Job 23:16

23:16 Indeed, God has made my heart faint; ¹ 

the Almighty has terrified me.

Job 31:27

31:27 so that my heart was secretly enticed,

and my hand threw them a kiss from my mouth, ² 

Job 37:1

37:1 At this also my heart pounds

and leaps from its place.

Job 33:3

33:3 My words come from the uprightness of my heart, ³ 

and my lips will utter knowledge sincerely. ⁴ 

Job 31:7

31:7 If my footsteps have strayed from the way,

if my heart has gone after my eyes, ⁵ 

or if anything ⁶  has defiled my hands,

Job 31:9

31:9 If my heart has been enticed by a woman,

and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door, ⁷ 

[23:16]  ¹ tn The verb הֵרַךְ (kherakh) means “to be tender”; in the Piel it would have the meaning “to soften.” The word is used in parallel constructions with the verbs for “fear.” The implication is that God has made Job fearful.

[31:27]  ² tn Heb “and my hand kissed my mouth.” The idea should be that of “my mouth kissed my hand.” H. H. Rowley suggests that the hand was important in waving or throwing the kisses of homage to the sun and the moon, and so it receives the focus. This is the only place in the OT that refers to such a custom. Outside the Bible it was known, however.

[33:3]  ³ tc This expression is unusual; R. Gordis (Job, 371) says it can be translated, “the purity of my heart [is reflected] in my words,” but that is far-fetched and awkward. So there have been suggestions for emending יֹשֶׁר (yosher, “uprightness”). Kissane’s makes the most sense if a change is desired: “shall reveal” (an Arabic sense of yasher), although Holscher interpreted “shall affirm” (yasher, with a Syriac sense). Dhorme has “my heart will repeat” (יָשׁוּר, yashur), but this is doubtful. If Kissane’s view is taken, it would say, “my heart will reveal my words.” Some commentators would join “and knowledge” to this colon, and read “words of knowledge” – but that requires even more emendations.

[33:3]  ⁴ tn More literally, “and the knowledge of my lips they will speak purely.”

[31:7]  ⁴ sn The meaning is “been led by what my eyes see.”

[31:7]  ⁵ tc The word מֻאוּם (mu’um) could be taken in one of two ways. One reading is to represent מוּם (mum, “blemish,” see the Masorah); the other is for מְאוּמָה (mÿ’umah, “anything,” see the versions and the Kethib). Either reading fits the passage.

[31:9]  ⁵ tn Gordis notes that the word פֶּתַח (petakh, “door”) has sexual connotations in rabbinic literature, based on Prov 7:6ff. (see b. Ketubbot 9b). See also the use in Song 4:12 using a synonym.