9:12 If he snatches away, 1 who can turn him back? 2
Who dares to say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
12:15 If he holds back the waters, then they dry up; 3
if he releases them, 4 they destroy 5 the land.
20:18 He gives back the ill-gotten gain 6
without assimilating it; 7
he will not enjoy the wealth from his commerce. 8
33:30 to turn back his life from the place of corruption,
that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
1 tn E. Dhorme (Job, 133) surveys the usages and concludes that the verb חָתַף (khataf) normally describes the wicked actions of a man, especially by treachery or trickery against another. But a verb חָתַף (khataf) is found nowhere else; a noun “robber” is found in Prov 23:28. Dhorme sees no reason to emend the text, because he concludes that the two verbs are synonymous. Job is saying that if God acts like a plunderer, there is no one who can challenge what he does.
2 tn The verb is the Hiphil imperfect (potential again) from שׁוּב (shuv). In this stem it can mean “turn back, refute, repel” (BDB 999 s.v. Hiph.5).
3 tc The LXX has a clarification: “he will dry the earth.”
4 sn The verse is focusing on the two extremes of drought and flood. Both are described as being under the power of God.
5 tn The verb הָפַךְ (hafakh) means “to overthrow; to destroy; to overwhelm.” It was used in Job 9:5 for “overturning” mountains. The word is used in Genesis for the destruction of Sodom.
6 tn The idea is the fruit of his evil work. The word יָגָע (yaga’) occurs only here; it must mean ill-gotten gains. The verb is in 10:3.
7 tn Heb “and he does not swallow.” In the context this means “consume” for his own pleasure and prosperity. The verbal clause is here taken adverbially.
8 sn The expression is “according to the wealth of his exchange.” This means he cannot enjoy whatever he gained in his business deals. Some