Ayub 12:7

Knowledge of God’s Wisdom ¹ 

12:7 “But now, ask the animals and they ²  will teach you,

or the birds of the sky and they will tell you.

Ayub 28:3

28:3 Man puts an end to the darkness; ³ 

he searches the farthest recesses

for the ore in the deepest darkness. ⁴ 

Ayub 37:13

37:13 Whether it is for punishment ⁵  for his land,

or whether it is for mercy,

he causes it to find its mark. ⁶ 

Ayub 38:17

38:17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you? ⁷ 

Have you seen the gates of deepest darkness? ⁸ 

Ayub 39:24

39:24 In excitement and impatience it consumes the ground; ⁹ 

it cannot stand still ¹⁰  when the trumpet is blown.

[12:7]  ¹ sn As J. E. Hartley (Job [NICOT], 216) observes, in this section Job argues that respected tradition “must not be accepted uncritically.”

[12:7]  ² tn The singular verb is used here with the plural collective subject (see GKC 464 §145.k).

[28:3]  ³ sn The text appears at first to be saying that by opening up a mine shaft, or by taking lights down below, the miner dispels the darkness. But the clause might be more general, meaning that man goes deep into the earth as if it were day.

[28:3]  ⁴ tn The verse ends with “the stone of darkness and deep darkness.” The genitive would be location, describing the place where the stones are found.

[37:13]  ⁵ tn Heb “rod,” i.e., a rod used for punishment.

[37:13]  ⁶ tn This is interpretive; Heb “he makes find it.” The lightning could be what is intended here, for it finds its mark. But R. Gordis (Job, 429) suggests man is the subject – let him find what it is for, i.e., the fate appropriate for him.

[38:17]  ⁷ tn Heb “uncovered to you.”

[38:17]  ⁸ tn Some still retain the traditional phrase “shadow of death” in the English translation (cf. NIV). The reference is to the entrance to Sheol (see Job 10:21).

[39:24]  ⁹ tn “Swallow the ground” is a metaphor for the horse’s running. Gray renders the line: “quivering and excited he dashes into the fray.”

[39:24]  ¹⁰ tn The use of אָמַן (’aman) in the Hiphil in this place is unique. Such a form would normally mean “to believe.” But its basic etymological meaning comes through here. The verb means “to be firm; to be reliable; to be dependable.” The causative here would mean “to make firm” or “to stand firm.”