflictions.

[18:11]  ² tn The verb פּוּץ (puts) in the Hiphil has the meaning “to pursue” and “to scatter.” It is followed by the expression “at his feet.” So the idea is easily derived: they chase him at his feet. But some commentators have other proposals. The most far-fetched is that of Ehrlich and Driver (ZAW 24 [1953]: 259-60) which has “and compel him to urinate on his feet,” one of many similar readings the NEB accepted from Driver.

[20:22]  ³ tn The word שָׂפַק (safaq) occurs only here; it means “sufficiency; wealth; abundance (see D. W. Thomas, “The Text of Jesaia 2:6 and the Word sapaq,” ZAW 75 [1963]: 88-90).

[20:22]  ⁴ tn Heb “there is straightness for him.” The root צָרַר (tsarar) means “to be narrowed in straits, to be in a bind.” The word here would have the idea of pressure, stress, trouble. One could say he is in a bind.

[20:22]  ⁵ tn Heb “every hand of trouble comes to him.” The pointing of עָמֵל (’amel) indicates it would refer to one who brings trouble; LXX and Latin read an abstract noun עָמָל (’amal, “trouble”) here.

[21:23]  ⁶ tn The line has “in the bone of his perfection.” The word עֶצֶם (’etsem), which means “bone,” is used pronominally to express “the same, very”; here it is “in the very fullness of his strength” (see GKC 449 §139.g). The abstract תֹּם (tom) is used here in the sense of physical perfection and strengths.

[27:3]  ⁷ tn The adverb עוֹד (’od) was originally a noun, and so here it could be rendered “all the existence of my spirit.” The word comes between the noun in construct and its actual genitive (see GKC 415 §128.e).

[27:3]  ⁸ tn The word נְשָׁמָה (nÿshamah) is the “breath” that was breathed into Adam in Gen 2:7. Its usage includes the animating breath, the spiritual understanding, and the functioning conscience – so the whole spirit of the person. The other word in this verse, רוּחַ (ruakh), may be translated as “wind,” “breath,” or “spirit/Spirit” depending on the context. Here, since it talks about the nostrils, it should be translated “breath.”

[27:14]  ⁹ tn R. Gordis (Job, 294) identifies this as a breviloquence. Compare Ps 92:8 where the last two words also constitute the apodosis.

[27:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “will not be satisfied with bread/food.”

[36:19]  ¹¹ tn The form in the MT is “your cry (for help).” See J. E. Hartley (Job [NICOT], 472-73) and E. Dhorme (Job, 547-48) on the difficulties.

[36:19]  ¹² tn This part has only two words לֹא בְצָר (lo’ bÿtsar, “not in distress”). The negated phrase serves to explain the first colon.

[36:19]  ¹³ tc For the many suggestions and the reasoning here, see the commentaries.

[38:4]  ¹⁴ tn The construction is the infinitive construct in a temporal clause, using the preposition and the subjective genitive suffix.

[38:4]  ¹⁵ tn The verb is the imperative; it has no object “me” in the text.