Job 21:19

21:19 You may say, ¹  ‘God stores up a man’s ²  punishment for his children!’ ³ 

Instead let him repay ⁴  the man himself ⁵ 

so that ⁶  he may know it!

Job 33:24

33:24 and if ⁷  God ⁸  is gracious to him and says,

‘Spare ⁹  him from going down

to the place of corruption,

I have found a ransom for him,’ ¹⁰ 

Job 33:27

33:27 That person sings ¹¹  to others, ¹²  saying:

‘I have sinned and falsified what is right,

but I was not punished according to what I deserved. ¹³ 

Job 35:14

35:14 How much less, then,

when you say that you do not perceive him,

that the case is before him

and you are waiting for him! ¹⁴ 

[21:19]  ¹ tn These words are supplied. The verse records an idea that Job suspected they might have, namely, that if the wicked die well God will make their children pay for the sins (see Job 5:4; 20:10; as well as Exod 20:5).

[21:19]  ² tn The text simply has אוֹנוֹ (’ono, “his iniquity”), but by usage, “the punishment for the iniquity.”

[21:19]  ³ tn Heb “his sons.”

[21:19]  ⁴ tn The verb שָׁלַם (shalam) in the Piel has the meaning of restoring things to their normal, making whole, and so reward, repay (if for sins), or recompense in general.

[21:19]  ⁵ tn The text simply has “let him repay [to] him.”

[21:19]  ⁶ tn The imperfect verb after the jussive carries the meaning of a purpose clause, and so taken as a final imperfect: “in order that he may know [or realize].”

[33:24]  ⁷ tn This verse seems to continue the protasis begun in the last verse, with the apodosis coming in the next verse.

[33:24]  ⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:24]  ⁹ tc The verb is either taken as an anomalous form of פָּדַע (pada’, “to rescue; to redeem,” or “to exempt him”), or it is emended to some similar word, like פָּרַע (para’, “to let loose,” so Wright).

[33:24]  ¹⁰ sn This verse and v. 28 should be compared with Ps 49:7-9, 15 (8-10, 16 HT) where the same basic vocabulary and concepts are employed.

[33:27]  ¹³ tc The verb יָשֹׁר (yashor) is unusual. The typical view is to change it to יָשִׁיר (yashir, “he sings”), but that may seem out of harmony with a confession. Dhorme suggests a root שׁוּר (shur, “to repeat”), but this is a doubtful root. J. Reider reads it יָשֵׁיר (yasher) and links it to an Arabic word “confesses” (ZAW 24 [1953]: 275).

[33:27]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “to men.”

[33:27]  ¹⁵ tn The verb שָׁוָה (shavah) has the impersonal meaning here, “it has not been requited to me.” The meaning is that the sinner has not been treated in accordance with his deeds: “I was not punished according to what I deserved.”

[35:14]  ¹⁹ sn The point is that if God does not listen to those who do not turn to him, how much less likely is he to turn to one who complains against him.