CHAPTER 1
1. There was a man in the land of Utz; Iyov was his name. That man was blameless and upright, both respecting Elohim and turning away from evil.
Utz: the land of one of the sons of Aram, juxtaposed between the Sh’va and Chaldea (vv. 15-17), so probably somewhere along the fertile crescent.
2. And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.
3. His livestock [numbered] 7,000 flock animals, 300 camels, 500 yoke-teams of oxen, 500 she-donkeys, and a very large [number of household] servants. This man was thus wealthier than all the [other] sons of the east.
4. And his sons would go and make a feast at the house of each on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
His day: possibly his birthday, or his turn in a regular cycle they had devised:
5. Now when the cycle of their feasts had been brought around, Iyov would send and intensely set them apart, getting up early in the morning and causing as many offerings as there were of them to ascend, because Iyov said, “My children may have erred and knelt to [other] elohim in their hearts.” Iyov always did this kind of thing.
Erred: in their drunkenness, as the word for “feast” is based on the word for “drink”.
6. Now there came a day when the Sons of Elohim came to present themselves before YHWH, and the Accuser came among them.
Sons of Elohim: lesser spirits which came to be thought of as “gods” in other cultures’ taxonomies. Accuser: Heb., satan; the term is used for the prosecuting attorney in modern Israeli courts.
7. And YHWH said to the Accuser, “Where did you come from?” And the Accuser answered YHWH and said, “From making the rounds of the earth, and walking around on it.”
8. And YHWH said to the Accuser, “Have you set your heart on My servant Iyov? Because there is no one like him on earth—a man blameless and upright, both respecting Elohim and turning away from evil.”
9. And the Accuser answered YHWH and said, “Does Iyov respect Elohim for no reason?
10. “Haven’t You made a hedge around him, his household, and everything that he owns, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his livestock have burst forth throughout the land?
11. “But what if You send out Your hand and strike all that he has? Will he [still] kneel before Your face?”
12. So YHWH said to the Accuser, “Look, everything he owns is in your hands; only against him, you may not extend your hand.” So the Accuser went out from YHWH’s presence.
Notice that anything any accuser wants to do to YHWH’s servants must be cleared with Him first. He measures carefully the extent to which we can be affected. (Compare Psalm 76:10.)
13. When the day came that his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine at the home of their firstborn brother,
14. there came a messenger to Iyov who said, “The oxen had begun plowing, and the she-donkeys were pasturing beside them,
15. “and the Sabeans swooped down and took them, and struck the young [servants] with the mouth of the sword, and I alone am the only one who escaped to report to you!”
16. And while this one was still speaking, that [other messenger] arrived and said, “The fire of Elohim fell from the sky and burned up the flock and the young [servants], and consumed them, and I alone am the only one who escaped to report to you!”
17. While this one was still speaking, yet [another messenger] arrived and said, “The Kasdim appointed three leaders, and made a [lightning] raid on the camels, and captured them, and struck the young [servants] with the mouth of the sword; I alone am the only one who escaped to report to you!”
Kasdim: Chaldeans, residents of southern Mesopotamia. Lightning raid: from the term for “strip away” but includes the sense of speed.
18. While this one was still speaking, still [another messenger] arrived and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine at their firstborn brother’s home,
19. “when all of a sudden a big wind came from across the uninhabited land and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and only I alone escaped to report to you!”
20. Then Iyov got up and tore his over-garment, sheared his head, fell down on the earth, and prostrated himself
21. and said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. YHWH gave, and YHWH has taken away; may the Name of YHWH be blessed!”
22. In all of this, Iyov did not do wrong or ascribe any inappropriateness to Elohim.
Ascribe any inappropriateness: or, treat foolishly, immaturely, or not tastefully.
CHAPTER 2
1. Now there came a day when the Sons of Elohim came to present themselves (the Accuser being among them) before YHWH.
2. And YHWH said to the Accuser, “Where is this you have come from?” And the Accuser answered YHWH and said, “From making the rounds of the earth, and walking around on it.”
3. And YHWH said to the Accuser, “Have you set your heart on My servant Iyov? Because there is no one like him on earth—a man blameless and upright, both respecting Elohim and turning away from evil, and still he holds tightly to his integrity, though you incited Me against him, to engulf him for no reason!”
4. And the Accuser answered YHWH and said, “[Only] skin is equivalent to skin! And a man will give everything he owns to [save] his life!
5. “Suppose, please, [that] if you were to send out your hand and touch him—his very bone and flesh—[and see if] he will no [longer] kneel before Your face!”
6. So YHWH said to the Accuser, “Look, he is in your hands; however, [you must] spare his life!”
7. And the Accuser went out from the presence of YHWH and struck Iyov [with] severe eruptions [on his skin] from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head,
This is the same terminology used of Qayin, who had chosen, in an even deeper way than his parents, to follow haSatan’s way. (Gen. 4:16)
8. and he took for himself a shard of broken earthenware to scratch himself with, and sat down among the ashes.
He may have seen the ashes as a way of soothing the pain or preventing infection, considering that the ashes of a red heifer later were used for purification from a skin disease (Num. 19:9, 10, though it was probably the hyssop added to these that was the actual antiseptic).
9. And his wife said to him, “Are you still grasping for your integrity? [Why not just] ‘bless’ Elohim and die?”
“Bless” is used here, as in a few other places, including the Hebrew of Mat. 26:65, as an idiom for bringing a curse upon oneself. In Yeshua’s case it took the form of speaking the sacred Name where it was forbidden, thus incurring not Elohim’s, but man’s wrath. I.e., "Why not just put yourself out of your misery (indirectly, of course)?"
10. But he told her, “You’re speaking to me the same way one of the foolish women speaks! Are we to receive good from Elohim and not receive evil [too]?” In all of this, Iyov did not err with his lips.
11. When three of Iyov’s companions—Elifaz the Teymanite, Bildad the Shukhite, and Tzofar the Naamathite--heard about all this trouble that had come upon him, each of them came from his own place, because they had made an appointment together to come show him sympathy and console him.
12. When they lifted up their eyes from afar off, they did not recognize him, and they raised their voices and wept, and each of them tore his robe and tossed dust over their heads toward the sky.
Tore his robe…dust over their heads: Middle Eastern mourning rituals of that day.
13. And they sat down on the ground seven days and seven nights, with none of them speaking a word, because they saw that his pain was very great.
CHAPTER 3
1. After this, Iyov opened his mouth and cursed his day.
His day: the day of his birth (v. 3, as probably also in 1:4).
2. That is, Iyov responded by saying,
3. “May the day on which I was born utterly perish, as well as the night it was said, ‘A man is conceived!’
4. “Let that day be darkness; don’t let Elohim look for it from above, nor let the daylight shine favorably on it!
5. “Let darkness avenge it, and let the shadow of death remain over it! Let a cloud overshadow [and] obscure the day!
6. “May gloom seize that night; don’t let it be joined together with the [other] days of the year! Don’t let it come into the enumeration of the months!
7. “Indeed, let that night come into barrenness; let no shout of joy come into it!
8. “Let those who curse the day strike through it, those who are ready to raise up their [mourning] wreath.
9. “Let the stars of its twilight be darkened! When they wait expectantly for light, let there be none! And do not let them see the dawn open its eyelids,
10. “because the doors of the womb [that held] me were not shut, nor was trouble hidden from my eyes.
11. “Why didn’t I die [right] from the womb, and expire when I came forth from [my mother’s] abdomen?
12. “Why did the knees receive me, and [for] what the breasts, that I should nurse?
13. “Because now I would be lying [still] and been sleeping undisturbed; then there would have been rest for me
14. “with the kings and counselors of the earth who rebuilt desolate ruins for themselves
15. “or with princes who possessed gold, who had filled their houses with silver!
16. “Or I would have been like a miscarriage that was concealed; like infants who never saw the light [of day].
17. “There the wicked stop causing trouble, and there those whose strength is depleted [find] rest.
Causing trouble: agitating, raging, inciting confusion or turmoil.
18. “The prisoners are at ease together; they do not hear the voice of a taskmaster.
Prisoners: or captives, bondmen.
19. “He is [both] small and great there, and the slave is free from his master.
20. “Why is light given to one who labors in misery, or life to the bitter of spirit,
21. “who long for death, but it does not [come], and who search for it more than for hidden treasure,
Search: literally, dig.
22. “who cheer up and dance in a circle, being glad when they find a grave?
23. “[Why is light given] to a strong man whose path is hidden, and whom Eloah has hedged away?
Hedged away: or closed off, but with spiny, interwoven branches. He feels like he has no options at all; death is eluding him, because he is just sick enough to suffer terribly but not be in danger of dying because he is not so frail.
24. “Because my groaning comes in the presence of my food, and my distressful moans flow out like the water!
25. “For what I dreaded most has been brought upon me, and what I was afraid of has come to me.
26. “I have not been at ease or undisturbed, nor was I comforted; rather, disquieting confusion has come in."
Disquieting confusion: or raging restlessness, excited commotion (but in a negative sense).
CHAPTER 4
1. Then Elifaz the Theymanite responded and said,
2. “If one attempts a word with you, you become impatient, but who can restrain himself from words?
3. Look; you have instructed many and to weakened hands, you have given a firm grip!
Weakened: or slack.
4. “Your words have stabilized the one who [was] stumbling, and the knees that were sinking down, you have made firm.
5. “But now it comes on you, and you are tired of it! It touches you, and you are alarmed!
6. “Isn’t your reverence your confidence; your hope, indeed, the integrity of your habits?
7. “Please remember, who that was innocent [ever] perished? Or where is the upright [person] who has been annihilated?
8. “From what I have seen, those who plow trouble and sow mischief will reap [just] that.
He is insinuating that Iyov must have some secret fault for which he is being punished.
9. “By the breath of Elohim, they are annihilated, and by the blast of His nostrils, they are consumed.
10. “The roaring of the lion, the noise of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions are knocked out.
Several words for different kinds of lions or at different life-stages are used here. HaSatan is said to go about like a roaring lion (1 Kefa 5:8) seeking someone to devour; this verse and the next could bring us comfort in that context.
11. “The old lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are split up.
12. “When a word was brought to me stealthily, my ears seized a whisper of it
13. “in the unsettling visions of the night, when a deep sleep falls on people,
Unsettling: literally, divided, as between two (not necessarily equal) opinions; ambivalent.
14. “Terror came upon me unexpectedly, and a trembling [that made] many of my bones [quake with] dread!
15. “Then a spirit passed right by my face; the hair on my flesh started to bristle!
16. “It stood still, but I couldn’t tell what it look like; a form was in sight of my eyes, [but] hushed. Then I heard a voice:
17. “‘Can a mortal man be more righteous than Elohim? If he is a hero, can he be more pure than his Maker?
18. “‘Look, even His servants He doesn’t trust, and on His messengers He lays [a charge of] error.
Error: or folly.
19. “‘How much more those who dwell in houses of mortar, whose foundation is in the dust, which crumble before a moth?
20. “‘From morning to evening, they are crushed fine, from being without anyone to make them endure, they end up being lost.
21. “‘Doesn’t their own excellence depart within them? They die, yet not even skillfully.’
Skillfully: or, with wisdom; possibly, through the skill of the killer, or, never having learned a better way to build houses. (vv. 19-20)
CHAPTER 5
1. “Call out, please! Is there anyone to answer you? And toward which of the holy ones will you turn?
2. “Because provocation ends up killing a fool, and jealousy puts a gullible person to death.
3. “I have seen a fool taking root, so all of a sudden I pierced through his [pleasant] abode.
4. “His children are removed far from safety, and they are crushed [into contrition] within the gate, and there is no one to rescue [them],
5. “as the hungry [one] is eating up his harvest, taking away even some of the thorns! The scheming robber also pants after their wealth.
6. “Because sorrow does not come forth out of the dust, nor does trouble spring up from the soil,
7. “because mankind is born to trouble [as surely as] the sparks also fly away upward.
8. “Nonetheless, I will seek [to enquire of] El, and I will direct my words toward Elohim,
9. “Who does great things, and there is no searching then out; extraordinary things to the point that there is no way to count them!
10. “He provides rain on the surface of the earth, and sends waters upon the face of the open [fields].
11. “He sets the humble in a higher place, and those who are in the dark, He lifts inaccessibly high [to] safety.
12. “He frustrates the plots of the crafty, so that their hands cannot carry them out successfully.
13. “He traps the wily in their own craftiness, and the advice of the twisted is brought [back upon them] quickly.
14. “In the daytime, they encounter darkness, and at noonday they grope as in the night.
Encounter: or, run into.
15. “But He delivers the oppressed from the sword, from their mouth, and from the grasping hand,
16. “so the poor will come to have hope, and injustice has its mouth stopped up.
17. “Indeed, the man whom Eloah corrects is blessed, so don’t reject the discipline of Shaddai!
This would be good advice, if only it were appropriate in his case!
18. “For He inflicts pain, but He bandages; He wounds severely, but His hands bring healing.
Bandages: or binds up, restrains (the bleeding).
19. “In six [kinds of] distress, He will rescue you; in seven, no evil will reach you:
Reach you: or, touch you, strike you.
20. “In famine He will redeem you from death, and in war, from the hands of the sword;
21. “from the scourge of the tongue you will be concealed, nor will you be afraid of devastation when it comes.
22. “You will laugh at destruction and starvation when it comes, and you will not be afraid of the [wild] beasts of the earth,
23. “because you [will have a] treaty with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24. “You will also be sure that your tent is [safe and] sound; when you inspect your home, there will be nothing amiss.
Home: or abode, with the connotation of being where one feels most comfortable. Amiss: or missing, wrong with it, or lost.
25. “You will both know [for certain] that your descendants will be numerous, and your offspring like the grass of the earth.
Offspring: or, to fit with the agricultural theme, produce.
26. “You would come to the grave at a [ripe] old age, as a stack [of grain] comes up in its season.
27. “Look, we have investigated this; it is so. Take heed and become well-acquainted [with it] for yourself!
CHAPTER 6
1. Then Iyov answered and said,
2. “If only my frustration [could be] fully weighed out, and my calamity laid up onto the balancing-scales together [with it]!
3. “Because right now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas; on account of such, my words have been rash,
Rash: wildly spoken, full of mistakes, or swallowed up.
4. “because Shaddai’s arrows are with me, whose poison my spirit is drinking. The terrors of Eloah are arrayed against me!
5. “Does a wild donkey bray when it is upon green vegetation? Or does the ox low over its fodder?
6. “Can tasteless food be eaten without salt? Or is there any flavor in the slimy juice of the purslane [plant]?
Flavor: or, enjoyment. He may be saying his friends’ words are just as unpalatable. (Thayer)
7. “My soul refuses to touch them; they are like a disease of my bread!
Like a disease: or loathsome.
8. “Who will allow the thing I request—the outcome I hope for--to come? May Eloah grant [it]--
9. “that Eloah would be willing to crush me—that He would let loose His hand and [violently] finish me off!
He was not willing, but there was another that it was His will to crush so that all the evils Iyov and everyone else experienced could be finally resolved. (Yeshayahu 53:5, 10)
10. “Then I could yet have comfort; I would leap [for joy]! Though [I am] in writhing anguish, will He will show pity? Because I have not blotted out what the Holy One has said!
11. “What is my strength that I should stay around [and wait]? And what goal do I have that I should prolong my life?
Strength: sometimes used of manly vigor to be able to procreate more children. (Gen. 49:3) Naomi echoed a similar hopeless thought. (Ruth 1:12-13) Iyov had more vigor than he realized.
12. “Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh bronze?
13. “Isn’t it [the case that] my help is not within myself, and [that] success is banished from me?
14. “To one who is despairing, [there should be] mercy from his friend even if he might forsake the fear of Shaddai.
15. “My brothers have dealt treacherously like a stream bed, like the channel of streams that pass away--
Treacherously: the term means “a cloak”, i.e., to hide what is really there. In this case such valleys appear to promise refreshing water, but during the off-season (v. 15) they dry up and provide none. His friends seemed to want to comfort him, but what flowed from them turned out to be “undrinkable”.
16. “which are dark because of the ice, [but] into which snow vanishes!
The wetness from recent ice meltage still makes the sand darker than the surrounding desert land, but, being porous, hold no water that can be drunk when the snow melts.
17. “In the season when they are warmed up, they turn into nothing; when it is hot, they become extinct!
18. “They change the direction of their paths; they go up into empty space and vanish!
The second phrase is an accurate description of how things that evaporate appear.
19. “Notice [how] the caravans of Thema, the travelers of Sh’va eagerly expect them!
Thema and Sh’va were desert-dwellers who desperately needed whatever water they could find, and when they saw a riverbed approaching, would always hope it was a live stream and not just a seasonal flood-bed like these.
20. “They are disappointed because they were confident; when they finally get there, they are put to shame.
Their rush to these promising changes in the landscape turn out to be no more helpful than mirages.
21. “Because now you have come to nothing; you see something scary and are terrified!
He is probably alluding to the spirit that spoke in a dream, appearing to say that Iyov has crossed a line by speaking his mind about how he feels or that he most certainly had to have done something wrong to be experiencing such catastrophes. But Iyov asks, “When?”
22. “Did I ever say, ‘Bring me [something]’? Or, ‘Because you are capable, offer a bribe on my behalf’?
23. “Or, ‘Help me escape from the oppressor’s hand, and redeem me from the hand of the ruthless’?
24. “Instruct me and I will be silent! And help me discern where I have gone astray!
I.e., “You haven’t told me anything I didn’t already know; I get that I must have done something to deserve this, but I have no idea what it is! If you want to be useful to me, this is where I can use the help!”
25. “How effective the right words [can be]! But what does this judgment from you correct?
Effective: stinging, violent, painful—but getting to the root of the illness and eradicating it. Judgment: or legal argument, chiding, reproving, convicting. Correct: or prove—from the same root word as “judgment”. I.e., you are rendering a verdict against me, but how it is solving the problem?
26. “Do you intend to reprove sayings, when [they] belong to the blustering utterances of someone in despair?
Sayings: i.e., common phrases, trite platitudes that we use when we really don’t know what to say?
27. “Oh, yes, in regard to one who is bereaved, you can bring him down! You can barter away your friend!
Bring him down: or, overwhelm him and win your argument as if it were a contest. Barter away: You can trade loyalty to one who has helped you so much (4:3-4) for the privilege of being able to explain all of this objectively as if I was just the subject of a story being told around the campfire and not a real person whom you love who is suffering!
28. “But now, try to turn and face me, because if I would ever lie to your face…
Face me: Look me in the eye! You are speaking to me, a real person, not a theoretical object of philosophical debate! “If I would…”: the language typical of an oath; i.e., “I swear I would not!”
29. “Please withdraw; don’t let there be injustice! Yes, bring back my righteousness therein!
30. “Is there [any] injustice on my tongue, if my palate cannot detect anything mischievous?
CHAPTER 7
1. “Isn’t there [a time of] hard service for a mortal [man] on the earth? And [aren’t] his days like the days of a hired laborer--
2. “like a slave who pants for shade, or like a laborer who eagerly expecting his wages?
3. “This is just what I have been made to inherit—[nothing but] months of emptiness and wearisome nights have been appointed to me!
4. “If I lie down, then I say, ‘When can I get up and be done with the evening?’ And, ‘I have had enough tossing [and turning] until the light begins to appear!’
5. “My fleshed is ‘dressed’ with maggots and encrusted with dust; my skin is congealed with [what] oozes [out of it].
6. “My days are swifter than a weaver’s loom, and are spent without hope.
Swifter: because they are “lightweight”—despicable, trifling, of little account, meaningless; they “blow away” so easily.
7. “Remember that my life is [but] a breath; my eye will never return to seeing [anything] good!
8. “The eye of the one who sees me will no longer behold me; [while] your eyes are on me, I will cease to exist.
9. “A cloud disappears and goes away; likewise, the one who goes down to the place of the dead does not come up.
At least not yet! But that is not the end of the story.
10. “Her will not come back home again, nor will his place acknowledge him anymore.
Acknowledge: or recognize, pay attention to, give due respect to. Essentially, it will forget him.
11. “So I will not restrain my mouth: I will speak while my spirit is in distress; I will voice the bitterness of my soul.
I.e., while I still can (vv. 9-10).
12. “Am I a sea or a sea-serpent that you set a prison-guard over me?
13. “When I said, ‘My couch will bring me comfort; my bed will ease my complaint’,
14. “then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions,
15. “so that my soul prefers suffocation, death rather than my bones.
16. “I [have come to] despise [my life]; I would not want to live forever. Leave me alone, because my life is just a [quickly-fading] vapor!
17. “What is mortal man, that You should consider him so important, or that You should set your mind on him--
Here he seems to be speaking to YHWH in particular.
18. “that You should summon him [every] morning and scrutinize him at [every] moment?
19. “What won’t it take for You to turn Your face from me and withdraw until I swallow my saliva?
Swallow my saliva: i.e., choke on it and die.
20. “Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O Observer of humanity? Why have You set me [in Your sights] as a target, so that I should become a burden to myself?
21. “And why don’t You lift [the sentence for] my trespassing and pass by [however] I may be twisted, because right now I’m I’m about to lie down [and crumble] into dust, and You will look hard for me, but I will no [longer] exist.”
I.e., You are crushing me, and I can’t take it much longer! You are looking at me so intensely that there soon won’t be anything left of me to see!
CHAPTER 8
1. Then Bildad the Shukhite responded by saying,
2. “How long will you utter these [things]—the words of your mouth [being like] a mighty wind?
3. “Will Elohim subvert judgment? Or will Shaddai pervert justice?
4. “If your children have sinned against Him, then He has cast them away on account of their rebellion.
5. “If you would earnestly seek El and beg El Shaddai for favor,
6. “If you are pure and on the level, He would rouse Himself up and bring total well-being to your rightful abode!
7. “Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly.
8. “Because, please inquire of the prior generation, and restore the things searched out by their fathers,
9. “because we are newcomers and know nothing, and our days are a [mere] shadow upon the earth.
Newcomers: literally, [from] yesterday/recently. This may be where that idiom “born yesterday” came from.
10. “Won’t they direct you and tell you with words that come from their heart?
11. “Can a [papyrus] reed grow up without a marsh? Can bulrushes flourish without water?
12. “Don’t cut it down while it is still a tender shoot, or any plant before it dries out.
I.e., do not jump to conclusions about your situation before the end of the matter is seen.
13. “This is just like the ways of all who forget El, and the hope of the impious will perish,
Impious: hypocritical, profane, colloquially “godless”; from a root meaning “soiled”.
14. “whose foolish confidence will be snapped [like a twig], and who put their trust in a spider’s web.
15. “He leans on his house, but it does not stand; he grabs onto it tightly, but it is not stable.
16. “He remains moist [with sap] when the sun is present, and his young shoots spread forth above his garden.
17. “His roots wrap around a [rock] pile and look [for] a stony place.
Wrap around: or interweave, become tangled up with. Yeshua may have drawn part of his parable of the soils (Mark 4:5) from here.
18. “If he is swallowed up from his place, it will deny him: ‘I have not seen you!’
Compare Psalm 103:16.
19. “Indeed, that is the cheering thing about his way—that something else will spring up from [his] dust.
His dust: i.e., the soil that is formed when he decomposes and is no longer recognizable (v. 18).
20. “Look here: El will not reject someone who has integrity (nor will He hold tightly to the hand of evildoers)
Hold tightly: for the purpose of upholding.
21. “until He fills your mouth with laughter and your lips with joyful shouting.
Compare Psalm 126:2.
22. “Those who hate you will be dressed [only] in shame, and the wicked ones will come to have no tent [left].”
CHAPTER 9
1. Then Iyov answered and said,
2. “Sure, I know that this is so, but how can a [mortal] man be justified beside El?
I.e., what you say is generally true, but am I one who can claim to be more right about these things than the Elohim who is causing them to occur?
3. “If one wished to quarrel with Him, not one out of a thousand could give Him an answer.
Or, one could not answer one [time] out of a thousand.
4. “[He is] skillful of heart and mighty [in] ability; who has been obstinate against Him and come out uninjured?
Skillful: or even crafty, shrewd—wily, and impossible to outwit. Mighty: physically strong. Uninjured: literally, whole, complete—“in one piece”.
5. “He moves mountains and they do not recognize when He overturns them.
Moves: or, removes. Yeshua may have been alluding to this when he spoke of our being able to move mountains by faith (Mat. 21:21), because faith is not effective if YHWH is not the One we put our trust in. Overturns: the term used of what YHWH did to S’dom and ‘Amorah; Iyov might have lived at the right time to witness this event or at least have heard of it from people who did.
6. “He shakes the land out of its place, and its [supporting] pillars shudder--
This sounds merely poetic to modern ears as do many of the psalms, but such violent catastrophes were still a regular thing in Iyov’s day )as well as David’s) with gravitational interaction between planets that crossed one another’s paths every 54 years then. (Patten)
7. “Who tells the sun when not to shine, and concerning the stars, He seals them off.
Shine: or rise (as at dawn). Seals off: or obstructs, stops up, i.e., conceals them from our sight or makes them stop shining by “dying out”. No one else can do things on such a grand scale; who are we to think we can contend on His level? (vv. 3-4)
8. “Who alone stretches out the skies and treads on the waves of the sea,
Yeshua (Mat. 14:25ff), as YHWH’s messenger and representative, walked out a visible picture of what YHWH does metaphorically.
9. “Who makes Ayish, K’sil, Kimah, and the chambers of the South,
Ayish (here shortened to Ash), K’sil, and Kimah: Often identified with the constellations Arcturus, Orion, and the Pleiades. Donald Patten instead saw them as the three planets that most influenced earth’s orbit and caused the most catastrophes: Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn as we know them. (See 38:1-33.) Chambers of the South: possibly another constellation in the southern hemisphere.
10. “Who does great things, to the point that they cannot be searched out, and wonders which are beyond being counted.
11. “Look! He passes over me, but I do not see Him; when He moves on past, I do not discern Him.
12. “Watch! He snatches away; who can get it back? Who can say to Him, ‘What are you doing?’
What power do we have to reverse what YHWH does? What authority di we have to question His wisdom in the decisions He makes?
13. “Eloah will not withdraw His fury; the allies or the proud one lie humbled beneath Him.
14. “How much less could I make an answer to Him, [though] I should carefully choose my words with Him?
15. “Even if I were justified, I would not talk back to Him; in my court-examination, I would plead for a favor.
A favor: or mercy.
16. “If I called and He answered me, I could not be certain He was giving ear to my voice,
Be certain: or believe.
17. “when, with a frightening storm, He overwhelms me [with bruises] and increases my wounds for no reason.
For no reason: or, without cause.
18. “He will not allow me to get my breath back, because He gives me my fill of bitter things,
19. “If [it is a matter of] ability, He is [clearly] strong [enough]; just look! But if it is about justice, who will set an appointment [for my day in court]?
20. “Though I had a just cause, my own mouth would get me condemned; [though] I had integrity, it would make me look crooked.
21. “I am [a man] of integrity, [yet] I don’t know my own self! I loathe my life!
22. “It’s [all] one [and the same]; that’s why I say He brings [both] the blameless and the wicked to an end!
23. “If the scourge kills suddenly, it mocks the plight of the innocent.
24. “A land was given into the hand of the wicked; He conceals the faces of its judges. If [it is] not [so], where [does] it [come] from?
If YHWH did not allow such an occurrence, how could it possibly occur? Though Iyov could not see the behind-the-seen negotiating going on between YHWH and haSatan, he seems to recognize what we are shown: HaSatan can do nothing to men without YHWH’s express permission.
25. “And my own days are swifter than a runner. They are put to flight; they see no good!
Swifter: or lighter, trifling, of little account. Put to flight: they run away (scared off) or are driven away,
26. “They pass by [as] if [they were] ships of papyrus--like an eagle swooping onto its food.
Ships of papyrus: Egyptian sailboats known for their speed. Swooping: with a quick darting motion; this is the root word for the modern Hebrew term used for an airplane.
27. “If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint; I’ll leave my [sad] face behind and put on a smile’,
Complaint: here, something one is “over-thinking” to the point of preoccupation. His friends were basically saying, “Don’t worry; be happy! Why waste your short life on philosophizing?”
28. “I am afraid of all the harm it will do me. I am sure You will not hold me guiltless!
29. “If I am to be condemned as guilty, then why am I wasting this wearying work for nothing?
For nothing: in vain, for something that is just going to disappear like a morning fog?
30. “[Even] if I washed myself with water [from melted] snow and cleaned the palms of my hands with lye,
Water from snow: emphasizing its extreme purity. Cleaned: literally, brightened up. Lye: a caustically-strong substance from which soap is made but with considerable dilution and aromatic enhancement to make it tolerable. He is talking about the concentrated “industrial” strength.
31. “still you would plunge me into the pit of destruction, and my own clothes would find me repulsive!
Pit: with the connotation of the grave and decay. He is waxing ever more pessimistic in his views of the Judge of All the Earth.
32. “Because He is not a man like I am, that I could answer Him and enter into a judgment-court together!
33. “Is there no mediator who could lay his hand on both of us,
Mediator: who could arbitrate between us as if we were equals. There is such a mediator now, but only one. Yeshua is the “one mediator between Elohim and men” (1 Timothy 2:5). He is, by definition in this verse, a man (not both Elohim and man), but he is also “not a man like I am” (v. 32), having no sin (Heb. 4:15), yet still having experienced the same temptations we have, and therefore YHWH has committed judgment of men into his hands. (Yochanan 5:22) And he also accomplishes for us the next thing Iyov asked for:
34. “[who] could turn away His club from being over me, so the dread of Him would not overwhelm me with terror?
35. “Then I could speak and not be afraid of Him, but [a for] myself, it is not that way with me.”
CHAPTER 10
1. “My soul loathes its being alive. I will loosen the restraints on myself; I will voice my complaint in the bitterness of my soul!
Loosen the restraints: or, let flow freely, give free course to its oozing forth. Such terminology was used in Torah of running sores that released uncleanness from the flesh beneath one’s skin. (Lev. 15:2ff)
2. “I will say to Eloah, ‘Do not write me off as wicked; let me know on what basis you are striving with me!
3. “‘[Does it seem] good to You that You should oppress, that You should consider the product of Your hands to be nothing, and smile upon the purpose[s] of the wicked?
4. “‘Do You have eyes of flesh, [as] if to see [things] as a mortal man sees?
5. “‘Are Your days like the days of a mortal, [even] if Your years were like the days of a mighty warrior,
6. “‘that You should ask about [where] I am crooked and search out my sin--
7. “‘despite Your knowledge that I am doing nothing wicked, and there is no one who can deliver from Your hand?
8. “‘Your hands have stretched me into shape and fashioned me—unique from every angle—and yet You would swallow me up?
9. “‘Please remember that You have made me like clay, and will return me to dust!
David says He does remember that we are dust and therefore has compassion on us. (Psalm 103:13-14)
10. “‘Haven’t You been pouring me out like milk and letting me congeal like cheese?
11. “‘You have clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews,
Knit me together: or protected me, covered me up.
12. “‘You have treated me with life and kindness, and Your oversight has guarded my spirit.
13. “‘Yet these things You have kept hidden in Your heart; I knew that it was this way with You!
14. “‘If I make a mistake, then You detain me under guard, and You will not hold me guiltless for my crookedness.
15. “‘Alas for me if I have done wickedly, but [even] if I have done right, I cannot lift up my head. I am filled up with disgrace, and look at my misery!
16. “‘If I rise up triumphantly like a fierce lion, You hunt me down and go back to extraordinarily overpowering me!
17. “‘You renew Your evidences against me, and multiply Your anger toward me. I am experiencing instability and combativeness!
Instability: variation, change, as if YHWH were capricious or unpredictable, for his previous understanding that if he did right, YHWH would treat him rightly seemed to be being shaken. Combativeness: or warfare, as if an army were coming against him, so weak does he feel in comparison to YHWH.
18. “‘So why did You bring me out from the womb? I should have expired while no eye had yet seen me!
19. “‘I would be as if I had never come into existence; I would have been carried [directly] from the belly to the grave.
20. “‘Aren’t my days few [enough]? So please lay off and take Your stand away from me, so I can have a little glimmer [of hope]
Glimmer: or simply, some comfort, some relief.
21. “‘before I go [to where] I cannot return [from]—to the land of darkness and the shadow of death,
22. “‘a land of gloom just like the utter gloom of the shadow of death, where [there is] no order, and any beams that shine out are like the gloom of calamity!
Order: i.e., organization, arrangements in which one could find his way around.
THE STORY OF
Iyov
(also known as Job)
INTRODUCTION: Iyov is thought to be the oldest book that came to be included in the Biblical collection, possibly edited by Moshe. It addresses the same basic question that many of us struggle with today: “Why would YHWH allow me to go through this problem?” It gives us a look “behind the scenes” at what may precipitate such experiences, and tells us some of the wrong ways to approach the question as well as the right. (Compare Yochanan 9:2ff) Iyov may have been one of the men called Yov-av in Genesis 10:29 (a grandson of Ever, and therefore a Semite and a Hebrew) or Gen. 36:33-34 (an Edomite king (especially considering that the man whose reign followed his was a Theymanite--precursor to the Yemenites--an ethnicity that shows up among Iyov’s closest friends—Elifaz. (2:11) An Elifaz the father of Theyman actually appears in the same chapter (36:11), also among Esau’s descendants. This is not proven, but the possibility is intriguing.
