5:19 He will deliver you 1 from six calamities;
yes, in seven 2 no evil will touch you.
21:30 that the evil man is spared
from the day of his misfortune,
that he is delivered 3
from the day of God’s wrath?
31:29 If 4 I have rejoiced over the misfortune of my enemy 5
or exulted 6 because calamity 7 found him –
30:26 But when I hoped for good, trouble came;
when I expected light, then darkness came.
2:7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and he afflicted 8 Job with a malignant ulcer 9 from the sole of his feet to the top of his head. 10
1 tn The verb is the Hiphil imperfect of נָצַל (natsal, “deliver”). These verbs might have been treated as habitual imperfects if it were not for the use of the numerical images – “six calamities…in seven.” So the nuance is specific future instead.
2 tn The use of a numerical ladder as we have here – “six // seven” is frequent in wisdom literature to show completeness. See Prov 6:16; Amos 1:3, Mic 5:5. A number that seems to be sufficient for the point is increased by one, as if to say there is always one more. By using this Eliphaz simply means “in all troubles” (see H. H. Rowley, Job [NCBC], 56).
3 tn The verb means “to be led forth.” To be “led forth in the day of trouble” means to be delivered.
5 tn The problem with taking this as “if,” introducing a conditional clause, is finding the apodosis, if there is one. It may be that the apodosis is understood, or summed up at the end. This is the view taken here. But R. Gordis (Job, 352) wishes to take this word as the indication of the interrogative, forming the rhetorical question to affirm he has never done this. However, in that case the parenthetical verses inserted become redundant.
6 sn The law required people to help their enemies if they could (Exod 23:4; also Prov 20:22). But often in the difficulties that ensued, they did exult over their enemies’ misfortune (Pss 54:7; 59:10 [11], etc.). But Job lived on a level of purity that few ever reach. Duhm said, “If chapter 31 is the crown of all ethical developments of the O.T., verse 29 is the jewel in that crown.”
7 tn The Hitpael of עוּר (’ur) has the idea of “exult.”
8 tn The word is רָע (ra’, “evil”) in the sense of anything that harms, interrupts, or destroys life.
7 tn The verb is נָכָה (nakhah, “struck, smote”); it can be rendered in this context as “afflicted.”
8 sn The general consensus is that Job was afflicted with a leprosy known as elephantiasis, named because the rough skin and the swollen limbs are animal-like. The Hebrew word שְׁחִין (shÿkhin, “boil”) can indicate an ulcer as well. Leprosy begins with such, but so do other diseases. Leprosy normally begins in the limbs and spreads, but Job was afflicted everywhere at once. It may be some other disease also characterized by such a malignant ulcer. D. J. A. Clines has a thorough bibliography on all the possible diseases linked to this description (Job [WBC], 48). See also HALOT 1460 s.v. שְׁחִין.
9 tn Heb “crown.”