Job 8:8

“For inquire now of the former ¹  generation, and pay attention ²  to the findings ³  of their ancestors; ⁴ 

"Ask the former generations and find out what their fathers learned,

"Please inquire of past generations, And consider the things searched out by their fathers.

"Just ask the former generation. Pay attention to the experience of our ancestors.

"Put the question to our ancestors, study what they learned from their ancestors.

Put the question now to the past generations, and give attention to what has been searched out by their fathers:

"For inquire now of bygone generations, and consider what their ancestors have found;

"For inquire, please, of the former age, And consider the things discovered by their fathers;

“For inquire now of the former ¹  generation, and pay attention ²  to the findings ³  of their ancestors; ⁴ 

¹ sn Bildad is not calling for Job to trace through the learning of antiquity, but of the most recent former generation. Hebrews were fond of recalling what the “fathers” had taught, for each generation recalled what their fathers had taught.

² tn The verb כוֹנֵן (khonen, from כּוּן, kun) normally would indicate “prepare yourself” or “fix” one’s heart on something, i.e., give attention to it. The verb with the ל (lamed) preposition after it does mean “to think on” or “to meditate” (Isa 51:13). But some commentators wish to change the כּ (kaf) to a בּ (bet) in the verb to get “to consider” (from בִּין, bin). However, M. Dahood shows a connection between כּנן (knn) and שׁאל (sh’l) in Ugaritic (“Hebrew-Ugaritic Lexicography,” Bib 46 [1965]: 329).

³ tn The Hebrew has “the search of their fathers,” but the word is probably intended to mean what that observation or search yielded (so “search” is a metonymy of cause).

⁴ tn Heb “fathers.”