Job 27:1

A Protest of Innocence

27:1 And Job took up his discourse again: ¹ 

Job 29:1

IV. Job’s Concluding Soliloquy (29:1-31:40)

Job Recalls His Former Condition ² 

29:1 Then Job continued ³  his speech:

Job 41:33

41:33 The likes of it is not on earth,

a creature ⁴  without fear.

[27:1]  ¹ tn The Hebrew word מָשָׁל (mashal) is characteristically “proverb; by-word.” It normally refers to a brief saying, but can be used for a discourse (see A. R. Johnson, “MasŒal,” VTSup 3 [1955]: 162ff.).

[29:1]  ² sn Now that the debate with his friends is over, Job concludes with a soliloquy, just as he had begun with one. Here he does not take into account his friends or their arguments. The speech has three main sections: Job’s review of his former circumstances (29:1-25); Job’s present misery (30:1-31); and Job’s vindication of his life (31:1-40).

[29:1]  ³ tn The verse uses a verbal hendiadys: “and he added (וַיֹּסֶף, vayyosef)…to raise (שְׂאֵת, sÿ’et) his speech.” The expression means that he continued, or he spoke again.

[41:33]  ³ tn Heb “one who was made.”