Discovery BoxJob 10:18 
Context10:18 “Why then did you bring me out from the womb?
I should have died 1
and no eye would have seen me!
Job 11:6
Context11:6 and reveal to you the secrets of wisdom –
for true wisdom has two sides 2 –
so that you would know 3
that God has forgiven some of your sins. 4
Job 30:4
Context30:4 By the brush 5 they would gather 6 herbs from the salt marshes, 7
and the root of the broom tree was their food.
Job 31:34
Context31:34 because I was terrified 8 of the great multitude, 9
and the contempt of families terrified me,
so that I remained silent
and would not go outdoors – 10
Job 32:22
Context1 tn The two imperfect verbs in this section are used to stress regrets for something which did not happen (see GKC 317 §107.n).
2 tn The text seems to be saying “that it [wisdom] is double in understanding.” The point is that it is different than Job conceived it – it far exceeded all perception. But some commentators have thought this still too difficult, and so have replaced the word כִפְלַיִם (khiflayim, “two sides”) with כִפְלָאִים (khifla’im, “like wonders,” or, more simply, “wonders” without the preposition). But it is still a little strange to talk about God’s wisdom being like wonders. Others have had more radical changes in the text; J. J. Slotki has “for sound wisdom is his. And know that double [punishment] shall God exact of you” (“Job 11:6,” VT 35 [1985]: 229-30).
3 tn The verb is the imperative with a ו (vav). Following the jussive, this clause would be subordinated to the preceding (see GKC 325 §110.i).
4 tn Heb “God causes to be forgotten for you part of your iniquity.” The meaning is that God was exacting less punishment from Job than Job deserved, for Job could not remember all his sins. This statement is fitting for Zophar, who is the cruelest of Job’s friends (see H. H. Rowley, Job [NCBC], 88). Others in an attempt to improve the text make too many unwarranted changes. Some would read יִשְׁאָלְךָ (yish’alkha, “he asks of you”) instead of יַשֶּׂה לְךָ (yasseh lÿka, “he causes to be forgotten for you”). This would mean that God demands an account of Job’s sin. But, as D. J. A. Clines says, this change is weak and needless (Job [WBC], 254-55).
5 tn Or “the leaves of bushes” (ESV), a possibility dating back to Saadia and discussed by G. R. Driver and G. B. Gray (Job [ICC], 2:209) in their philological notes.
6 tn Here too the form is the participle with the article.
7 tn Heb “gather mallow,” a plant which grows in salt marshes.
8 tn Here too the verb will be the customary imperfect – it explains what he continually did in past time.
9 tn Heb “the great multitude.” But some commentators take רַבָּה (rabbah) adverbially: “greatly” (see RSV).
10 sn There is no clear apodosis for all these clauses. Some commentators transfer the verses around to make them fit the constructions. But the better view is that there is no apodosis – that Job broke off here, feeling it was useless to go further. Now he will address God and not men. But in vv. 38-40b he does return to a self-imprecation. However, there is not sufficient reason to start rearranging all the verses.
11 tn The construction uses a perfect verb followed by the imperfect. This is a form of subordination equivalent to a complementary infinitive (see GKC 385-86 §120.c).
12 tn The words “if I did” are supplied in the translation to make sense out of the two clauses.
13 tn Heb “quickly carry me away.”
