Job 13:24

13:24 Why do you hide your face ¹ 

and regard me as your enemy?

Job 16:9

16:9 His ²  anger has torn me ³  and persecuted ⁴  me;

he has gnashed at me with his teeth;

my adversary locks ⁵  his eyes on me.

Job 33:10

33:10 ⁶ Yet God ⁷  finds occasions ⁸  with me;

he regards me as his enemy!

Lamentations 2:5

ה (He)

2:5 The Lord, ⁹  like an enemy,

destroyed ¹⁰  Israel.

He destroyed ¹¹  all her palaces;

he ruined her ¹²  fortified cities.

He made everyone in Daughter Judah

mourn and lament. ¹³ 

[13:24]  ¹ sn The anthropomorphism of “hide the face” indicates a withdrawal of favor and an outpouring of wrath (see Ps 30:7 [8]; Isa 54:8; Ps 27:9). Sometimes God “hides his face” to make himself invisible or aloof (see 34:29). In either case, if God covers his face it is because he considers Job an enemy – at least this is what Job thinks.

[16:9]  ² tn The referent of these pronouns in v. 9 (“his anger…he has gnashed…his teeth…his eyes”) is best taken as God.

[16:9]  ³ sn The figure used now is that of a wild beast. God’s affliction of Job is compared to the attack of such an animal. Cf. Amos 1:11.

[16:9]  ⁴ tn The verb שָׂטַם (satam) is translated “hate” in the RSV, but this is not accepted by very many. Many emend it to שָׁמט (shamat), reading “and he dropped me” (from his mouth). But that suggests escape. D. J. A. Clines notes that usage shows it reflects ongoing hatred represented by an action such as persecution or attack (Job [WBC], 370).

[16:9]  ⁵ tn The verb is used of sharpening a sword in Ps 7:12; here it means “to look intently” as an animal looks for prey. The verse describes God’s relentless pursuit of Job.

[33:10]  ⁶ sn See Job 10:13ff.; 19:6ff.; and 13:24.

[33:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:10]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew means “frustrations” or “oppositions.” The RSV has “displeasure,” NIV “faults,” and NRSV “occasions.” Rashi chose the word found in Judg 14:4 – with metathesis – meaning “pretexts” (תֹּאֲנוֹת, to’anot); this is followed by NAB, NASB.

[2:5]  ⁹ tc The MT reads אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “the Lord”) here rather than יהוה (YHWH, “the Lord”). See the tc note at 1:14.

[2:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “swallowed up.”

[2:5]  ¹¹ tn Heb “swallowed up.”

[2:5]  ¹² tn Heb “his.” For consistency this has been translated as “her.”

[2:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “He increased in Daughter Judah mourning and lamentation.”