Job 9:25

Renewed Complaint

9:25 “My days 1  are swifter than a runner, 2 

they speed by without seeing happiness.

Job 32:4

32:4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking 3  to Job, because the others 4  were older than he was.

Job 35:5

35:5 Gaze at the heavens and see;

consider the clouds, which are higher than you! 5 

1 tn The text has “and my days” following the thoughts in the previous section.

2 sn Job returns to the thought of the brevity of his life (7:6). But now the figure is the swift runner instead of the weaver’s shuttle.

3 tc This reading requires repointing the word בִּדְבָרִים (bidbarim, “with words”) to בְּדָבְּרָם (bÿdabbÿram, “while they spoke [with Job]”). If the MT is retained, it would mean “he waited for Job with words,” which while understandable is awkward.

4 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the other friends) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

5 tn The preposition is taken here as a comparative min (מִן). The line could also read “that are high above you.” This idea has appeared in the speech of Eliphaz (22:12), Zophar (11:7ff.), and even Job (9:8ff.).