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Job 32:2-4
New English Translation
Job 32:2-4
New English Translation
2 Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry.[a] He was angry[b] with Job for justifying[c] himself rather than God.[d] 3 With Job’s[e] three friends he was also angry, because they could not find[f] an answer, and so declared Job guilty.[g] 4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking[h] to Job, because the others[i] were older than he was.
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- Job 32:2 tn The verse begins with וַיִּחַר אַף (vayyikhar ʾaf, “and the anger became hot”), meaning Elihu became very angry.
- Job 32:2 tn The second comment about Elihu’s anger comes right before the statement of its cause. Now the perfect verb is used: “he was angry.”
- Job 32:2 tn The explanation is the causal clause עַל־צַדְּקוֹ נַפְשׁוֹ (ʿal-tsaddeqo nafsho, “because he justified himself”). It is the preposition with the Piel infinitive construct with a suffixed subjective genitive.
- Job 32:2 tc The LXX and Latin versions soften the expression slightly by saying “before God.”
- Job 32:3 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Job) has been specified in the translation to indicate whose friends they were.
- Job 32:3 tn The perfect verb should be given the category of potential perfect here.
- Job 32:3 tc This is one of the eighteen “corrections of the scribes” (tiqqune sopherim); it originally read, “and they declared God [in the wrong].” The thought was that in abandoning the debate they had conceded Job’s point.
- Job 32:4 tc This reading requires repointing the word בִּדְבָרִים (bidevarim, “with words”) to בְּדַבְּרָם (bedabberam, “while they spoke [with Job]”). If the MT is retained, it would mean “he waited for Job with words,” which while understandable is awkward.
- Job 32:4 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the other friends) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
New English Translation (NET)
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