42:2 “I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted;
42:3 you asked, 1
‘Who is this who darkens counsel
without knowledge?’
But 2 I have declared without understanding 3
things too wonderful for me to know. 4
42:4 You said, 5
‘Pay attention, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you will answer me.’
42:5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye has seen you. 6
42:6 Therefore I despise myself, 7
and I repent in dust and ashes!
1 tn The expression “you asked” is added here to clarify the presence of the line to follow. Many commentators delete it as a gloss from Job 38:2. If it is retained, then Job has to be recalling God’s question before he answers it.
2 tn The word לָכֵן (lakhen) is simply “but,” as in Job 31:37.
3 tn Heb “and I do not understand.” The expression serves here in an adverbial capacity. It also could be subordinated as a complement: “I have declared [things that] I do not understand.”
4 tn The last clause is “and I do not know.” This is also subordinated to become a dependent clause.
5 tn This phrase, “you said,” is supplied in the translation to introduce the recollection of God’s words.
6 sn This statement does not imply there was a vision. He is simply saying that this experience of God was real and personal. In the past his knowledge of God was what he had heard – hearsay. This was real.
7 tn Or “despise what I said.” There is no object on the verb; Job could be despising himself or the things he said (see L. J. Kuyper, “Repentance of Job,” VT 9 [1959]: 91-94).