Discovery BoxJob 9:22
Context9:22 “It is all one! 1 That is why I say, 2
‘He destroys the blameless and the guilty.’
Job 11:20
Context11:20 But the eyes of the wicked fail, 3
and escape 4 eludes them;
their one hope 5 is to breathe their last.” 6
Job 19:27
Context19:27 whom I will see for myself, 7
and whom my own eyes will behold,
and not another. 8
[9:22] 1 tc The LXX omits the phrase “It is all one.” Modern scholars either omit it or transpose it for clarity.
[9:22] 2 tn The relationships of these clauses is in some question. Some think that the poet has inverted the first two, and so they should read, “That is why I have said: ‘It is all one.’” Others would take the third clause to be what was said.
[11:20] 3 tn The verb כָּלָה (kalah) means “to fail, cease, fade away.” The fading of the eyes, i.e., loss of sight, loss of life’s vitality, indicates imminent death.
[11:20] 4 tn Heb a “place of escape” (with this noun pattern). There is no place to escape to because they all perish.
[11:20] 5 tn The word is to be interpreted as a metonymy; it represents what is hoped for.
[11:20] 6 tn Heb “the breathing out of the soul”; cf. KJV, ASV “the giving up of the ghost.” The line is simply saying that the brightest hope that the wicked have is death.
[19:27] 5 tn The emphasis is on “I” and “for myself.” No other will be seeing this vindication, but Job himself will see it. Of that he is confident. Some take לִי (li, “for myself”) to mean favorable to me, or on my side (see A. B. Davidson, Job, 143). But Job is expecting (not just wishing for) a face-to-face encounter in the vindication.
[19:27] 6 tn Hitzig offered another interpretation that is somewhat forced. The “other” (זָר, zar) or “stranger” would refer to Job. He would see God, not as an enemy, but in peace.
[19:27] 7 tn Heb “kidneys,” a poetic expression for the seat of emotions.
[19:27] 8 tn Heb “fail/grow faint in my breast.” Job is saying that he has expended all his energy with his longing for vindication.
