Job 13:6

13:6 “Listen now to my argument, ¹ 

and be attentive to my lips’ contentions. ² 

Job 16:5

16:5 But ³  I would strengthen ⁴  you with my words; ⁵ 

comfort from my lips would bring ⁶  you relief.

Job 32:20

32:20 I will speak, ⁷  so that I may find relief;

I will open my lips, so that I may answer.

Job 27:4

27:4 my ⁸  lips will not speak wickedness,

and my tongue will whisper ⁹  no deceit.

Job 33:3

33:3 My words come from the uprightness of my heart, ¹⁰ 

and my lips will utter knowledge sincerely. ¹¹ 

[13:6]  ¹ sn Job first will argue with his friends. His cause that he will plead with God begins in v. 13. The same root יָכַח (yakhakh, “argue, plead”) is used here as in v. 3b (see note). Synonymous parallelism between the two halves of this verse supports this translation.

[13:6]  ² tn The Hebrew word רִבוֹת (rivot, “disputes, contentions”) continues the imagery of presenting a legal case. The term is used of legal disputations and litigation. See, also, v. 19a.

[16:5]  ³ tn “But” has been added in the translation to strengthen the contrast.

[16:5]  ⁴ tn The Piel of אָמַץ (’amats) means “to strengthen, fortify.”

[16:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “my mouth.”

[16:5]  ⁶ tn The verb יַחְשֹׂךְ (yakhsokh) means “to restrain; to withhold.” There is no object, so many make it first person subject, “I will not restrain.” The LXX and the Syriac have a different person – “I would not restrain.” G. R. Driver, arguing that the verb is intransitive here, made it “the solace of my lips would not [added] be withheld” (see JTS 34 [1933]: 380). D. J. A. Clines says that what is definitive is the use of the verb in the next line, where it clearly means “soothed, assuaged.”

[32:20]  ⁵ tn The cohortative expresses Elihu’s resolve to speak.

[27:4]  ⁷ tn The verse begins with אִם (’im), the formula used for the content of the oath (“God lives…if I do/do not…”). Thus, the content of the oath proper is here in v. 4.

[27:4]  ⁸ tn The verb means “to utter; to mumble; to meditate.” The implication is that he will not communicate deceitful things, no matter how quiet or subtle.

[33:3]  ⁹ tc This expression is unusual; R. Gordis (Job, 371) says it can be translated, “the purity of my heart [is reflected] in my words,” but that is far-fetched and awkward. So there have been suggestions for emending יֹשֶׁר (yosher, “uprightness”). Kissane’s makes the most sense if a change is desired: “shall reveal” (an Arabic sense of yasher), although Holscher interpreted “shall affirm” (yasher, with a Syriac sense). Dhorme has “my heart will repeat” (יָשׁוּר, yashur), but this is doubtful. If Kissane’s view is taken, it would say, “my heart will reveal my words.” Some commentators would join “and knowledge” to this colon, and read “words of knowledge” – but that requires even more emendations.

[33:3]  ¹⁰ tn More literally, “and the knowledge of my lips they will speak purely.”