22:2 “Is it to God that a strong man is of benefit?
Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable? 1
22:3 Is it of any special benefit 2 to the Almighty
that you should be righteous,
or is it any gain to him
that you make your ways blameless? 3
35:7 If you are righteous, what do you give to God,
or what does he receive from your hand?
21:3 For you bring him 4 rich 5 blessings; 6
you place a golden crown on his head.
11:35 Or who has first given to God, 7
that God 8 needs to repay him? 9
1 tn Some do not take this to be parallel to the first colon, taking this line as a statement, but the parallel expressions here suggest the question is repeated.
2 tn The word חֵפֶץ (khefets) in this passage has the nuance of “special benefit; favor.” It does not just express the desire for something or the interest in it, but the profit one derives from it.
3 tn The verb תַתֵּם (tattem) is the Hiphil imperfect of תָּמַם (tamam, “be complete, finished”), following the Aramaic form of the geminate verb with a doubling of the first letter.
4 tn Or “meet him [with].”
5 tn Heb “good.”
6 sn You bring him rich blessings. The following context indicates that God’s “blessings” include deliverance/protection, vindication, sustained life, and a long, stable reign (see also Pss 3:8; 24:5).
7 tn Grk “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 sn A quotation from Job 41:11.