Job 15:3

Does he argue ¹  with useless ²  talk, with words that have no value in them?

Would he argue with useless words, with speeches that have no value?

"Should he argue with useless talk, Or with words which are not profitable?

It isn’t right to speak so foolishly. What good do such words do?

Would you talk nonsense in the middle of a serious argument, babbling baloney?

Will he make arguments with words in which is no profit, and with sayings which have no value?

Should they argue in unprofitable talk, or in words with which they can do no good?

Should he reason with unprofitable talk, Or by speeches with which he can do no good?

Does he argue ¹  with useless ²  talk, with words that have no value in them?

¹ tn The infinitive absolute in this place is functioning either as an explanatory adverb or as a finite verb.

sn Eliphaz draws on Job’s claim with this word (cf. Job 13:3), but will declare it hollow.

² tn The verb סָכַן (sakhan) means “to be useful, profitable.” It is found 5 times in the book with this meaning. The Hiphil of יָעַל (ya’al) has the same connotation. E. LipinÃski offers a new meaning on a second root, “incur danger” or “run risks” with words, but this does not fit the parallelism (FO 21 [1980]: 65-82).