Job’s Ninth Speech: A Response to Bildad

¹ Then¹ Job answered and said,

1. Hebrew “And”

² “How you¹ have helped ⌞one who has no power⌟!² How you³ have assisted the arm ⌞that has no strength⌟!⁴

1. Singular
2. Literally “for not power”
3. Singular
4. Literally “not strength”

³ How you¹ have advised ⌞one who has no wisdom⌟!² And what sound wisdom you³ have made known ⌞in abundance⌟!⁴

1. Singular
2. Literally “for not wisdom”
3. Singular
4. Literally “as far as the multitude,” or “for multitude”

⁴ ⌞With whose help⌟¹ have you² uttered words, and whose breath has come forth from you?³

1. Literally “With whom”
2. Singular
3. Singular

⁵ “The spirits of the dead tremble below the waters and their inhabitants.

⁶ Sheol is naked before him, and there is no covering for Abaddon.

⁷ He stretches out the north over emptiness; he hangs the earth ⌞over nothing⌟.¹

1. Literally “over not what”

⁸ He ties up the water in its clouds, and the cloud is not torn open beneath it.¹

1. Hebrew “them”; antecedent for “them” is “water” (literally “waters”)

⁹ He covers the face of the full moon;¹ he spreads his cloud over it.

1. Text reads “throne”; “full moon” is based on a change of the vowels

¹⁰ ⌞He has described a circle⌟¹ on the face of the water ⌞between light and darkness⌟.²

1. NRSV; literally “a limit he has circled”
2. Literally “at the end of light with darkness”

¹¹ “The pillars of heaven tremble, and they are astounded at his rebuke.

¹² By his power he stilled the sea, and by his understanding he struck down Rahab.

¹³ By his breath ⌞the heavens were made clear⌟;¹ his hand pierced the fleeing snake.

1. Literally “heavens clearness”

¹⁴ Look, these are the outer fringes of his ways, and ⌞how faint is the word⌟¹ that we hear of him! But² who can understand the thunder of his power?”

1. Literally “how whisper of word”
2. Hebrew “And”