Ayub 29:25

29:25 I chose ¹  the way for them ² 

and sat as their chief; ³ 

I lived like a king among his troops;

I was like one who comforts mourners. ⁴ 

Ayub 34:29

34:29 But if God ⁵  is quiet, who can condemn ⁶  him?

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

Yet ⁷  he is over the individual and the nation alike, ⁸ 

Ayub 42:3

42:3 you asked, ⁹ 

‘Who is this who darkens counsel

without knowledge?’

But ¹⁰  I have declared without understanding ¹¹ 

things too wonderful for me to know. ¹² 

[29:25]  ¹ tn All of these imperfects describe what Job used to do, and so they all fit the category of customary imperfect.

[29:25]  ² tn Heb “their way.”

[29:25]  ³ tn The text simply has “and I sat [as their] head.” The adverbial accusative explains his role, especially under the image of being seated. He directed the deliberations as a king directs an army.

[29:25]  ⁴ tc Most commentators think this last phrase is odd here, and so they either delete it altogether, or emend it to fit the idea of the verse. Ewald, however, thought it appropriate as a transition to the next section, reminding his friends that unlike him, they were miserable comforters. Herz made the few changes in the text to get the reading “where I led them, they were willing to go” (ZAW 20 [1900]: 163). The two key words in the MT are אֲבֵלִים יְנַחֵם (’avelim yÿnakhem, “he [one who] comforts mourners”). Following Herz, E. Dhorme (Job, 422) has these changed to אוֹבִילֵם יִנַּחוּ (’ovilem yinnakhu). R. Gordis has “like one leading a camel train” (Job, 324). But Kissane also retains the line as a summary of the chapter, noting its presence in the versions.

[34:29]  ⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:29]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ 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.”

[42:3]  ⁹ tn The expression “you asked” is added here to clarify the presence of the line to follow. Many commentators delete it as a gloss from Job 38:2. If it is retained, then Job has to be recalling God’s question before he answers it.

[42:3]  ¹⁰ tn The word לָכֵן (lakhen) is simply “but,” as in Job 31:37.

[42:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and I do not understand.” The expression serves here in an adverbial capacity. It also could be subordinated as a complement: “I have declared [things that] I do not understand.”

[42:3]  ¹² tn The last clause is “and I do not know.” This is also subordinated to become a dependent clause.