¹ tn Now Job picks up the series of clauses serving as the protasis.

² tn The verbal clause יָשִׂם בִּי (yasim bi) has been translated “he would pay [attention] to me.” Job is saying that God will not need all his power—he will only have to pay attention to Job’s complaint. Job does not need the display of power—he just wants a hearing.

¹ tn The Hebrew word here is תּוֹרָה (torah), its only occurrence in the book of Job.

² tn For the discussion of חָנֵף (khanef, “godless”) see Job 8:13.

¹ tn The adverb אֵפוֹ (ʾefo, “then”) plays an enclitic role here (see Job 4:7).

² tn E. Dhorme (Job, 243) interprets the preposition to mean “aimed at me.”

¹ tn E. Dhorme (Job, 240) alters this slightly to read “Would that” or “Ah! if only.”

² sn This may refer to the fire that struck Job (cf. 1:16).

¹ tn The interrogative מָה (mah) here has the sense of “why?” (see Job 7:21).

² tn Eliphaz here reiterates the point made in Job 4:18.

³ sn In the rest of the chapter Job turns his attention away from creation to the wisdom of ancient men. In Job 13:1 when Job looks back to this part, he refers to both the eye and the ear. In vv. 13-25 Job refers to many catastrophes which he could not have seen, but must have heard about.

² tn The plural is used to suggest the supreme degree of arrogant confidence (E. Dhorme, Job, 171).

¹ sn The question Job asks concerns the mode of life and not just the length of it (see Job 7:1). Humans spend their days and years watching each other and defending themselves. But there is also the implication that if God is so limited like humans he may not uncover Job’s sins before he dies.

⁴ sn Job uses this word to refute Eliphaz; cf. 4:7.

¹ sn Targum Job here sees an allusion to the famine of Egypt and the war with Amalek.

² sn See R. D. Moore, “The Integrity of Job,” CBQ 45 (1983): 17-31. The reference of Job’s wife to his “integrity” could be a precursor of the conclusion reached by Elihu in 32:2 where he charged Job with justifying himself rather than God.

³ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Job) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ tn The verb תִּתְחַנָּן (titkhannan) means “to make supplication; to seek favor; to seek grace” (from חָנַן, khanan). Bildad is saying that there is only one way for Job to escape the same fate as his children—he must implore God’s mercy. Job’s speech had spoken about God’s seeking him and not finding him, but Bildad is speaking of the importance of Job’s seeking God.

³ 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 (yishʾal^ekha, “he asks of you”) instead of יַשֶּׂה לְךָ (yasseh l^ekha, “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).

³ sn The church fathers were quick to see here again the role of the wife in the temptation—she acts as the intermediary between Satan and Job, pressing the cause for him. However, Job’s wife has been demonized falsely. Job did not say that she was a foolish woman, only that she was speaking like one of them (2:10). Also, Job did not exclude her from sharing in his suffering (“should we receive”). He evidently recognized that her words were the result of her personal loss and pain as well as the desire to see her husband’s suffering ended. When God gave instructions for the restoration of Job’s friends because of their foolish words (42:7-9), no mention is made of any need for Job’s wife to be restored.