Discovery BoxJob 32:6--33:33
Context32:6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite spoke up: 1
“I am young, 2 but you are elderly;
that is why I was fearful, 3
and afraid to explain 4 to you what I know.
32:7 I said to myself, ‘Age 5 should speak, 6
and length of years 7 should make wisdom known.’
32:8 But it is a spirit in people,
the breath 8 of the Almighty,
that makes them understand.
32:9 It is not the aged 9 who are wise,
nor old men who understand what is right.
32:10 Therefore I say, ‘Listen 10 to me.
I, even I, will explain what I know.’
32:11 Look, I waited for you to speak; 11
I listened closely to your wise thoughts, 12 while you were searching for words.
32:12 Now I was paying you close attention, 13
yet 14 there was no one proving Job wrong, 15
not one of you was answering his statements!
32:13 So do not say, 16 ‘We have found wisdom!
God will refute 17 him, not man!’
32:14 Job 18 has not directed 19 his words to me,
and so I will not reply to him with your arguments. 20
32:15 “They are dismayed 22 and cannot answer any more;
they have nothing left to say. 23
32:16 And I have waited. 24 But because they do not speak,
because they stand there and answer no more,
32:17 I too will answer my part,
I too will explain what I know.
32:18 For I am full of words,
and the spirit within me 25 constrains me. 26
32:19 Inside I am like wine which has no outlet, 27
like new wineskins 28 ready to burst!
32:20 I will speak, 29 so that I may find relief;
I will open my lips, so that I may answer.
32:21 I will not show partiality to anyone, 30
nor will I confer a title 31 on any man.
32:22 for I do not know how to give honorary titles, 32
if I did, 33 my Creator would quickly do away with me. 34
33:1 “But now, O Job, listen to my words,
and hear 35 everything I have to say! 36
33:2 See now, I have opened 37 my mouth;
my tongue in my mouth has spoken. 38
33:3 My words come from the uprightness of my heart, 39
and my lips will utter knowledge sincerely. 40
33:4 The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. 41
33:5 Reply to me, if you can;
set your arguments 42 in order before me
and take your stand!
33:6 Look, I am just like you in relation to God;
I too have been molded 43 from clay.
33:7 Therefore no fear of me should terrify you,
nor should my pressure 44 be heavy on you. 45
33:8 “Indeed, you have said in my hearing 46
(I heard the sound of the words!):
33:9 47 ‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am clean 48 and have no iniquity.
33:10 49 Yet God 50 finds occasions 51 with me;
he regards me as his enemy!
33:11 52 He puts my feet in shackles;
he watches closely all my paths.’
33:12 Now in this, you are not right – I answer you, 53
for God is greater than a human being. 54
33:13 Why do you contend against him,
that he does not answer all a person’s 55 words?
33:14 “For God speaks, the first time in one way,
the second time in another,
though a person does not perceive 56 it.
33:15 In a dream, a night vision,
when deep sleep falls on people
as they sleep in their beds.
33:16 Then he gives a revelation 57 to people,
and terrifies them with warnings, 58
33:17 to turn a person from his sin, 59
and to cover a person’s pride. 60
33:18 He spares a person’s life from corruption, 61
his very life from crossing over 62 the river.
33:19 Or a person is chastened 63 by pain on his bed,
and with the continual strife of his bones, 64
33:20 so that his life loathes food,
and his soul rejects appetizing fare. 65
33:21 His flesh wastes away from sight,
and his bones, which were not seen,
are easily visible. 66
33:22 He 67 draws near to the place of corruption,
and his life to the messengers of death. 68
33:23 If there is an angel beside him,
one mediator 69 out of a thousand,
to tell a person what constitutes his uprightness; 70
33:24 and if 71 God 72 is gracious to him and says,
‘Spare 73 him from going down
to the place of corruption,
I have found a ransom for him,’ 74
33:25 then his flesh is restored 75 like a youth’s;
he returns to the days of his youthful vigor. 76
33:26 He entreats God, and God 77 delights in him,
he sees God’s face 78 with rejoicing,
and God 79 restores to him his righteousness. 80
33:27 That person sings 81 to others, 82 saying:
‘I have sinned and falsified what is right,
but I was not punished according to what I deserved. 83
from going down to the place of corruption,
and my life sees the light!’
33:29 “Indeed, God does all these things,
twice, three times, in his dealings 86 with a person,
33:30 to turn back his life from the place of corruption,
that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
33:31 Pay attention, Job – listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.
33:32 If you have any words, 87 reply to me;
speak, for I want to justify you. 88
33:33 If not, you listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”
[32:6] 1 tn Heb “answered and said.”
[32:6] 2 tn The text has “small in days.”
[32:6] 3 tn The verb זָחַלְתִּי (zakhalti) is found only here in the OT, but it is found in a ninth century Aramaic inscription as well as in Biblical Aramaic. It has the meaning “to be timid” (see H. H. Rowley, Job [NCBC], 208).
[32:6] 4 tn The Piel infinitive with the preposition (מֵחַוֹּת, mekhavvot) means “from explaining.” The phrase is the complement: “explain” what Elihu feared.
[32:7] 6 tn The imperfect here is to be classified as an obligatory imperfect.
[32:7] 7 tn Heb “abundance of years.”
[32:8] 8 tn This is the word נְשָׁמָה (nÿshamah, “breath”); according to Gen 2:7 it was breathed into Adam to make him a living person (“soul”). With that divine impartation came this spiritual understanding. Some commentators identify the רוּחַ (ruakh) in the first line as the Spirit of God; this “breath” would then be the human spirit. Whether Elihu knew that much, however, is hard to prove.
[32:9] 9 tn The MT has “the great” or “the many,” meaning great in years according to the parallelism.
[32:10] 10 tc In most Hebrew
[32:11] 11 tn Heb “for your words.”
[32:11] 12 tn The word means “understanding.” It refers to the faculty of perception and comprehension; but it also can refer to what that produces, especially when it is in the plural (see Ps 49:4). See R. Gordis, Job, 368. Others translate it “reasonings,” “arguments,” etc.
[32:12] 13 tn The verb again is from בִּין (bin, “to perceive; to understand”); in this stem it means to “to pay close attention.”
[32:12] 14 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “behold”) has a deictic force here, calling attention to the thought that is now presented.
[32:12] 15 tn The participle מוֹכִיחַ (mokhiakh) is from the verb יָכַח (yakhakh) that has been used frequently in the book of Job. It means “to argue; to contend; to debate; to prove; to dispute.” The usage of the verb shows that it can focus on the beginning of an argument, the debating itself, or the resolution of the conflict. Here the latter is obviously meant, for they did argue and contend and criticize – but could not prove Job wrong.
[32:13] 16 tn Heb “lest you say.” R. Gordis (Job, 368) calls this a breviloquence: “beware lest [you say].” He then suggests the best reading for their quote to be, “We have attained wisdom, but only God can refute him, not man.” H. H. Rowley (Job [NCBC], 209) suggests the meaning is a little different, namely, that they are saying they have found wisdom in Job, and only God can deal with it. Elihu is in effect saying that they do not need God, for he is quite capable for this.
[32:13] 17 tn The root is נָדַף (nadaf, “to drive away; to drive off”). Here it is in the abstract sense of “succeed in doing something; confound,” and so “refute; rebut.” Dhorme wants to change the meaning of the word with a slight emendation in the text, deriving it from אָלַף (’alaf, “instruct”) the form becoming יַלְּפֶנוּ (yallÿfenu) instead of יִדְּפֶנּוּ (yiddÿfenu), obtaining the translation “God will instruct us.” This makes a smoother reading, but does not have much support for it.
[32:14] 18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Job) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:14] 19 tn The verb עַרַךְ (’arakh) means “to arrange in order; to set forth; to direct; to marshal.” It is used in military contexts for setting the battle array; it is used in legal settings for preparing the briefs.
[32:14] 20 tn Heb “your words.”
[32:15] 21 sn Elihu now will give another reason why he will speak – the arguments of these friends failed miserably. But before he gets to his argument, he will first qualify his authority.
[32:15] 22 tn The verb חַתּוּ (khattu) is from חָתַת (khatat) which means “to be terrified.” But here it stresses the resulting dilemma. R. Gordis (Job, 369) renders it, “they are shattered, beaten in an argument.”
[32:15] 23 tn Heb “words have moved away from them,” meaning words are gone from them, they have nothing left to say.
[32:16] 24 tn Some commentators take this as a question: “And shall [or must] I wait because they do not speak?” (A. B. Davidson, R. Gordis). But this is not convincing because the silence of the friends is the reason for him to speak, not to wait.
[32:18] 25 tn Heb “the spirit of my belly.”
[32:18] 26 tn The verb צוּק (tsuq) means “to constrain; to urge; to press.” It is used in Judg 14:17; 16:16 with the sense of wearing someone down with repeated entreaties. Elihu cannot withhold himself any longer.
[32:19] 27 tn Heb “in my belly I am like wine that is not opened” (a Niphal imperfect), meaning sealed up with no place to escape.
[32:19] 28 tc The Hebrew text has כְּאֹבוֹת חֲדָשִׁים (kÿ’ovot khadashim), traditionally rendered “like new wineskins.” But only here does the phrase have this meaning. The LXX has “smiths” for “new,” thus “like smith’s bellows.” A. Guillaume connects the word with an Arabic word for a wide vessel for wine shaped like a cup (“Archaeological and philological note on Job 32:19,” PEQ 93 [1961]: 147-50). Some have been found in archaeological sites. The poor would use skins, the rich would use jars. The key to putting this together is the verb at the end of the line, יִבָּקֵעַ (yibbaqea’, “that are ready to burst”). The point of the statement is that Elihu is bursting to speak, and until now has not had the opening.
[32:20] 29 tn The cohortative expresses Elihu’s resolve to speak.
[32:21] 30 tn The idiom is “I will not lift up the face of a man.” Elihu is going to show no favoritism, but speak his mind.
[32:21] 31 tn The verb means “to confer an honorary title; to give a mark of distinction,” but it is often translated with the verb “flatter.” Elihu will not take sides, he will not use pompous titles.
[32:22] 32 tn The construction uses a perfect verb followed by the imperfect. This is a form of subordination equivalent to a complementary infinitive (see GKC 385-86 §120.c).
[32:22] 33 tn The words “if I did” are supplied in the translation to make sense out of the two clauses.
[32:22] 34 tn Heb “quickly carry me away.”
[33:1] 35 tn Heb “give ear,” the Hiphil denominative verb from “ear.”
[33:1] 36 tn Heb “hear all my words.”
[33:2] 37 tn The perfect verbs in this verse should be classified as perfects of resolve: “I have decided to open…speak.”
[33:2] 38 sn H. H. Rowley (Job [NCBC], 210) says, “The self-importance of Elihu is boundless, and he is the master of banality.” He adds that whoever wrote these speeches this way clearly intended to expose the character rather than exalt him.
[33:3] 39 tc This expression is unusual; R. Gordis (Job, 371) says it can be translated, “the purity of my heart [is reflected] in my words,” but that is far-fetched and awkward. So there have been suggestions for emending יֹשֶׁר (yosher, “uprightness”). Kissane’s makes the most sense if a change is desired: “shall reveal” (an Arabic sense of yasher), although Holscher interpreted “shall affirm” (yasher, with a Syriac sense). Dhorme has “my heart will repeat” (יָשׁוּר, yashur), but this is doubtful. If Kissane’s view is taken, it would say, “my heart will reveal my words.” Some commentators would join “and knowledge” to this colon, and read “words of knowledge” – but that requires even more emendations.
[33:3] 40 tn More literally, “and the knowledge of my lips they will speak purely.”
[33:4] 41 tc Some commentators want to put this verse after v. 6, while others omit the verse entirely. Elihu is claiming here that he is inspired by God.
[33:5] 42 tn The Hebrew text does not contain the term “arguments,” but this verb has been used already for preparing or arranging a defense.
[33:6] 43 tn The verb means “nipped off,” as a potter breaks off a piece of clay when molding a vessel.
[33:7] 44 tc The noun means “my pressure; my burden” in the light of the verb אָכֲף (’akhaf, “to press on; to grip tightly”). In the parallel passages the text used “hand” and “rod” in the hand to terrify. The LXX has “hand” here for this word. But simply changing it to “hand” is ruled out because the verb is masculine.
[33:7] 45 tn See Job 9:34 and 13:21.
[33:8] 46 tn Heb “in my ears.”
[33:9] 47 sn See Job 9:21; 10:7; 23:7; 27:4; ch. 31.
[33:9] 48 tn The word is a hapax legomenon; hap is from חָפַף (khafaf). It is used in New Hebrew in expressions like “to wash” the head. Cognates in Syriac and Akkadian support the meaning “to wash; to clean.”
[33:10] 49 sn See Job 10:13ff.; 19:6ff.; and 13:24.
[33:10] 50 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:10] 51 tn The Hebrew means “frustrations” or “oppositions.” The RSV has “displeasure,” NIV “faults,” and NRSV “occasions.” Rashi chose the word found in Judg 14:4 – with metathesis – meaning “pretexts” (תֹּאֲנוֹת, to’anot); this is followed by NAB, NASB.
[33:12] 53 tn The meaning of this verb is “this is my answer to you.”
[33:12] 54 tc The LXX has “he that is above men is eternal.” Elihu is saying that God is far above Job’s petty problems.
[33:13] 55 tc The MT has “all his words.” This must refer to “man” in the previous verse. But many wish to change it to “my words,” since it would be summarizing Job’s complaint to God.
[33:14] 56 tn The Syriac and the Vulgate have “and he does not repeat it,” a reading of the text as it is, according to E. Dhorme (Job, 403). But his argument is based on another root with this meaning – a root which does not exist (see L. Dennefeld, RB 48 [1939]: 175). The verse is saying that God does speak to man.
[33:16] 57 tn The idiom is “he uncovers the ear of men.” This expression means “inform” in Ruth 4:4; 1 Sam 20:2, etc. But when God is the subject it means “make a revelation” (see 1 Sam 9:15; 2 Sam 7:27).
[33:16] 58 tc Heb “and seals their bonds.” The form of the present translation, “and terrifies them with warnings,” is derived only by emending the text. Aquila, the Vulgate, Syriac, and Targum Job have “their correction” for “their bond,” which is what the KJV used. But the LXX, Aquila, and the Syriac have “terrifies” for the verb. This involves a change in pointing from יָחְתֹּם (yakhtom) to יְחִתֵּם (yÿkhittem). The LXX has “appearances of fear” instead of “bonds.” The point of the verse seems to be that by terrifying dreams God makes people aware of their ways.
[33:17] 59 tc The MT simply has מַעֲשֶׂה (ma’aseh, “deed”). The LXX has “from his iniquity” which would have been מֵעַוְלָה (me’avlah). The two letters may have dropped out by haplography. The MT is workable, but would have to mean “[evil] deeds.”
[33:17] 60 tc Here too the sense of the MT is difficult to recover. Some translations took it to mean that God hides pride from man. Many commentators changed יְכַסֶּה (yÿkhasseh, “covers”) to יְכַסֵּחַ (yÿkhasseakh, “he cuts away”), or יְכַלֶּה (yÿkhalleh, “he puts an end to”). The various emendations are not all that convincing.
[33:18] 61 tn A number of interpreters and translations take this as “the pit” (see Job 17:14; cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[33:18] 62 tc Here is another difficult line. The verb normally means “to pass through; to pass over,” and so this word would normally mean “from passing through [or over].” The word שֶׁלַח (shelakh) does at times refer to a weapon, but most commentators look for a parallel with “the pit [or corruption].” One suggestion is שְׁאוֹלָה (shÿ’olah, “to Sheol”), proposed by Duhm. Dhorme thought it was שַׁלַח (shalakh) and referred to the passageway to the underworld (see M. Tsevat, VT 4 [1954]: 43; and Svi Rin, BZ 7 [1963]: 25). See discussion of options in HALOT 1517-18 s.v. IV שֶׁלַח. The idea of crossing the river of death fits the idea of the passage well, although the reading “to perish by the sword” makes sense and was followed by the NIV.
[33:19] 63 tc The MT has the passive form, and so a subject has to be added: “[a man] is chastened.” The LXX has the active form, indicating “[God] chastens,” but the object “a man” has to be added. It is understandable why the LXX thought this was active, within this sequence of verbs; and that is why it is the inferior reading.
[33:19] 64 tc The Kethib “the strife of his bones is continual,” whereas the Qere has “the multitude of his bones are firm.” The former is the better reading in this passage. It indicates that the pain is caused by the ongoing strife.
[33:20] 65 tn Heb “food of desire.” The word “rejects” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
[33:21] 66 tc Heb “are laid bare.” This is the Qere reading; the Kethib means “bare height.” Gordis reverses the word order: “his bones are bare [i.e., crushed] so that they cannot be looked upon.” But the sense of that is not clear.
[33:22] 67 tn Heb “his soul [נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh, “life”] draws near.”
[33:22] 68 tn The MT uses the Hiphil participle, “to those who cause death.” This seems to be a reference to the belief in demons that brought about death, an idea not mentioned in the Bible itself. Thus many proposals have been made for this expression. Hoffmann and Budde divide the word into לְמוֹ מֵתִּים (lÿmo metim) and simply read “to the dead.” Dhorme adds a couple of letters to get לִמְקוֹם מֵתִּים (limqom metim, “to the place [or abode] of the dead”).
[33:23] 69 sn The verse is describing the way God can preserve someone from dying by sending a messenger (translated here as “angel”), who could be human or angelic. This messenger will interpret/mediate God’s will. By “one … out of a thousand” Elihu could have meant either that one of the thousands of messengers at God’s disposal might be sent or that the messenger would be unique (see Eccl 7:28; and cp. Job 9:3).
[33:23] 70 tn This is a smoother reading. The MT has “to tell to a man his uprightness,” to reveal what is right for him. The LXX translated this word “duty”; the choice is adopted by some commentaries. However, that is too far from the text, which indicates that the angel/messenger is to call the person to uprightness.
[33:24] 71 tn This verse seems to continue the protasis begun in the last verse, with the apodosis coming in the next verse.
[33:24] 72 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:24] 73 tc The verb is either taken as an anomalous form of פָּדַע (pada’, “to rescue; to redeem,” or “to exempt him”), or it is emended to some similar word, like פָּרַע (para’, “to let loose,” so Wright).
[33:24] 74 sn This verse and v. 28 should be compared with Ps 49:7-9, 15 (8-10, 16 HT) where the same basic vocabulary and concepts are employed.
[33:25] 75 tc The word רֻטֲפַשׁ (rutafash) is found nowhere else. One suggestion is that it should be יִרְטַב (yirtav, “to become fresh”), connected to רָטַב (ratav, “to be well watered [or moist]”). It is also possible that it was a combination of רָטַב (ratav, “to be well watered”) and טָפַשׁ (tafash, “to grow fat”). But these are all guesses in the commentaries.
[33:25] 76 tn The word describes the period when the man is healthy and vigorous, ripe for what life brings his way.
[33:26] 77 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:26] 78 tn Heb “his face”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:26] 79 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:26] 80 tc Many commentators think this line is superfluous and so delete it. The RSV changed the verb to “he recounts,” making the idea that the man publishes the news of his victory or salvation (taking “righteousness” as a metonymy of cause).
[33:27] 81 tc The verb יָשֹׁר (yashor) is unusual. The typical view is to change it to יָשִׁיר (yashir, “he sings”), but that may seem out of harmony with a confession. Dhorme suggests a root שׁוּר (shur, “to repeat”), but this is a doubtful root. J. Reider reads it יָשֵׁיר (yasher) and links it to an Arabic word “confesses” (ZAW 24 [1953]: 275).
[33:27] 83 tn The verb שָׁוָה (shavah) has the impersonal meaning here, “it has not been requited to me.” The meaning is that the sinner has not been treated in accordance with his deeds: “I was not punished according to what I deserved.”
[33:28] 84 sn See note on “him” in v. 24.
[33:29] 85 sn Elihu will repeat these instructions for Job to listen, over and over in painful repetition. See note on the heading to 32:1.
[33:29] 86 tn The phrase “in his dealings” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[33:32] 87 tn Heb “if there are words.”
[33:32] 88 tn The infinitive construct serves as the complement or object of “I desire.” It could be rendered “to justify you” or “your justification, “namely, “that you be justified.”
