Discovery BoxJob 31:23
Context31:23 For the calamity from God was a terror to me, 1
and by reason of his majesty 2 I was powerless.
Psalms 77:2-9
Context77:2 In my time of trouble I sought 3 the Lord.
I kept my hand raised in prayer throughout the night. 4
I 5 refused to be comforted.
77:3 I said, “I will remember God while I groan;
I will think about him while my strength leaves me.” 6 (Selah)
77:4 You held my eyelids open; 7
I was troubled and could not speak. 8
77:5 I thought about the days of old,
about ancient times. 9
77:6 I said, “During the night I will remember the song I once sang;
I will think very carefully.”
I tried to make sense of what was happening. 10
77:7 I asked, 11 “Will the Lord reject me forever?
Will he never again show me his favor?
77:8 Has his loyal love disappeared forever?
Has his promise 12 failed forever?
77:9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has his anger stifled his compassion?”
Psalms 88:15-16
Context88:15 I am oppressed and have been on the verge of death since my youth. 13
I have been subjected to your horrors and am numb with pain. 14
88:16 Your anger overwhelms me; 15
your terrors destroy me.
[31:23] 1 tc The LXX has “For the terror of God restrained me.” Several commentators changed it to “came upon me.” Driver had “The fear of God was burdensome.” I. Eitan suggested “The terror of God was mighty upon me” (“Two unknown verbs: etymological studies,” JBL 42 [1923]: 22-28). But the MT makes clear sense as it stands.
[31:23] 2 tn The form is וּמִשְּׂאֵתוֹ (umissÿ’eto); the preposition is causal. The form, from the verb נָשָׂא (nasa’, “to raise; to lift high”), refers to God’s exalted person, his majesty (see Job 13:11).
[77:2] 3 tn Here the psalmist refers back to the very recent past, when he began to pray for divine help.
[77:2] 4 tn Heb “my hand [at] night was extended and was not growing numb.” The verb נָגַר (nagar), which can mean “flow” in certain contexts, here has the nuance “be extended.” The imperfect form (תָפוּג, tafug, “to be numb”) is used here to describe continuous action in the past.
[77:2] 5 tn Or “my soul.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[77:3] 6 tn Heb “I will remember God and I will groan, I will reflect and my spirit will grow faint.” The first three verbs are cohortatives, the last a perfect with vav (ו) consecutive. The psalmist’s statement in v. 4 could be understood as concurrent with v. 1, or, more likely, as a quotation of what he had said earlier as he prayed to God (see v. 2). The words “I said” are supplied in the translation at the beginning of the verse to reflect this interpretation (see v. 10).
[77:4] 7 tn Heb “you held fast the guards of my eyes.” The “guards of the eyes” apparently refers to his eyelids. The psalmist seems to be saying that God would not bring him relief, which would have allowed him to shut his eyes and get some sleep (see v. 2).
[77:4] 8 tn The imperfect is used in the second clause to emphasize that this was an ongoing condition in the past.
[77:5] 9 tn Heb “the years of antiquity.”
[77:6] 10 tn Heb “I will remember my song in the night, with my heart I will reflect. And my spirit searched.” As in v. 4, the words of v. 6a are understood as what the psalmist said earlier. Consequently the words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 10). The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive at the beginning of the final line is taken as sequential to the perfect “I thought” in v. 6.
[77:7] 11 tn As in vv. 4 and 6a, the words of vv. 7-9 are understood as a quotation of what the psalmist said earlier. Therefore the words “I asked” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[77:8] 12 tn Heb “word,” which may refer here to God’s word of promise (note the reference to “loyal love” in the preceding line).
[88:15] 13 tn Heb “and am dying from youth.”
[88:15] 14 tn Heb “I carry your horrors [?].” The meaning of the Hebrew form אָפוּנָה (’afunah), which occurs only here in the OT, is unclear. It may be an adverb meaning “very much” (BDB 67 s.v.), though some prefer to emend the text to אָפוּגָה (’afugah, “I am numb”) from the verb פוּג (pug; see Pss 38:8; 77:2).
