Job 28:26

28:26 When he imposed a limit ¹  for the rain,

and a path for the thunderstorm, ² 

Job 23:9

23:9 In the north ³  when he is at work, ⁴ 

I do not see him; ⁵ 

when he turns ⁶  to the south,

I see no trace of him.

[28:26]  ¹ tn Or “decree.”

[28:26]  ² tn Or “thunderbolt,” i.e., lightning. Heb “the roaring of voices/sounds,” which describes the nature of the storm.

[23:9]  ³ sn The text has “the left hand,” the Semitic idiom for directions. One faces the rising sun, and so left is north, right is south.

[23:9]  ⁴ tc The form בַּעֲשֹׂתוֹ (ba’asoto) would be the temporal clause using the infinitive construct with a pronoun (subject genitive). This would be “when he works.” Several follow the Syriac with “I seek him.” The LXX has “[when] he turns.” R. Gordis (Job, 261) notes that there is no need to emend the text; he shows a link to the Arabic cognate ghasa, “to cover.” To him this is a perfect parallel to יַעְטֹף (ya’tof, “covers himself”).

[23:9]  ⁵ tn The verb is the apocopated form of the imperfect. The object is supplied.

[23:9]  ⁶ tn The MT has “he turns,” but the Syriac and Vulgate have “I turn.”