15:14 What is man that he should be pure,
or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
25:4 How then can a human being be righteous before God?
How can one born of a woman be pure? 1
27:14 If his children increase – it is for the sword! 2
His offspring never have enough to eat. 3
38:32 Can you lead out
the constellations 4 in their seasons,
or guide the Bear with its cubs? 5
40:11 Scatter abroad 6 the abundance 7 of your anger.
Look at every proud man 8 and bring him low;
1 sn Bildad here does not come up with new expressions; rather, he simply uses what Eliphaz had said (see Job 4:17-19 and 15:14-16).
1 tn R. Gordis (Job, 294) identifies this as a breviloquence. Compare Ps 92:8 where the last two words also constitute the apodosis.
2 tn Heb “will not be satisfied with bread/food.”
1 tn The word מַזָּרוֹת (mazzarot) is taken by some to refer to the constellations (see 2 Kgs 23:5), and by others as connected to the word for “crown,” and so “corona.”
2 sn See Job 9:9.
1 tn The verb was used for scattering lightning (Job 37:11). God is challenging Job to unleash his power and judge wickedness in the world.
2 tn Heb “the overflowings.”
3 tn The word was just used in the positive sense of excellence or majesty; now the exalted nature of the person refers to self-exaltation, or pride.