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1“I am weary of my life;[#tn The Hebrew has נַפְשִׁי (nafshi), usually rendered “my soul.”; #tn The verb is pointed like a Qal form but is originally a Niphal from קוּט (qut). Some wish to connect the word to Akkadian cognates for a meaning “I am in anguish”; but the meaning “I am weary” fits the passage well.]
I will complain without restraint;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me;[#tn The negated jussive is the Hiphil jussive of רָשַׁע (rasha’); its meaning then would be literally “do not declare me guilty.” The negated jussive stresses the immediacy of the request.]
tell me why you are contending with me.’
3Is it good for you to oppress,[#tn Or “Does it give you pleasure?” The expression could also mean, “Is it profitable for you?” or “Is it fitting for you?”; #tn The construction uses כִּי (ki) with the imperfect verb – “that you oppress.” Technically, this clause serves as the subject, and “good” is the predicate adjective. In such cases one often uses an English infinitive to capture the point: “Is it good for you to oppress?” The LXX changes the meaning considerably: “Is it good for you if I am unrighteous, for you have disowned the work of your hands.”]
to despise the work of your hands,
while you smile
on the schemes of the wicked?
4“Do you have eyes of flesh,[#tn Here “flesh” is the sign of humanity. The expression “eyes of flesh” means essentially “human eyes,” i.e., the outlook and vision of humans.]
or do you see as a human being sees?
5Are your days like the days of a mortal,
or your years like the years of a mortal,
6that you must search out my iniquity,[#tn The clause seems to go naturally with v. 4: do you have eyes of flesh…that you have to investigate? For that reason some like Duhm would delete v. 5. But v. 5 adds to the premise: are you also like a human running out of time that you must try to find out my sin?; #tn The imperfect verbs in this verse are best given modal nuances. Does God have such limitations that he must make such an investigation? H. H. Rowley observes that Job implies that God has not yet found the iniquity, or extracted a confession from him (Job [NCBC], 84).]
and inquire about my sin,
7although you know that I am not guilty,[#tn Heb עַל־דַּעְתְּךָ (’al da’tÿkha, “upon your knowledge”). The use of the preposition means basically “in addition to your knowledge,” or “in spite of your knowledge,” i.e., “notwithstanding” or “although” (see GKC 383 §119.aa, n. 2).]
and that there is no one who can deliver
out of your hand?
8“Your hands have shaped me and made me,[#tn The root עָצַב (’atsav) is linked by some to an Arabic word meaning “to cut out, hew.” The derived word עֲצַבִּים (’atsabbim) means “idols.” Whatever the precise meaning, the idea is that God formed or gave shape to mankind in creation.]
but now you destroy me completely.
9Remember that you have made me as with the clay;[#tn The preposition “like” creates a small tension here. So some ignore the preposition and read “clay” as an adverbial accusative of the material (GKC 371 §117.hh but cf. 379 §119.i with reference to beth essentiae: “as it were, by clay”). The NIV gets around the problem with a different meaning for the verb: “you molded me like clay.” Some suggest the meaning was “as [with] clay” (in the same manner that we have “as [in] the day of Midian” [Isa 9:4]).]
will you return me to dust?
10Did you not pour me out like milk,[#tn The verb נָתַךְ (natakh) means “to flow,” and in the Hiphil, “to cause to flow.”]
and curdle me like cheese?
11You clothed me with skin and flesh[#tn The skin and flesh form the exterior of the body and so the image of “clothing” is appropriate. Once again the verb is the prefixed conjugation, expressing what God did.]
and knit me together with bones and sinews.
12You gave me life and favor,[#tn Heb “you made with me.”; #tn E. Dhorme (Job, 150) suggests that the relation between these two words is like a hendiadys. In other words, “life,” which he says is made prominent by the shift of the copula, specifies the nature of the grace. He renders it “the favor of life.” D. J. A. Clines at least acknowledges that the expression “you showed loyal love with me” is primary. There are many other attempts to improve the translation of this unusual combination.]
and your intervention watched over my spirit.
13“But these things you have concealed in your heart;[#sn “These things” refers to the affliction that God had brought on Job. They were concealed by God from the beginning.]
I know that this is with you:
14If I sinned, then you would watch me
and you would not acquit me of my iniquity.
15If I am guilty, woe to me,[#sn The verbs “guilty” and “innocent” are actually the verbs “I am wicked,” and “I am righteous.”; #tn The exclamation occurs only here and in Mic 7:1.]
and if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head;
I am full of shame,
and satiated with my affliction.
16If I lift myself up,[#tn The MT has the 3rd person of the verb, “and he lifts himself up.” One might assume that the subject is “my head” – but that is rather far removed from the verb. It appears that Job is talking about himself in some way. Some commentators simply emend the text to make it first person. This has the support of Targum Job, which would be expected since it would be interpreting the passage in its context (see D. M. Stec, “The Targum Rendering of WYG’H in Job X 16,” VT 34 [1984]: 367-8). Pope and Gordis make the word adjectival, modifying the subject: “proudly you hunt me,” but support is lacking. E. Dhorme thinks the line should be parallel to the two preceding it, and so suggests יָגֵּעַ (yagea’, “exhausted”) for יִגְאֶה (yig’eh, “lift up”). The contextual argument is that Job has said that he cannot raise his head, but if he were to do so, God would hunt him down. God could be taken as the subject of the verb if the text is using enallage (shifting of grammatical persons within a discourse) for dramatic effect. Perhaps the initial 3rd person was intended with respect within a legal context of witnesses and a complaint, but was switched to 2nd person for direct accusation.]
you hunt me as a fierce lion,
and again you display your power against me.
17You bring new witnesses against me,[#tn The text has “you renew/increase your witnesses.” This would probably mean Job’s sufferings, which were witness to his sins. But some suggested a different word here, one that is cognate to Arabic ’adiya, “to be an enemy; to be hostile”: thus “you renew your hostility against me.” Less convincing are suggestions that the word is cognate to Ugaritic “troops” (see W. G. E. Watson, “The Metaphor in Job 10,17,” Bib 63 [1982]: 255-57).]
and increase your anger against me;
relief troops come against me.
18“Why then did you bring me out from the womb?
I should have died
and no eye would have seen me!
19I should have been as though I had never existed;[#sn This means “If only I had never come into existence.”]
I should have been carried
right from the womb to the grave!
20Are not my days few?[#tn Heb “are not my days few; cease/let it cease….” The versions have “the days of my life” (reading יְמֵי חֶלְדִי [yÿme kheldi] instead of יָמַי וַחֲדָל [yamay vakhadal]). Many commentators and the RSV, NAB, and NRSV accept this reading. The Kethib is an imperfect or jussive, “let it cease/ it will cease.” The Qere is more intelligible for some interpreters – “cease” (as in 7:16). For a discussion of the readings, see D. W. Thomas, “Some Observations on the Hebrew Root hadal,” VTSup 4 [1057]: 14). But the text is not impossible as it stands.]
Cease, then, and leave me alone,
that I may find a little comfort,
21before I depart, never to return,[#sn The verbs are simple, “I go” and “I return”; but Job clearly means before he dies. A translation of “depart” comes closer to communicating this. The second verb may be given a potential imperfect translation to capture the point. The NIV offered more of an interpretive paraphrase: “before I go to the place of no return.”]
to the land of darkness
and the deepest shadow,
22to the land of utter darkness,
like the deepest darkness,
and the deepest shadow and disorder,
where even the light is like darkness.”