Job 33:16

33:16 Then he gives a revelation ¹  to people,

and terrifies them with warnings, ² 

Job 42:5

42:5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,

but now my eye has seen you. ³ 

Job 12:11

12:11 Does not the ear test words,

as ⁴  the tongue ⁵  tastes food? ⁶ 

Job 29:11

Job’s Benevolence

29:11 “As soon as the ear heard these things, ⁷  it blessed me, ⁸ 

and when the eye saw them, it bore witness to me,

Job 34:3

34:3 For the ear assesses ⁹  words

as the mouth ¹⁰  tastes food.

[33:16]  ¹ 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]  ² 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.

[42:5]  ³ sn This statement does not imply there was a vision. He is simply saying that this experience of God was real and personal. In the past his knowledge of God was what he had heard – hearsay. This was real.

[12:11]  ⁵ tn The ו (vav) introduces the comparison here (see 5:7; 11:12); see GKC 499 §161.a.

[12:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “the palate.”

[12:11]  ⁷ tn The final preposition with its suffix is to be understood as a pleonastic dativus ethicus and not translated (see GKC 439 §135.i).

[29:11]  ⁷ tn The words “these things” and “them” in the next colon are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[29:11]  ⁸ tn The main clause is introduced by the preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive (see GKC 327 §111.h); the clause before it is therefore temporal and circumstantial to the main clause.

[34:3]  ⁹ tn Or “examines; tests; tries; discerns.”

[34:3]  ¹⁰ tn Or “palate”; the Hebrew term refers to the tongue or to the mouth in general.