21:2 “Listen carefully 1 to my words;
let this be 2 the consolation you offer me. 3
15:11 Are God’s consolations 4 too trivial for you; 5
or a word spoken 6 in gentleness to you?
1 tn The intensity of the appeal is again expressed by the imperative followed by the infinitive absolute for emphasis. See note on “listen carefully” in 13:17.
2 tc The LXX negates the sentence, “that I may not have this consolation from you.”
3 tn The word תַּנְחוּמֹתֵיכֶם (tankhumotekhem) is literally “your consolations,” the suffix being a subjective genitive. The friends had thought they were offering Job consolation (Job 14:11), but the consolation he wants from them is that they listen to him and respond accordingly.
4 sn The word תַּנְחֻמוֹת (tankhumot) occurs here and only in Job 21:34. The words of comfort and consolation that they have been offering to Job are here said to be “of God.” But Job will call them miserable comforters (16:2).
5 tn The formula “is it too little for you” or “is it too slight a matter for you” is also found in Isa 7:13 (see GKC 430 §133.c).
6 tn The word “spoken” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation.