Job 22:20

‘Surely our enemies ¹  are destroyed, and fire consumes their wealth.’

‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire devours their wealth.’

Saying, ‘Truly our adversaries are cut off, And their abundance the fire has consumed.’

They will say, ‘Surely our enemies have been destroyed. The last of them have been consumed in the fire.’

'At last! Our enemies--wiped out. Everything they had and stood for is up in smoke!'

Saying, Truly, their substance is cut off, and their wealth is food for the fire.

saying, ‘Surely our adversaries are cut off, and what they left, the fire has consumed.’

‘Surely our adversaries are cut down, And the fire consumes their remnant.’

‘Surely our enemies ¹  are destroyed, and fire consumes their wealth.’

¹ tc The word translated “our enemies” is found only here. The word means “hostility,” but used here as a collective for those who are hostile – “enemies.” Some commentators follow the LXX and read “possessions,” explaining its meaning and derivation in different ways. Gordis simply takes the word in the text and affirms that this is the meaning. On the other hand, to get this, E. Dhorme (Job, 336) repoints קִימָנוּ (qimanu) of the MT to יְקוּמַם (yÿqumam), arguing that יְקוּם (yÿqum) means “what exists [or has substance]” (although that is used of animals). He translates: “have not their possessions been destroyed.”