Job 33:8-12

Elihu Rejects Job’s Plea of Innocence

33:8 “Indeed, you have said in my hearing ¹ 

(I heard the sound of the words!):

33:9 ² ‘I am pure, without transgression;

I am clean ³  and have no iniquity.

33:10 ⁴ Yet God ⁵  finds occasions ⁶  with me;

he regards me as his enemy!

33:11 ⁷ He puts my feet in shackles;

he watches closely all my paths.’

33:12 Now in this, you are not right – I answer you, ⁸ 

for God is greater than a human being. ⁹ 

[33:8]  ¹ tn Heb “in my ears.”

[33:9]  ² sn See Job 9:21; 10:7; 23:7; 27:4; ch. 31.

[33:9]  ³ 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]  ⁴ sn See Job 10:13ff.; 19:6ff.; and 13:24.

[33:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:10]  ⁶ 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.

[33:11]  ⁷ sn See Job 13:27.

[33:12]  ⁸ tn The meaning of this verb is “this is my answer to you.”

[33:12]  ⁹ tc The LXX has “he that is above men is eternal.” Elihu is saying that God is far above Job’s petty problems.