Job 14:8

14:8 Although its roots may grow old ¹  in the ground

and its stump begins to die ²  in the soil, ³ 

Job 21:23

Death Levels Everything

21:23 “One man dies in his full vigor, ⁴ 

completely secure and prosperous,

Job 21:25

21:25 And another man ⁵  dies in bitterness of soul, ⁶ 

never having tasted ⁷  anything good.

[14:8]  ¹ tn The Hiphil of זָקַן (zaqan, “to be old”) is here an internal causative, “to grow old.”

[14:8]  ² tn The Hiphil is here classified as an inchoative Hiphil (see GKC 145 §53.e), for the tree only begins to die. In other words, it appears to be dead, but actually is not completely dead.

[14:8]  ³ tn The LXX translates “dust” [soil] with “rock,” probably in light of the earlier illustration of the tree growing in the rocks.

[21:23]  ⁴ tn The line has “in the bone of his perfection.” The word עֶצֶם (’etsem), which means “bone,” is used pronominally to express “the same, very”; here it is “in the very fullness of his strength” (see GKC 449 §139.g). The abstract תֹּם (tom) is used here in the sense of physical perfection and strengths.

[21:25]  ⁷ tn The expression “this (v. 23)…and this” (v. 25) means “one…the other.”

[21:25]  ⁸ tn The text literally has “and this [man] dies in soul of bitterness.” Some simply reverse it and translate “in the bitterness of soul.” The genitive “bitterness” may be an attribute adjective, “with a bitter soul.”

[21:25]  ⁹ tn Heb “eaten what is good.” It means he died without having enjoyed the good life.