Job 16:21

16:21 and ¹  he contends with God on behalf of man

as a man ²  pleads ³  for his friend.

Job 23:4

23:4 I would lay out my case ⁴  before him

and fill my mouth with arguments.

Job 40:7

40:7 “Get ready for a difficult task ⁵  like a man.

I will question you and you will inform me!

[16:21]  ¹ tn E. Dhorme (Job, 240) alters this slightly to read “Would that” or “Ah! if only.”

[16:21]  ² tn This is the simple translation of the expression “son of man” in Job. But some commentators wish to change the word בֵּן (ben, “son”) to בֵּין (ben, “between”). It would then be “[as] between a man and [for] his friend.” Even though a few mss have this reading, it is to be rejected. But see J. Barr, “Some Notes on ‘ben’ in Classical Hebrew,” JSS 23 (1978): 1-22.

[16:21]  ³ tn The verb is supplied from the parallel clause.

[23:4]  ⁴ tn The word מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) is normally “judgment; decision.” But in these contexts it refers to the legal case that Job will bring before God. With the verb עָרַךְ (’arakh, “to set in order; to lay out”) the whole image of drawing up a lawsuit is complete.

[40:7]  ⁵ tn See note on “task” in 38:3.