Job 28:25-26

28:25 When he made ¹  the force of the wind

and measured ²  the waters with a gauge.

28:26 When he imposed a limit ³  for the rain,

and a path for the thunderstorm, ⁴ 

Job 38:24-28

38:24 In what direction is lightning ⁵  dispersed,

or the east winds scattered over the earth?

38:25 Who carves out a channel for the heavy rains,

and a path for the rumble of thunder,

38:26 to cause it to rain on an uninhabited land, ⁶ 

a desert where there are no human beings, ⁷ 

38:27 to satisfy a devastated and desolate land,

and to cause it to sprout with vegetation? ⁸ 

38:28 Does the rain have a father,

or who has fathered the drops of the dew?

[28:25]  ¹ tn Heb “he gave weight to the wind.” The form is the infinitive construct with the ל (lamed) preposition. Some have emended it to change the preposition to the temporal בּ (bet) on the basis of some of the versions (e.g., Latin and Syriac) that have “who made.” This is workable, for the infinitive would then take on the finite tense of the previous verbs. An infinitive of purpose does not work well, for that would be saying God looked everywhere in order to give wind its proper weight (see R. Gordis, Job, 310).

[28:25]  ² tn The verb is the Piel perfect, meaning “to estimate the measure” of something. In the verse, the perfect verb continues the function of the infinitive preceding it, as if it had a ו (vav) prefixed to it. Whatever usage that infinitive had, this verb is to continue it (see GKC 352 §114.r).

[28:26]  ³ tn Or “decree.”

[28:26]  ⁴ tn Or “thunderbolt,” i.e., lightning. Heb “the roaring of voices/sounds,” which describes the nature of the storm.

[38:24]  ⁵ tn Because the parallel with “light” and “east wind” is not tight, Hoffmann proposed ‘ed instead, “mist.” This has been adopted by many. G. R. Driver suggests “parching heat” (“Problems in the Hebrew text of Job,” VTSup 3 [1955]: 91-92).

[38:26]  ⁶ tn Heb “on a land, no man.”

[38:26]  ⁷ tn Heb “a desert, no man in it.”

[38:27]  ⁸ tn Heb “to cause to sprout a source of vegetation.” The word מֹצָא (motsa’) is rendered “mine” in Job 28:1. The suggestion with the least changes is Wright’s: צָמֵא (tsame’, “thirsty”). But others choose מִצִּיָּה (mitsiyyah, “from the steppe”).