Job 31:30-31

31:30 I ¹  have not even permitted my mouth ²  to sin

by asking ³  for his life through a curse –

31:31 if ⁴  the members of my household ⁵  have never said, ⁶ 

‘If only there were ⁷  someone

who has not been satisfied from Job’s ⁸  meat!’ –

[31:30]  ¹ tn This verse would then be a parenthesis in which he stops to claim his innocence.

[31:30]  ² tn Heb “I have not given my palate.”

[31:30]  ³ tn The infinitive construct with the ל (lamed) preposition (“by asking”) serves in an epexegetical capacity here, explaining the verb of the first colon (“permitted…to sin”). To seek a curse on anyone would be a sin.

[31:31]  ⁴ tn Now Job picks up the series of clauses serving as the protasis.

[31:31]  ⁵ tn Heb “the men of my tent.” In context this refers to members of Job’s household.

[31:31]  ⁶ sn The line is difficult to sort out. Job is saying it is sinful “if his men have never said, ‘O that there was one who has not been satisfied from his food.’” If they never said that, it would mean there were people out there who needed to be satisfied with his food.

[31:31]  ⁷ tn The optative is again expressed with “who will give?”

[31:31]  ⁸ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Job) has been specified in the translation for clarity.