Job 35:8-12

35:8 Your wickedness affects only ¹  a person like yourself,

and your righteousness only other people. ² 

35:9 “People ³  cry out

because of the excess of oppression; ⁴ 

they cry out for help

because of the power ⁵  of the mighty. ⁶ 

35:10 But no one says, ‘Where is God, my Creator,

who gives songs in the night, ⁷ 

35:11 who teaches us ⁸  more than ⁹  the wild animals of the earth,

and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?’

35:12 Then ¹⁰  they cry out – but he does not answer –

because of the arrogance of the wicked.

[35:8]  ¹ tn The phrase “affects only” is supplied in the translation of this nominal sentence.

[35:8]  ² tn Heb “and to [or for] a son of man, your righteousness.”

[35:9]  ³ tn The word “people” is supplied, because the sentence only has the masculine plural verb.

[35:9]  ⁴ tn The final noun is an abstract plural, “oppression.” There is no reason to change it to “oppressors” to fit the early versions. The expression is literally “multitude of oppression.”

[35:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “the arm,” a metaphor for strength or power.

[35:9]  ⁶ tn Or “of the many” (see HALOT 1172 s.v. I רַב 6.a).

[35:10]  ⁵ tn There have been several attempts to emend the line, none of which are particularly helpful or interesting. H. H. Rowley (Job [NCBC], 225) says, “It is a pity to rob Elihu of a poetic line when he creates one.”

[35:11]  ⁷ tn The form in the text, the Piel participle from אָלַף (’alaf, “teach”) is written in a contracted form; the full form is מְאַלְּפֵנוּ (mÿ’allÿfenu).

[35:11]  ⁸ tn Some would render this “teaches us by the beasts.” But Elihu is stressing the unique privilege humans have.

[35:12]  ⁹ tn The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) connects this verse to v. 11. “There” can be locative or temporal – and here it is temporal (= “then”).