Job 17:2

Surely mockery ¹  is with me; ²  my eyes must dwell on their hostility. ³ 

Surely mockers surround me; my eyes must dwell on their hostility.

"Surely mockers are with me, And my eye gazes on their provocation.

I am surrounded by mockers. I watch how bitterly they taunt me.

See how these mockers close in on me? How long do I have to put up with their insolence?

Truly, those who make sport of me are round about me, and my eyes become dark because of their bitter laughing.

Surely there are mockers around me, and my eye dwells on their provocation.

Are not mockers with me? And does not my eye dwell on their provocation?

Surely mockery ¹  is with me; ²  my eyes must dwell on their hostility. ³ 

¹ tn The noun is the abstract noun, “mockery.” It indicates that he is the object of derision. But many commentators either change the word to “mockers” (Tur-Sinai, NEB), or argue that the form in the text is a form of the participle (Gordis).

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

³ tn The meaning of הַמְּרוֹתָם (hammÿrotam) is unclear, and the versions offer no help. If the MT is correct, it would probably be connected to מָרָה (marah, “to be rebellious”) and the derived form something like “hostility; provocation.” But some commentators suggest it should be related to מָרֹרוֹת (marorot, “bitter things”). Others have changed both the noun and the verb to obtain something like “My eye is weary of their contentiousness” (Holscher), or mine eyes are wearied by your stream of peevish complaints” (G. R. Driver, “Problems in the Hebrew text of Job,” VTSup 3 [1955]: 78). There is no alternative suggestion that is compelling.