Ayub 1:2

1:2 Seven ¹  sons and three daughters were born to him. ² 

Ayub 10:8

Contradictions in God’s Dealings

10:8 “Your hands have shaped ³  me and made me,

but ⁴  now you destroy me completely. ⁵ 

Ayub 13:24

13:24 Why do you hide your face ⁶ 

and regard me as your enemy?

Ayub 22:2

22:2 “Is it to God that a strong man is of benefit?

Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable? ⁷ 

Ayub 22:24

22:24 and throw ⁸  your gold ⁹  in the dust –

your gold ¹⁰  of Ophir

among the rocks in the ravines –

Ayub 23:9

23:9 In the north ¹¹  when he is at work, ¹² 

I do not see him; ¹³ 

when he turns ¹⁴  to the south,

I see no trace of him.

Ayub 28:16

28:16 It cannot be measured out for purchase ¹⁵  with the gold of Ophir,

with precious onyx ¹⁶  or sapphires.

Ayub 28:19

28:19 The topaz of Cush ¹⁷  cannot be compared with it;

it cannot be purchased with pure gold.

Ayub 32:4

32:4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking ¹⁸  to Job, because the others ¹⁹  were older than he was.

Ayub 36:10

36:10 And he reveals ²⁰  this ²¹  for correction,

and says that they must turn ²²  from evil.

Ayub 39:22

39:22 It laughs at fear and is not dismayed;

it does not shy away from the sword.

Ayub 41:25

41:25 When it rises up, the mighty are terrified,

at its thrashing about they withdraw. ²³ 

Ayub 41:34

41:34 It looks on every haughty being;

it is king over all that are proud.” ²⁴ 

[1:2]  ¹ sn The numbers used in the chapter, seven, three, and five, carry the symbolism in the Bible of perfection and completeness (see J. J. Davis, Biblical Numerology). Job’s “seven sons” are listed first because in the East sons were considered more valuable than daughters (recall Ruth, who is “better than seven sons” [Ruth 4:15]).

[1:2]  ² tn The verb begins the sentence: “and there were born.” This use of the preterite with vav (ו) consecutive, especially after the verb הָיָה (hayah, “to be”), is explanatory: there was a man…and there was born to him…” (IBHS 551-52 §33.2.2b).

[10:8]  ³ tn The root עָצַב (’atsav) is linked by some to an Arabic word meaning “to cut out, hew.” The derived word עֲצַבִּים (’atsabbim) means “idols.” Whatever the precise meaning, the idea is that God formed or gave shape to mankind in creation.

[10:8]  ⁴ tn The verb in this part is a preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive. However, here it has merely an external connection with the preceding perfects, so that in reality it presents an antithesis (see GKC 327 §111.e).

[10:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “together round about and you destroy me.” The second half of this verse is very difficult. Most commentators follow the LXX and connect the first two words with the second colon as the MT accents indicate (NJPS, “then destroyed every part of me”), rather than with the first colon (“and made me complete,” J. E. Hartley, Job [NICOT], 185). Instead of “together” some read “after.” Others see in סָבִיב (saviv) not so much an adjectival use but a verbal or adverbial use: “you turn and destroy” or “you destroy utterly (all around).” This makes more sense than “turn.” In addition, the verb form in the line is the preterite with vav consecutive; this may be another example of the transposition of the copula (see 4:6). For yet another option (“You have engulfed me about altogether”), see R. Fuller, “Exodus 21:22: The Miscarriage Interpretation and the Personhood of the Fetus,” JETS 37 (1994): 178.

[13:24]  ⁶ sn The anthropomorphism of “hide the face” indicates a withdrawal of favor and an outpouring of wrath (see Ps 30:7 [8]; Isa 54:8; Ps 27:9). Sometimes God “hides his face” to make himself invisible or aloof (see 34:29). In either case, if God covers his face it is because he considers Job an enemy – at least this is what Job thinks.

[22:2]  ⁷ tn Some do not take this to be parallel to the first colon, taking this line as a statement, but the parallel expressions here suggest the question is repeated.

[22:24]  ⁸ tc The form is the imperative. Eliphaz is telling Job to get rid of his gold as evidence of his repentance. Many commentators think that this is too improbable for Eliphaz to have said, and that Job has lost everything anyway, and so they make proposals for the text. Most would follow Theodotion and the Syriac to read וְשָׁתָּ (vÿshatta, “and you will esteem….”). This would mean that he is promising Job restoration of his wealth.

[22:24]  tn Heb “place.”

[22:24]  ⁹ tn The word for “gold” is the rare בֶּצֶר (betser), which may be derived from a cognate of Arabic basara, “to see; to examine.” If this is the case, the word here would refer to refined gold. The word also forms a fine wordplay with בְצוּר (bÿtsur, “in the rock”).

[22:24]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew text simply has “Ophir,” a metonymy for the gold that comes from there.

[23:9]  ¹¹ sn The text has “the left hand,” the Semitic idiom for directions. One faces the rising sun, and so left is north, right is south.

[23:9]  ¹² tc The form בַּעֲשֹׂתוֹ (ba’asoto) would be the temporal clause using the infinitive construct with a pronoun (subject genitive). This would be “when he works.” Several follow the Syriac with “I seek him.” The LXX has “[when] he turns.” R. Gordis (Job, 261) notes that there is no need to emend the text; he shows a link to the Arabic cognate ghasa, “to cover.” To him this is a perfect parallel to יַעְטֹף (ya’tof, “covers himself”).

[23:9]  ¹³ tn The verb is the apocopated form of the imperfect. The object is supplied.

[23:9]  ¹⁴ tn The MT has “he turns,” but the Syriac and Vulgate have “I turn.”

[28:16]  ¹⁵ tn The word actually means “weighed,” that is, lifted up on the scale and weighed, in order to purchase.

[28:16]  ¹⁶ tn The exact identification of these stones is uncertain. Many recent English translations, however, have “onyx” and “sapphires.”

[28:19]  ¹⁷ tn Or “Ethiopia.” In ancient times this referred to the region of the upper Nile, rather than modern Ethiopia (formerly known as Abyssinia).

[32:4]  ¹⁸ tc This reading requires repointing the word בִּדְבָרִים (bidbarim, “with words”) to בְּדָבְּרָם (bÿdabbÿram, “while they spoke [with Job]”). If the MT is retained, it would mean “he waited for Job with words,” which while understandable is awkward.

[32:4]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the other friends) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[36:10]  ²⁰ tn The idiom once again is “he uncovers their ear.”

[36:10]  ²¹ tn The revelation is in the preceding verse, and so a pronoun must be added to make the reference clear.

[36:10]  ²² tn The verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to turn; to return”) is one of the two major words in the OT for “repent” – to return from evil. Here the imperfect should be obligatory – they must do it.

[41:25]  ²³ tc This verse has created all kinds of problems for the commentators. The first part is workable: “when he raises himself up, the mighty [the gods] are terrified.” The mythological approach would render אֵלִים (’elim) as “gods.” But the last two words, which could be rendered “at the breaking [crashing, or breakers] they fail,” receive much attention. E. Dhorme (Job, 639) suggests “majesty” for “raising up” and “billows” (גַּלִּים, gallim) for אֵלִים (’elim), and gets a better parallelism: “the billows are afraid of his majesty, and the waves draw back.” But H. H. Rowley (Job [NCBC], 263) does not think this is relevant to the context, which is talking about the creature’s defense against attack. The RSV works well for the first part, but the second part need some change; so Rowley adopts “in their dire consternation they are beside themselves.”

[41:34]  ²⁴ tn Heb “the sons of pride.” Dhorme repoints the last word to get “all the wild beasts,” but this misses the point of the verse. This animal looks over every proud creature – but he is king of them all in that department.