Job 12:25

12:25 They grope about in darkness ¹  without light;

he makes them stagger ²  like drunkards.

Isaiah 19:14

19:14 The Lord has made them undiscerning; ³ 

they lead Egypt astray in all she does,

so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit. ⁴ 

Isaiah 29:9

God’s People are Spiritually Insensitive

29:9 You will be shocked and amazed! ⁵ 

You are totally blind! ⁶ 

They are drunk, ⁷  but not because of wine;

they stagger, ⁸  but not because of beer.

[12:25]  ¹ tn The word is an adverbial accusative.

[12:25]  ² tn The verb is the same that was in v. 24, “He makes them [the leaders still] wander” (the Hiphil of תָּעָה, ta’ah). But in this passage some commentators emend the text to a Niphal of the verb and put it in the plural, to get the reading “they reel to and fro.” But even if the verse closes the chapter and there is no further need for a word of divine causation, the Hiphil sense works well here – causing people to wander like a drunken man would be the same as making them stagger.

[19:14]  ³ tn Heb “the Lord has mixed into her midst a spirit of blindness.”

[19:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “like the going astray of a drunkard in his vomit.”

[29:9]  ⁵ tn The form הִתְמַהְמְהוּ (hitmahmÿhu) is a Hitpalpel imperative from מָהַהּ (mahah, “hesitate”). If it is retained, one might translate “halt and be amazed.” The translation assumes an emendation to הִתַּמְּהוּ (hittammÿhu), a Hitpael imperative from תָּמַה (tamah, “be amazed”). In this case, the text, like Hab 1:5, combines the Hitpael and Qal imperatival forms of תָּמַה (tamah). A literal translation might be “Shock yourselves and be shocked!” The repetition of sound draws attention to the statement. The imperatives here have the force of an emphatic assertion. On this use of the imperative in Hebrew, see GKC 324 §110.c and IBHS 572 §34.4c.

[29:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “Blind yourselves and be blind!” The Hitpalpel and Qal imperatival forms of שָׁעַע (sha’a’, “be blind”) are combined to draw attention to the statement. The imperatives have the force of an emphatic assertion.

[29:9]  ⁷ tc Some prefer to emend the perfect form of the verb to an imperative (e.g., NAB, NCV, NRSV), since the people are addressed in the immediately preceding and following contexts.

[29:9]  ⁸ tc Some prefer to emend the perfect form of the verb to an imperative (e.g., NAB, NCV, NRSV), since the people are addressed in the immediately preceding and following contexts.