18:6 The light in his tent grows dark;
his lamp above him is extinguished. 1
18:18 He is driven 2 from light into darkness
and is banished from the world.
23:17 Yet I have not been silent because of the darkness,
because of the thick darkness
that covered my face. 3
97:11 The godly bask in the light;
the morally upright experience joy. 4
50:10 Who among you fears the Lord?
Who obeys 5 his servant?
Whoever walks in deep darkness, 6
without light,
should trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on his God.
1 tn The LXX interprets a little more precisely: “his lamp shall be put out with him.”
2 tn The verbs in this verse are plural; without the expressed subject they should be taken in the passive sense.
3 tn This is a very difficult verse. The Hebrew text literally says: “for I have not been destroyed because of darkness, and because of my face [which] gloom has covered.” Most commentators omit the negative adverb, which gives the meaning that Job is enveloped in darkness and reduced to terror. The verb נִצְמַתִּי (nitsmatti) means “I have been silent” (as in Arabic and Aramaic), and so obviously the negative must be retained – he has not been silent.
4 tn Heb “Light is planted for the godly, and for the upright of heart joy.” The translation assumes an emendation of זָרַע (zara’, “planted”) to זָרַח (zara’, “shines”) which collocates more naturally with “light.” “Light” here symbolizes the joy (note the following line) that accompanies deliverance and the outpouring of divine favor.
5 tn Heb “[who] listens to the voice of his servant?” The interrogative is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
6 tn The plural indicates degree. Darkness may refer to exile and/or moral evil.