Job 23:8-9

The Inaccessibility and Power of God

23:8 “If I go to the east, he is not there,

and to the west, yet I do not perceive him.

23:9 In the north ¹  when he is at work, ² 

I do not see him; ³ 

when he turns ⁴  to the south,

I see no trace of him.

Psalms 13:1

Psalm 13 ⁵ 

For the music director; a psalm of David.

13:1 How long, Lord, will you continue to ignore me? ⁶ 

How long will you pay no attention to me? ⁷ 

Psalms 27:9

27:9 Do not reject me! ⁸ 

Do not push your servant away in anger!

You are my deliverer! ⁹ 

Do not forsake or abandon me,

O God who vindicates me!

Psalms 30:7

30:7 O Lord, in your good favor you made me secure. ¹⁰ 

Then you rejected me ¹¹  and I was terrified.

Psalms 143:7

143:7 Answer me quickly, Lord!

My strength is fading. ¹² 

Do not reject me, ¹³ 

or I will join ¹⁴  those descending into the grave. ¹⁵ 

[23:9]  ¹ sn The text has “the left hand,” the Semitic idiom for directions. One faces the rising sun, and so left is north, right is south.

[23:9]  ² tc The form בַּעֲשֹׂתוֹ (ba’asoto) would be the temporal clause using the infinitive construct with a pronoun (subject genitive). This would be “when he works.” Several follow the Syriac with “I seek him.” The LXX has “[when] he turns.” R. Gordis (Job, 261) notes that there is no need to emend the text; he shows a link to the Arabic cognate ghasa, “to cover.” To him this is a perfect parallel to יַעְטֹף (ya’tof, “covers himself”).

[23:9]  ³ tn The verb is the apocopated form of the imperfect. The object is supplied.

[23:9]  ⁴ tn The MT has “he turns,” but the Syriac and Vulgate have “I turn.”

[13:1]  ⁵ sn Psalm 13. The psalmist, who is close to death, desperately pleads for God’s deliverance and affirms his trust in God’s faithfulness.

[13:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “will you forget me continually.”

[13:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “will you hide your face from me.”

[27:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

[27:9]  ⁹ tn Or “[source of] help.”

[30:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “in your good favor you caused to stand for my mountain strength.” Apparently this means “you established strength for my mountain” (“mountain” in this case representing his rule, which would be centered on Mt. Zion) or “you established strength as my mountain” (“mountain” in this case being a metaphor for security).

[30:7]  ¹¹ tn Heb “you hid your face.” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or, as here, carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Ps 88:14).

[143:7]  ¹² tn Heb “my spirit is failing.”

[143:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” (1) can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) can carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

[143:7]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “I will be equal with.”

[143:7]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the pit.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit; cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. See Ps 28:1.