Job 38:21-23

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Job 38:21 tn The imperfect verb after the adverb אָז (ʾaz, “then”) functions as a preterite (“you were born”); אָז has been left untranslated because the past tense translation itself suffices to reflect the idiom. The pronoun “them,” referring to light and darkness mentioned in v. 19, has been added to clarify the sense of the statement. Clearly the line is sarcastic.
2. Job 38:22 sn Snow and ice are thought of as being in store, brought out by God for specific purposes, such as times of battle (see Josh 10:11; Exod 9:2ff.; Isa 28:17; Isa 30:30; Ps 18:12 [13]).
3. Job 38:22 tn The same Hebrew term (אוֹצָר, ʾotsar), has been translated “storehouse” in the first line and “armory” in the second. This has been done for stylistic variation, but also because “hail,” as one of God’s “weapons” (cf. the following verse) suggests military imagery; in this context the word refers to God’s “ammunition dump” where he stockpiles hail.
4. Job 38:23 sn The terms translated war and battle are different Hebrew words, but both may be translated “war” or “battle” depending on the context.