35:8 Your wickedness affects only 1 a person like yourself,
and your righteousness only other people. 2
35:9 “People 3 cry out
because of the excess of oppression; 4
they cry out for help
because of the power 5 of the mighty. 6
35:10 But no one says, ‘Where is God, my Creator,
who gives songs in the night, 7
35:11 who teaches us 8 more than 9 the wild animals of the earth,
and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?’
35:12 Then 10 they cry out – but he does not answer –
because of the arrogance of the wicked.
1 tn The phrase “affects only” is supplied in the translation of this nominal sentence.
2 tn Heb “and to [or for] a son of man, your righteousness.”
3 tn The word “people” is supplied, because the sentence only has the masculine plural verb.
4 tn The final noun is an abstract plural, “oppression.” There is no reason to change it to “oppressors” to fit the early versions. The expression is literally “multitude of oppression.”
5 tn Heb “the arm,” a metaphor for strength or power.
6 tn Or “of the many” (see HALOT 1172 s.v. I רַב 6.a).
5 tn There have been several attempts to emend the line, none of which are particularly helpful or interesting. H. H. Rowley (Job [NCBC], 225) says, “It is a pity to rob Elihu of a poetic line when he creates one.”
7 tn The form in the text, the Piel participle from אָלַף (’alaf, “teach”) is written in a contracted form; the full form is מְאַלְּפֵנוּ (mÿ’allÿfenu).
8 tn Some would render this “teaches us by the beasts.” But Elihu is stressing the unique privilege humans have.
9 tn The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) connects this verse to v. 11. “There” can be locative or temporal – and here it is temporal (= “then”).