Job 4:2

“If someone ¹  should attempt ²  a word with you, will you be impatient? ³  But who can refrain from speaking ⁴ ?

"If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? But who can keep from speaking?

"If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient? But who can refrain from speaking?

"Will you be patient and let me say a word? For who could keep from speaking out?

"Would you mind if I said something to you? Under the circumstances it's hard to keep quiet.

If one says a word, will it be a weariness to you? but who is able to keep from saying what is in his mind?

"If one ventures a word with you, will you be offended? But who can keep from speaking?

" If one attempts a word with you, will you become weary? But who can withhold himself from speaking?

“If someone ¹  should attempt ²  a word with you, will you be impatient? ³  But who can refrain from speaking ⁴ ?

¹ tn The verb has no expressed subject, and so may be translated with “one” or “someone.”

² tn The Piel perfect is difficult here. It would normally be translated “has one tried (words with you)?” Most commentaries posit a conditional clause, however.

³ tn The verb means “to be weary.” But it can have the extended sense of being either exhausted or impatient (see v. 5). A. B. Davidson (Job, 29) takes it in the sense of “will it be too much for you?” There is nothing in the sentence that indicates this should be an interrogative clause; it is simply an imperfect. But in view of the juxtaposition of the first part, this seems to make good sense. E. Dhorme (Job, 42) has “Shall we address you? You are dejected.”

⁴ tn The construction uses a noun with the preposition: “and to refrain with words – who is able?” The Aramaic plural of “words” (מִלִּין, millin) occurs 13 times in Job, with the Hebrew plural ten times. The commentaries show that Eliphaz’s speech had a distinctly Aramaic coloring to it.