Job 20:25

20:25 When he pulls it out ¹  and it comes out of his back,

the gleaming point ²  out of his liver,

terrors come over him.

Job 16:6

Abandonment by God and Man

16:6 “But ³  if I speak, my pain is not relieved, ⁴ 

and if I refrain from speaking

– how ⁵  much of it goes away?

[20:25]  ¹ tn The MT has “he draws out [or as a passive, “it is drawn out/forth”] and comes [or goes] out of his back.” For the first verb שָׁלַף (shalaf, “pull, draw”), many commentators follow the LXX and use שֶׁלַח (shelakh, “a spear”). It then reads “and a shaft comes out of his back,” a sword flash comes out of his liver.” But the verse could also be a continuation of the preceding.

[20:25]  ² tn Possibly a reference to lightnings.

[16:6]  ³ tn “But” is supplied in the translation to strengthen the contrast.

[16:6]  ⁴ tn The Niphal יֵחָשֵׂךְ (yekhasekh) means “to be soothed; to be assuaged.”

[16:6]  ⁵ tn Some argue that מָה (mah) in the text is the Arabic ma, the simple negative. This would then mean “it does not depart far from me.” The interrogative used rhetorically amounts to the same thing, however, so the suggestion is not necessary.