23:9 In the north 1 when he is at work, 2
I do not see him; 3
when he turns 4 to the south,
I see no trace of him.
24:20 The womb 5 forgets him,
the worm feasts on him,
no longer will he be remembered.
Like a tree, wickedness will be broken down.
33:26 He entreats God, and God 6 delights in him,
he sees God’s face 7 with rejoicing,
and God 8 restores to him his righteousness. 9
1 sn The text has “the left hand,” the Semitic idiom for directions. One faces the rising sun, and so left is north, right is south.
2 tc The form בַּעֲשֹׂתוֹ (ba’asoto) would be the temporal clause using the infinitive construct with a pronoun (subject genitive). This would be “when he works.” Several follow the Syriac with “I seek him.” The LXX has “[when] he turns.” R. Gordis (Job, 261) notes that there is no need to emend the text; he shows a link to the Arabic cognate ghasa, “to cover.” To him this is a perfect parallel to יַעְטֹף (ya’tof, “covers himself”).
3 tn The verb is the apocopated form of the imperfect. The object is supplied.
4 tn The MT has “he turns,” but the Syriac and Vulgate have “I turn.”
5 tn Here “womb” is synecdoche, representing one’s mother.
6 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 tn Heb “his face”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
sn This is usually taken to mean that as a worshiper this individual comes into the presence of the
8 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 tc Many commentators think this line is superfluous and so delete it. The RSV changed the verb to “he recounts,” making the idea that the man publishes the news of his victory or salvation (taking “righteousness” as a metonymy of cause).