8:15 He leans against his house but it does not hold up, 1
he takes hold 2 of it but it does not stand.
26:14 Indeed, these are but the outer fringes of his ways! 3
How faint is the whisper 4 we hear of him!
But who can understand the thunder of his power?”
1 tn The verb עָמַד (’amad, “to stand”) is almost synonymous with the parallel קוּם (qum, “to rise; to stand”). The distinction is that the former means “to remain standing” (so it is translated here “hold up”), and the latter “rise, stand up.”
2 sn The idea is that he grabs hold of the house, not to hold it up, but to hold himself up or support himself. But it cannot support him. This idea applies to both the spider’s web and the false security of the pagan.
3 tn Heb “the ends of his ways,” meaning “the fringes.”
4 tn Heb “how little is the word.” Here “little” means a “fraction” or an “echo.”