1:12 So the Lord said to Satan, “All right then, 15 everything he has is 16 in your power. 17 Only do not extend your hand against the man himself!” 18 So Satan went out 19 from the presence of the Lord. 20
2:6 So the Lord said to Satan, “All right, 21 he is 22 in your power; 23 only preserve 24 his life.”
2:7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and he afflicted 25 Job with a malignant ulcer 26 from the sole of his feet to the top of his head. 27 2:8 Job took a shard of broken pottery to scrape 28 himself 29 with while he was sitting 30 among the ashes. 31
1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
2 tn The words “to do so” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity and stylistic reasons.
3 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the boy) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
4 tn Grk “he had often been bound with chains and shackles.” “Shackles” could also be translated “fetters”; they were chains for the feet.
5 tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
6 tn The use of the independent personal pronoun here emphasizes the subject of the verb: “Have you not put up a hedge.”
7 tn The verb שׂוּךְ (sukh) means “to hedge or fence up, about” something (BDB 962 s.v. I שׂוּךְ). The original idea seems to have been to surround with a wall of thorns for the purpose of protection (E. Dhorme, Job, 7). The verb is an implied comparison between making a hedge and protecting someone.
8 sn Here the verb “bless” is used in one of its very common meanings. The verb means “to enrich,” often with the sense of enabling or empowering things for growth or fruitfulness. See further C. Westermann, Blessing in the Bible and the Life of the Church (OBT).
9 tn Or “substance.” The herds of livestock may be taken by metonymy of part for whole to represent possessions or prosperity in general.
10 tn The verb פָּרַץ (parats) means “to break through.” It has the sense of abundant increase, as in breaking out, overflowing (see also Gen 30:30 and Exod 1:12).
11 tn The particle אוּלָם (’ulam, “but”) serves to restrict the clause in relation to the preceding clause (IBHS 671-73 §39.3.5e, n. 107).
12 tn The force of the imperatives in this sentence are almost conditional – if God were to do this, then surely Job would respond differently.
13 sn The formula used in the expression is the oath formula: “if not to your face he will curse you” meaning “he will surely curse you to your face.” Satan is so sure that the piety is insincere that he can use an oath formula.
14 tn See the comments on Job 1:5. Here too the idea of “renounce” may fit well enough; but the idea of actually cursing God may not be out of the picture if everything Job has is removed. Satan thinks he will denounce God.
15 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “behold”) introduces a foundational clause upon which the following volitional clause is based.
16 tn The versions add a verb here: “delivered to” or “abandoned to” the hand of Satan.
17 tn Heb “in your hand.” The idiom means that it is now Satan’s to do with as he pleases.
18 tn The Hebrew word order emphatically holds out Job’s person as the exception: “only upon him do not stretch forth your hand.”
19 tn The Targum to Job adds “with permission” to show that he was granted leave from God’s presence.
20 sn So Satan, having received his permission to test Job’s sincerity, goes out from the
21 tn The particle הִנּוֹ (hinno) is literally, “here he is!” God presents Job to Satan, with the restriction on preserving Job’s life.
22 tn The LXX has “I deliver him up to you.”
23 tn Heb “hand.”
24 sn The irony of the passage comes through with this choice of words. The verb שָׁמַר (shamar) means “to keep; to guard; to preserve.” The exceptive clause casts Satan in the role of a savior – he cannot destroy this life but must protect it.
25 tn The verb is נָכָה (nakhah, “struck, smote”); it can be rendered in this context as “afflicted.”
26 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.
27 tn Heb “crown.”
28 tn The verb גָּרַד (garad) is a hapax legomenon (only occurring here). Modern Hebrew has retained a meaning “to scrape,” which is what the cognate Syriac and Arabic indicate. In the Hitpael it would mean “scrape himself.”
29 sn The disease required constant attention. The infection and pus had to be scraped away with a piece of broken pottery in order to prevent the spread of the infection. The skin was so disfigured that even his friends did not recognize him (2:12). The book will add that the disease afflicted him inwardly, giving him a foul breath and a loathsome smell (19:17, 20). The sores bred worms; they opened and ran, and closed and tightened (16:8). He was tormented with dreams (7:14). He felt like he was choking (7:14). His bones were racked with burning pain (30:30). And he was not able to rise from his place (19:18). The disease was incurable; but it would last for years, leaving the patient longing for death.
30 tn The construction uses the disjunctive vav (ו) with the independent pronoun with the active participle. The construction connects this clause with what has just been said, making this a circumstantial clause.
31 sn Among the ashes. It is likely that the “ashes” refers to the place outside the city where the rubbish was collected and burnt, i.e., the ash-heap (cf. CEV). This is the understanding of the LXX, which reads “dung-hill outside the city.”
32 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast involved in Jesus’ reply.
33 tn Grk “rebuked him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
34 sn The command Come out of him! is an example of Jesus’ authority (see v. 32). Unlike other exorcists, Jesus did not use magical incantations nor did he invoke anyone else’s name.
35 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
36 sn The departure of the evil spirit from the man without hurting him shows Jesus’ total deliverance and protection of this individual.
37 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
38 tc ‡ Although the external evidence favors the aorist παρήγγειλεν (parhngeilen, “he commanded”; Ì75 B Θ Ξ Ψ Ë13 579 700 1241 1424 2542 pm), the internal evidence favors the imperfect παρήγγελλεν (parhngellen, here translated “he had started commanding”; א A C K L W Γ Δ 1 33 565 892 pm). The aorist is suspect because it can more easily be taken as a single command, and thus an immediate exorcism. The imperfect would most likely be ingressive (BDF §§328; 329; 331), suggesting that Jesus started to command the evil spirit to depart, and continued the command.
39 tn Grk “unclean.”
40 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so,” introducing a clause that gives the result of the man being seized by the demon.
41 tn Or “fetters”; these were chains for the feet.
42 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
43 tn Grk “into the deserts.” The plural use here has been translated as “deserted places,” that is, uninhabited areas.
44 sn This is a parenthetical, explanatory comment by the author.
45 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
46 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the boy) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
47 sn At this point the boy was thrown down in another convulsion by the demon. See L&N 23.168.
48 tn See L&N 23.167-68, where the second verb συσπαράσσω (susparassw) is taken to mean the violent shaking associated with the convulsions, thus the translation here “and shook him with convulsions.”
49 tn Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).
50 sn This is a reference to an evil spirit. See Luke 4:33.
51 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.
52 tn Many translations read “You are of your father the devil” (KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB) or “You belong to your father, the devil” (NIV), but the Greek preposition ἐκ (ek) emphasizes the idea of source or origin. Jesus said his opponents were the devil’s very offspring (a statement which would certainly infuriate them).
53 tn Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”
54 tn Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).
55 tn Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).
56 tn Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”
57 tn Grk “he speaks from his own.”
58 tn Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”
59 sn The Mount of Olives is a hill running north to south about 1.8 mi (3 km) long, lying east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. It was named for the large number of olive trees that grew on it.
60 tn Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” Some of these items, however, are rather substantial (e.g., “mattress”) and would probably give the modern English reader a false impression.