Ayub 9:18

9:18 He does not allow ¹  me to recover ²  my breath,

for he fills ³  me with bitterness.

Ayub 9:29

9:29 If I am guilty, ⁴ 

why then ⁵  weary myself ⁶  in vain? ⁷ 

Ayub 29:9

29:9 the chief men refrained from talking

and covered their mouths with their hands;

Ayub 29:21

Job’s Reputation

29:21 “People ⁸  listened to me and waited silently; ⁹ 

they kept silent for my advice.

Ayub 33:16

33:16 Then he gives a revelation ¹⁰  to people,

and terrifies them with warnings, ¹¹ 

Ayub 35:16

35:16 So Job opens his mouth to no purpose; ¹² 

without knowledge he multiplies words.”

Ayub 36:8

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

and held captive by the cords of affliction,

Ayub 38:2

38:2 “Who is this ¹⁴  who darkens counsel ¹⁵ 

with words without knowledge?

[9:18]  ¹ tn The verb נָתַן (natan) essentially means “to give”; but followed by the infinitive (without the ל [lamed] here) it means “to permit; to allow.”

[9:18]  ² tn The Hiphil of the verb means “to bring back”; with the object “my breath,” it means “get my breath” or simply “breathe.” The infinitive is here functioning as the object of the verb (see GKC 350 §114.m).

[9:18]  ³ sn The meaning of the word is “to satiate; to fill,” as in “drink to the full, be satisfied.” Job is satiated – in the negative sense – with bitterness. There is no room for more.

[9:29]  ⁴ tn The clause simply has “I am guilty.” It is the same type of construction found in v. 24. It is also the opposite of that in v. 20. GKC 317 §107.n lists this as an example of the use of the imperfect to express an obligation or necessity according to the judgment of others; it would therefore mean “if I am to be guilty.”

[9:29]  ⁵ tn The demonstrative pronoun is included to bring particular emphasis to the question, as if to say, “Why in the world…” (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[9:29]  ⁶ tn The verb means “tire oneself”; see 3:17.

[9:29]  ⁷ tn Here הֶבֶל (hevel, “breath, vapor, vanity”) is used as an adverb (adverbial accusative).

[29:21]  ⁸ tn “People” is supplied; the verb is plural.

[29:21]  ⁹ tc The last verb of the first half, “wait, hope,” and the first verb in the second colon, “be silent,” are usually reversed by the commentators (see G. R. Driver, “Problems in the Hebrew text of Job,” VTSup 3 [1955]: 86). But if “wait” has the idea of being silent as they wait for him to speak, then the second line would say they were silent for the reason of his advice. The reading of the MT is not impossible.

[33:16]  ¹⁰ tn The idiom is “he uncovers the ear of men.” This expression means “inform” in Ruth 4:4; 1 Sam 20:2, etc. But when God is the subject it means “make a revelation” (see 1 Sam 9:15; 2 Sam 7:27).

[33:16]  ¹¹ tc Heb “and seals their bonds.” The form of the present translation, “and terrifies them with warnings,” is derived only by emending the text. Aquila, the Vulgate, Syriac, and Targum Job have “their correction” for “their bond,” which is what the KJV used. But the LXX, Aquila, and the Syriac have “terrifies” for the verb. This involves a change in pointing from יָחְתֹּם (yakhtom) to יְחִתֵּם (yÿkhittem). The LXX has “appearances of fear” instead of “bonds.” The point of the verse seems to be that by terrifying dreams God makes people aware of their ways.

[35:16]  ¹² tn The word הֶבֶל (hevel) means “vanity; futility; to no purpose.”

[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.

[38:2]  ¹⁴ tn The demonstrative pronoun is used here to emphasize the interrogative pronoun (see GKC 442 §136.c).

[38:2]  ¹⁵ sn The referent of “counsel” here is not the debate between Job and the friends, but the purposes of God (see Ps 33:10; Prov 19:21; Isa 19:17). Dhorme translates it “Providence.”