Job 9:29

9:29 If I am guilty, ¹ 

why then ²  weary myself ³  in vain? ⁴ 

Job 13:22

13:22 Then call, ⁵  and I will answer,

or I will speak, and you respond to me.

Job 14:15

14:15 You will call ⁶  and I ⁷  – I will answer you;

you will long for ⁸  the creature you have made. ⁹ 

Job 21:3

21:3 Bear with me ¹⁰  and I ¹¹  will speak,

and after I have spoken ¹²  you may mock. ¹³ 

Job 42:4

42:4 You said, ¹⁴ 

‘Pay attention, and I will speak;

I will question you, and you will answer me.’

[9:29]  ¹ tn The clause simply has “I am guilty.” It is the same type of construction found in v. 24. It is also the opposite of that in v. 20. GKC 317 §107.n lists this as an example of the use of the imperfect to express an obligation or necessity according to the judgment of others; it would therefore mean “if I am to be guilty.”

[9:29]  ² tn The demonstrative pronoun is included to bring particular emphasis to the question, as if to say, “Why in the world…” (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[9:29]  ³ tn The verb means “tire oneself”; see 3:17.

[9:29]  ⁴ tn Here הֶבֶל (hevel, “breath, vapor, vanity”) is used as an adverb (adverbial accusative).

[13:22]  ⁵ tn The imperatives in the verse function like the future tense in view of their use for instruction or advice. The chiastic arrangement of the verb forms is interesting: imperative + imperfect, imperfect + imperative. The imperative is used for God, but the imperfect is used when Job is the subject. Job is calling for the court to convene – he will be either the defendant or the prosecutor.

[14:15]  ⁹ sn The idea would be that God would sometime in the future call Job into his fellowship again when he longed for the work of his hands (cf. Job 10:3).

[14:15]  ¹⁰ tn The independent personal pronoun is emphatic, as if to say, “and I on my part will answer.”

[14:15]  ¹¹ tn The word כָּסַף (kasaf) originally meant “to turn pale.” It expresses the sentiment that causes pallor of face, and so is used for desire ardently, covet. The object of the desire is always introduced with the ל (lamed) preposition (see E. Dhorme, Job, 202).

[14:15]  ¹² tn Heb “long for the work of your hands.”

[21:3]  ¹³ tn The verb נָשָׂא (nasa’) means “to lift up; to raise up”; but in this context it means “to endure; to tolerate” (see Job 7:21).

[21:3]  ¹⁴ tn The conjunction and the independent personal pronoun draw emphatic attention to the subject of the verb: “and I on my part will speak.”

[21:3]  ¹⁵ tn The adverbial clauses are constructed of the preposition “after” and the Piel infinitive construct with the subjective genitive suffix: “my speaking,” or “I speak.”

[21:3]  ¹⁶ tn The verb is the imperfect of לָעַג (la’ag). The Hiphil has the same basic sense as the Qal, “to mock; to deride.” The imperfect here would be modal, expressing permission. The verb is in the singular, suggesting that Job is addressing Zophar; however, most of the versions put it into the plural. Note the singular in 16:3 between the plural in 16:1 and 16:4.

[42:4]  ¹⁷ tn This phrase, “you said,” is supplied in the translation to introduce the recollection of God’s words.