9:23 If a scourge brings sudden death, 1
he mocks 2 at the despair 3 of the innocent. 4
52:6 When the godly see this, they will be filled with awe,
and will mock the evildoer, saying: 5
1 tc The LXX contains a paraphrase: “for the worthless die, but the righteous are laughed to scorn.”
2 sn This bold anthropomorphism means that by his treatment of the despair of the innocent, God is in essence mocking them.
3 tn The term מַסַּת (massat), a hapax legomenon, was translated “trial” in the older versions; but it is not from נָסָה (nasah, “to tempt; to test; to try”), but from מָסַס (masas, “to flow”). It is used in the Niphal to speak of the heart “melting” in suffering. So the idea behind this image is that of despair. This is the view that most interpreters adopt; it requires no change of the text whatsoever.
4 sn Job uses this word to refute Eliphaz; cf. 4:7.
5 tn Heb “and the godly will see and will fear and at him will laugh.”