38:10 “I thought, 1
‘In the middle of my life 2 I must walk through the gates of Sheol,
I am deprived 3 of the rest of my years.’
38:15 What can I say?
He has decreed and acted. 4
I will walk slowly all my years because I am overcome with grief. 5
1 tn Or “I said” (KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
2 tn The precise meaning of the phrase בִּדְמִי יָמַי (bidmi yamay, “in the [?] of my days”) is uncertain. According to HALOT 226 s.v. דְּמִי this word is a hapax legomenon meaning “half.” Others derive the form from דַּמִי (dami, “quiet, rest, peacefulness”).
3 tn The precise meaning of the verb is uncertain. The Pual of of פָּקַד (paqad) occurs only here and in Exod 38:21, where it appears to mean “passed in review” or “mustered.” Perhaps the idea is, “I have been called away for the remainder of my years.” To bring out the sense more clearly, one can translate, “I am deprived of the rest of my years.”
4 tn Heb “and he has spoken and he has acted.”
5 tn Heb “because of the bitterness of my soul.”