Job 17:16

17:16 Will ¹  it ²  go down to the barred gates ³  of death?

Will ⁴  we descend ⁵  together into the dust?”

Job 36:16

36:16 And surely, he drew you ⁶  from the mouth of distress,

to a wide place, unrestricted, ⁷ 

and to the comfort ⁸  of your table

filled with rich food. ⁹ 

[17:16]  ¹ sn It is natural to assume that this verse continues the interrogative clause of the preceding verse.

[17:16]  ² tn The plural form of the verb probably refers to the two words, or the two senses of the word in the preceding verse. Hope and what it produces will perish with Job.

[17:16]  ³ tn The Hebrew word בַּדִּים (baddim) describes the “bars” or “bolts” of Sheol, referring (by synecdoche) to the “gates of Sheol.” The LXX has “with me to Sheol,” and many adopt that as “by my side.”

[17:16]  ⁴ tn The conjunction אִם (’im) confirms the interrogative interpretation.

[17:16]  ⁵ tn The translation follows the LXX and the Syriac versions with the change of vocalization in the MT. The MT has the noun “rest,” yielding, “will our rest be together in the dust?” The verb נָחַת (nakhat) in Aramaic means “to go down; to descend.” If that is the preferred reading – and it almost is universally accepted here – then it would be spelled נֵחַת (nekhat). In either case the point of the verse is clearly describing death and going to the grave.

[36:16]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew verb means “to entice; to lure; to allure; to seduce,” but these have negative connotations. The English “to persuade; to draw” might work better. The verb is the Hiphil perfect of סוּת (sut). But the nuance of the verb is difficult. It can be equivalent to an English present expressing what God is doing (Peake). But the subject is contested as well. Since the verb usually has an evil connotation, there have been attempts to make the “plaza” the subject – “the wide place has led you astray” (Ewald).

[36:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “a broad place where there is no cramping beneath [or under] it.”

[36:16]  ⁸ tn The word נַחַת (nakhat) could be translated “set” if it is connected with the verb נוּחַ (nuakh, “to rest,” but then “to lay to rest, to set”). Kissane translates it “comfort.” Dhorme thinks it could come from נוּחַ (nuakh, “to rest”) or נָחַת (nakhat, “to descend”). But his conclusion is that it is a dittography after “under it” (p. 545).

[36:16]  ⁹ tn Heb “filled with fat.”