Job 27:23

27:23 It claps ¹  its hands at him in derision

and hisses him away from his place. ² 

Ezekiel 21:14

21:14 “And you, son of man, prophesy,

and clap your hands together.

Let the sword strike twice, even three times!

It is a sword for slaughter,

a sword for the great slaughter surrounding them.

Ezekiel 21:17

21:17 I too will clap my hands together,

I will exhaust my rage;

I the Lord have spoken.”

Ezekiel 22:13

22:13 “‘See, I strike my hands together ³  at the dishonest profit you have made, and at the bloodshed ⁴  they have done among you.

[27:23]  ¹ tn If the same subject is to be carried through here, it is the wind. That would make this a bold personification, perhaps suggesting the force of the wind. Others argue that it is unlikely that the wind claps its hands. They suggest taking the verb with an indefinite subject: “he claps” means “one claps. The idea is that of people rejoicing when the wicked are gone. But the parallelism is against this unless the second line is changed as well. R. Gordis (Job, 296) has “men will clap their hands…men will whistle upon him.”

[27:23]  ² tn Or “hisses at him from its place” (ESV).

[22:13]  ³ sn This gesture apparently expresses mourning and/or anger (see 6:11; 21:14, 17).

[22:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “the blood which was in you.”