Job 5:26

5:26 You will come to your grave in a full age, ¹ 

As stacks of grain are harvested in their season.

Job 8:12

8:12 While they are still beginning to flower ² 

and not ripe for cutting, ³ 

they can wither away ⁴ 

faster ⁵  than any grass! ⁶ 

Job 15:33

15:33 Like a vine he will let his sour grapes fall, ⁷ 

and like an olive tree

he will shed his blossoms. ⁸ 

Job 30:2

30:2 Moreover, the strength of their ⁹  hands –

what use was it to me?

Men whose strength ¹⁰  had perished;

[5:26]  ¹ tn The word translated “in a full age” has been given an array of meanings: “health; integrity”; “like a new blade of corn”; “in your strength [or vigor].” The numerical value of the letters in the word בְכֶלָח (bÿkhelakh, “in old age”) was 2, 20, 30, and 8, or 60. This led some of the commentators to say that at 60 one would enter the ripe old age (E. Dhorme, Job, 73).

[8:12]  ² tn The word has been traditionally translated “greenness” (so KJV, ASV), but some modern commentators argue for “in flower.” The word is found only in Song 6:11 (where it may be translated “blossoms”). From the same root is אָבִיב (’aviv, “fresh young ears of barley”). Here the word refers to the plant that is still in its early stages of flowering. It should not be translated to suggest the plant is flowering (cf. NRSV), but translating as if the plant is green (so NASB) is also problematic.

[8:12]  ³ sn The idea is that as the plant begins to flower, but before it is to be cut down, there is no sign of withering or decay in it. But if the water is withdrawn, it will wither sooner than any other herb. The point Bildad will make of this is that when people rebel against God and his grace is withheld, they perish more swiftly than the water reed.

[8:12]  ⁴ tn The imperfect verb here is the modal use of potential, “can wither away” if the water is not there.

[8:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “before.”

[8:12]  ⁶ tn The LXX interprets the line: “does not any herb wither before it has received moisture?”

[15:33]  ³ tn The verb means “to treat violently” or “to wrong.” It indicates that the vine did not nourish the grapes well enough for them to grow, and so they dry up and drop off.

[15:33]  ⁴ sn The point is that like the tree the wicked man shows signs of life but produces nothing valuable. The olive tree will have blossoms in the years that it produces no olives, and so eventually drops the blossoms.

[30:2]  ⁴ tn The reference is to the fathers of the scorners, who are here regarded as weak and worthless.

[30:2]  ⁵ tn The word כֶּלַח (kelakh) only occurs in Job 5:26; but the Arabic cognate gives this meaning “strength.” Others suggest כָּלַח (kalakh, “old age”), ֹכּל־חַיִל (kol-khayil, “all vigor”), כֹּל־לֵחַ (kol-leakh, “all freshness”), and the like. But there is no reason for such emendation.