Job 9:16

9:16 If I summoned him, and he answered me, ¹ 

I would not believe ² 

that he would be listening to my voice –

Job 33:1

Elihu Invites Job’s Attention

33:1 “But now, O Job, listen to my words,

and hear ³  everything I have to say! ⁴ 

Job 34:16

God Is Impartial and Omniscient

34:16 “If you have ⁵  understanding, listen to this,

hear what I have to say. ⁶ 

Job 37:14

37:14 “Pay attention to this, Job!

Stand still and consider the wonders God works.

[9:16]  ¹ sn The idea of “answer” in this line is that of responding to the summons, i.e., appearing in court. This preterite and the perfect before it have the nuance of hypothetical perfects since they are in conditional clauses (GKC 330 §111.x). D. J. A. Clines (Job [WBC], 219) translates literally, “If I should call and he should answer.”

[9:16]  ² tn The Hiphil imperfect in the apodosis of this conditional sentence expresses what would (not) happen if God answered the summons.

[33:1]  ³ tn Heb “give ear,” the Hiphil denominative verb from “ear.”

[33:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “hear all my words.”

[34:16]  ⁵ tn The phrase “you have” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

[34:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “the sound of my words.”