Job 18:10

18:10 A rope is hidden for him ¹  on the ground

and a trap for him ²  lies on the path.

Job 3:16

3:16 Or why ³  was ⁴  I not buried ⁵ 

like a stillborn infant, ⁶ 

like infants ⁷  who have never seen the light? ⁸ 

Job 20:26

20:26 Total darkness waits to receive his treasures; ⁹ 

a fire which has not been kindled ¹⁰ 

will consume him

and devour what is left in his tent.

[18:10]  ¹ tn Heb “his rope.” The suffix must be a genitive expressing that the trap was for him, to trap him, and so an objective genitive.

[18:10]  ² tn Heb “his trap.” The pronominal suffix is objective genitive here as well.

[3:16]  ³ tn The verb is governed by the interrogative of v. 12 that introduces this series of rhetorical questions.

[3:16]  ⁴ tn The verb is again the prefix conjugation, but the narrative requires a past tense, or preterite.

[3:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “hidden.” The LXX paraphrases: “an untimely birth, proceeding from his mother’s womb.”

[3:16]  ⁶ tn The noun נֵפֶל (nefel, “miscarriage”) is the abortive thing that falls (hence the verb) from the womb before the time is ripe (Ps 58:9). The idiom using the verb “to fall” from the womb means to come into the world (Isa 26:18). The epithet טָמוּן (tamun, “hidden”) is appropriate to the verse. The child comes in vain, and disappears into the darkness – it is hidden forever.

[3:16]  ⁷ tn The word עֹלְלִים (’olÿlim) normally refers to “nurslings.” Here it must refer to infants in general since it refers to a stillborn child.

[3:16]  ⁸ tn The relative clause does not have the relative pronoun; the simple juxtaposition of words indicates that it is modifying the infants.

[20:26]  ⁵ tn Heb “all darkness is hidden for his laid up things.” “All darkness” refers to the misfortunes and afflictions that await. The verb “hidden” means “is destined for.”

[20:26]  ⁶ tn Heb “not blown upon,” i.e., not kindled by man. But G. R. Driver reads “unquenched” (“Hebrew notes on the ‘Wisdom of Jesus Ben Sirach’,” JBL 53 [1934]: 289).