Job 29:9

29:9 the chief men refrained from talking

and covered their mouths with their hands;

Job 17:12

17:12 These men ¹  change ²  night into day;

they say, ³  ‘The light is near

in the face of darkness.’ ⁴ 

Job 36:13

36:13 The godless at heart ⁵  nourish anger, ⁶ 

they do not cry out even when he binds them.

[17:12]  ¹ tn The verse simply has the plural, “they change.” But since this verse seems to be a description of his friends, a clarification of the referent in the translation is helpful.

[17:12]  ² tn The same verb שִׂים (sim, “set”) is used this way in Isa 5:20: “…who change darkness into light.”

[17:12]  ³ tn The rest of the verse makes better sense if it is interpreted as what his friends say.

[17:12]  ⁴ tn This expression is open to alternative translations: (1) It could mean that they say in the face of darkness, “Light is near.” (2) It could also mean “The light is near the darkness” or “The light is nearer than the darkness.”

[36:13]  ¹ tn The expression “godless [or hypocrite] in heart” is an intensification of the description. It conveys that they are intentionally godless. See Matt 23:28.

[36:13]  ² tn Heb “they put anger.” This is usually interpreted to mean they lay up anger, or put anger in their hearts.