Job 23:8

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.

Job 9:11

9:11 If ¹  he passes by me, I cannot see ²  him, ³ 

if he goes by, I cannot perceive him. ⁴ 

Job 42:3

42:3 you asked, ⁵ 

‘Who is this who darkens counsel

without knowledge?’

But ⁶  I have declared without understanding ⁷ 

things too wonderful for me to know. ⁸ 

[9:11]  ¹ tn The NIV has “when” to form a temporal clause here. For the use of “if,” see GKC 497 §159.w.

[9:11]  ² tn The imperfect verbs in this verse are consistent with the clauses. In the conditional clauses a progressive imperfect is used, but in the following clauses the verbs are potential imperfects.

[9:11]  ³ tn The pronoun “him” is supplied here; it is not in MT, but the Syriac and Vulgate have it (probably for translation purposes as well).

[9:11]  ⁴ sn Like the mountains, Job knows that God has passed by and caused him to shake and tremble, but he cannot understand or perceive the reasons.

[42:3]  ¹ tn The expression “you asked” is added here to clarify the presence of the line to follow. Many commentators delete it as a gloss from Job 38:2. If it is retained, then Job has to be recalling God’s question before he answers it.

[42:3]  ² tn The word לָכֵן (lakhen) is simply “but,” as in Job 31:37.

[42:3]  ³ tn Heb “and I do not understand.” The expression serves here in an adverbial capacity. It also could be subordinated as a complement: “I have declared [things that] I do not understand.”

[42:3]  ⁴ tn The last clause is “and I do not know.” This is also subordinated to become a dependent clause.