Discovery BoxEcclesiastes 7:24
Context7:24 Whatever has happened is beyond human 1 understanding; 2
it is far deeper than anyone can fathom. 3
Ecclesiastes 8:17
Context8:17 then I discerned all that God has done: 4
No one really comprehends what happens 5 on earth. 6
Despite all human 7 efforts to discover it, no one can ever grasp 8 it. 9
Even if 10 a wise person claimed 11 that he understood,
he would not really comprehend 12 it. 13
Job 5:9
Context5:9 He does 14 great and unsearchable 15 things,
marvelous things without 16 number; 17
Job 26:5-14
Context26:5 “The dead 19 tremble 20 –
those beneath the waters
and all that live in them. 21
26:6 The underworld 22 is naked before God; 23
the place of destruction lies uncovered. 24
26:7 He spreads out the northern skies 25 over empty space; 26
he suspends the earth on nothing. 27
26:8 He locks the waters in his clouds,
and the clouds do not burst with the weight of them.
26:9 He conceals 28 the face of the full moon, 29
shrouding it with his clouds.
26:10 He marks out the horizon 30 on the surface of the waters
as a boundary between light and darkness.
26:11 The pillars 31 of the heavens tremble
and are amazed at his rebuke. 32
26:12 By his power he stills 33 the sea;
by his wisdom he cut Rahab the great sea monster 34 to pieces. 35
26:13 By his breath 36 the skies became fair;
his hand pierced the fleeing serpent. 37
26:14 Indeed, these are but the outer fringes of his ways! 38
How faint is the whisper 39 we hear of him!
But who can understand the thunder of his power?”
Job 36:24-33
Context36:24 Remember to extol 40 his work,
which people have praised in song.
36:25 All humanity has seen it;
people gaze on it from afar.
36:26 “Yes, God is great – beyond our knowledge! 41
The number of his years is unsearchable.
36:27 He draws up drops of water;
they distill 42 the rain into its mist, 43
36:28 which the clouds pour down
and shower on humankind abundantly.
36:29 Who can understand the spreading of the clouds,
the thunderings of his pavilion? 44
36:30 See how he scattered 45 his lightning 46 about him;
he has covered the depths 47 of the sea.
36:31 It is by these that he judges 48 the nations
and supplies food in abundance.
36:32 With his hands 49 he covers 50 the lightning,
and directs it against its target.
36:33 51 His thunder announces the coming storm,
the cattle also, concerning the storm’s approach.
Job 37:23
Context37:23 As for the Almighty, 52 we cannot attain to him!
He is great in power,
but justice 53 and abundant righteousness he does not oppress.
Job 38:4--41:34
Context38:4 “Where were you
when I laid the foundation 54 of the earth?
Tell me, 55 if you possess understanding!
38:5 Who set its measurements – if 56 you know –
or who stretched a measuring line across it?
38:6 On what 57 were its bases 58 set,
or who laid its cornerstone –
38:7 when the morning stars 59 sang 60 in chorus, 61
and all the sons of God 62 shouted for joy?
38:8 “Who shut up 63 the sea with doors
when it burst forth, 64 coming out of the womb,
38:9 when I made 65 the storm clouds its garment,
and thick darkness its swaddling band, 66
38:10 when I prescribed 67 its limits,
and set 68 in place its bolts and doors,
38:11 when I said, ‘To here you may come 69
and no farther, 70
here your proud waves will be confined’? 71
38:12 Have you ever in your life 72 commanded the morning,
or made the dawn know 73 its place,
38:13 that it might seize the corners of the earth, 74
and shake the wicked out of it?
38:14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; 75
its features 76 are dyed 77 like a garment.
38:15 Then from the wicked the light is withheld,
and the arm raised in violence 78 is broken. 79
38:16 Have you gone to the springs that fill the sea, 80
or walked about in the recesses of the deep?
38:17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you? 81
Have you seen the gates of deepest darkness? 82
38:18 Have you considered the vast expanses of the earth?
Tell me, if you know it all!
38:19 “In what direction 83 does light reside,
and darkness, where is its place,
38:20 that you may take them to their borders
and perceive the pathways to their homes? 84
38:21 You know, for you were born before them; 85
and the number of your days is great!
38:22 Have you entered the storehouse 86 of the snow,
or seen the armory 87 of the hail,
38:23 which I reserve for the time of trouble,
for the day of war and battle? 88
38:24 In what direction is lightning 89 dispersed,
or the east winds scattered over the earth?
38:25 Who carves out a channel for the heavy rains,
and a path for the rumble of thunder,
38:26 to cause it to rain on an uninhabited land, 90
a desert where there are no human beings, 91
38:27 to satisfy a devastated and desolate land,
and to cause it to sprout with vegetation? 92
38:28 Does the rain have a father,
or who has fathered the drops of the dew?
38:29 From whose womb does the ice emerge,
and the frost from the sky, 93 who gives birth to it,
38:30 when the waters become hard 94 like stone,
when the surface of the deep is frozen solid?
38:31 Can you tie the bands 95 of the Pleiades,
or release the cords of Orion?
38:32 Can you lead out
the constellations 96 in their seasons,
or guide the Bear with its cubs? 97
38:33 Do you know the laws of the heavens,
or can you set up their rule over the earth?
38:34 Can you raise your voice to the clouds
so that a flood of water covers you? 98
38:35 Can you send out lightning bolts, and they go?
Will they say to you, ‘Here we are’?
38:36 Who has put wisdom in the heart, 99
or has imparted understanding to the mind?
38:37 Who by wisdom can count the clouds,
and who can tip over 100 the water jars of heaven,
38:38 when the dust hardens 101 into a mass,
and the clumps of earth stick together?
38:39 “Do you hunt prey for the lioness,
and satisfy the appetite 102 of the lions,
38:40 when they crouch in their dens,
when they wait in ambush in the thicket?
38:41 Who prepares prey for the raven,
when its young cry out to God
and wander about 103 for lack of food?
39:1 “Are you acquainted with the way 104
the mountain goats 105 give birth?
Do you watch as the wild deer give birth to their young?
39:2 Do you count the months they must fulfill,
and do you know the time they give birth? 106
39:3 They crouch, they bear 107 their young,
they bring forth the offspring they have carried. 108
39:4 Their young grow strong, and grow up in the open; 109
they go off, and do not return to them.
39:5 Who let the wild donkey go free?
Who released the bonds of the donkey,
39:6 to whom I appointed the steppe for its home,
the salt wastes as its dwelling place?
39:7 It scorns the tumult in the town;
it does not hear the shouts of a driver. 110
39:8 It ranges the hills as its pasture,
and searches after every green plant.
39:9 Is the wild ox willing to be your servant?
Will it spend the night at your feeding trough?
39:10 Can you bind the wild ox 111 to a furrow with its rope,
will it till the valleys, following after you?
39:11 Will you rely on it because its strength is great?
Will you commit 112 your labor to it?
39:12 Can you count on 113 it to bring in 114 your grain, 115
and gather the grain 116 to your threshing floor? 117
39:13 118 “The wings of the ostrich 119 flap with joy, 120
but are they the pinions and plumage of a stork? 121
39:14 For she leaves 122 her eggs on the ground,
and lets them be warmed on the soil.
39:15 She forgets that a foot might crush them,
or that a wild animal 123 might trample them.
39:16 She is harsh 124 with her young,
as if they were not hers;
she is unconcerned
about the uselessness of her labor.
39:17 For God deprived her of wisdom,
and did not impart understanding to her.
39:18 But as soon as she springs up, 125
she laughs at the horse and its rider.
39:19 “Do you give the horse its strength?
Do you clothe its neck with a mane? 126
39:20 Do you make it leap 127 like a locust?
Its proud neighing 128 is terrifying!
39:21 It 129 paws the ground in the valley, 130
exulting mightily, 131
it goes out to meet the weapons.
39:22 It laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
it does not shy away from the sword.
39:23 On it the quiver rattles;
the lance and javelin 132 flash.
39:24 In excitement and impatience it consumes the ground; 133
it cannot stand still 134 when the trumpet is blown.
39:25 At the sound of the trumpet, it says, ‘Aha!’
And from a distance it catches the scent of battle,
the thunderous shouting of commanders,
and the battle cries.
39:26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, 135
and spreads its wings toward the south?
39:27 Is it at your command 136 that the eagle soars,
and builds its nest on high?
39:28 It lives on a rock and spends the night there,
on a rocky crag 137 and a fortress. 138
39:29 From there it spots 139 its prey, 140
its eyes gaze intently from a distance.
39:30 And its young ones devour the blood,
and where the dead carcasses 141 are,
there it is.”
40:1 Then the Lord answered Job:
40:2 “Will the one who contends 142 with the Almighty correct him? 143
Let the person who accuses God give him an answer!”
40:3 Then Job answered the Lord:
40:4 “Indeed, I am completely unworthy 144 – how could I reply to you?
I put 145 my hand over my mouth to silence myself. 146
40:5 I have spoken once, but I cannot answer;
twice, but I will say no more.” 147
40:6 Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:
40:7 “Get ready for a difficult task 149 like a man.
I will question you and you will inform me!
40:8 Would you indeed annul 150 my justice?
Would you declare me guilty so that you might be right?
40:9 Do you have an arm as powerful as God’s, 151
and can you thunder with a voice like his?
40:10 Adorn yourself, then, with majesty and excellency,
and clothe yourself with glory and honor!
40:11 Scatter abroad 152 the abundance 153 of your anger.
Look at every proud man 154 and bring him low;
40:12 Look at every proud man and abase him;
crush the wicked on the spot! 155
40:13 Hide them in the dust 156 together,
imprison 157 them 158 in the grave. 159
40:14 Then I myself will acknowledge 160 to you
that your own right hand can save you. 161
40:15 “Look now at Behemoth, 163 which I made as 164 I made you;
it eats grass like the ox.
40:16 Look 165 at its strength in its loins,
and its power in the muscles of its belly.
40:17 It makes its tail stiff 166 like a cedar,
the sinews of its thighs are tightly wound.
40:18 Its bones are tubes of bronze,
its limbs like bars of iron.
40:19 It ranks first among the works of God, 167
the One who made it
has furnished it with a sword. 168
40:20 For the hills bring it food, 169
where all the wild animals play.
40:21 Under the lotus trees it lies,
in the secrecy of the reeds and the marsh.
40:22 The lotus trees conceal it in their 170 shadow;
the poplars by the stream conceal it.
40:23 If the river rages, 171 it is not disturbed,
it is secure, 172 though the Jordan
should surge up to its mouth.
40:24 Can anyone catch it by its eyes, 173
or pierce its nose with a snare? 174
41:1 (40:25) 175 “Can you pull in 176 Leviathan with a hook,
and tie down 177 its tongue with a rope?
41:2 Can you put a cord through its nose,
or pierce its jaw with a hook?
41:3 Will it make numerous supplications to you, 178
will it speak to you with tender words? 179
41:4 Will it make a pact 180 with you,
so you could take it 181 as your slave for life?
41:5 Can you play 182 with it, like a bird,
or tie it on a leash 183 for your girls?
41:6 Will partners 184 bargain 185 for it?
Will they divide it up 186 among the merchants?
41:7 Can you fill its hide with harpoons
or its head with fishing spears?
41:8 If you lay your hand on it,
you will remember 187 the fight,
and you will never do it again!
41:9 (41:1) 188 See, his expectation is wrong, 189
he is laid low even at the sight of it. 190
41:10 Is it not fierce 191 when it is awakened?
Who is he, then, who can stand before it? 192
41:11 (Who has confronted 193 me that I should repay? 194
Everything under heaven belongs to me!) 195
41:12 I will not keep silent about its limbs,
and the extent of its might,
and the grace of its arrangement. 196
41:13 Who can uncover its outer covering? 197
Who can penetrate to the inside of its armor? 198
41:14 Who can open the doors of its mouth? 199
Its teeth all around are fearsome.
41:15 Its back 200 has rows of shields,
shut up closely 201 together as with a seal;
41:16 each one is so close to the next 202
that no air can come between them.
41:17 They lock tightly together, one to the next; 203
they cling together and cannot be separated.
41:18 Its snorting throws out flashes of light;
its eyes are like the red glow 204 of dawn.
41:19 Out of its mouth go flames, 205
sparks of fire shoot forth!
41:20 Smoke streams from its nostrils
as from a boiling pot over burning 206 rushes.
41:21 Its breath sets coals ablaze
and a flame shoots from its mouth.
41:22 Strength lodges in its neck,
and despair 207 runs before it.
41:23 The folds 208 of its flesh are tightly joined;
they are firm on it, immovable. 209
41:24 Its heart 210 is hard as rock,
hard as a lower millstone.
41:25 When it rises up, the mighty are terrified,
at its thrashing about they withdraw. 211
41:26 Whoever strikes it with a sword 212
will have no effect, 213
nor with the spear, arrow, or dart.
41:27 It regards iron as straw
and bronze as rotten wood.
41:28 Arrows 214 do not make it flee;
slingstones become like chaff to it.
41:29 A club is counted 215 as a piece of straw;
it laughs at the rattling of the lance.
41:30 Its underparts 216 are the sharp points of potsherds,
it leaves its mark in the mud
like a threshing sledge. 217
41:31 It makes the deep boil like a cauldron
and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment, 218
41:32 It leaves a glistening wake behind it;
one would think the deep had a head of white hair.
41:33 The likes of it is not on earth,
a creature 219 without fear.
41:34 It looks on every haughty being;
it is king over all that are proud.” 220
Psalms 40:5
Context40:5 O Lord, my God, you have accomplished many things;
you have done amazing things and carried out your purposes for us. 221
No one can thwart you! 222
I want to declare them and talk about them,
but they are too numerous to recount! 223
Psalms 92:5
Context92:5 How great are your works, O Lord!
Your plans are very intricate! 224
Psalms 104:24
Context104:24 How many living things you have made, O Lord! 225
You have exhibited great skill in making all of them; 226
the earth is full of the living things you have made.
Isaiah 40:28
Context40:28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is an eternal God,
the creator of the whole earth. 227
He does not get tired or weary;
there is no limit to his wisdom. 228
Romans 11:33
Context11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how fathomless his ways!
[7:24] 1 tn The word “human” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[7:24] 2 tn Heb “is far away.”
[7:24] 3 tn Heb “It is deep, deep – who can find it?” The repetition of the word “deep” emphasizes the degree of incomprehensibility. See IBHS 233-34 §12.5a.
[8:17] 4 tn Heb “all the work of God.”
[8:17] 5 tn Heb “the work that is done.”
[8:17] 6 tn Heb “under the sun.”
[8:17] 7 tn Heb “his”; the referent (man, in a generic sense) has been specified in the translation as the adjective “human” for clarity.
[8:17] 9 tn The term “it” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
[8:17] 10 tn The particle אִם (’im, “even if”) introduces the protasis in a real conditional clause (“If a wise man …”); see IBHS 636-37 §38.2d; R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 74, §453.
[8:17] 11 tn The imperfect tense verb יֹאמַר (yo’mar, “to say”) functions in a modal sense, denoting possibility (see IBHS 508 §31.4e; R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 31, §169).
[8:17] 12 tn Heb “he cannot find”; or “he does not find.”
[8:17] 13 tn The term “it” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is an implied direct object and has been supplied in the translation for smoothness and stylistic reasons.
[5:9] 14 tn Heb “who does.” It is common for such doxologies to begin with participles; they follow the pattern of the psalms in this style. Because of the length of the sentence in Hebrew and the conventions of English style, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[5:9] 15 tn The Hebrew has וְאֵין חֵקֶר (vÿ’en kheqer), literally, “and no investigation.” The use of the conjunction on the expression follows a form of the circumstantial clause construction, and so the entire expression describes the great works as “unsearchable.”
[5:9] 16 tn The preposition in עַד־אֵין (’ad ’en, “until there was no”) is stereotypical; it conveys the sense of having no number (see Job 9:10; Ps 40:13).
[5:9] 17 sn H. H. Rowley (Job [NCBC], 54) notes that the verse fits Eliphaz’s approach very well, for he has good understanding of the truth, but has difficulty in making the correct conclusions from it.
[26:5] 18 sn This is the section, Job 26:5-14, that many conclude makes better sense coming from the friend. But if it is attributed to Job, then he is showing he can surpass them in his treatise of the greatness of God.
[26:5] 19 tn The text has הָרְפָאִים (harÿfa’im, “the shades”), referring to the “dead,” or the elite among the dead (see Isa 14:9; 26:14; Ps 88:10 [11]). For further discussion, start with A. R. Johnson, The Vitality of the Individual, 88ff.
[26:5] 20 tn The verb is a Polal from חִיל (khil) which means “to tremble.” It shows that even these spirits cannot escape the terror.
[26:5] 21 tc Most commentators wish to lengthen the verse and make it more parallel, but nothing is gained by doing this.
[26:6] 23 tn Heb “before him.”
[26:6] 24 tn The line has “and there is no covering for destruction.” “Destruction” here is another name for Sheol: אֲבַדּוֹן (’avaddon, “Abaddon”).
[26:7] 25 sn The Hebrew word is צָפוֹן (tsafon). Some see here a reference to Mount Zaphon of the Ugaritic texts, the mountain that Baal made his home. The Hebrew writers often equate and contrast Mount Zion with this proud mountain of the north. Of course, the word just means north, and so in addition to any connotations for pagan mythology, it may just represent the northern skies – the stars. Since the parallel line speaks of the earth, that is probably all that was intended in this particular context.
[26:7] 26 sn There is an allusion to the creation account, for this word is תֹּהוּ (tohu), translated “without form” in Gen 1:2.
[26:7] 27 sn Buttenwieser suggests that Job had outgrown the idea of the earth on pillars, and was beginning to see it was suspended in space. But in v. 11 he will still refer to the pillars.
[26:9] 28 tn The verb means “to hold; to seize,” here in the sense of shutting up, enshrouding, or concealing.
[26:9] 29 tc The MT has כִסֵּה (khisseh), which is a problematic vocalization. Most certainly כֵּסֶה (keseh), alternative for כֶּסֶא (kese’, “full moon”) is intended here. The MT is close to the form of “throne,” which would be כִּסֵּא (kisse’, cf. NLT “he shrouds his throne with his clouds”). But here God is covering the face of the moon by hiding it behind clouds.
[26:10] 30 tn The expression חֹק־חָג (khoq-khag) means “he has drawn a limit as a circle.” According to some the form should have been חָק־חוּג (khaq-khug, “He has traced a circle”). But others argues that the text is acceptable as is, and can be interpreted as “a limit he has circled.” The Hebrew verbal roots are חָקַק (khaqaq, “to engrave; to sketch out; to trace”) and חוּג (khug, “describe a circle”) respectively.
[26:11] 31 sn H. H. Rowley (Job [NCBC], 173) says these are the great mountains, perceived to hold up the sky.
[26:11] 32 sn The idea here is that when the earth quakes, or when there is thunder in the heavens, these all represent God’s rebuke, for they create terror.
[26:12] 33 tn The verb רָגַע (raga’) has developed a Semitic polarity, i.e., having totally opposite meanings. It can mean “to disturb; to stir up” or “to calm; to still.” Gordis thinks both meanings have been invoked here. But it seems more likely that “calm” fits the context better.
[26:12] 34 tn Heb “Rahab” (רָהַב), the mythical sea monster that represents the forces of chaos in ancient Near Eastern literature. In the translation the words “the great sea monster” have been supplied appositionally in order to clarify “Rahab.”
[26:12] 35 sn Here again there are possible mythological allusions or polemics. The god Yam, “Sea,” was important in Ugaritic as a god of chaos. And Rahab is another name for the monster of the deep (see Job 9:13).
[26:13] 36 tn Or “wind”; or perhaps “Spirit.” The same Hebrew word, רוּחַ (ruakh), may be translated as “wind,” “breath,” or “spirit/Spirit” depending on the context.
[26:13] 37 sn Here too is a reference to pagan views indirectly. The fleeing serpent was a designation for Leviathan, whom the book will simply describe as an animal, but the pagans thought to be a monster of the deep. God’s power over nature is associated with defeat of pagan gods (see further W. F. Albright, Yahweh and the Gods of Canaan; idem, BASOR 53 [1941]: 39).
[26:14] 38 tn Heb “the ends of his ways,” meaning “the fringes.”
[26:14] 39 tn Heb “how little is the word.” Here “little” means a “fraction” or an “echo.”
[36:24] 40 tn The expression is “that you extol,” serving as an object of the verb.
[36:26] 41 tn The last part has the verbal construction, “and we do not know.” This clause is to be used adverbially: “beyond our understanding.”
[36:27] 42 tn The verb means “to filter; to refine,” and so a plural subject with the drops of water as the subject will not work. So many read the singular, “he distills.”
[36:27] 43 tn This word עֵד (’ed) occurs also in Gen 2:6. The suggestion has been that instead of a mist it represents an underground watercourse that wells up to water the ground.
[36:29] 44 tn Heb “his booth.”
[36:30] 45 tn The word actually means “to spread,” but with lightning as the object, “to scatter” appears to fit the context better.
[36:30] 46 tn The word is “light,” but taken to mean “lightning.” Theodotion had “mist” here, and so most commentators follow that because it is more appropriate to the verb and the context.
[36:31] 48 tn The verb is יָדִין (yadin, “he judges”). Houbigant proposedיָזוּן (yazun, “he nourishes”). This has found wide acceptance among commentators (cf. NAB). G. R. Driver retained the MT but gave a meaning “enriches” to the verb (“Problems in the Hebrew text of Job,” VTSup 3 [1955]: 88ff.).
[36:32] 49 tn R. Gordis (Job, 422) prefers to link this word with the later Hebrew word for “arch,” not “hands.”
[36:32] 50 tn Because the image might mean that God grabs the lightning and hurls it like a javelin (cf. NLT), some commentators want to change “covers” to other verbs. Dhorme has “lifts” (נִשָּׂא [nissa’] for כִּסָּה [kissah]). This fit the idea of God directing the lightning bolts.
[36:33] 51 tn Peake knew of over thirty interpretations for this verse. The MT literally says, “He declares his purpose [or his shout] concerning it; cattle also concerning what rises.” Dhorme has it: “The flock which sniffs the coming storm has warned the shepherd.” Kissane: “The thunder declares concerning him, as he excites wrath against iniquity.” Gordis translates it: “His thunderclap proclaims his presence, and the storm his mighty wrath.” Many more could be added to the list.
[37:23] 52 tn The name “Almighty” is here a casus pendens, isolating the name at the front of the sentence and resuming it with a pronoun.
[37:23] 53 tn The MT places the major disjunctive accent (the atnach) under “power,” indicating that “and justice” as a disjunctive clause starting the second half of the verse (with ESV, NASB, NIV, NLT). Ignoring the Masoretic accent, NRSV has “he is great in power and justice.”
[38:4] 54 tn The construction is the infinitive construct in a temporal clause, using the preposition and the subjective genitive suffix.
[38:4] 55 tn The verb is the imperative; it has no object “me” in the text.
[38:5] 56 tn The particle כּ (ki) is taken here for a conditional clause, “if you know” (see GKC 498 §159.dd). Others take it as “surely” with a biting irony.
[38:6] 57 tn For the interrogative serving as a genitive, see GKC 442 §136.b.
[38:6] 58 sn The world was conceived of as having bases and pillars, but these poetic descriptions should not be pressed too far (e.g., see Ps 24:2, which may be worded as much for its polemics against Canaanite mythology as anything).
[38:7] 59 sn The expression “morning stars” (Heb “stars of the morning”) is here placed in parallelism to the angels, “the sons of God.” It may refer to the angels under the imagery of the stars, or, as some prefer, it may poetically include all creation. There is a parallel also with the foundation of the temple which was accompanied by song (see Ezra 3:10,11). But then the account of the building of the original tabernacle was designed to mirror creation (see M. Fishbane, Biblical Text and Texture).
[38:7] 60 tn The construction, an adverbial clause of time, uses רָנָן (ranan), which is often a ringing cry, an exultation. The parallelism with “shout for joy” shows this to be enthusiastic acclamation. The infinitive is then continued in the next colon with the vav (ו) consecutive preterite.
[38:7] 61 tn Heb “together.” This is Dhorme’s suggestion for expressing how they sang together.
[38:8] 63 tn The MT has “and he shut up.” The Vulgate has “Who?” and so many commentaries and editions adopt this reading, if not from the Vulgate, then from the sense of the sequence in the text itself.
[38:8] 64 tn The line uses two expressions, first the temporal clause with גִּיחַ (giakh, “when it burst forth”) and then the finite verb יֵצֵא (yetse’, “go out”) to mark the concomitance of the two actions.
[38:9] 65 tn The temporal clause here uses the infinitive from שִׂים (sim, “to place; to put; to make”). It underscores the sovereign placing of things.
[38:9] 66 tn This noun is found only here. The verb is in Ezek 16:4, and a related noun is in Ezek 30:21.
[38:10] 67 tc The MT has “and I broke,” which cannot mean “set, prescribed” or the like. The LXX and the Vulgate have such a meaning, suggesting a verb עֲשִׁית (’ashiyt, “plan, prescribe”). A. Guillaume finds an Arabic word with a meaning “measured it by span by my decree.” Would God give himself a decree? R. Gordis simply argues that the basic meaning “break” develops the connotation of “decide, determine” (2 Sam 5:24; Job 14:3; Dan 11:36).
[38:10] 68 tn Dhorme suggested reversing the two verbs, making this the first, and then “shatter” for the second colon.
[38:11] 69 tn The imperfect verb receives the permission nuance here.
[38:11] 70 tn The text has תֹסִיף (tosif, “and you may not add”), which is often used idiomatically (as in verbal hendiadys constructions).
[38:11] 71 tn The MT literally says, “here he will put on the pride of your waves.” The verb has no expressed subject and so is made a passive voice. But there has to be some object for the verb “put,” such as “limit” or “boundary”; the translations “confined; halted; stopped” all serve to paraphrase such an idea. The LXX has “broken” at this point, suggesting the verse might have been confused – but “breaking the pride” of the waves would mean controlling them. Some commentators have followed this, exchanging the verb in v. 11 with this one.
[38:12] 72 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).
[38:12] 73 tn The verb is the Piel of יָדַע (yada’, “to know”) with a double accusative.
[38:13] 74 sn The poetic image is that darkness or night is like a blanket that covers the earth, and at dawn it is taken by the edges and shaken out. Since the wicked function under the cover of night, they are included in the shaking when the dawn comes up.
[38:14] 75 sn The verse needs to be understood in the context: as the light shines in the dawn, the features of the earth take on a recognizable shape or form. The language is phenomenological.
[38:14] 76 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the objects or features on the earth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[38:14] 77 tc The MT reads “they stand up like a garment” (NASB, NIV) or “its features stand out like a garment” (ESV). The reference could be either to embroidered decoration on a garment or to the folds of a garment (REB: “until all things stand out like the folds of a cloak”; cf. J. E. Hartley, Job [NICOT], 497, “the early light of day makes the earth appear as a beautiful garment, exquisite in design and glorious in color”). Since this is thought to be an odd statement, some suggest with Ehrlich that the text be changed to תִּצָּבַּע (titsabba’, “is dyed [like a garment]”). This reference would be to the colors appearing on the earth’s surface under daylight. The present translation follows the emendation.
[38:15] 78 tn Heb “the raised arm.” The words “in violence” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation to clarify the metaphor.
[38:15] 79 sn What is active at night, the violence symbolized by the raised arm, is broken with the dawn. G. R. Driver thought the whole verse referred to stars, and that the arm is the navigator’s term for the line of stars (“Two astronomical passages in the Old Testament,” JTS 4 [1953]: 208-12).
[38:16] 80 tn Heb “the springs of the sea.” The words “that fill” are supplied in the translation to clarify the meaning of the phrase.
[38:17] 81 tn Heb “uncovered to you.”
[38:17] 82 tn Some still retain the traditional phrase “shadow of death” in the English translation (cf. NIV). The reference is to the entrance to Sheol (see Job 10:21).
[38:19] 83 tn The interrogative with דֶרֶךְ (derekh) means “in what road” or “in what direction.”
[38:20] 84 tn The suffixes are singular (“that you may take it to its border…to its home”), referring to either the light or the darkness. Because either is referred to, the translation has employed plurals, since singulars would imply that only the second item, “darkness,” was the referent. Plurals are also employed by NAB and NIV.
[38:21] 85 tn The imperfect verb after the adverb אָז (’az, “then”) functions as a preterite: “you were born.” The line is sarcastic.
[38:22] 86 sn Snow and ice are thought of as being in store, brought out by God for specific purposes, such as times of battle (see Josh 10:11; Exod 9:2ff.; Isa 28:17; Isa 30:30; and Ps 18:12 [13]).
[38:22] 87 tn The same Hebrew term (אוֹצָר, ’otsar), has been translated “storehouse” in the first line and “armory” in the second. This has been done for stylistic variation, but also because “hail,” as one of God’s “weapons” (cf. the following verse) suggests military imagery; in this context the word refers to God’s “ammunition dump” where he stockpiles hail.
[38:23] 88 sn The terms translated war and battle are different Hebrew words, but both may be translated “war” or “battle” depending on the context.
[38:24] 89 tn Because the parallel with “light” and “east wind” is not tight, Hoffmann proposed ‘ed instead, “mist.” This has been adopted by many. G. R. Driver suggests “parching heat” (“Problems in the Hebrew text of Job,” VTSup 3 [1955]: 91-92).
[38:26] 90 tn Heb “on a land, no man.”
[38:26] 91 tn Heb “a desert, no man in it.”
[38:27] 92 tn Heb “to cause to sprout a source of vegetation.” The word מֹצָא (motsa’) is rendered “mine” in Job 28:1. The suggestion with the least changes is Wright’s: צָמֵא (tsame’, “thirsty”). But others choose מִצִּיָּה (mitsiyyah, “from the steppe”).
[38:29] 93 tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
[38:30] 94 tn Several suggest that the verb is not from חָבָא (khava’, “to hide”) but from a homonym, “to congeal.” This may be too difficult to support, however.
[38:31] 95 tn This word is found here and in 1 Sam 15:32. Dhorme suggests, with others, that there has been a metathesis (a reversal of consonants), and it is the same word found in Job 31:36 (“bind”). G. R. Driver takes it as “cluster” without changing the text (“Two astronomical passages in the Old Testament,” JTS 7 [1956] :3).
[38:32] 96 tn The word מַזָּרוֹת (mazzarot) is taken by some to refer to the constellations (see 2 Kgs 23:5), and by others as connected to the word for “crown,” and so “corona.”
[38:34] 98 tc The LXX has “answer you,” and some editors have adopted this. However, the reading of the MT makes better sense in the verse.
[38:36] 99 tn This verse is difficult because of the two words, טֻחוֹת (tukhot, rendered here “heart”) and שֶׂכְוִי (sekhvi, here “mind”). They have been translated a number of ways: “meteor” and “celestial appearance”; the stars “Procyon” and “Sirius”; “inward part” and “mind”; even as birds, “ibis” and “cock.” One expects them to have something to do with nature – clouds and the like. The RSV accordingly took them to mean “meteor” (from a verb “to wander”) and “a celestial appearance.” But these meanings are not well-attested.
[38:37] 100 tn The word actually means “to cause to lie down.”
[38:38] 101 tn The word means “to flow” or “to cast” (as in casting metals). So the noun developed the sense of “hard,” as in cast metal.
[38:39] 102 tn Heb “fill up the life of.”
[38:41] 103 tn The verse is difficult, making some suspect that a line has dropped out. The little birds in the nest hardly go wandering about looking for food. Dhorme suggest “and stagger for lack of food.”
[39:1] 104 tn The text uses the infinitive as the object: “do you know the giving birth of?”
[39:2] 106 tn Here the infinitive is again a substantive: “the time of their giving birth.”
[39:3] 107 tc The Hebrew verb used here means “to cleave,” and this would not have the object “their young.” Olshausen and others after him change the ח (khet) to ט (tet) and get a verb “to drop,” meaning “drop [= give birth to] young” as used in Job 21:10. G. R. Driver holds out for the MT, arguing it is an idiom, “to breach the womb” (“Problems in the Hebrew text of Job,” VTSup 3 [1955]: 92-93).
[39:3] 108 tn Heb “they cast forth their labor pains.” This word usually means “birth pangs” but here can mean what caused the pains (metonymy of effect). This fits better with the parallelism, and the verb (“cast forth”). The words “their offspring” are supplied in the translation for clarity; direct objects were often omitted when clear from the context, although English expects them to be included.
[39:4] 109 tn The idea is that of the open countryside. The Aramaism is found only here.
[39:7] 110 sn The animal is happier in open countryside than in a busy town, and on its own rather than being driven by a herdsman.
[39:10] 111 tn Some commentators think that the addition of the “wild ox” here is a copyist’s error, making the stich too long. They therefore delete it. Also, binding an animal to the furrow with ropes is unusual. So with a slight emendation Kissane came up with “Will you bind him with a halter of cord?” While the MT is unusual, the sense is understandable, and no changes, even slight ones, are absolutely necessary.
[39:12] 113 tn The word is normally translated “believe” in the Bible. The idea is that of considering something dependable and acting on it. The idea of reliability is found also in the Niphal stem usages.
[39:12] 114 tc There is a textual problem here: יָשׁוּב (yashuv) is the Kethib, meaning “[that] he will return”; יָשִׁיב (yashiv) is the Qere, meaning “that he will bring in.” This is the preferred reading, since the object follows it. For commentators who think the line too unbalanced for this, the object is moved to the second colon, and the reading “returns” is taken for the first. But the MT is perfectly clear as it stands.
[39:12] 115 tn Heb “your seed”; this must be interpreted figuratively for what the seed produces.
[39:12] 116 tn Heb “gather it”; the referent (the grain) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[39:12] 117 tn Simply, the MT has “and your threshing floor gather.” The “threshing floor” has to be an adverbial accusative of place.
[39:13] 118 tc This whole section on the ostrich is not included in the LXX. Many feel it is an interpolation and should therefore be deleted. The pattern of the chapter changes from the questions being asked to observations being made.
[39:13] 119 tn The word occurs only here and means “shrill cries.” If the MT is correct, this is a poetic name for the ostrich (see Lam 4:3).
[39:13] 120 tn Many proposals have been made here. The MT has a verb, “exult.” Strahan had “flap joyously,” a rendering followed by the NIV. The RSV uses “wave proudly.”
[39:13] 121 tn The point of this statement would be that the ostrich cannot compare to the stork. But there are many other proposals for this line – just about every commentator has a different explanation for it. Of the three words here, the first means “pinion,” the third “plumage,” and the second probably “stork,” although the LXX has “heron.” The point of this whole section is that the ostrich is totally lacking in parental care, whereas the stork is characterized by it. The Hebrew word for “stork” is the same word for “love”: חֲסִידָה (khasidah), an interpretation followed by the NASB. The most likely reading is “or are they the pinions and plumage of the stork?” The ostrich may flap about, but cannot fly and does not care for its young.
[39:14] 122 tn The meaning may have the connotation of “lays; places,” rather than simply abandoning (see M. Dahood, “The Root ’zb II in Job,” JBL 78 [1959]: 307f.).
[39:15] 123 tn Heb “an animal of the field.”
[39:16] 124 sn This verb, “to deal harshly; to harden; to treat cruelly,” is used for hardening the heart elsewhere (see Isa 63:17).
[39:18] 125 tn The colon poses a slight problem here. The literal meaning of the Hebrew verb translated “springs up” (i.e., “lifts herself on high”) might suggest flight. But some of the proposals involve a reading about readying herself to run.
[39:19] 126 tn The second half of the verse contains this hapax legomenon, which is usually connected with the word רַעְמָה (ra’mah, “thunder”). A. B. Davidson thought it referred to the quivering of the neck rather than the mane. Gray thought the sound and not the movement was the point. But without better evidence, a reading that has “quivering mane” may not be far off the mark. But it may be simplest to translate it “mane” and assume that the idea of “quivering” is part of the meaning.
[39:20] 127 sn The same ideas are found in Joel 2:4. The leaping motion is compared to the galloping of the horse.
[39:20] 128 tn The word could mean “snorting” as well (see Jer 8:16). It comes from the root “to blow.” If the horse is running and breathing hard, this could be the sense here.
[39:21] 129 tc The Hebrew text has a plural verb, “they paw.” For consistency and for stylistic reasons this is translated as a singular.
[39:21] 130 tn The armies would prepare for battles that were usually fought in the valleys, and so the horse was ready to charge. But in Ugaritic the word `mk means “force” as well as “valley.” The idea of “force” would fit the parallelism here well (see M. Dahood, “Value of Ugaritic for textual criticism,” Bib 40 [1959]: 166).
[39:21] 131 tn Or “in strength.”
[39:23] 132 tn This may be the scimitar (see G. Molin, “What is a kidon?” JSS 1 [1956]: 334-37).
[39:24] 133 tn “Swallow the ground” is a metaphor for the horse’s running. Gray renders the line: “quivering and excited he dashes into the fray.”
[39:24] 134 tn The use of אָמַן (’aman) in the Hiphil in this place is unique. Such a form would normally mean “to believe.” But its basic etymological meaning comes through here. The verb means “to be firm; to be reliable; to be dependable.” The causative here would mean “to make firm” or “to stand firm.”
[39:26] 135 tn This word occurs only here. It is connected to “pinions” in v. 13. Dhorme suggests “clad with feathers,” but the line suggests more the use of the wings.
[39:27] 136 tn Heb “your mouth.”
[39:28] 137 tn Heb “upon the tooth of a rock.”
[39:28] 138 tn The word could be taken as the predicate, but because of the conjunction it seems to be adding another description of the place of its nest.
[39:29] 139 tn The word means “search,” but can be used for a wide range of matters, including spying.
[39:30] 141 tn The word חֲלָלִים (khalalim) designates someone who is fatally wounded, literally the “pierced one,” meaning anyone or thing that dies a violent death.
[40:2] 142 tn The form רֹב (rov) is the infinitive absolute from the verb רִיב (riv, “contend”). Dhorme wishes to repoint it to make it the active participle, the “one who argues with the Almighty.”
[40:2] 143 tn The verb יִסּוֹר (yissor) is found only here, but comes from a common root meaning “to correct; to reprove.” Several suggestions have been made to improve on the MT. Dhorme read it יָסוּר (yasur) in the sense of “to turn aside; to yield.” Ehrlich read this emendation as “to come to an end.” But the MT could be read as “to correct; to instruct.”
[40:4] 144 tn The word קַלֹּתִי (qalloti) means “to be light; to be of small account; to be unimportant.” From this comes the meaning “contemptible,” which in the causative stem would mean “to treat with contempt; to curse.” Dhorme tries to make the sentence a conditional clause and suggests this meaning: “If I have been thoughtless.” There is really no “if” in Job’s mind.
[40:4] 145 tn The perfect verb here should be classified as an instantaneous perfect; the action is simultaneous with the words.
[40:4] 146 tn The words “to silence myself” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[40:5] 147 tn Heb “I will not add.”
[40:6] 148 sn The speech can be divided into three parts: the invitation to Job to assume the throne and rule the world (40:7-14), the description of Behemoth (40:15-24), and the description of Leviathan (41:1-34).
[40:7] 149 tn See note on “task” in 38:3.
[40:8] 150 tn The verb פָּרַר (parar) means “to annul; to break; to frustrate.” It was one thing for Job to claim his own integrity, but it was another matter altogether to nullify God’s righteousness in the process.
[40:9] 151 tn Heb “do you have an arm like God?” The words “as powerful as” have been supplied in the translation to clarify the metaphor.
[40:11] 152 tn The verb was used for scattering lightning (Job 37:11). God is challenging Job to unleash his power and judge wickedness in the world.
[40:11] 153 tn Heb “the overflowings.”
[40:11] 154 tn The word was just used in the positive sense of excellence or majesty; now the exalted nature of the person refers to self-exaltation, or pride.
[40:12] 155 tn The expression translated “on the spot” is the prepositional phrase תַּחְתָּם (takhtam, “under them”). “Under them” means in their place. But it can also mean “where someone stands, on the spot” (see Exod 16:29; Jos 6:5; Judg 7:21, etc.).
[40:13] 156 tn The word “dust” can mean “ground” here, or more likely, “grave.”
[40:13] 157 tn The verb חָבַשׁ (khavash) means “to bind.” In Arabic the word means “to bind” in the sense of “to imprison,” and that fits here.
[40:13] 158 tn Heb “their faces.”
[40:13] 159 tn The word is “secret place,” the place where he is to hide them, i.e., the grave. The text uses the word “secret place” as a metonymy for the grave.
[40:14] 160 tn The verb is usually translated “praise,” but with the sense of a public declaration or acknowledgment. It is from יָדָה (yadah, in the Hiphil, as here, “give thanks, laud”).
[40:14] 161 tn The imperfect verb has the nuance of potential imperfect: “can save; is able to save.”
[40:15] 162 sn The next ten verses are devoted to a portrayal of Behemoth (the name means “beast” in Hebrew). It does not fit any of the present material very well, and so many think the section is a later addition. Its style is more like that of a textbook. Moreover, if the animal is a real animal (the usual suggestion is the hippopotamus), then the location of such an animal is Egypt and not Palestine. Some have identified these creatures Behemoth and Leviathan as mythological creatures (Gunkel, Pope). Others point out that these creatures could have been dinosaurs (P. J. Maarten, NIDOTTE, 2:780; H. M. Morris, The Remarkable Record of Job, 115-22). Most would say they are real animals, but probably mythologized by the pagans. So the pagan reader would receive an additional impact from this point about God’s sovereignty over all nature.
[40:15] 163 sn By form the word is the feminine plural of the Hebrew word for “beast.” Here it is an abstract word – a title.
[40:15] 164 tn Heb “with you.” The meaning could be temporal (“when I made you”) – perhaps a reference to the sixth day of creation (Gen 1:24).
[40:16] 165 tn In both of these verses הִנֶּה (hinneh, “behold”) has the deictic force (the word is from Greek δείκνυμι, deiknumi, “to show”). It calls attention to something by pointing it out. The expression goes with the sudden look, the raised eye, the pointing hand – “O look!”
[40:17] 166 tn The verb חָפַץ (khafats) occurs only here. It may have the meaning “to make stiff; to make taut” (Arabic). The LXX and the Syriac versions support this with “erects.” But there is another Arabic word that could be cognate, meaning “arch, bend.” This would give the idea of the tail swaying. The other reading seems to make better sense here. However, “stiff” presents a serious problem with the view that the animal is the hippopotamus.
[40:19] 167 tn Heb “the ways of God.”
[40:19] 168 tc The literal reading of the MT is “let the one who made him draw near [with] his sword.” The sword is apparently a reference to the teeth or tusks of the animal, which cut vegetation like a sword. But the idea of a weapon is easier to see, and so the people who favor the mythological background see here a reference to God’s slaying the Beast. There are again many suggestions on how to read the line. The RV probably has the safest: “He that made him has furnished him with his sword” (the sword being a reference to the sharp tusks with which he can attack).
[40:20] 169 tn The word בּוּל (bul) probably refers to food. Many take it as an abbreviated form of יְבוּל (yÿvul, “produce of the field”). The vegetation that is produced on the low hills is what is meant.
[40:22] 170 tn The suffix is singular, but must refer to the trees’ shade.
[40:23] 171 tn The word ordinarily means “to oppress.” So many commentators have proposed suitable changes: “overflows” (Beer), “gushes” (Duhm), “swells violently” (Dhorme, from a word that means “be strong”).
[40:23] 172 tn Or “he remains calm.”
[40:24] 173 tn The idea would be either (1) catch it while it is watching, or (2) in some way disabling its eyes before the attack. But others change the reading; Ball suggested “with hooks” and this has been adopted by some modern English versions (e.g., NRSV).
[40:24] 174 tn Ehrlich altered the MT slightly to get “with thorns,” a view accepted by Driver, Dhorme and Pope.
[41:1] 175 sn Beginning with 41:1, the verse numbers through 41:9 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 41:1 ET = 40:25 HT, 41:2 ET = 40:26 HT, etc., through 41:34 ET = 41:26 HT. The Hebrew verse numbers in the remainder of the chapter differ from the verse numbers in the English Bible. Beginning with 42:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
[41:1] 176 tn The verb מָשַׁךְ (mashakh) means “to extract from the water; to fish.” The question here includes the use of a hook to fish the creature out of the water so that its jaws can be tied safely.
[41:1] 177 tn The verb שָׁקַע (shaqa’) means “to cause to sink,” if it is connected with the word in Amos 8:8 and 9:5. But it may have the sense of “to tie; to bind.” If the rope were put around the tongue and jaw, binding tightly would be the sense.
[41:3] 178 tn The line asks if the animal, when caught and tied and under control, would keep on begging for mercy. Absolutely not. It is not in the nature of the beast. The construction uses יַרְבֶּה (yarbeh, “[will] he multiply” [= “make numerous”]), with the object, “supplications” i.e., prayers for mercy.
[41:3] 179 tn The rhetorical question again affirms the opposite. The poem is portraying the creature as powerful and insensitive.
[41:4] 180 tn Heb “will he cut a covenant.”
[41:4] 181 tn The imperfect verb serves to express what the covenant pact would cover, namely, “that you take.”
[41:5] 182 tn The Hebrew verb is שָׂחַק (sakhaq, “to sport; to trifle; to play,” Ps 104:26).
[41:5] 183 tn The idea may include putting Leviathan on a leash. D. W. Thomas suggested on the basis of an Arabic cognate that it could be rendered “tie him with a string like a young sparrow” (VT 14 [1964]: 114ff.).
[41:6] 184 tn The word חָבַּר (khabbar) is a hapax legomenon, but the meaning is “to associate” since it is etymologically related to the verb “to join together.” The idea is that fishermen usually work in companies or groups, and then divide up the catch when they come ashore – which involves bargaining.
[41:6] 185 tn The word כָּרַה (karah) means “to sell.” With the preposition עַל (’al, “upon”) it has the sense “to bargain over something.”
[41:6] 186 tn The verb means “to cut up; to divide up” in the sense of selling the dead body (see Exod 21:35). This will be between them and the merchants (כְּנַעֲנִים, kÿna’anim).
[41:8] 187 tn The verse uses two imperatives which can be interpreted in sequence: do this, and then this will happen.
[41:9] 188 sn Job 41:9 in the English Bible is 41:1 in the Hebrew text (BHS). From here to the end of the chapter the Hebrew verse numbers differ from those in the English Bible, with 41:10 ET = 41:2 HT, 41:11 ET = 41:3 HT, etc. See also the note on 41:1.
[41:9] 189 tn The line is difficult. “His hope [= expectation]” must refer to any assailant who hopes or expects to capture the creature. Because there is no antecedent, Dhorme and others transpose it with the next verse. The point is that the man who thought he was sufficient to confront Leviathan soon finds his hope – his expectation – false (a derivative from the verb כָּזַב [kazab, “lie”] is used for a mirage).
[41:9] 190 tn There is an interrogative particle in this line, which most commentators ignore. But others freely emend the MT. Gunkel, following the mythological approach, has “his appearance casts down even a god.” Cheyne likewise has: “even divine beings the fear of him brings low” (JQR 9 [1896/97]: 579). Pope has, “Were not the gods cast down at the sight of him?” There is no need to bring in this mythological element.
[41:10] 191 sn The description is of the animal, not the hunter (or fisherman). Leviathan is so fierce that no one can take him on alone.
[41:10] 192 tc MT has “before me” and can best be rendered as “Who then is he that can stand before me?” (ESV, NASB, NIV, NLT, NJPS). The following verse (11) favors the MT since both express the lesson to be learned from Leviathan: If a man cannot stand up to Leviathan, how can he stand up to its creator? The translation above has chosen to read the text as “before him” (cf. NRSV, NJB).
[41:11] 193 tn The verb קָדַם (qadam) means “to come to meet; to come before; to confront” to the face.
[41:11] 194 sn The verse seems an intrusion (and so E. Dhorme, H. H. Rowley, and many others change the pronouns to make it refer to the animal). But what the text is saying is that it is more dangerous to confront God than to confront this animal.
[41:11] 195 tn This line also focuses on the sovereign God rather than Leviathan. H. H. Rowley, however, wants to change לִי־חוּא (li-hu’, “it [belongs] to me”) into לֹא הוּא (lo’ hu’, “there is no one”). So it would say that there is no one under the whole heaven who could challenge Leviathan and live, rather than saying it is more dangerous to challenge God to make him repay.
[41:12] 196 tn Dhorme changes the noun into a verb, “I will tell,” and the last two words into אֵין עֶרֶךְ (’en ’erekh, “there is no comparison”). The result is “I will tell of his incomparable might.”
[41:13] 197 tn Heb “the face of his garment,” referring to the outer garment or covering. Some take it to be the front as opposed to the back.
[41:13] 198 tc The word רֶסֶן (resen) has often been rendered “bridle” (cf. ESV), but that leaves a number of unanswered questions. The LXX reads סִרְיוֹן (siryon), with the transposition of letters, but that means “coat of armor.” If the metathesis stands, there is also support from the cognate Akkadian.
[41:14] 199 tn Heb “his face.”
[41:15] 200 tc The MT has גַּאֲוָה (ga’avah, “his pride”), but the LXX, Aquila, and the Vulgate all read גַּוּוֹ (gavvo, “his back”). Almost all the modern English versions follow the variant reading, speaking about “his [or its] back.”
[41:15] 201 tn Instead of צָר (tsar, “closely”) the LXX has צֹר (tsor, “stone”) to say that the seal was rock hard.
[41:16] 202 tn The expression “each one…to the next” is literally “one with one.”
[41:17] 203 tn Heb “a man with his brother.”
[41:18] 204 tn Heb “the eyelids,” but it represents the early beams of the dawn as the cover of night lifts.
[41:19] 205 sn For the animal, the image is that of pent-up breath with water in a hot steam jet coming from its mouth, like a stream of fire in the rays of the sun. The language is hyperbolic, probably to reflect the pagan ideas of the dragon of the deep in a polemical way – they feared it as a fire breathing monster, but in reality it might have been a steamy crocodile.
[41:20] 206 tn The word “burning” is supplied. The Syriac and Vulgate have “a seething and boiling pot” (reading אֹגֵם [’ogem] for אַגְמֹן [’agmon]). This view is widely accepted.
[41:22] 207 tn This word, דְּאָבָה (dÿ’avah) is a hapax legomenon. But the verbal root means “to languish; to pine.” A related noun talks of dejection and despair in Deut 28:65. So here “despair” as a translation is preferable to “terror.”
[41:23] 208 tn Heb “fallings.”
[41:23] 209 tn The last clause says “it cannot be moved.” But this part will function adverbially in the sentence.
[41:24] 210 tn The description of his heart being “hard” means that he is cruel and fearless. The word for “hard” is the word encountered before for molten or cast metal.
[41:25] 211 tc This verse has created all kinds of problems for the commentators. The first part is workable: “when he raises himself up, the mighty [the gods] are terrified.” The mythological approach would render אֵלִים (’elim) as “gods.” But the last two words, which could be rendered “at the breaking [crashing, or breakers] they fail,” receive much attention. E. Dhorme (Job, 639) suggests “majesty” for “raising up” and “billows” (גַּלִּים, gallim) for אֵלִים (’elim), and gets a better parallelism: “the billows are afraid of his majesty, and the waves draw back.” But H. H. Rowley (Job [NCBC], 263) does not think this is relevant to the context, which is talking about the creature’s defense against attack. The RSV works well for the first part, but the second part need some change; so Rowley adopts “in their dire consternation they are beside themselves.”
[41:26] 212 tn This is the clearest reading, following A. B. Davidson, Job, 285. The versions took different readings of the construction.
[41:26] 213 tn The verb קוּם (qum, “stand”) with בְּלִי (bÿli, “not”) has the sense of “does not hold firm,” or “gives way.”
[41:28] 214 tn Heb “the son of the bow.”
[41:29] 215 tn The verb is plural, but since there is no expressed subject it is translated as a passive here.
[41:30] 216 tn Heb “under him.”
[41:30] 217 tn Here only the word “sharp” is present, but in passages like Isa 41:15 it is joined with “threshing sledge.” Here and in Amos 1:3 and Isa 28:27 the word stands alone, but represents the “sledge.”
[41:31] 218 sn The idea is either that the sea is stirred up like the foam from beating the ingredients together, or it is the musk-smell that is the point of comparison.
[41:33] 219 tn Heb “one who was made.”
[41:34] 220 tn Heb “the sons of pride.” Dhorme repoints the last word to get “all the wild beasts,” but this misses the point of the verse. This animal looks over every proud creature – but he is king of them all in that department.
[40:5] 221 tn Heb “many things you have done, you, O
[40:5] 222 tn Heb “there is none arrayed against you.” The precise meaning of the text is unclear, but the collocation עָרַךְ אֶל (’arakh ’el, “array against”) is used elsewhere of military (Judg 20:30; 1 Chr 19:17) or verbal opposition (Job 32:14).
[40:5] 223 tn Heb “I will declare and I will speak, they are too numerous to recount.” The present translation assumes that the cohortatives are used in a hypothetical manner in a formally unmarked conditional sentence, “Should I try to declare [them] and speak [of them]…” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). For other examples of cohortatives in the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, see GKC 320 §108.e. (It should be noted, however, that GKC understands this particular verse in a different manner. See GKC 320 §108.f, where it is suggested that the cohortatives are part of an apodosis with the protasis being suppressed.) Another option is to take the cohortatives as a declaration of the psalmist’s resolve to announce the truth expressed in the next line. In this case one might translate: “I will declare and speak [the truth]: They are too numerous to recount.”
[92:5] 224 tn Heb “very deep [are] your thoughts.” God’s “thoughts” refer here to his moral design of the world, as outlined in vv. 6-15.
[104:24] 225 tn Heb “How many [are] your works, O
[104:24] 226 tn Heb “all of them with wisdom you have made.”
[40:28] 227 tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.
[40:28] 228 sn Exiled Israel’s complaint (v. 27) implies that God might be limited in some way. Perhaps he, like so many of the pagan gods, has died. Or perhaps his jurisdiction is limited to Judah and does not include Babylon. Maybe he is unable to devise an adequate plan to rescue his people, or is unable to execute it. But v. 28 affirms that he is not limited temporally or spatially nor is his power and wisdom restricted in any way. He can and will deliver his people, if they respond in hopeful faith (v. 31a).
