Job 22:21-23

22:21 “Reconcile yourself ¹  with God, ² 

and be at peace ³  with him;

in this way your prosperity will be good.

22:22 Accept instruction ⁴  from his mouth

and store up his words ⁵  in your heart.

22:23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; ⁶ 

if you remove wicked behavior far from your tent,

[22:21]  ¹ tn The verb סָכַן (sakhan) meant “to be useful; to be profitable” in v. 2. Now, in the Hiphil it means “to be accustomed to” or “to have experience with.” Joined by the preposition “with” it means “to be reconciled with him.” W. B. Bishai cites Arabic and Ugaritic words to support a meaning “acquiesce” (“Notes on hskn in Job 22:21,” JNES 20 [1961]: 258-59).

[22:21]  ² tn Heb “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:21]  ³ tn The two imperatives in this verse imply a relationship of succession and not consequence.

[22:22]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew word here is תּוֹרָה (torah), its only occurrence in the book of Job.

[22:22]  ⁵ tc M. Dahood has “write his words” (“Metaphor in Job 22:22,” Bib 47 [1966]: 108-9).

[22:23]  ⁷ tc The MT has “you will be built up” (תִּבָּנֶה, tibbaneh). But the LXX has “humble yourself” (reading תְּעַנֶּה [tÿ’anneh] apparently). Many commentators read this; Dahood has “you will be healed.”