Job 29:22-23

29:22 After I had spoken, they did not respond;

my words fell on them drop by drop. ¹ 

29:23 They waited for me as people wait ²  for the rain,

and they opened their mouths ³ 

as for ⁴  the spring rains.

[29:22]  ¹ tn The verb simply means “dropped,” but this means like the rain. So the picture of his words falling on them like the gentle rain, drop by drop, is what is intended (see Deut 32:2).

[29:23]  ² tn The phrase “people wait for” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation.

[29:23]  ³ sn The analogy is that they received his words eagerly as the dry ground opens to receive the rains.

[29:23]  ⁴ tn The כּ (kaf) preposition is to be supplied by analogy with the preceding phrase. This leaves a double proposition, “as for” (but see Job 29:2).