Job 26:12

26:12 By his power he stills ¹  the sea;

by his wisdom he cut Rahab the great sea monster ²  to pieces. ³ 

Job 40:9-11

40:9 Do you have an arm as powerful as God’s, ⁴ 

and can you thunder with a voice like his?

40:10 Adorn yourself, then, with majesty and excellency,

and clothe yourself with glory and honor!

40:11 Scatter abroad ⁵  the abundance ⁶  of your anger.

Look at every proud man ⁷  and bring him low;

Isaiah 30:7

30:7 Egypt is totally incapable of helping. ⁸ 

For this reason I call her

‘Proud one ⁹  who is silenced.’” ¹⁰ 

Isaiah 31:2-3

31:2 Yet he too is wise ¹¹  and he will bring disaster;

he does not retract his decree. ¹² 

He will attack the wicked nation, ¹³ 

and the nation that helps ¹⁴  those who commit sin. ¹⁵ 

31:3 The Egyptians are mere humans, not God;

their horses are made of flesh, not spirit.

The Lord will strike with ¹⁶  his hand;

the one who helps will stumble

and the one being helped will fall.

Together they will perish. ¹⁷ 

James 4:6-7

4:6 But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” ¹⁸  4:7 So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you.

[26:12]  ¹ tn The verb רָגַע (raga’) has developed a Semitic polarity, i.e., having totally opposite meanings. It can mean “to disturb; to stir up” or “to calm; to still.” Gordis thinks both meanings have been invoked here. But it seems more likely that “calm” fits the context better.

[26:12]  ² tn Heb “Rahab” (רָהַב), the mythical sea monster that represents the forces of chaos in ancient Near Eastern literature. In the translation the words “the great sea monster” have been supplied appositionally in order to clarify “Rahab.”

[26:12]  ³ sn Here again there are possible mythological allusions or polemics. The god Yam, “Sea,” was important in Ugaritic as a god of chaos. And Rahab is another name for the monster of the deep (see Job 9:13).

[40:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “do you have an arm like God?” The words “as powerful as” have been supplied in the translation to clarify the metaphor.

[40:11]  ⁵ tn The verb was used for scattering lightning (Job 37:11). God is challenging Job to unleash his power and judge wickedness in the world.

[40:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “the overflowings.”

[40:11]  ⁷ tn The word was just used in the positive sense of excellence or majesty; now the exalted nature of the person refers to self-exaltation, or pride.

[30:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “As for Egypt, with vanity and emptiness they help.”

[30:7]  ⁹ tn Heb “Rahab” (רַהַב, rahav), which also appears as a name for Egypt in Ps 87:4. The epithet is also used in the OT for a mythical sea monster symbolic of chaos. See the note at 51:9. A number of English versions use the name “Rahab” (e.g., ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) while others attempt some sort of translation (cf. CEV “a helpless monster”; TEV, NLT “the Harmless Dragon”).

[30:7]  ¹⁰ tn The MT reads “Rahab, they, sitting.” The translation above assumes an emendation of הֵם שָׁבֶת (hem shavet) to הַמָּשְׁבָּת (hammashbat), a Hophal participle with prefixed definite article, meaning “the one who is made to cease,” i.e., “destroyed,” or “silenced.” See HALOT 444-45 s.v. ישׁב.

[31:2]  ¹¹ sn This statement appears to have a sarcastic tone. The royal advisers who are advocating an alliance with Egypt think they are wise, but the Lord possesses wisdom as well and will thwart their efforts.

[31:2]  ¹² tn Heb “and he does not turn aside [i.e., “retract”] his words”; NIV “does not take back his words.”

[31:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “and he will arise against the house of the wicked.”

[31:2]  ¹⁴ sn That is, Egypt.

[31:2]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and against the help of the doers of sin.”

[31:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “will extend”; KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV “stretch out.”

[31:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “together all of them will come to an end.”

[4:6]  ¹⁸ sn A quotation from Prov 3:34.