Ayub 5:3

5:3 I myself ¹  have seen the fool ²  taking root,

but suddenly I cursed his place of residence. ³ 

Ayub 17:13

17:13 If ⁴  I hope for the grave to be my home,

if I spread out my bed in darkness,

Ayub 30:23

30:23 I know that you are bringing ⁵  me to death,

to the meeting place for all the living.

[5:3]  ¹ tn The use of the pronoun here adds emphasis to the subject of the sentence (see GKC 437 §135.a).

[5:3]  ² tn This word is אֱוִיל (’evil), the same word for the “senseless man” in the preceding verse. Eliphaz is citing an example of his principle just given – he saw such a fool for a brief while appearing to prosper (i.e., taking root).

[5:3]  ³ tn A. B. Davidson argues that the verse does not mean that Eliphaz cursed his place during his prosperity. This line is metonymical (giving the effect). God judged the fool and his place was ruined; consequently, Eliphaz pronounced it accursed of God (see A. B. Davidson, Job, 36). Many emend the verb slightly to read “and it was suddenly cursed” (וַיֻּכַב [vayyukhav] instead of וָאֶקּוֹב [va’eqqov]; see H. H. Rowley, Job [NCBC], 51).

[17:13]  ⁴ tn The clause begins with אִם (’im) which here has more of the sense of “since.” E. Dhorme (Job, 253) takes a rather rare use of the word to get “Can I hope again” (see also GKC 475 §150.f for the caveat).

[30:23]  ⁵ tn The imperfect verb would be a progressive imperfect, it is future, but it is also already underway.