Job 13:7-10

13:7 Will you speak wickedly ¹  on God’s behalf? ² 

Will you speak deceitfully for him?

13:8 Will you show him partiality? ³ 

Will you argue the case ⁴  for God?

13:9 Would it turn out well if he would examine ⁵  you?

Or as one deceives ⁶  a man would you deceive him?

13:10 He would certainly rebuke ⁷  you

if you secretly ⁸  showed partiality!

[13:7]  ¹ tn The construction literally reads “speak iniquity.” The form functions adverbially. The noun עַוְלָה (’avlah) means “perversion; injustice; iniquity; falsehood.” Here it is parallel to רְמִיָּה (rÿmiyyah, “fraud; deceit; treachery”).

[13:7]  ² tn The expression “for God” means “in favor of God” or “on God’s behalf.” Job is amazed that they will say false things on God’s behalf.

[13:8]  ³ sn The idiom used here is “Will you lift up his face?” Here Job is being very sarcastic, for this expression usually means that a judge is taking a bribe. Job is accusing them of taking God’s side.

[13:8]  ⁴ tn The same root is used here (רִיב, riv, “dispute, contention”) as in v. 6b (see note).

[13:9]  ⁵ tn The verb חָפַר (khafar) means “to search out, investigate, examine.” In the conditional clause the imperfect verb expresses the hypothetical case.

[13:9]  ⁶ tn Both the infinitive and the imperfect of תָּלַל (talal, “deceive, mock”) retain the ה (he) (GKC 148 §53.q). But for the alternate form, see F. C. Fensham, “The Stem HTL in Hebrew,” VT 9 (1959): 310-11. The infinitive is used here in an adverbial sense after the preposition.

[13:10]  ⁷ tn The verbal idea is intensified with the infinitive absolute. This is the same verb used in v. 3; here it would have the sense of “rebuke, convict.”

[13:10]  ⁸ sn The use of the word “in secret” or “secretly” suggests that what they do is a guilty action (31:27a).