Ayub 21:27

Futile Words, Deceptive Answers

21:27 “Yes, I know what you are thinking, ¹ 

the schemes ²  by which you would wrong me. ³ 

Ayub 33:8

Elihu Rejects Job’s Plea of Innocence

33:8 “Indeed, you have said in my hearing ⁴ 

(I heard the sound of the words!):

[21:27]  ¹ tn The word is “your thoughts.” The word for “thoughts” (from חָצַב [khatsav, “to think; to reckon; to plan”]) has more to do with their intent than their general thoughts. He knows that when they talked about the fate of the wicked they really were talking about him.

[21:27]  ² tn For the meaning of this word, and its root זָמַם (zamam), see Job 17:11. It usually means the “plans” or “schemes” that are concocted against someone.

[21:27]  ³ tn E. Dhorme (Job, 321) distinguishes the verb חָמַס (khamas) from the noun for “violence.” He proposes a meaning of “think, imagine”: “and the ideas you imagined about me.”

[33:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “in my ears.”