23:14 For he fulfills his decree against me, 1
and many such things are his plans. 2
28:26 When he imposed a limit 3 for the rain,
and a path for the thunderstorm, 4
38:10 when I prescribed 5 its limits,
and set 6 in place its bolts and doors,
1 tn The text has “my decree,” which means “the decree [plan] for/against me.” The suffix is objective, equivalent to a dative of disadvantage. The Syriac and the Vulgate actually have “his decree.” R. Gordis (Job, 262) suggests taking it in the same sense as in Job 14:5: “my limit.”.
2 tn Heb “and many such [things] are with him.”
3 tn Or “decree.”
4 tn Or “thunderbolt,” i.e., lightning. Heb “the roaring of voices/sounds,” which describes the nature of the storm.
5 tc The MT has “and I broke,” which cannot mean “set, prescribed” or the like. The LXX and the Vulgate have such a meaning, suggesting a verb עֲשִׁית (’ashiyt, “plan, prescribe”). A. Guillaume finds an Arabic word with a meaning “measured it by span by my decree.” Would God give himself a decree? R. Gordis simply argues that the basic meaning “break” develops the connotation of “decide, determine” (2 Sam 5:24; Job 14:3; Dan 11:36).
6 tn Dhorme suggested reversing the two verbs, making this the first, and then “shatter” for the second colon.