15:8 Do you listen in on God’s secret council? 1
Do you limit 2 wisdom to yourself?
15:11 Are God’s consolations 3 too trivial for you; 4
or a word spoken 5 in gentleness to you?
27:8 For what hope does the godless have when he is cut off, 6
when God takes away his life? 7
27:11 I will teach you 8 about the power 9 of God;
What is on the Almighty’s mind 10 I will not conceal.
1 tn The meaning of סוֹד (sod) is “confidence.” In the context the implication is “secret counsel” of the
2 tn In v. 4 the word meant “limit”; here it has a slightly different sense, namely, “to reserve for oneself.”
3 sn The word תַּנְחֻמוֹת (tankhumot) occurs here and only in Job 21:34. The words of comfort and consolation that they have been offering to Job are here said to be “of God.” But Job will call them miserable comforters (16:2).
4 tn The formula “is it too little for you” or “is it too slight a matter for you” is also found in Isa 7:13 (see GKC 430 §133.c).
5 tn The word “spoken” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation.
6 tn The verb יִבְצָע (yivtsa’) means “to cut off.” It could be translated transitively or intransitively – the latter is better here (“when he is cut off”). Since the next line speaks of prayer, some have thought this verse should be about prayer. Mandelkern, in his concordance (p. 228b), suggested the verb should be “when he prays” (reading יִפְגַּע [yifga’] in place of יִבְצָע [yivtsa’]).
7 tn The verb יֵשֶׁל (yeshel) is found only here. It has been related spoils [or sheaves]”); שָׁאַל (sha’al, “to ask”); נָשָׂא (nasa’, “to lift up” [i.e., pray]); and a host of others.
8 tn The object suffix is in the plural, which gives some support to the idea Job is speaking to them.
9 tn Heb “the hand of.”
10 tn Heb “[what is] with Shaddai.”