38:12 Have you ever in your life 1 commanded the morning,
or made the dawn know 2 its place,
41:18 Its snorting throws out flashes of light;
its eyes are like the red glow 3 of dawn.
3:9 Let its morning stars 4 be darkened;
let it wait 5 for daylight but find none, 6
nor let it see the first rays 7 of dawn,
1 tn The Hebrew idiom is “have you from your days?” It means “never in your life” (see 1 Sam 25:28; 1 Kgs 1:6).
2 tn The verb is the Piel of יָדַע (yada’, “to know”) with a double accusative.
3 tn Heb “the eyelids,” but it represents the early beams of the dawn as the cover of night lifts.
5 tn Heb “the stars of its dawn.” The word נֶשֶׁף (neshef) can mean “twilight” or “dawn.” In this context the morning stars are in mind. Job wishes that the morning stars – that should announce the day – go out.
6 tn The verb “wait, hope” has the idea of eager expectation and preparation. It is used elsewhere of waiting on the
7 tn The absolute state אַיִן (’ayin, “there is none”) is here used as a verbal predicate (see GKC 480 §152.k). The concise expression literally says “and none.”
8 sn The expression is literally “the eyelids of the morning.” This means the very first rays of dawn (see also Job 41:18). There is some debate whether it refers to “eyelids” or “eyelashes” or “eyeballs.” If the latter, it would signify the flashing eyes of a person. See for the Ugaritic background H. L. Ginsberg, The Legend of King Keret (BASORSup), 39; see also J. M. Steadman, “‘Eyelids of Morn’: A Biblical Convention,” HTR 56 (1963): 159-67.