Job 10:13
Context10:13 “But these things 1 you have concealed in your heart;
I know that this 2 is with you: 3
Job 12:9
Context12:9 Which of all these 4 does not know
that the hand of the Lord 5 has done 6 this,
Job 16:2
Context16:2 “I have heard many things like these before.
What miserable comforters 7 are you all!
Job 19:3
Context19:3 These ten times 8 you have been reproaching me; 9
you are not ashamed to attack me! 10
Job 26:4
Context26:4 To whom 11 did you utter these words?
And whose spirit has come forth from your mouth? 12
Job 33:29
Context33:29 “Indeed, God does all these things,
twice, three times, in his dealings 14 with a person,
Job 36:31
Context36:31 It is by these that he judges 15 the nations
and supplies food in abundance.
1 sn “These things” refers to the affliction that God had brought on Job. They were concealed by God from the beginning.
2 sn The meaning of the line is that this was God’s purpose all along. “These things” and “this” refer to the details that will now be given in the next few verses.
3 sn The contradiction between how God had provided for and cared for Job’s life and how he was now dealing with him could only be resolved by Job with the supposition that God had planned this severe treatment from the first as part of his plan.
4 tn This line could also be translated “by all these,” meaning “who is not instructed by nature?” (H. H. Rowley, Job [NCBC], 93). But D. J. A. Clines points out that the verses have presented the animals as having knowledge and communicating it, so the former reading would be best (Job [WBC], 279).
5 tc Some commentators have trouble with the name “Yahweh” in this verse, which is not the pattern in the poetic section of Job. Three
6 sn The expression “has done this” probably refers to everything that has been discussed, namely, the way that God in his wisdom rules over the world, but specifically it refers to the infliction of suffering in the world.
7 tn The expression uses the Piel participle in construct: מְנַחֲמֵי עָמָל (mÿnahame ’amal, “comforters of trouble”), i.e., comforters who increase trouble instead of relieving it. D. W. Thomas translates this “breathers out of trouble” (“A Note on the Hebrew Root naham,” ExpTim 44 [1932/33]: 192).
8 sn The number “ten” is a general expression to convey that this has been done often (see Gen 31:7; Num 14:22).
9 tn The Hiphil of the verb כָּלַם (kalam) means “outrage; insult; shame.” The verbs in this verse are prefixed conjugations, and may be interpreted as preterites if the reference is to the past time. But since the action is still going on, progressive imperfects work well.
10 tn The second half of the verse uses two verbs, the one dependent on the other. It could be translated “you are not ashamed to attack me” (see GKC 385-86 §120.c), or “you attack me shamelessly.” The verb חָכַר (hakhar) poses some difficulties for both the ancient versions and the modern commentators. The verb seems to be cognate to Arabic hakara, “to oppress; to ill-treat.” This would mean that there has been a transformation of ח (khet) to ה (he). Three Hebrew
11 tn The verse begins with the preposition and the interrogative: אֶת־מִי (’et-mi, “with who[se help]?”). Others take it as the accusative particle introducing the indirect object: “for whom did you utter…” (see GKC 371 §117.gg). Both are possible.
12 tn Heb “has gone out from you.”
13 sn Elihu will repeat these instructions for Job to listen, over and over in painful repetition. See note on the heading to 32:1.
14 tn The phrase “in his dealings” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
15 tn The verb is יָדִין (yadin, “he judges”). Houbigant proposedיָזוּן (yazun, “he nourishes”). This has found wide acceptance among commentators (cf. NAB). G. R. Driver retained the MT but gave a meaning “enriches” to the verb (“Problems in the Hebrew text of Job,” VTSup 3 [1955]: 88ff.).