Ayub 34:5-7

34:5 For Job says, ‘I am innocent, ¹ 

but God turns away my right.

34:6 Concerning my right, should I lie? ² 

My wound ³  is incurable,

although I am without transgression.’ ⁴ 

34:7 What man is like Job,

who ⁵  drinks derision ⁶  like water!

Ayub 34:18-19

34:18 who says to a king, ⁷  ‘Worthless man’ ⁸ 

and to nobles, ‘Wicked men,’

34:19 who shows no partiality to princes,

and does not take note of ⁹  the rich more than the poor,

because all of them are the work of his hands?

Ayub 36:7-9

36:7 He does not take his eyes ¹⁰  off the righteous;

but with kings on the throne

he seats the righteous ¹¹  and exalts them forever. ¹² 

36:8 But if they are bound in chains, ¹³ 

and held captive by the cords of affliction,

36:9 then he reveals ¹⁴  to them what they have done, ¹⁵ 

and their transgressions,

that they were behaving proudly.

Ayub 36:17-18

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

judgment and justice take hold of you.

36:18 Be careful that ¹⁶  no one entices you with riches;

do not let a large bribe ¹⁷  turn you aside.

Ayub 40:2

40:2 “Will the one who contends ¹⁸  with the Almighty correct him? ¹⁹ 

Let the person who accuses God give him an answer!”

Ayub 40:8

40:8 Would you indeed annul ²⁰  my justice?

Would you declare me guilty so that you might be right?

[34:5]  ¹ tn Heb “righteous,” but in this context it means to be innocent or in the right.

[34:6]  ² tn The verb is the Piel imperfect of כָּזַב (kazav), meaning “to lie.” It could be a question: “Should I lie [against my right?] – when I am innocent. If it is repointed to the Pual, then it can be “I am made to lie,” or “I am deceived.” Taking it as a question makes good sense here, and so emendations are unnecessary.

[34:6]  ³ tn The Hebrew text has only “my arrow.” Some commentators emend that word slightly to get “my wound.” But the idea could be derived from “arrows” as well, the wounds caused by the arrows. The arrows are symbolic of God’s affliction.

[34:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “without transgression”; but this is parallel to the first part where the claim is innocence.

[34:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “he drinks,” but coming after the question this clause may be subordinated.

[34:7]  ⁶ tn The scorn or derision mentioned here is not against Job, but against God. Job scorns God so much, he must love it. So to reflect this idea, Gordis has translated it “blasphemy” (cf. NAB).

[34:18]  ⁷ tc Heb “Does one say,” although some smooth it out to say “Is it fit to say?” For the reading “who says,” the form has to be repointed to הַאֹמֵר (ha’omer) meaning, “who is the one saying.” This reading is supported by the LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac. Also it seems to flow better with the following verse. It would be saying that God is over the rulers and can rebuke them. The former view is saying that no one rebukes kings, much less Job rebuking God.

[34:18]  ⁸ tn The word בְּלִיָּעַל (bÿliyya’al) means both “worthless” and “wicked.” It is common in proverbial literature, and in later writings it became a description of Satan. It is usually found with “son of.”

[34:19]  ⁹ tn The verb means “to give recognition; to take note of” and in this passage with לִפְנֵי (lifne, “before”) it means to show preferential treatment to the rich before the poor. The word for “rich” here is an unusual word, found parallel to “noble” (Isa 32:2). P. Joüon thinks it is a term of social distinction (Bib 18 [1937]: 207-8).

[36:7]  ¹⁰ tc Many commentators accept the change of “his eyes” to “his right” (reading דִּינוֹ [dino] for עֵינָיו [’enayv]). There is no compelling reason for the change; it makes the line commonplace.

[36:7]  ¹¹ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the righteous) has been repeated from the first part of the verse for clarity.

[36:7]  ¹² tn Heb “he seats them forever and exalts them.” The last verb can be understood as expressing a logical consequence of the preceding action (cf. GKC 328 §111.l = “he seats them forever so that he exalts them”). Or the two verbs can be taken as an adverbial hendiadys whereby the first modifies the second adverbially: “he exalts them by seating them forever” or “when he seats them forever” (cf. GKC 326 §111.d). Some interpret this verse to say that God seats kings on the throne, making a change in subject in the middle of the verse. But it makes better sense to see the righteous as the subject matter throughout – they are not only protected, but are exalted.

[36:8]  ¹³ tn Dhorme thinks that the verse is still talking about kings, who may be in captivity. But this diverts attention from Elihu’s emphasis on the righteous.

[36:9]  ¹⁴ tn The verb נָגַד (nagad) means “to declare; to tell.” Here it is clear that God is making known the sins that caused the enslavement or captivity, so “reveal” makes a good interpretive translation.

[36:9]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “their work.”

[36:18]  ¹⁶ tn The first expression is idiomatic: the text says, “because wrath lest it entice you” – thus, beware.

[36:18]  ¹⁷ tn The word is כֹּפֶר (kofer), often translated “ransom,” but frequently in the sense of a bribe.

[40:2]  ¹⁸ tn The form רֹב (rov) is the infinitive absolute from the verb רִיב (riv, “contend”). Dhorme wishes to repoint it to make it the active participle, the “one who argues with the Almighty.”

[40:2]  ¹⁹ tn The verb יִסּוֹר (yissor) is found only here, but comes from a common root meaning “to correct; to reprove.” Several suggestions have been made to improve on the MT. Dhorme read it יָסוּר (yasur) in the sense of “to turn aside; to yield.” Ehrlich read this emendation as “to come to an end.” But the MT could be read as “to correct; to instruct.”

[40:8]  ²⁰ tn The verb פָּרַר (parar) means “to annul; to break; to frustrate.” It was one thing for Job to claim his own integrity, but it was another matter altogether to nullify God’s righteousness in the process.