13:7 Will you speak wickedly 1 on God’s behalf? 2
Will you speak deceitfully for him?
13:8 Will you show him partiality? 3
Will you argue the case 4 for God?
13:9 Would it turn out well if he would examine 5 you?
Or as one deceives 6 a man would you deceive him?
13:10 He would certainly rebuke 7 you
if you secretly 8 showed partiality!
1 tn The construction literally reads “speak iniquity.” The form functions adverbially. The noun עַוְלָה (’avlah) means “perversion; injustice; iniquity; falsehood.” Here it is parallel to רְמִיָּה (rÿmiyyah, “fraud; deceit; treachery”).
2 tn The expression “for God” means “in favor of God” or “on God’s behalf.” Job is amazed that they will say false things on God’s behalf.
3 sn The idiom used here is “Will you lift up his face?” Here Job is being very sarcastic, for this expression usually means that a judge is taking a bribe. Job is accusing them of taking God’s side.
4 tn The same root is used here (רִיב, riv, “dispute, contention”) as in v. 6b (see note).
5 tn The verb חָפַר (khafar) means “to search out, investigate, examine.” In the conditional clause the imperfect verb expresses the hypothetical case.
6 tn Both the infinitive and the imperfect of תָּלַל (talal, “deceive, mock”) retain the ה (he) (GKC 148 §53.q). But for the alternate form, see F. C. Fensham, “The Stem HTL in Hebrew,” VT 9 (1959): 310-11. The infinitive is used here in an adverbial sense after the preposition.
7 tn The verbal idea is intensified with the infinitive absolute. This is the same verb used in v. 3; here it would have the sense of “rebuke, convict.”
sn Peake’s observation is worth noting, namely, that as Job attacks the unrighteousness of God boldly he nonetheless has confidence in God’s righteousness that would not allow liars to defend him.
8 sn The use of the word “in secret” or “secretly” suggests that what they do is a guilty action (31:27a).