Job 27:3

27:3 for while ¹  my spirit ²  is still in me,

and the breath from God is in my nostrils,

Job 32:16

32:16 And I have waited. ³  But because they do not speak,

because they stand there and answer no more,

Job 36:2

36:2 “Be patient ⁴  with me a little longer

and I will instruct you,

for I still have words to speak on God’s behalf. ⁵ 

[27:3]  ¹ tn The adverb עוֹד (’od) was originally a noun, and so here it could be rendered “all the existence of my spirit.” The word comes between the noun in construct and its actual genitive (see GKC 415 §128.e).

[27:3]  ² tn The word נְשָׁמָה (nÿshamah) is the “breath” that was breathed into Adam in Gen 2:7. Its usage includes the animating breath, the spiritual understanding, and the functioning conscience – so the whole spirit of the person. The other word in this verse, רוּחַ (ruakh), may be translated as “wind,” “breath,” or “spirit/Spirit” depending on the context. Here, since it talks about the nostrils, it should be translated “breath.”

[32:16]  ³ tn Some commentators take this as a question: “And shall [or must] I wait because they do not speak?” (A. B. Davidson, R. Gordis). But this is not convincing because the silence of the friends is the reason for him to speak, not to wait.

[36:2]  ⁵ tn The verb כָּתַּר (kattar) is the Piel imperative; in Hebrew the word means “to surround” and is related to the noun for crown. But in Syriac it means “to wait.” This section of the book of Job will have a few Aramaic words.

[36:2]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew text simply has “for yet for God words.”