18:11 Terrors 1 frighten him on all sides
and dog 2 his every step.
28:10 He has cut out channels 3 through the rocks;
his eyes have spotted 4 every precious thing.
39:8 It ranges the hills as its pasture,
and searches after every green plant.
40:11 Scatter abroad 5 the abundance 6 of your anger.
Look at every proud man 7 and bring him low;
40:12 Look at every proud man and abase him;
crush the wicked on the spot! 8
41:34 It looks on every haughty being;
it is king over all that are proud.” 9
1 sn Bildad is referring here to all the things that afflict a person and cause terror. It would then be a metonymy of effect, the cause being the afflictions.
2 tn The verb פּוּץ (puts) in the Hiphil has the meaning “to pursue” and “to scatter.” It is followed by the expression “at his feet.” So the idea is easily derived: they chase him at his feet. But some commentators have other proposals. The most far-fetched is that of Ehrlich and Driver (ZAW 24 [1953]: 259-60) which has “and compel him to urinate on his feet,” one of many similar readings the NEB accepted from Driver.
3 tn Or “tunnels.” The word is יְאֹרִים (yÿ’orim), the word for “rivers” and in the singular, the Nile River. Here it refers to tunnels or channels through the rocks.
4 tn Heb “his eye sees.”
5 tn The verb was used for scattering lightning (Job 37:11). God is challenging Job to unleash his power and judge wickedness in the world.
6 tn Heb “the overflowings.”
7 tn The word was just used in the positive sense of excellence or majesty; now the exalted nature of the person refers to self-exaltation, or pride.
8 tn The expression translated “on the spot” is the prepositional phrase תַּחְתָּם (takhtam, “under them”). “Under them” means in their place. But it can also mean “where someone stands, on the spot” (see Exod 16:29; Jos 6:5; Judg 7:21, etc.).
9 tn Heb “the sons of pride.” Dhorme repoints the last word to get “all the wild beasts,” but this misses the point of the verse. This animal looks over every proud creature – but he is king of them all in that department.