Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: Job 42:1-6

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Bill Rea <cctr114 AT it.canterbury.ac.nz>
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Job 42:1-6
  • Date: Wed, 08 Nov 2000 08:42:19 +1300 (NZDT)


Lawrence asked for my translation. So here it is:-

1 Then Job answered YHWH and said (prose)
2 I know that you can do everything
Nothing you plan can be prevented
3 Who is this who raises up(1) council without knowledge?
Therefore I have declared, but I did not understand
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know
4 Listen please, and I will speak
I will ask you and you will teach me
5 By the hearing of my ear I heard you
But now my eye sees you
6 Therefore I melt away(2) and repent
In dust and ashes

Notes:

(1) The raising up of council seems to be in the sense of putting it
out of reach of people. Other translators have said suching things
as obscures or hides. Like the debater who can win on the strength
of his rhetoric without understanding the topic.
(2) A bit of laziness here. In my opinion Job has had his protesting streak
demolished. He argued against his friends' assessment of his position
and declared his willingness to stand before God and make his case.
But given the chance he finds he has nothing to say except to
acknowledge YHWH power v2 and wisdom v3 and ask that he be taught
v4. Melting away is how he would feel, but it is not a common
idiom, so perhaps difficult to understand without a long-winded
footnote :-).

Bill Rea, Information Technology Dept., Canterbury University \_
E-Mail b dot rea at it dot canterbury dot ac dot nz </ New
Phone 64-3-364-2331, Fax 64-3-364-2332 /) Zealand
Unix Systems Administrator (/'





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page