Job 29:14

29:14 I put on righteousness and it clothed me, ¹ 

my just dealing ²  was like a robe and a turban;

Job 31:6

31:6 let him ³  weigh me with honest ⁴  scales;

then God will discover ⁵  my integrity.

Job 35:2

35:2 “Do you think this to be ⁶  just:

when ⁷  you say, ‘My right before God.’ ⁸ 

Job 36:3

36:3 With my knowledge I will speak comprehensively, ⁹ 

and to my Creator I will ascribe righteousness. ¹⁰ 

[29:14]  ¹ tn Both verbs in this first half-verse are from לָבַשׁ (lavash, “to clothe; to put on clothing”). P. Joüon changed the vowels to get a verb “it adorned me” instead of “it clothed me” (Bib 11 [1930]: 324). The figure of clothing is used for the character of the person: to wear righteousness is to be righteous.

[29:14]  ² tn The word מִשְׁפָּטִי (mishpati) is simply “my justice” or “my judgment.” It refers to the decisions he made in settling issues, how he dealt with other people justly.

[31:6]  ³ tn “God” is undoubtedly the understood subject of this jussive. However, “him” is retained in the translation at this point to avoid redundancy since “God” occurs in the second half of the verse.

[31:6]  ⁴ tn The word צֶדֶךְ (tsedeq, “righteousness”) forms a fitting genitive for the scales used in trade or justice. The “scales of righteousness” are scales that conform to the standard (see the illustration in Deut 25:13-15). They must be honest scales to make just decisions.

[31:6]  ⁵ tn The verb is וְיֵדַע (vÿyeda’, “and [then] he [God] will know”). The verb could also be subordinated to the preceding jussive, “so that God may know.” The meaning of “to know” here has more the idea of “to come to know; to discover.”

[35:2]  ⁵ tn The line could be read as “do you reckon this for justice? Here “to be” is understood.

[35:2]  ⁶ tn The word “when” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

[35:2]  ⁷ tn The brief line could be interpreted in a number of ways. The MT simply has “my right from God.” It could be “I am right before God,” “I am more just/right than God” (identifying the preposition as a comparative min (מִן); cf. J. E. Hartley, Job [NICOT], 463), “I will be right before God,” or “My just cause against God.”

[36:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “I will carry my knowledge to-from afar.” The expression means that he will give a wide range to knowledge, that he will speak comprehensively.

[36:3]  ⁸ tn This line gives the essence of all of Elihu’s speech – to give or ascribe righteousness to God against the charges of Job. Dhorme translates this “I will justify my Maker,” and that is workable if it carries the meaning of “declaring to be right.”