וַיַּעַן יְהוָה אֶת־אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַר׃   40:1

Job 40:1   The Lord still answered Job, and He said,

הֲרֹב עִם־שַׁדַּי יִסּוֹר מוֹכִיחַ אֱלוֹהַּ יַעֲנֶנָּה׃   40:2

Job 40:2   “A fault finder contends with the Almighty?

                             Let the reprover of God testify to it.”

וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב אֶת־יְהוָה וַיֹּאמַר׃   40:3

Job 40:3   And Job answered the Lord, and he said,

הֵן קַלֹּתִי מָה אֲשִׁיבֶךָּ יָדִי שַׂמְתִּי לְמוֹ־פִי׃   40:4

Job 40:4   “Lo, I am of small account; what shall I answer You?

                             I put my hand to my mouth.”

אַחַת דִּבַּרְתִּי וְלֹא אֶעֱנֶה וּשְׁתַּיִם וְלֹא אוֹסִיף׃   40:5

Job 40:5   “I spoke one time, so I should not answer.

                             Even twice, so I need not add more.”

וַיַּעַן־יְהוָה אֶת־אִיֹּוב (מִנ) [מִן] סְעָרָה וַיֹּאמַר׃   40:6

Job 40:6   Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind and He said,

We’ve seen this error before, in Job 38:1.  The word in the parentheses has a nun where it should have a final nun, as shown in the brackets.

אֱזָר־נָא כְגֶבֶר חֲלָצֶיךָ אֶשְׁאָלְךָ וְהוֹדִיעֵנִי׃   40:7

Job 40:7   “Gird up your loins like a man now;

                             I shall ask of you, and you declare to Me.”

הַאַף תָּפֵר מִשְׁפָּטִי תַּרְשִׁיעֵנִי לְמַעַן תִּצְדָּק׃   40:8

Job 40:8   “Would you indeed invalidate My judgment?

                             Would you condemn Me so that you may be justified?”

What did the author of Job have in mind here (in fact in the whole book)?  As I see it, this is precisely what Job should do, and he would be in the right:  Invalidate God’s judgment and condemn Him!  In this allegory, God took a dare from the adversary and impassively allowed these tragedies to happen to Job.  Whose fault should it be, if not God’s?  As you can see, I’m on Job’s side.  After all, I have an advantage that Job’s “friends” don’t have:  I know the plot.

וְאִם־זְרוֹעַ כָּאֵל לָךְ וּבְקוֹל כָּמֹהוּ תַרְעֵם׃   40:9

Job 40:9   “So do you have an ‘arm’ like God,

                             and can you thunder with a voice like His?”

עֲדֵה נָא גָאֹון וָגֹבַהּ וְהֹוד וְהָדָר תִּלְבָּשׁ׃   40:10

Job 40:10   “Pray, put on majesty and grandeur.

                             And you must wear glory and splendor.”

הָפֵץ עֶבְרוֹת אַפֶּךָ וּרְאֵה כָל־גֵּאֶה וְהַשְׁפִּילֵהוּ׃   40:11

Job 40:11   “Spread abroad the outflowings of your anger.

                             Then observe anyone proud and humble him.”

רְאֵה כָל־גֵּאֶה הַכְנִיעֵהוּ וַהֲדֹךְ רְשָׁעִים תַּחְתָּם׃   40:12

Job 40:12   “See anyone proud; bring him low.

                             Then cast down the wicked from their place.”

טָמְנֵם בֶּעָפָר יָחַד פְּנֵיהֶם חֲבֹשׁ בַּטָּמוּן׃   40:13

Job 40:13   “Hide them in the dust together;

                             restrain their faces in concealment.”

וְגַם־אֲנִי אוֹדֶךָּ כִּי־תוֹשִׁעַ לְךָ יְמִינֶךָ׃   40:14

Job 40:14   “Then even I will confess to you

                             that your right hand can save you.”

הִנֵּה־נָא בְהֵמוֹת אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂיתִי עִמָּךְ חָצִיר כַּבָּקָר יֹאכֵל׃   40:15

Job 40:15   “Now behold behemoth that I made with you.

                             It can eat grass like an ox.”

הִנֵּה־נָא כֹחוֹ בְמָתְנָיו וְאֹנוֹ בִּשְׁרִירֵי בִטְנוֹ׃   40:16

Job 40:16   “Now behold, its strength is in its hips,

                             and its vigor is in the muscles of its body.”

יַחְפֹּץ זְנָבֹו כְמֹו־אָרֶז גִּידֵי (פַחֲדֹו) [פַחֲדָיו] יְשֹׂרָגוּ׃   40:17

Job 40:17   “It can stiffen its tail as if it were cedar;

                             the sinews of its thighs have to be interwoven.”

The word in the parentheses should be spelled with a yad, as shown in the brackets.   Addition of the yad makes the word in the brackets, translated as its thighs, plural, as it should be.

עֲצָמָיו אֲפִיקֵי נְחוּשָׁה גְּרָמָיו כִּמְטִיל בַּרְזֶל׃   40:18

Job 40:18   “Its limbs are like cylinders of brass,

                             its bones are like an iron bar.”

הוּא רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכֵי־אֵל הָעֹשֹׂו* יַגֵּשׁ חַרְבֹּו׃   40:19

Job 40:19   “It is of the first of the ways of God;

                             only its Maker can bring His sword near.”

כִּי־בוּל הָרִים יִשְׂאוּ־לוֹ וְכָל־חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה יְשַׂחֲקוּ־שָׁם׃   40:20

Job 40:20   “Surely the mountains will bring forth produce for it,

                             and all the beasts of the field can play there.”

תַּחַת־צֶאֱלִים יִשְׁכָּב בְּסֵתֶר קָנֶה וּבִצָּה׃   40:21

Job 40:21   “It can lie down beneath the lotus trees,

                             in a covert of reed and marsh.”

יְסֻכֻּהוּ צֶאֱלִים צִלֲלוֹ יְסֻבּוּהוּ עַרְבֵי־נָחַל׃   40:22

Job 40:22   “The lotus trees will cover it, its shade;

                             the willows of the wadi will surround it.”

הֵן יַעֲשֹׁק נָהָר לֹא יַחְפּוֹז יִבְטַח כִּי־יָגִיחַ יַרְדֵּן אֶל־פִּיהוּ׃   40:23

Job 40:23   “Though the river may become violent, it would not flee.

                             It will be confident even if the Jordan would burst forth to its mouth.”

בְּעֵינָיו יִקָּחֶנּוּ בְּמוֹקְשִׁים יִנְקָב־אָף׃   40:24

Job 40:24   “Can one take it in its eyes,

                             with snares pierce the nose?”

תִּמְשֹׁךְ לִוְיָתָן בְּחַכָּה וּבְחֶבֶל תַּשְׁקִיעַ לְשֹׁנוֹ׃   40:25

Job 40:25   “Can you lift out the leviathan by a hook,

                             or with a cord press down its tongue?”

הֲתָשִׂים אַגְמוֹן בְּאַפּוֹ וּבְחוֹחַ תִּקּוֹב לֶחֱיוֹ׃   40:26

Job 40:26   “Could you put a reed in its nose,

                             or with a hook pierce its jaw?”

הֲיַרְבֶּה אֵלֶיךָ תַּחֲנוּנִים אִם־יְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ רַכּוֹת׃   40:27

Job 40:27   “Would it increase supplications to you,

                             or speak to you tender words?”

הֲיִכְרֹת בְּרִית עִמָּךְ תִּקָּחֶנּוּ לְעֶבֶד עוֹלָם׃   40:28

Job 40:28   “Would it make a covenant with you?

                             Could you take it for an everlasting servant?”

הַתְשַׂחֶק־בֹּו כַּצִּפֹּור וְתִקְשְׁרֶנּוּ לְנַעֲרֹותֶיךָ׃   40:29

Job 40:29   “Would you sport with it as with a bird,

                             or conspire with it for your damsels?”

יִכְרוּ עָלָיו חַבָּרִים יֶחֱצוּהוּ בֵּין כְּנַעֲנִים׃   40:30

Job 40:30   “Would fishermen make a banquet over it,

                             divide it among merchants?”

הַתְמַלֵּא בְשֻׂכּוֹת עוֹרוֹ וּבְצִלְצַל דָּגִים רֹאשׁוֹ׃   40:31

Job 40:31   “Could you fill its hide with barbs,

                             or its head with a fishing spear?”

שִׂים־עָלָיו כַּפֶּךָ זְכֹר מִלְחָמָה אַל־תּוֹסַף׃   40:32

Job 40:32   “Lay your hand upon it.

                             Think about the battle;

                      you would not do so again.”

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