26:12 By his power he stills 1 the sea;
by his wisdom he cut Rahab the great sea monster 2 to pieces. 3
28:18 Of coral and jasper no mention will be made;
the price 4 of wisdom is more than pearls. 5
38:37 Who by wisdom can count the clouds,
and who can tip over 6 the water jars of heaven,
1 tn The verb רָגַע (raga’) has developed a Semitic polarity, i.e., having totally opposite meanings. It can mean “to disturb; to stir up” or “to calm; to still.” Gordis thinks both meanings have been invoked here. But it seems more likely that “calm” fits the context better.
2 tn Heb “Rahab” (רָהַב), the mythical sea monster that represents the forces of chaos in ancient Near Eastern literature. In the translation the words “the great sea monster” have been supplied appositionally in order to clarify “Rahab.”
3 sn Here again there are possible mythological allusions or polemics. The god Yam, “Sea,” was important in Ugaritic as a god of chaos. And Rahab is another name for the monster of the deep (see Job 9:13).
4 tn The word מֶשֶׁךְ (meshekh) comes from a root meaning “to grasp; to seize; to hold,” and so the derived noun means “grasping; acquiring; taking possession,” and therefore, “price” (see the discussion in R. Gordis, Job, 309). Gray renders it “acquisition” (so A. Cohen, AJSL 40 [1923/24]: 175).
5 tn In Lam 4:7 these are described as red, and so have been identified as rubies (so NIV) or corals.
6 tn The word actually means “to cause to lie down.”