Job 28:13

28:13 Mankind does not know its place; ¹ 

it cannot be found in the land of the living.

Psalms 27:13

27:13 Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience

the Lord’s favor in the land of the living? ² 

Psalms 52:5

52:5 Yet ³  God will make you a permanent heap of ruins. ⁴ 

He will scoop you up ⁵  and remove you from your home; ⁶ 

he will uproot you from the land of the living. (Selah)

Psalms 116:9

116:9 I will serve ⁷  the Lord

in the land ⁸  of the living.

Psalms 142:5

142:5 I cry out to you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my shelter,

my security ⁹  in the land of the living.”

¹ tc The LXX has “its way, apparently reading דַּרְכָה (darkhah) in place of עֶרְכָּהּ (’erkah, “place”). This is adopted by most modern commentators. But R. Gordis (Job, 308) shows that this change is not necessary, for עֶרֶךְ (’erekh) in the Bible means “order; row; disposition,” and here “place.” An alternate meaning would be “worth” (NIV, ESV).

² tn In the Hebrew text the sentence is incomplete: “If I had not believed [I would] see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” The words “Where would I be” are supplied in the translation to clarify the intent of the statement.

³ tn The adverb גַּם (gam, “also; even”) is translated here in an adversative sense (“yet”). It highlights the contrastive correspondence between the evildoer’s behavior and God’s response.

⁴ tn Heb “will tear you down forever.”

⁵ tn This rare verb (חָתָה, khatah) occurs only here and in Prov 6:27; 25:22; Isa 30:14.

⁶ tn Heb “from [your] tent.”

⁷ tn Heb “walk before” (see Ps 56:13). On the meaning of the Hebrew idiom, see the notes at 2 Kgs 20:3/Isa 38:3.

⁸ tn Heb “lands, regions.”

⁹ tn Heb “my portion.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel.