Job 42:3

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 

Job 42:7

VII. The Epilogue (42:7-17)

42:7 After the Lord had spoken these things to Job, he 5  said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My anger is stirred up 6  against you and your two friends, because you have not spoken about me what is right, 7  as my servant Job has.

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 Heb “the Lord.” The title has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

6 tn Heb “is kindled.”

7 tn The form נְכוֹנָה (nÿkhonah) is from כּוּן (kun, “to be firm; to be fixed; to be established”). Here it means “the right thing” or “truth.” The Akkadian word kenu (from כּוּן, kun) connotes justice and truth.