Job 8:15

8:15 He leans against his house but it does not hold up, ¹ 

he takes hold ²  of it but it does not stand.

Job 14:21

14:21 If ³  his sons are honored, ⁴ 

he does not know it; ⁵ 

if they are brought low,

he does not see ⁶  it.

Job 22:13

22:13 But you have said, ‘What does God know?

Does he judge through such deep darkness? ⁷ 

[8:15]  ¹ tn The verb עָמַד (’amad, “to stand”) is almost synonymous with the parallel קוּם (qum, “to rise; to stand”). The distinction is that the former means “to remain standing” (so it is translated here “hold up”), and the latter “rise, stand up.”

[8:15]  ² sn The idea is that he grabs hold of the house, not to hold it up, but to hold himself up or support himself. But it cannot support him. This idea applies to both the spider’s web and the false security of the pagan.

[14:21]  ³ tn The clause may be interpreted as a conditional clause, with the second clause beginning with the conjunction serving as the apodosis.

[14:21]  ⁴ tn There is no expressed subject for the verb “they honor,” and so it may be taken as a passive.

[14:21]  ⁵ sn Death is separation from the living, from the land of the living. And ignorance of what goes on in this life, good or bad, is part of death. See also Eccl 9:5-6, which makes a similar point.

[14:21]  ⁶ tn The verb is בִּין (bin, “to perceive; to discern”). The parallelism between “know” and “perceive” stress the point that in death a man does not realize what is happening here in the present life.

[22:13]  ⁵ sn Eliphaz is giving to Job the thoughts and words of the pagans, for they say, “How does God know, and is there knowledge in the Most High?” (see Ps 73:11; 94:11).