Job 27:13

27:13 This is the portion of the wicked man

allotted by God, ¹ 

the inheritance that evildoers receive

from the Almighty.

Job 24:18

24:18 ² “You say, ³  ‘He is foam ⁴  on the face of the waters; ⁵ 

their portion of the land is cursed

so that no one goes to their vineyard. ⁶ 

Job 20:29

20:29 Such is the lot God allots the wicked,

and the heritage of his appointment ⁷  from God.”

Job 31:2

31:2 What then would be one’s lot from God above,

one’s heritage from the Almighty ⁸  on high?

Job 23:12

23:12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips;

I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my allotted portion. ⁹ 

Job 26:14

26:14 Indeed, these are but the outer fringes of his ways! ¹⁰ 

How faint is the whisper ¹¹  we hear of him!

But who can understand the thunder of his power?”

[27:13]  ¹ tn The expression “allotted by God” interprets the simple prepositional phrase in the text: “with/from God.”

[24:18]  ² tc Many commentators find vv. 18-24 difficult on the lips of Job, and so identify this unit as a misplaced part of the speech of Zophar. They describe the enormities of the wicked. But a case can also be made for retaining it in this section. Gordis thinks it could be taken as a quotation by Job of his friends’ ideas.

[24:18]  ³ tn The verb “say” is not in the text; it is supplied here to indicate that this is a different section.

[24:18]  ⁴ tn Or “is swift.”

[24:18]  ⁵ sn The wicked person is described here as a spray or foam upon the waters, built up in the agitation of the waters but dying away swiftly.

[24:18]  ⁶ tn The text reads, “he does not turn by the way of the vineyards.” This means that since the land is cursed, he/one does not go there. Bickell emended “the way of the vineyards” to “the treader of the vineyard” (see RSV, NRSV). This would mean that “no wine-presser would turn towards” their vineyards.

[20:29]  ³ tn For the word אִמְרוֹ (’imro) some propose reading “his appointment,” and the others, “his word.” Driver shows that “the heritage of his appointment” means “his appointed heritage” (see GKC 440 §135.n).

[31:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “lot of Shaddai,” which must mean “the lot from Shaddai,” a genitive of source.

[23:12]  ⁵ tc The form in the MT (מֵחֻקִּי, mekhuqqi) means “more than my portion” or “more than my law.” An expanded meaning results in “more than my necessary food” (see Ps 119:11; cf. KJV, NASB, ESV). HALOT 346 s.v. חֹק 1 indicates that חֹק (khoq) has the meaning of “portion” and is here a reference to “what is appointed for me.” The LXX and the Latin versions, along with many commentators, have בְּחֵקִי (bÿkheqi, “in my bosom”).

[26:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “the ends of his ways,” meaning “the fringes.”

[26:14]  ⁷ tn Heb “how little is the word.” Here “little” means a “fraction” or an “echo.”