Job 15:4

15:4 But you even break off ¹  piety, ² 

and hinder ³  meditation ⁴  before God.

Job 27:8-10

27:8 For what hope does the godless have when he is cut off, ⁵ 

when God takes away his life? ⁶ 

27:9 Does God listen to his cry

when distress overtakes him?

27:10 Will he find delight ⁷  in the Almighty?

Will he call out to God at all times?

Job 35:9-10

35:9 “People ⁸  cry out

because of the excess of oppression; ⁹ 

they cry out for help

because of the power ¹⁰  of the mighty. ¹¹ 

35:10 But no one says, ‘Where is God, my Creator,

who gives songs in the night, ¹² 

Matthew 22:12-13

22:12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But he had nothing to say. ¹³  22:13 Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’

¹ tn The word פָּרַר (parar) in the Hiphil means “to annul; to frustrate; to destroy; to break,” and this fits the line quite well. The NEB reflects G. R. Driver’s suggestion of an Arabic cognate meaning “to expel; to banish” (“Problems in the Hebrew text of Job,” VTSup 3 [1955]: 77).

² tn Heb “fear,” “reverence.”

³ tn The word גָּרַע (gara’) means “to diminish,” regard as insignificant, occasionally with the sense of “pull down” (Deut 4:2; 13:1). It is here that Eliphaz is portraying Job as a menace to the religion of society because they dissuade people from seeking God.

⁴ tn The word שִׂיחָה (sikhah) is “complaint; cry; meditation.” Job would be influencing people to challenge God and not to meditate before or pray to him.

⁵ tn The verb יִבְצָע (yivtsa’) means “to cut off.” It could be translated transitively or intransitively – the latter is better here (“when he is cut off”). Since the next line speaks of prayer, some have thought this verse should be about prayer. Mandelkern, in his concordance (p. 228b), suggested the verb should be “when he prays” (reading יִפְגַּע [yifga’] in place of יִבְצָע [yivtsa’]).

⁶ tn The verb יֵשֶׁל (yeshel) is found only here. It has been related spoils [or sheaves]”); שָׁאַל (sha’al, “to ask”); נָשָׂא (nasa’, “to lift up” [i.e., pray]); and a host of others.

⁷ tn See the note on 22:26 where the same verb is employed.

⁸ tn The word “people” is supplied, because the sentence only has the masculine plural verb.

⁹ tn The final noun is an abstract plural, “oppression.” There is no reason to change it to “oppressors” to fit the early versions. The expression is literally “multitude of oppression.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “the arm,” a metaphor for strength or power.

¹¹ tn Or “of the many” (see HALOT 1172 s.v. I רַב 6.a).

¹² tn There have been several attempts to emend the line, none of which are particularly helpful or interesting. H. H. Rowley (Job [NCBC], 225) says, “It is a pity to rob Elihu of a poetic line when he creates one.”

¹³ tn Grk “he was silent.”