Ayub 20:12

20:12 “If ¹  evil is sweet in his mouth

and he hides it under his tongue, ² 

Ayub 29:23

29:23 They waited for me as people wait ³  for the rain,

and they opened their mouths ⁴ 

as for ⁵  the spring rains.

[20:12]  ¹ tn The conjunction אִם (’im) introduces clauses that are conditional or concessive. With the imperfect verb in the protasis it indicates what is possible in the present or future. See GKC 496 §159.q).

[20:12]  ² sn The wicked person holds on to evil as long as he can, savoring the taste or the pleasure of it.

[29:23]  ³ tn The phrase “people wait for” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation.

[29:23]  ⁴ sn The analogy is that they received his words eagerly as the dry ground opens to receive the rains.

[29:23]  ⁵ 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).