Month: February 2026

February 26: Job 7:4

Job 7:1-4, continued
Verse 4

“When I lie down, then I say
‘When will I get up (again)?’
And (the) evening is stretched out,
and I am full of agitation until dawn.”

Verse 4 represents a continuation of the thought in vv. 1-3 (see the previous note). Human existence was compared to the life of a forced or hard labor. The laborer looks forward to the end of the day, which brings a measure of rest and respite from the day’s toil and trouble. However, as Job applies this comparison to his own situation, he is unable to find any real rest, due (presumably) to the severity of his affliction (see vv. 5-6). Even when he lies down to sleep, he is troubled, wondering how long it will be before he gets up again. He seems to be anticipating a night of discomfort and restlessness, and, indeed, the final two lines prove this to be the case. The evening is “stretched out” (vb dd^m*, Piel), that is, because of his inability to sleep, and he is “full of agitation” until morning. This is the only Scriptural occurrence of the Piel with this nuance of meaning, but compare the passive-reflexive Hitpael form in 1 Kings 17:21 (and cp. Jer 6:4); cf. Clines, p. 163. The noun dd%n` (plur. <yd!d%n+) literally means “fleeing, wandering” (vb dd^n` I), but in the more general/figurative sense of “agitation”; this is the only certain occurrence of the noun in Scripture.
Clines (p. 163) points out that, in using the interrogative ytm* (“when”), the speaker’s mood is one of impatience (i.e., “how long before/until”), though it seems that an anticipation of his sleepless/restless night is closer to the mark; cf. Amos 8:5; Ps 41:6[5]; 42:3[2]; 94:8.

The noun br#u# is translated here as “evening”, but it properly means “descent, sinking/setting” (of the sun). Correspondingly, [v#n# is translated “dawn”, though it properly refers to the time of twilight (for either morning or evening), literally a reference to the morning/evening breeze.

Verse 4 can be treated either as a tricolon or a quatrain; I have opted for the latter. In either case, the line division differs in some respect from the Masoretic punctuation (cf. Seow, p. 502). For a summary of ways in which commentators have attempted to divide the verse, see Rowley, p. 77 (cf. Michel, p. 158).

    • References above (and throughout these notes) marked “Seow” are to C. L. [Choon Leong] Seow, Job 1-21: Interpretation and Commentary, Illuminations Commentary Series (Eerdmans: 2013).
    • Those marked “Clines” are to David J. A. Clines, Job 1–20, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 17 (1989).
    • Those marked “Rowley” are to H. H. Rowley, Job, The New Century Bible [NCB], New Series (Thomas Nelson: 1970).
    • Those marked “Michel” are to Walter L. Michel, Job in the Light of Northwest Semitic, Biblica et Orientalia 42 (Rome, Pontifical Biblical Institute Press: 1987).

Wednesday Wisdom: Proverbs 7 (Part 1)

Lecture X: Proverbs 7:1-27

Proverbs 7 represents the final Lecture of chapters 1-9 and the last of four dealing with the figure of the “Strange Woman” (see the previous study on 6:20-35). This Lecture is unique, in terms of both its length and structure; most notably, the main Instruction (vv. 6-23) takes the form of a dramatic narrative depicting the “Strange Woman” and the dangers that she poses for the young man.

As we have discussed throughout the previous studies, this figure-type of the “Strange Woman” draws upon three primary lines of Israelite religious tradition, involving three categories of female figures—prostitute, adulterous married woman, and a foreign woman/wife—that each represent and symbolize the danger of unfaithfulness to God. As it happens, each of these types is highlighted, in sequence, at the heart of the Lecture’s narrative, as indicated by the following outline:

    • Introduction (Exordium): Verses 1-5
    • Instruction: Depiction of the “Strange Woman” (Verses 6-23)
      • Setting for her encounter with the young man (vv. 6-9)
      • The encounter: Her appearance and speech (vv. 10-20)
        • Like a prostitute (vv. 10-13)
        • Allusions to foreign religious-cultural influence (vv. 14-17)
        • Indications of her married status, viz., adultery (vv. 18-20)
      • The result of her encounter with the young man (vv. 21-23)
    • Conclusion: Verses 24-27

This Lecture is also unique in its lack of a concluding lesson (proverb/maxim); instead, the initial exhortation (vv. 1-5) warning against involvement with the “Strange Woman” is essentially repeated (vv. 24-27), giving it special emphasis. Clearly, this figure-type represents much more than the sum of its parts. It cannot simply be reduced to the danger of adultery or of involvement with foreign women; rather, the “Strange Woman” represents the opposite of Wisdom (personified as female)—her path is the crooked path of folly and wickedness, entirely opposed to the straight path of Wisdom, and her seductive speech is altogether contrary to the teachings of Wisdom.

Introduction (Exordium): Verses 1-5
Verses 1-2

“My son, you are to guard my sayings,
and hide away my directives with you.
Guard my directives, and live—
and my instruction, as (the) little man of your eyes!”

This Lecture begins just like all the others, with a father addressing his son, urging him to heed to the teachings of Wisdom. These teachings are represented by the wise/sound instruction given to the boy by his father (just as in these very Lectures). The exhortation (and warning) is expressed by verbal imperatives. In particular, the verb rm^v* (“guard”, along with the parallel/synonymous rx^n`, “keep watch [over]”) is used frequently in the Lectures. The verb /p^x* (“hide [away]”) is much less common in this regard, occurring only in 2:1 (cf. also the different usage in 1:18; 2:7). The teachings of Wisdom are implicitly described as a valuable treasure, which a person hides/stores away (for safe keeping) and guards carefully. The teachings of Wisdom are embodied by the wise words/sayings of the boy’s father (i.e., his parents, cf. 6:20); the nouns hw`x=m! (“directive”) and hroT (“instruction, guidance”) are regular Wisdom-terms, used repeatedly (and more or less interchangeably) in chapters 1-9 as designations for the teaching(s) of Wisdom (given through the father).

As throughout the Lectures, the promise is that following the path and teachings of Wisdom leads to life, while doing the opposite (viz., neglecting and abandoning them) will ultimately lead to death. Cf. 1:19; 2:18-19; 3:2, 16, 18, 22; 4:10, 13, 22-23; 5:5-6; 6:23. The exhortation here closely resembles that in 4:4.

The noun /ovya! is typically translated “pupil” (i.e., of the eye), but it actually means “little man” (being a diminutive of the noun vya!, “man, person”). The expression “little man/person of the eye(s)” presumably derives from the idea that a person can see his/her reflection in the pupil of another’s eye; compare also the expression “daughter of the eye” (Ps 17:8), cf. Fox, p. 239. As in Ps 17:8 and Deut 32:10, this idiom signifies something that is cherished and carefully guarded/protected.

Verse 3

“Tie them (as a band) upon your fingers,
and inscribe them upon (the) tablet of your heart!”

This couplet is quite close to 3:3, only the tying (vb rv^q*) is done on the fingers rather than around the neck. Otherwise, the idiom is the same. See the earlier notes on 1:9, and 33; cf. also 3:3, 22, 6:21, and compare 4:9. There is an apparent allusion to the traditional idea of tying on the Torah precepts so that they become part of a person’s essential character and regular/habitual behavior (Deut 6:8; 11:18). Even deeper along these lines is the image of inscribing (i.e., writing, vb bt^K*) the instruction “upon the heart”, clearly indicating an internalization of the teaching. The most famous parallel is Jeremiah 31:33f, which exercised such a profound influence upon the Spiritualism of early Christian thought. The specific image of the heart as a tablet (j^Wl), upon which writing is engraved, occurs in Jer 17:1; cf. Paul’s use of this same imagery in 2 Cor 3:3ff.

Verse 4

“Say to Wisdom ‘You (are) my sister!’
and ‘(My) close (companion)!’ call to understanding—”

In this vivid and memorable couplet, the personification of Wisdom as a woman is established, even as it is attested in several other passages (1:20-33; 3:13-20; 4:5-9; chaps. 8-9). The remainder of the Lecture is devoted to the opposite of Wisdom—viz., the ‘Strange Woman’. Clearly, a very precise contrast is intended. Instead of the ‘Strange Woman’, the young man is exhorted to make Wisdom his intimate companion.

The use of the designation “sister” (toja^) should not necessarily be understood in terms of a brother-sister relationship per se; it is to be better regarded from the standpoint of ancient Near Eastern love poetry, in which the lovers will not infrequently address themselves as “brother” and “sister”. Cf. Song 4:9-10, 12; 5:1-2; 8:8; the significance of this mode of address is that of an intimate relation or companion, cf. Song 8:1, and my earlier note on 4:9ff. This is also the significance of the term in the second line, ud^m), “(one) known (intimately), a known [i.e., intimate] (companion)”; for poetic concision, I have translated this above as “close (companion)”. The term itself is quite rare in Scripture, the only other occurrence being in Ruth 2:1; this rarity of usage makes it hard to know what precedence there was for its application to an intimate female companion (cf. Fox, p. 241).

Verse 5

“to guard you from (the) woman (who is) turned aside,
from (the) strange (woman) making smooth her words!”

By making Wisdom his intimate companion (essentially, his lover), the young man will be protected (guarded, vb rm^v* as in vv. 1-2) from the ‘Strange Woman’ —the figure who is vividly portrayed in the Instruction that follows. As in the other ‘Strange Woman’ passages, she is characterized by the adjective rz` (fem. hr*z`), cf. 2:16; 5:3, 20. As I have discussed, this adjective properly denotes one who is (or has) “turned aside”. It is important to retain this ethical-religious meaning, particularly as it relates to the path/walking motif featured throughout chaps. 1-9; the ‘Strange [hr*z`] Woman’ thus represents one who has “turned aside” from the right/straight path, and indeed she even represents the path of wicked/folly itself. The parallel adjective yr!k=n` (2:16; 5:10, 20; 6:24) more properly means “strange, foreign”.

The chief allure (and danger) of the ‘Strange Woman’ lies not in her beautiful appearance, but in her words—which are, according to the fundamental contrast implied by the figure, contrary to the teachings of Wisdom. Her words are “smooth” (ql*j*, 5:3; cf. 26:28; Ps 12:3f), that is, sweetly appealing and seductive; here the verb ql^j* (I, Hiphil, “make smooth”) is used, as in 2:16 (cf. 28:23; 29:5). On the attribute of sweet/smooth speech in the erotic context of love poetry, cf. Song 4:11. The negative effect of such “smoothness”, in the case of the ‘Strange Woman’, may be characterized as “slippery”, in the sense that it will cause the man who succumbs to her to ‘slide’ to death and destruction (vv. 21ff; cf. 2:18-19).

Instruction: Verses 6-23
Verse 6

“Indeed, (once) at (the) hole of my house,
up at my window, I looked down…”

As mentioned above, the Instruction in this Lecture takes the form of a dramatic narrative, presented as something that the narrator (i.e., the father) had once observed. This personal viewpoint is established colorfully here in the opening couplet (cf. Judg 5:28). The father is portrayed as looking down out of his window onto (or across at) the street below.
The ellipsis in my translation is for dramatic effect, suggesting a pause by the narrator as he proceeds to describe the scene.

Verse 7

“and I looked among (the) youths,
and discerned among the sons
a young man lacking heart.”

After the assumed pause (at the end of v. 6), the rhythm of the narration suddenly picks up, shifting to a two-beat meter (2+2+2 tricolon). In the street, the father saw a group of ‘sons’ (i.e., boys or young men), also characterized by the adjective yt!P# used regularly throughout Proverbs (see earlier in 1:4, 22, 32) to designate someone who is young and naive and inexperienced (and thus lacking wisdom, in need of instruction and discipline). I have translated the plural here as “youths”, but it is more commonly rendered as “simple (ones)”; a fuller rendering such as “callow youths” is more to the point.

Among these youths is a young man described as “lacking in heart” (i.e., “lacking sense”); compare 17:16, and cf. Ps 154:7. He is thus in a more precarious position than the other young men; more than simply being naive and inexperienced, he is generally devoid of sense and has a tendency not to use good judgment when making decisions as regards his conduct/behavior.

Verse 8

“(He was) passing by in the street, beside her corner,
and (on the) path to her house he strode—”

The rhythm of the previous couplet continues in v. 8 with the opening line which, though presented here as a longer 4-beat line, is probably better rendered as a pair of two-beat lines: “passing by in the street / beside her corner”. The terse rhythm of those statements then broadens out in the final 3-beat line: “and (on the) pathway to her house he strode”. The striding (vb du^x*) could indicate a certain boldness, but more likely here it reflects the young man’s unawareness of the danger he is approaching. But, perhaps indeed, he is portrayed as walking with the confidence of youth. The street goes past the woman’s house (“beside her corner”), and thus it represents the pathway (Er#D#) leading to her house. Clearly, this is yet another instance of the familiar path/walking motif that features throughout chapters 1-9. The path leading to the “Strange Woman” is taking the young man (presumably quite unawares) away from the right path of Wisdom.
The suffixed form of noun hN`P! (“corner”), here HN`P! (“her corner”), would normally be Ht*N`P!. 

Verse 9

“at dusk, at (the) descent of (the) day,
at (the) time of night and darkness.”

The 3-beat rhythm from v. 8b continues in verse 9, dramatically (and with ominous foreboding) setting the scene for the young man’s encounter with the woman. The time is established from two directions: (i) the end of the day(light) [line 1], and (ii) the beginning of the darkness of night. A fair number of recent commentators (e.g., Waltke, Meinhold, Murphy, Müller, Maier) read the noun /Wva$ (with the Qere in 20:20), “time (when something takes place)”, rather than MT /ovya! (Kethib 20:20), and this decision is most likely correct (but cf. Schipper, p. 253). The latter word (literally meaning “little man/person”), used in reference to the pupil of the eye, in the context here could signify either “middle, center” or ‘blackness’ (like that of the pupil).
Dahood (p. 14f) derives /wvya from the root /vy (“sleep”), as thus alluding to the time of sleep or to the “quiet” of the night, to which one might cite the LXX translation (“quiet [h(suxi/a] of [the] night”). 

Verse 10

“And see!—a woman (comes) to meet him,
set as a prostitute and watching her heart.”

Following the setting of the scene (vv. 6-9), the encounter (vb ar*q* II) is narrated in verses 10-20. A woman (note the wordplay between hV*a! and /Wva$//ovya! in v. 9b) comes out to meet the young man—it is an embodiment of the ‘Strange Woman’ herself! As mentioned above (cf. the outline for the Lecture), three distinct strands of tradition, which together inform the figure-type of the ‘Strange Woman’, are highlighted here in the narrative, in sequence. The first of these (vv. 10-13) is the figure of a prostitute (hn`oz). In Israelite religious tradition, unfaithfulness to YHWH was often described in terms of prostitution. Sometimes the unfaithful people were depicted as the prostitute (e.g., Ps 106:39; Isa 1:21; Jer 3:1ff; Ezek 16:15ff; 23:3ff), and in other instances as the ones frequenting the prostitutes (Exod 34:15-16; Num 15:39; 25:1ff; Judg 2:17, etc.). In the context of the Wisdom tradition, involvement with a prostitute is symbolic of wickedness and folly (and, specifically, of the folly of sexual immorality). However, it is to be noted that adultery (with a married woman) is much more prominently emphasized in the book of Proverbs (cf. 6:26).

The woman comes with the “setting” (tyv!) of a prostitute—that is, in certain respects (dress, bearing, etc.) she has the appearance of one. The very fact that she goes out alone, into the street, to meet a stranger, would be enough to make her suspect; cf. the impetuous behavior of the young woman in Song 3:1-4; 5:6-7. The only other Scriptural occurrence of the noun tyv! is in Psalm 73:6, where it similarly refers to the dress and adornment of a woman.

She is also said to be “watching” (i.e., keeping guarded) her heart. Elsewhere in Proverbs, the verb rx^n` (“keep watch [over]”) is used in a positive sense (i.e., watching/guarding one’s heart is a virtue), cf. especially 4:23; here, however, it is apparently being used in the negative sense of concealing one’s intent—viz., so that the young man will not be aware of what the ‘Strange Woman’ intends for him.

Verse 11

“Clamorous she (is) and (quite) rebellious—
in her (own) house her feet do not reside!”

The characterization of the woman in this couplet is pejorative and disparaging; it reflects the narrator’s evaluation of her, more than an objective appraisal of her conduct. The two defining participles in the first line function as verbal adjectives. The first, from the verb hm*h*, means “noisy, clamorous, boisterous”, one who creates commotion and uproar; cf. also 9:13, where the same verbal adjective describes a “foolish woman”.
The verb hm*j* here could also allude to the unruly sexual longings she feels inside; note especially Song 5:4, and the inner ‘groaning’ mentioned in Psalm 42:6[5], 12[11]; 43:5 (cf. Fox, p. 244).

The second participle is from the verb rr^s*, meaning “rebellious”, i.e., rebelling against religious and societal norms; in English, we might rather say “defiant”. This root is frequently used in the context of Israel’s sin and unfaithfulness to the covenant, usually connoting a sense of stubbornness and obstinacy. As Fox notes (p. 244), the verb rr^s* is related to rWs (“turn [aside]”), which, of course, is most relevant to the important path/walking motif used throughout chapters 1-9.

Her rebelliousness and the commotion that she causes is largely due to the fact that she does not remain within the boundaries of her own house. This is particularly significant if, as the passage as whole suggests (see esp. verses 18-20), she is a married woman. In any case, as noted above, a woman going out into the streets alone, and meeting men, is certainly flaunting the accepted norms of society; her behavior is scandalous, and she is acting in a manner suggestive of a prostitute.

Verse 12

“(One) step in (the) street outside, (one) step in the wide squares,
and beside every corner she lies in wait!”

The first line suggests a progression, developing the image from v. 11b (referring to how the woman’s feet do not stay within her house). With one step (or foot, <u^P^) she goes outside into the street, and with another she enters into the wide/broad spaces (squares, plazas) of the town. In other words, in seemingly no time at all, i.e., in just a few moments (<u^P^ can also mean “a beat, time, moment”), she makes her way all through the town (cf. again the behavior of the young woman in Song 3:2, etc.). Her essential purpose in doing so is made clear in the second line. She preys on young men, lying in wait (vb br^a*) for them (cf. 23:28), hoping to lure them into a sexual encounter.
The verbal root <up can be used in the sense of creating a disturbance/stir, which certainly would fit the context here; cf. Judg 13:25; Psalm 77:5[4]; Dan 2:1, 3.

Verse 13

“And (so) she took hold of him and kissed him,
making strong her face, even (as) she said to him:”

Having lain in wait (v. 12b) for an unsuspecting young man, the woman comes and grabs hold of him, kissing him—much, it seems, in the manner of an aggressive prostitute who accosts men in the street. Her forcefulness and brazenness is emphasized by the modifying participle-phrase in the second line, “making strong her face” (on the idiom of a “strong face”, cf. also Qoh 8:1). In Jer 3:3, this sense of boldness, attributed to a prostitute, is expressed in terms of one’s “forehead” (jx^m@); cf. Ezek 3:7ff; Sirach 8:16.

At the close of this verse, the woman begins her address to the young man, having already initiated a sexual encounter (by grabbing him and kissing him). This address covers the remaining two units of the narration (vv. 14-17, 18-20), in which the other two strands of tradition relating to the ‘Strange Woman’ figure-type are highlighted: (a) the danger of foreign religious-cultural influence, and (b) the sin of adultery (i.e., sexual relations with a married woman). These will be discussed, along with the remainder of the Lecture, in Part 2 of this study.

    • References above marked “Fox” are to Michael V. Fox, Proverbs 1-9, Anchor Bible [AB], vol. 18A (Yale University Press: 2000). Those marked “Fox, Textual Commentary” are to idem, Proverbs: An Eclectic Edition with Introduction and Textual Commentary, The Hebrew Bible: A Critical Edition 1 (Society of Biblical Literature [SBL] Press: 2015). 
    • References marked “Waltke” are to Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs, Chapters 1–15, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Eerdmans: 2004).
    • References marked “Schipper” are to Bernd U. Schipper, Proverbs 1-15, Hermeneia Commentary Series (Fortress Press: 2010). See also his monograph on Proverbs 2: Hermeneutik der Tora: Studien zur Traditionsgeschichte von Prov 2 und zur Komposition von Prov 1-9, Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft [BZAW] 432 (Walter de Gruyter: 2012).
    • Those marked “Meinhold” are to Arndt Meinhold, Die Sprüche, Teil 1: Sprüche Kapitel 1-15, Zürcher Bibelkommentare, AT 16.1 (Theologische Verlag Zürich: 1991).
    • Those marked “Dahood” are to Mitchell J. Dahood, S.J., Proverbs and Northwest Semitic Philology, Scripta Pontificii Instituti Biblici 113 (Rome, Pontifical Biblical Institute: 1963).
    • Those marked “Müller” are to Achim Müller, Proverbien 1-9: Der Weisheit neue Kleider, Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft [BZAW] 291 (Walter de Gruyter: 2000).
    • Those marked “Maier” are to Christl Maier, Die «fremde Frau» in Proverbien 1-9: Eine exegetische und socialgeschichtliche Studie, Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 144 (Universitätsverlag Freiburg Schweiz / Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht: 1995).

February 24: Job 7:1-3

Job’s Second Speech, Part 2: Chapter 7

Job 7:1-4
Verse 1

“Is it not (like) forced service for humankind upon earth,
and like (the) days of a hired worker his days?”

In this second part of Job’s speech, his lament is set more firmly within the established Wisdom Tradition. In the opening sections, Job’s suffering is portrayed as a natural extension—albeit especially extreme and severe—of the common lot of human suffering. In the first two couplets (vv. 1-2), human life on earth is compared to forced service and the hard work of a hired laborer, respectively. The former is expressed here, in the first line, by the noun ab*x*, which denotes military service (viz., as a soldier, in the army, cf. 10:17), but which also came to be used for different kinds of forced service (or hard labor generally); cf. Isa 40:2. The parallel in v. 2a makes clear that forced service (presumably like that of a conscripted soldier performing compulsory service) is in view. The same basic Wisdom motif, comparing human life on earth with forced/compulsory service, occurs in 14:14.

In the second line, human life is compared to the hard work of a wage-earning (ryk!c*) day-laborer (cf. Lev 25:50ff; Deut 24:14f). A human being’s days (“his days”), that is, his daily life, is like that of laborer who works throughout the day and then is paid at the close of it (cf. Matt 20:18). As Seow (p. 501) notes, the reference to military service in line 1 raises the possibility that ryk!c* here could refer to a hired soldier (i.e., mercenary); cf. Jer 46:21. But a general reference to a day laborer is more likely. Again, the same Wisdom-motif occurs later on in chap. 14 (v. 6), similarly in the context of the brevity of human life (viz., a limited number of allotted days), v. 5.

Verse 2

“Like a slave he (is) panting for (evening’s) shade,
and like a hired worker awaits (payment) for his work.”

The same comparison from verse 1 is used here in this couplet, but with the image of a slave (instead of a soldier) used for the idea of forced labor (see above). The idea of suffering is alluded to a bit more clearly here as well, particularly in the first line, with the image of a slave panting (vb [a^v*) for shade (that is, for relief from the hot sun). However, the parallel with the second line suggests that the shade of evening (which also means the end of his hard day’s work) is primarily in view. The use of the noun lx@ (“shadow, shade”) almost certainly is meant as an allusion to the Wisdom-motif regarding the brevity of human life—viz., that it passes like a shadow (cf. 8:9; 14:2; Ps 102:11; 109:23; 144:4; Eccl 6:12; 8:13). There may also be a bit of harsh irony intended, given the use of lx@ as an image of Divine protection (e.g., Pss 17:8; 36:8[7]; 57:2[1]; 63:8[7]; 91:1; 121:5; Isa 49:2; 51:16)—the very sort of protection that was removed from Job; cf. Seow, p. 501.

As noted above, the hired worker (i.e., day-laborer) receives payment (wages) at the end of the day’s work. Thus, the respite of the evening shade for the slave corresponds to the evening’s wages for the hired worker. The noun lu^P) (cf. hL*u%P=) means “work”, but here clearly the reference is to payment for work (cf. Jer 22:13; 31:16; Isa 61:8; Lev 19:13), and, no doubt, also to the completion of the day’s work (and the rest that comes with it). The verb hw`q* means “wait”, but often with a strong sense of hopeful expectation.

Verse 3

“So I have inherited for myself months of emptiness,
and nights of trouble they have numbered for me!”

In these next two couplets, Job applies the Wisdom-statements of vv. 1-2 to his own situation, using the idiom of inherited/assigned allotments rather than payments for a day’s work. Job is the passive recipient of these allotments—they are made for him by others. This is clear from the Hophal (passive) form of the verb lj^n`, which here literally means “I was made to inherit”, which for poetic concision I have translated reflexively “I have inherited (for myself)”. Similarly, in the second line, “they have numbered (out) [i.e., allotted] for me”; the verb (MT WNm!) could also be vocalized as a passive form (WNm%, Wnm%), cf. Michel, p. 156.

What he has been allotted, and has inherited, are many days (“months”) of “emptiness” (aw+v*). The noun aw+v*, which occurs numerous times (in a Wisdom-context) in the Psalms (14 times) and elsewhere in Job (11:1; 15:31; 31:5; 35:13; cf. also Prov 30:8), has the general meaning “emptiness” (also “pointlessness, uselessness”), but typically with the strong negative connotations of “worthlessness”, “deception/deceit”, etc., often implying that a measure of injustice is involved. This negative aspect is clear from the parallel lm*u* (“trouble”) in the second line; the denotation (cf. the verbal root lmu) implies physical and emotional exertion (i.e., labor, toil). Thus, human beings (compared to forced laborers and day-laborers) have been allotted many days and nights (viz., most of their lives) of wearisome toil, which includes (surely) unjust exploitation and oppression at the hands of the powerful in society.

In general terms, these comparative descriptions capture the sense of emptiness, suffering, and misery that Job is experiencing. His suffering, of course, is much more extreme and severe than that endured by most people, but it is not appreciably different in its basic character. It is part of the human condition, the common lot of humanity. And, though the point is not made explicit here, ultimately God is the one who has assigned/allotted these things for humankind; cf. Jonah 2:1 [1:17]; 4:6ff, for this use of the verb hn`m* (Piel, “count/number, measure [out]”). God’s responsibility for Job’s suffering is, to be sure, at the heart of the entire drama, though the Dialogue has only just begun to deal with this theme.

Job’s application of this line of Wisdom Tradition continues in verse 4, which concludes the opening unit (vv. 1-4). Because the text and interpretation of this verse are more complicated, it will be dealt with in more detail in the next note.

Given the allusions to Psalm 39 in chapters 6-7 (see the earlier note on 6:11 and the upcoming notes on 7:6-8, 11-12 and 19-21), it is probable that the Wisdom sentiment expressed in these verses is influenced to some extent by Ps 39:6-7 [5-6].

    • References above (and throughout these notes) marked “Seow” are to C. L. [Choon Leong] Seow, Job 1-21: Interpretation and Commentary, Illuminations Commentary Series (Eerdmans: 2013).
    • Those marked “Michel” are to Walter L. Michel, Job in the Light of Northwest Semitic, Biblica et Orientalia 42 (Rome, Pontifical Biblical Institute Press: 1987).

Sunday Psalm Studies: Psalm 154

Qumran Manuscript 11QPsa, continued

Psalm 154

Column XVIII of the Qumran manuscript 11QPsa contains an extra-canonical Psalm that scholars have numbered as Psalm 154, recognized as one of the five Syriac “Apocryphal Psalms” preserved in the Syriac Tradition (but only in later manuscripts); the numbering 151-155 of these Psalms corresponds to the ordering in the major medieval Syriac manuscript containing them. A Hebrew version of both Psalms 154 and 155 (as well as 151, already discussed) is found in the manuscript 11QPsa, and it is generally acknowledged that this text forms the basis of the Syriac translation, the Psalm originally having been composed in Hebrew.

Psalm 154 is a hymn of praise to YHWH, containing a strong Wisdom orientation (in stanzas 2 & 3). As is the case in many of the canonical Psalms, praise is viewed in terms of sacrificial offerings (central section, vv. 9-11)—viz., as a ritual offering made to God. This suggests an exilic or post-exilic setting, whereby many Israelites and Jews, unable to offer sacrifice at the Temple, gradually came to treat devout prayer and praise as effectively taking the place of the ritual offerings. Texts such as Ps 154 express a religious and theological basis for this substitution.

The poem is preserved throughout Column XVIII. It is more or less intact, but not complete, the opening (vv. 1-2 + part of v. 3) is lost from the bottom of the previous column (XVII) and the end (v. 20 and portions of vv. 17-19) is partly missing from the bottom of XVIII. For the missing portions, I have followed Sanders’ reconstruction of the Hebrew (from the Syriac); pp. 104ff; DJD, pp. 64ff.

It is possible to divide the Psalm into five sections, even as Sanders delineates them. I regard the central section (vv. 9-11) as an Interlude or transitional unit, at the center of the four main stanzas. There is a chiastic thematic structure to the Psalm, which I would outline as follows:

    • Stanza 1: The praise of YHWH by the righteous (vv. 1-4)
      • Stanza 2: Wisdom given to the righteous by God (vv. 5-8)
        • Interlude: Praise as a Sacrificial offering that pleases God (vv. 9-11)
      • Stanza 3: Wisdom in the community of the righteous (vv. 13-15)
    • Stanza 4: YHWH’s response to the righteous (vv. 16-20)
Stanza 1: Verses 1-4 (lines 1-2)
Verse 1

“[With a great voice, glorify (the) Mightiest!
With an assembly of many, make heard His glory!]”

This first couplet is missing from the Qumran manuscript (lost from the bottom of Column XVII) and is restored from the Syriac; cf. the reconstructed Hebrew by Sanders (p. 104). It represents a call to worship, such as we find in a good number of canonical praise-Psalms. The Psalmist calls on the people (note the plural form of the verbal imperatives) collectively, as a community, to give praise to YHWH (“the Mightiest”, Heb. <yh!l)a$, Elohim). It is particularly the righteous/devout ones who are eager and willing to praise YHWH, and are expected to do so, though ideally all of the people would be devoted in this manner (note the expression “assembly of [the] many”); in the canonical Psalms, the protagonist typically identifies himself with the community of the righteous (cf. verse 2, below).

Verse 2

“[Among a multitude of (the) straight (one)s, glorify His name,
and with (the) firm (one)s, recount His greatness!]”

This couplet, like the first, is lost from the Qumran manuscript and is restored on the basis of the Syriac (cf. Sanders, p. 104). It builds upon the first couplet, specifically identifying the community (“assembly of many”) giving praise with those who are righteous—faithful and devout (to YHWH and to the covenant). Note the parallelism of the expressions: “assembly of (the) many” | “multitude of (the) straight (one)s”. The righteous here are described by the regular characteristics of “straight” (adj. rv*y`) and “firm” (/Wma). The attribute of “straightness” can be understood in ethical-religious terms, viz., of being “upright”; while the root /ma, which denotes firmness (cf. the nouns hn`Wma$ and tm#a#), frequently carries the connotations of “faithfulness, loyalty, trustworthiness” (and also “truthfulness”).

The canonical Psalms also frequently evince a name-theology, whereby YHWH is worshiped through praise of His name (<v). In ancient Near Eastern thought, a person’s name represented and embodied the person him/herself; thus, to glorify YHWH’s name is to glorify Him. This name-theology was particularly prominent in the book of Deuteronomy (and the Deuteronomic History), fundamentally associated with the Temple sanctuary in Jerusalem (cf. my earlier set of notes on Solomon’s Prayer, at the dedication of the Temple, in 1 Kings 8). The worship of YHWH in the Temple precincts (or in the direction of the Temple) involved the theological notion that YHWH was present there through His name—and, thus, He was worshipped by way of His name.

The “greatness” of YHWH stands for all of His essential and fundamental attributes, as well as alluding to the many great deeds He has performed—both as Creator and as the One who has acted on behalf of His people Israel. These mighty deeds are to be “recounted” (vb rp^s*), i.e., in song and with music.

Verse 3

“[Bind] your souls to (the) good (one)s,
and to (the) complete (one)s, to glorify (the) Highest!”

The first word of verse 3 (like vv. 1-2) is lost and is to be restored from the Syriac. However, the remainder of the couplet is preserved in line 1 of 11QPsa (Col. XVIII). In addressing the people as he does in vv. 1-2, the Psalmist effectively assumes that they are among the righteous/devout ones. Here, he expressly calls on them to join themselves (their “souls”) with all those who are faithful/loyal to YHWH. Along with the pair of characteristic attributes in v. 2 (see above), here the righteous are described as “good” (bof) and “complete” (<ym!T*). These substantive adjectives (like those of v. 2) express fundamental characteristics that define the righteous person. For bof, cf. Psalm 125:4; the person who is good also does good, and their goodness is reflected (and expressed) by their deeds. For <ym!T*, cf. Ps 37:18, etc.; as Sanders (DJD, p. 66) notes, this adjective was also used by the Qumran community (as a self-designation), e.g., 1QS 3:3; 1QM 14:7, etc. This union of the faithful (cf. verse 4) is specifically for the purpose of praising (i.e., glorifying, vb ra^P*) YHWH.

Verse 4

“Bind together as one to make known His salvation,
and do not be slow to make known His strength,
and His glory, to all (the) simple (one)s!”

This concluding verse has expanded the couplet-format into a tricolon. The binding (vb rb^j*) together of the souls of all the righteous/faithful ones has the purpose (and result) of forming a union, a community, as indicated here by the adverb (djy), “as one” —a term of special significance for the Qumran Community. It is rather to be expected that the verb rb^j* here would be in the reflexive Hitpael stem (like the verb lx^u* in line 2), i.e., “bind yourselves (together)” but apparently the manuscript has a Hiphil form (“make a bond”). The noun uv^y@ is translated as “salvation”, though the expression “His salvation” clearly refers to the salvation that YHWH has provided (to His people); it could conceivably be translated “saving (power)” (cf. the noun zou, “strength, might”, in line 2), but that could obscure a reference to the actual instances when YHWH acted to save His people.

Again, the call is to “make known” the mighty deeds performed by YHWH, and the fundamental attributes (“greatness, power”, etc.) that such deeds reflect. The righteous are called to make these things known to the “simple (one)s”, viz., those who are young and naive and inexperienced (children, and others who need to learn).

Stanza 2: Verses 5-8 (lines 3-6)
Verses 5-6

“Thus to make known (the) weight of YHWH
wisdom is given;
and to recount (the) multitude of His deeds
she is made known to men—”

This second stanza deals specifically with the idea that God’s people (viz., the righteous/faithful ones) are gifted with wisdom (hm*k=j*) in order to understand and make known the truth of who YHWH is (and what He has done). While God has given wisdom to all people, the righteous are uniquely inspired; here the inspiration certainly also extends to the composition and performance of music in worship (i.e., musical inspiration). We find this point of view expressed frequently in the Qumran texts (particularly the Thanksgiving Hymns [Hodayot]), where it is particularly the spirit of wisdom (as well as other spirits that come from God) that is given to the faithful/chosen ones.

The Divine origin of Wisdom is expressed in a number of Wisdom-texts (going back at least to Proverbs 1-9, cf. especially 8:22-31). As in a number of these texts (cf. Sirach 1:14-16ff), the Divine Wisdom is personified here as a female (the noun hm*k=j* being grammatically feminine), and so I have translated accordingly using the pronouns “she, her”.

Note the parallelism involving the verb ud^y` (“know, make known”): in order to make the full weight (i.e., worth, honor, glory) of YHWH known (udy, Hiphil), Wisdom was made known (udy, Niphal) to human beings (spec. the righteous).

The shift in orientation for this stanza is matched by a metrical shift: in these first two couplets (cf. also v. 8), a truncated 3+2 meter is used.

Verse 7

“to make known His strength to (the) simple (one)s,
to give insight of His greatness to (those) lacking heart,”

Syntactically, verses 7-8 continue the thought from vv. 5-6, with the couplet here in verse 7 constituting a pair of purpose-clauses that expound the principal purpose-statements in vv. 5-6. Wisdom works to enable the righteous to “make known” the truth of YHWH to the “simple (one)s” (repeated from verse 4c)—that is, to those who are young and inexperienced. This substantive adjective (yt!P#) is a regular Wisdom-term that occurs frequently, for example, in the book of Proverbs. The young and naive person is generally lacking wisdom (often simply as the result of a lack of experience) and so needs to be instructed. Other people who need to be taught are those lacking intelligence and sense (lit., “lacking heart”, cf. Prov 7:7); while this expression may serve as another way of referring to the “simple (one)s”, it probably should be understood as a broadening of the category of those individuals who are lacking wisdom. The verb lk^c* (Hiphil) is another Wisdom-term; in this context, it means something like “give insight/understanding, make wise”.

Verse 8

“the (one)s far from her places of entry,
th(ose) scattered from her places of coming!”

The people in need of wisdom and instruction (see v. 7 above) are further characterized as being at a distance from Wisdom. The personification of Wisdom (implicit above) comes more clearly into view here, with the reference to the places where she enters (lit., openings) and through which she comes and goes—viz., gates of entry, portals, etc.; cf. Prov 8:14; 9:1ff. The reference to people being “scattered” (vb jd^n`, Niphal) could be taken as an allusion to the dispersion of Israelites/Jews among the nations (in the post-exilic period). On this verb in the sense of ‘going astray’ (ethically and religiously), see Deut 4:19; 22:1; 30:17; cf. Sanders, DJD, p. 66.

Interlude: Verses 9-11 (lines 6-10)
Verse 9

“Indeed, the Highest—He (is) Lord of Ya‘aqob,
and His glory (is) over all His works!”

This stanza (which I regard as an Interlude) is the central section of the Psalm; it is here that we find expressed the distinctive religious tenet (also occurring in a number of the canonical Psalms) that proper praise of YHWH (by the righteous) functions much like sacrificial offerings. In an age where many Israelites and Jews do not have ready access to the Temple, worship and devotion to YHWH can effectively take the place of the ritual offerings.

In the initial couplet, the Highest God is specifically identified as the God of Israel (Jacob), as well as being recognized as the Creator. The glory (tr#a#p=T!) of YHWH is tied to the great things that He has done (“His deeds/works”), which refers to His work as the Creator, but also to His many mighty deeds performed on behalf of His people Israel.

Verse 10

“And (the) person glorifying (the) Highest,
He accepts as (one) bringing forward a gift—”

Giving glory (vb ra^P*, a keyword throughout this Psalm) to YHWH is just like bring forward a ritual offering (at the Temple). YHWH treats the righteous one offering praise just like the one making a ritual offering (hj*n+m!, “gift”). As noted above, this tendency to make worship (in music and song) function like the sacrificial offerings is found in the canonical Psalms (e.g., 50:14, 23; 116:17; 141:2). This may occasionally be tied to a critical attitude toward the ritual (cf. 40:7[6]ff; 51:18[16]ff), but more often worship is simply treated as a natural complement to the ritual (cf. 54:8[6]). In the exilic and post-exilic periods, when many Israelites and Jews were unable to fulfill the ritual obligations (at the Temple), as a practical necessity prayer and praise came to take the place of ritual offerings. For very different reasons, the Community of the Qumran texts abandoned the sacrificial ritual connected with the Jerusalem Temple and priesthood; thus, the thought expressed here in vv. 10-11 had a very distinct significance for them (compare 1QS 9:4-5, cf. Sanders, p. 105), even as it would (somewhat later on) for early Christians.

Verse 11

“as (one) bringing near goats and sons of cattle,
as (one) making fat (the) altar with many (gift)s going up,
as fragrant smoke, soothing, from (the) hand of (the) righteous!”

The bringing forward of a “gift” (i.e., ritual offering), mentioned in v. 10, is further expounded here (in this concluding tricolon) through a summary of the entire process of the sacrificial offering: (i) the bringing of the animals to be sacrificed (as burnt offerings), (ii) the offering of the sacrificed animal upon the altar (lit., “place of slaughter”) and the burning of it (causing the smoke to “go up”), and (iii) the scent of the smoke that is fragrant and sweet-smelling, soothing to YHWH (i.e., appeasing Him). Proper offerings are made by the righteous—indeed, the righteous are those who faithfully fulfill the ritual obligations. In a setting were other forms of worship (prayer and praise) take the place of the sacrificial ritual, the fundamental nature and essence of the offering remains the same.

Stanza 3: Verses 12-15 (lines 10-13)
Verse 12

“From (the) entrances of (the) righteous is heard her voice,
and, from (the) assembly of (the) devout, her song.”

The focus on Wisdom (from Stanza 2, cf. above) continues here; again, as she is personified as a female, this is indicated in translation (with the pronouns “she, her”). Wisdom is given to the righteous and devout ones, and they are inspired (by Wisdom) to sing out in praise of YHWH. Thus, one may understand a two-fold significance to the “voice” and “song” of Wisdom being “heard” in the midst of the righteous: she sings to them, and they, in turn sing out under her inspiration.

Verse 13

“Upon their eating with fullness, she is spoken (of),
and upon their drinking, in (their) bond as one.”

Wisdom is also the focus of conversation within the community of the righteous. She is “spoken (of)” when they are eating and drinking—viz., meals taken in common—together. As in verse 4, the root rb^j* (“bind, form a bond”) is used together with the adverb djy (“as one, together”). As mentioned above, such language, if it was not written (or added) by members of the Qumran Community themselves, would have held special meaning and importance for the Community. Sanders (p. 107) mentions the seeming sectarian character of these verses; cf. 1QS 6:4-7; 1QSa 2:11ff.

Verse 14

“Their conversation (is) in (the) Instruction of (the) Highest,
their words (devoted) to making known His strength.”

Again, the conversation (here, j^yc!) of the righteous is mentioned, but in a more general and comprehensive sense. Within the Wisdom Tradition, the noun hr*oT (“instruction, guidance”) functions as a key Wisdom-term, more or less synonymous with hm*k=j*, etc. The noun, of course, also refers to the Instruction (viz., the Torah, with its precepts and regulations, etc.). The Torah itself is an expression of the Divine Wisdom (hr*oT is also grammatically feminine). The speech of the righteous (in community) is focused on God’s Torah, and on the goal/duty of making YHWH known (to others)—in praise and proclamation of His greatness, glory, and power. Cf. 1QS 6:6ff.

Verse 15

“How far from (the) wicked (one)s (is) her speech,
and from all heated (one)s (the) knowing of her!”

Here, in this concluding couplet, the righteous are contrasted with the wicked. While the righteous are in close contact with Wisdom, being inspired by her, devoted to her, and in union with her, quite the opposite is the case for the wicked. The wicked are far away from her—even further than are the simple and foolish ones (cf. verse 8, above). The do not hear her speaking, and her word/speech is quite foreign to them, nor do they even know her.

In the second line, the wicked are described as “hot/heated” (dz@, cf. the verbal root dyz]); when applied to the wicked (as characteristic of them), this adjective carries the strong connotation of “arrogant, presumptuous, overconfident”. It is used on a number of occasions in the canonical Psalms (cf. 19:14[13]; 86:14; 119:21, 51, 69, 78, 85, 122); the occurrences in Ps 119 have a comparable Wisdom context (cf. Prov 21:24).

Stanza 4: Verses 16-20 (lines 13-16)
Verse 16

“See—(the) eyes of YHWH
have compassion on (the) good (one)s;”

Even as stanzas 2 and 3 are thematically parallel, so are stanzas 1 and 4 (cf. the chiastic outline in the Introduction above). A point of parallel, evident in this first couplet, is the substantive use of the adjective bof (“good”) as a characteristic of the righteous, which was also used in verse 3 (see above). In the first stanza, the focus was on the righteous giving glory to YHWH, and thus demonstrating their faithfulness and loyalty to Him. Now, in this final stanza, YHWH’s response to them is indicated; He has compassion on them, and will rescue them in their time of need (cf. below), glorifying them in return. The motif of YHWH’s eyes emphasizes His all-seeing attention and care/concern for His people.

Verse 17

“and upon (those) glorifying Him He makes great His devotion,
(and) from an evil time He will snatch away [their] soul.”

The points made above (on v. 16) are clarified here by the Psalmist in v. 17. Reflecting the covenant-bond He has made with His people, YHWH will show His devotion to those who are manifestly devoted to Him. He will be faithful to the covenant-bond, which, from His side, entails providing protection for His people, rescuing them out of danger in their time of distress (“from an evil time”, cf. Amos 5:13; Mic 2:3). The verb lx^n` (Hiphil, “snatch out/away”, viz., out of danger) is a regular rescue-term that occurs numerous times (43) in the canonical Psalms (usually within the prayer- and lament-Psalms).

The final letter of the last word is missing in the Qumran text; more extensive gaps occur in vv. 18-19, and v. 20 is entirely missing. All such lacunae, which are restored on the basis of the Syriac (cf. Sanders, p. 106), are indicated by square brackets.

Verse 18

“[Bless] YHWH—
(the One) redeeming (the) lowly from (the) hand of strang[ers],
[and snatch]ing [(the) complete from (the) hand of (the) wicked];”

The remainder of the Psalm, further expressing the blessings that YHWH will provide to the righteous, takes the form of a litany of praise, utilizing the familiar Psalm feature of a sequence of substantive verbal nouns (participles) that describe characteristic attributes and actions of YHWH. It begins with an expression of praise (blessing) for YHWH, matching those in stanza 1.

As in v. 17b, this couplet declares the expectation (based on covenant promises) that YHWH will rescue the righteous (from danger and enemies) in their time of need. In line 1, verb la^G` is used, referring to the specific cultural practice of redemption (out of debt and bondage) by a kinsman, but often applied (with YHWH as the subject) to an act of rescue or deliverance generally. This verb is paired in line 2 with lx^n` (Hiphil), repeated from v. 17b. The righteous are characterized by the adjective yn]u*, “pressed/bent (down)”, used frequently in the Psalms, expressing the lowliness of the righteous, both in terms of their humble (i.e., lowly) attitude and their pressed-down condition (often as the result of oppression). In the second line, they are further characterized as “complete” (<ymt), just as in verse 3b.

The distress faced by the righteous often comes from oppression and persecution by the wicked, and this is the situation in view here. In the first line, the wicked are characterized as rz`, literally meaning one who has/is “turned aside”; this can refer to someone who is a stranger or foreign (i.e., “turned aside/away” so as to be[come] estranged), but the parallel with the uvr (“wicked”) in line 2 suggests a moral aspect of meaning (i.e., “turned aside” from what is right). Even so, there is a long history for Israel of being oppressed by foreign nations (‘strangers’), and the nations themselves were typically viewed as characteristically wicked.

Verse 19

“[(the One) raising up a horn from Ya‘a]qob,
and (one) judging [(the) peoples from Yisrael];”

YHWH’s promised acts of deliverance are here, in this couplet, expressed in Messianic terms. YHWH will raise up a “horn” from out of Israel, one who will function (as YHWH’s representative) to judge the nations in the end-time. The idiom of ‘raising a horn’, with the horn symbolizing strength and vitality, occurs a number of times in the Psalms, particularly associated with David and the kingship of Israel/Judah (cf. 18:3[2]; 89:18[17], 25[24]; 92:11[10]; 112:9; 148:14). The Messianic interpretation of this idiom has its basis in Ps 132:17, along with Ezekiel 29:21, being applied to Jesus (as the Messiah) in Luke 1:69.

Verse 20

“[(the One) stretching out His Tent in Ṣiyyôn,
and abiding to (the) end in Yerušalaim!]”

The final couplet of the Psalm (entirely missing from the end of the column in 11QPsa) emphasizes the abiding presence of YHWH in Jerusalem. His “tent”, of course, refers to the place of his dwelling, symbolically and ritually, in the Temple sanctuary. In many of the canonical Psalms (especially those likely dated to the post-exilic period) there is a strong identification of the righteous with Zion/Jerusalem, cf. especially throughout the Songs of Ascent (120-134). Their devotion to YHWH (and the covenant) finds expression through their devotion to the holy city (and the site of the Temple). This remains so for Israelites and Jews (and even many Christians) to the present day, even many centuries after the Temple had been destroyed.

*     *     *     *     *

In our next study, we will continue the examination of deutero-canonical and extra-canonical Psalms from the Qumran scrolls, examining another of the Syriac Apocryphal Psalms (Ps 155) which is attested in an original Hebrew version in 11QPsa.

    • References above marked “Sanders” are to J. A. Sanders, The Dead Sea Psalms Scroll (Cornell University Press: 1967). Those marked “Sanders DJD” are to the more detailed scholarly treatment by the same author in volume 4 of the Discoveries in the Judean Desert [DJD] series (Clarendon Press [Oxford]): The Psalms Scroll of Qumran Cave 11 (11QPsa) (1965). 

February 20: Job 6:28-30

Job 6:28-30
Verse 28

“And now, go ahead! Turn and face me!
And (see) if I will lie to your face!”

As the first division (chap. 6) of Job’s speech comes to a close, he addresses a challenge to his companions to look him straight in the face—that is, to deal with him directly, not shying away or hiding behind pious sentiment and declarations based on conventional wisdom. The verb hn`P* (imperative) I have translated here as “turn and face”, in order to capture both the fundamental meaning of the verb (“turn [oneself]”) and the obvious associated idea of being in front of someone (i.e., facing them) that informs the related noun hn#P* (plural form), “face, front”. Both terms are used here: “face me…to your face”. The verb preceding hn`P*, also an imperative, is la^y` (II), which denotes beginning (or deciding) to do something; I have translated it here colloquially as “go ahead…!” (cf. verse 9).
In the Psalms, the imperative “turn…!” is normally addressed to YHWH, as the Psalmist entreats (i.e., prays to) God, asking Him to show mercy and to rescue him out of trouble/danger, etc.; see Pss 25:16; 69:17[16]; 86:16; 119:132; cf. Seow, p. 484.

The second line begins with the conditional particle <a! (“if”), presumably being used in an oath formula; in such instances (as here), I translate “See if…!” Typically, this is rendered as a negative formulation: “I will not…!” —here, “Indeed, I will not lie to your face!” Cf. GKC §149a–b. By essentially declaring that he will not lie to his companions, Job is promising to deal honestly and directly with them.

Verse 29

“Turn back, please! Let there not be any crookedness.
Yes, turn back! Let my rightness give witness against it!”

In this next couplet, Job furthers his entreaty to his companions, with some conceptual wordplay between hn`P* (“turn, face”) in v. 28 and the verb bWv (“turn [back], return”) here in v. 29. By asking them to “turn back”, he is repeating the request for them to turn to him, but also to turn back from (i.e., to stop) what they have been doing. For this nuance of the verb bWv, see especially Gordis (p. 77f) and his earlier article “Some Unrecognized Meanings of the Root Shub,” Journal of Biblical Literature [JBL] 52 (1933), pp. 153-62; cf. Exod 32:12; Judg 11:35; 1 Kings 13:33.

The apparent jussive form of the verb hy`h* indicates that Job is expressing a wish that there be no “crookedness” in the dealings between he and his companions. He may also be declaring that there is no “crookedness” (i.e., dishonesty, wickedness) present in him—viz., that he is dealing honestly/directly, and asks that his companions do the same.

The second line is most difficult, and commentators have struggled to explain its meaning properly. To begin with, there is the textual issue regarding the form of the imperative (same verb, bWv); the Kethib has a feminine form (ybv), while the Qere reading is the same masculine plural form (Wbv%) as in line 1. The Qere is almost certainly correct, and there may be an explanation at hand for the odd Kethib reading (see below).

The final phrase of the line (in the MT) is: “yet/still my right(eous)ness (is) in it” (?) the meaning of which is most uncertain. Gordis (p. 78) explains it as “my right(eous)ness is still in itself” (i.e., is still intact). Driver-Gray (p. 67) follows several earlier commentators (e.g., Bickell, Budde, Siegfried, Beer) in proposing an emendation from hb* (“in it”) to yb! (“in me”), i.e., “still my righteousness is in me”. Seow (p. 484) offers the ingenious suggestion that the Kethib reading ybv (see above) reflects a mistaken division of the consonantal text, which originally read: hb yqdx duy bvw. According to this explanation the first word is to be vocalized b%v%w+ (= Wbv%w+), and the second word represents a yiqtol (jussive) form of the verb dou (II), “(give) witness, be a witness”, to match the jussive in the first line. Poetic parallelism for the couplet strongly favors this explanation. The final phrase would then be: “Let my right(eous)ness be a witness of it” (or “… against it”). The referent for the suffix (h-) on the preposition B= remains unclear, but presumably it refers to hl*w+u^ (“crookedness”) in line 1, in which case “against it” is the proper translation (so Seow). Job is perhaps declaring that his own righteousness will testify against any apparent wickedness (“crookedness”) that could be seen as an explanation for his suffering, such as Eliphaz has already implied (and which will be further expressed by the companions). The noun qd#x# (“rightness”) is certainly meant as a contrast to hl*w+u^ (“crookedness, wickedness”).

Verse 30

“Is there present on my tongue (any) crookedness?
Or can my palate not discern (the taste)s of disaster?”

By his rhetorical question in the first line, Job follows up on the expressed wish (and intention) in v. 29b, essentially declaring that there is no “crookedness” on his tongue (i.e., in his speech, the things he says); cf. 27:4. This means that he is speaking honestly (i.e., straightly, directly), and that there is no wickedness or malice in what he says.

In the second line, the noun Ej@, denoting the ‘palate’ (i.e., the organ/sense of taste), is parallel to /ovl* (“tongue”). The tongue/mouth is both the instrument of speaking and of tasting. However, occasionally the motif of tasting is used in a figurative sense (as a Wisdom-term) in relation both to speech and for understanding/discernment (here, /yb!); cf. Psalm 119:103. Job thus declares that he is still capable of rightly understanding and discerning things. The object of his ‘taste’ (i.e., discernment) here is a bit unclear. The plural noun toWh^ is normally understood as being a form of hW`h^ (II), “downfall, destruction, disaster, calamity”. This could suggest, in context, that Job understands the nature of his downfall (viz., the disasters that have struck him). This would be quite incorrect if it meant that he understood the reasons for the calamities—indeed, that is entirely what he can not understand! However, if he is making a defense for his bitter lamentation, then the statement may simply reflect the fact that his lament is an honest and authentic response to the ‘bitter taste’ of the suffering that he is experiencing.

It should be noted that the plural noun toWh^ has been explained at least two other ways. Clines (p. 162) suggests that it should be understood as a form of hW`h^ (I), “(evil or capricious) desire”, but in the sense of “deceit”, as proposed by Gordis (p. 78); cf. Micah 7:3, and (possibly) Psalm 5:10[9]. A similar meaning of “false/deceitful words” was suggested by Pope (p. 56), followed by Michel (p. 153) and a few other commentators, through connecting twwh here with Ugaritic hwt (II), “word” (cf. Akkadian awatu/amatu).

With this challenge to his companions, the stage is set for the second part of Job’s speech (chapter 7), which we will begin to examine in the next note.

    • References above (and throughout these notes) marked “Seow” are to C. L. [Choon Leong] Seow, Job 1-21: Interpretation and Commentary, Illuminations Commentary Series (Eerdmans: 2013).
    • Those marked “Clines” are to David J. A. Clines, Job 1–20, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 17 (1989).
    • Those marked “Pope” are to Marvin H. Pope, Job, Anchor Bible [AB], vol. 15 (1965, 1973).
    • Those marked “Michel” are to Walter L. Michel, Job in the Light of Northwest Semitic, Biblica et Orientalia 42 (Rome, Pontifical Biblical Institute Press: 1987).
    • Those marked “Gordis” are to Robert Gordis, The Book of Job: Commentary, New Translation, and Special Studies, Moreshet Series, Studies in Jewish History, Literature and Thought, vol. 11 (The Jewish Theological Seminary of America: 1978).
    • Those marked “Driver-Gray” are to Samuel Rolles Driver and George Buchanan Gray, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Job, vol. 1, International Critical Commentary [ICC] (T. & T. Clark: 1921).

 

Wednesday Wisdom: Proverbs 6:20-35

Lecture IX: Proverbs 6:20-35

This Lecture shares with the one previous (VIII, 5:1-23 [study]) and the one following (X, 7:1-27) the primary theme of warning the addressee against the ‘Strange Woman’. This figure type, which has already been discussed in connection with several earlier Lectures and other pieces in chapters 1-9, is meant as a direct contrast to the personification of Wisdom (as a female), viz., the opposite of righteous Wisdom (i.e., folly and wickedness). At the same time, the figure-type also represents a particular kind of folly—namely, sexual relations with a ‘foreign’ woman (i.e., someone other than one’s own proper wife), whether she be a prostitute, a married woman, or a foreigner who embodies the danger of foreign religious-cultural influence. In these Lectures, but particularly here in 6:20-35, sexual relations with another man’s wife (that is, the sin of adultery) would seem to be primarily in view.

The general pattern of the Lectures is followed again here, and may be outlined simply as follows:

    • Introduction (Exordium): Verses 20-24
    • Instruction: Verses 25-33
    • Concluding Lesson: Verses 34-35

The subject of the Lecture is introduced at the close of the Introduction (v. 24), serving as a transition into the main Instruction. The conceptual and sapiental framing of the subject—viz., the implied contrast between Lady Wisdom and the ‘Strange Woman’ —is established in vv. 22-24. This thematic contrast is then expounded and applied (to a specific life situation) in the Instruction.
It has been argued that text from two different sources has been combined here, with a practical instruction regarding adultery having been fitted into the Lecture framework regarding the ‘Strange Woman’. This may well be the case, though I tend to disagree with the supposition that the concrete example of the adulterous woman is somehow incompatible with the (more figurative) character of the ‘Strange Woman’. Cf. Whybray, p. 102, Composition, p. 24-5; Tan, p. 95.

Introduction (Exordium): Verses 20-24
Verses 20-21

“Keep watch, my son, (over) your father’s directive,
and do give away your mother’s instruction;
bind them upon your heart continually,
tie them (as a necklace) upon your throat.”

All of the Lectures in chaps. 1-9 utilize the same exhortation-format for the Introduction, with the father calling upon his son to heed his teaching, guarding the instruction, and not to neglect or abandon it. This particular introductory exhortation is very close to that of the first Lecture (cf. 1:8-9), in that both parents (father and mother) are mentioned, and there is use of the same necklace/adornment motif (on which, see the earlier note on 1:9; cf. also 3:3, 22, and compare 4:9) with its apparent allusion to the traditional idea of tying on the Torah precepts so that they become part of a person’s essential character and regular/habitual behavior (Deut 6:8; 11:18). All four Scriptural occurrences of the rare noun torG`r=G~ (“throat”, i.e., neck) are here in Proverbs (1:9; 3:3, 22; 6:21). The verb dn~u* (“tie [on]”), parallel here with rv^q* (“bind”), is also extremely rare, occurring elsewhere only in Job 31:36.

The nouns hw`x=m! (“order, directive, command”) and hr*oT (“instruction, guidance”) are regular Wisdom-terms which occur repeatedly (and more or less interchangeably) throughout chapters 1-9; for hw`x=m!, cf. earlier in 2:1; 3:1; 4:4. Here these nouns represent specific manifestations of Wisdom—that is, the wisdom contained within the teaching/instruction from one’s parents. As feminine nouns (like hm*k=j*, “wisdom”), they are embodiments of the female figure of Wisdom. The mention of the mother along with the father (as in 1:8) makes it clear that, even when the father alone is mentioned in such contexts, there is an implied reference to both parents as a source of wisdom. However, in spite of this reference, the personification of Wisdom (as a female) throughout chaps. 1-9 is decidedly not a mother-figure; rather, she is portrayed as a wife/lover for the young man (in contrast to the ‘Strange Woman’, cf. below).

Verse 22

“In your walking about, she will guide you;
in your lying down (to sleep), she will guard over you,
and (when) you awake, she will converse with you.”

Taken out of context, there is no obvious referent for the feminine subject of the verbs in this verse. It seems to refer back to the pair of feminine nouns hw`x=m! (“directive”) and hr*oT (“instruction”) from verse 20 (see above), repeated in v. 23a (thus v. 22 could be anticipating the nouns in v. 23). A few commentators (e.g., Toy, p. 134; cf. Fox, p. 229) have sought to avoid the ambiguity of reference by transposing vv. 22 and 23, but this hardly seems necessary. The true implied subject is Wisdom (personified as a woman), as would be quite clear to anyone who had read/heard the prior Lectures and poems. For this reason also, the feminine gender of the verbs should be translated “she…” rather than “it…”.

If the son pays attention to the teachings of Wisdom, then Wisdom will provide guidance and protection, etc., to him. This is expressed in three (parallel) ways, in the three lines of this tricolon. First, she will lead/guide (vb hj*n`) the young man as he “walks about”. This path/walking motif, a regular idiom in Wisdom literature, occurs frequently throughout chaps. 1-9 (as we have seen). The Hitpael (reflexive) stem of the verb El^h* (“walk”), i.e., “walk about”, is particularly used to express the idea of regular/habitual behavior. The verb hj*n` is rather rare in Proverbs (elsewhere only in 11:3; 18:16), but it represents a natural development of the ethical-religious application of the path/walking motif; it is rather popular, for example, in this context in the Psalms, often tied to the idea of YHWH guiding His people (like a shepherd does his flock, see esp. Psalm 23:3).

In the second and third lines, the course of a person’s daily life is expressed in terms of the time spent sleeping (“laying down”) and awake. A person is most vulnerable when asleep, and thus especially in need of protection, and it is said that Wisdom will “guard” (i.e., protect, 4:6) the young man while he sleeps (cf. 3:24)—an extension of the Divine protection that YHWH Himself provides. The verb rm^v* (“guard”) is regularly used in the Psalms and Wisdom texts, in this ethical-religious context, often parallel with rx^n` (“keep watch [over]”, cf. earlier in v. 20a), the two verbs being virtually synonymous and interchangeable. When the young man is awake, in addition to the continuing provision of protection (implied), Wisdom will speak to him, conversing with him; this is expressed here by the verb j^yc!, a relatively rare verb that occurs mainly in the Psalms (14 of 20 occurrences) and only here in Proverbs.
As Waltke (p. 351) incisively notes, the Masoretic accents in the verse bind “in your lying down” with “in your walking about” to form a merism signifying constant protection (cf. Deut. 6:7; 11:19; Ps. 139:2, 3). Cf. Schipper, p. 240, Hermeneutik, p. 236f; for more on the parallels with Deuteronomy 6 & 11 (and the Decalogue), see Maier, pp. 153-66, and cf. Müller, pp. 122-4.

The explicit presence of the pronoun (ayh!, “she”) in the third line may simply be stylistic (to fill out the rhythm/meter of the line), but probably it should also be understood as emphatic (i.e., “she [Wisdom] herself”), and the phrase properly translated “(it is) she (herself who) will converse with you”.

Verse 23

“For (the) directive (is) a lamp, and (the) instruction a light,
and a path of life (are the) rebukes of discipline—”

The initial yK! particle of this verse (an extended 4+4 couplet) is explanatory, indicating how the teachings of Wisdom (as offered through one’s parents) function to guide and protect a person (v. 22); cf. Waltke, p. 352. Like the path/walking idiom (cf. above), that of light (rn@ [“lamp”], roa) is a regular Wisdom-motif (cf. 1:15; 4:18; 13:9, etc.); indeed, the two motifs can be combined together naturally, as they are here, as also they are integrated (famously) in Psalm 119:105. Wisdom gives light by which a person “walks” the path; this light (i.e., guidance, etc.) helps and enables a person to keep upon the right path of Wisdom (which is the path of God).

Added to the earlier Wisdom terms hw`x=m! (“directive”) and hr*oT (“instruction”) from v. 20 is rsWm (“discipline, correction”), another regular term (cf. earlier in 1:2-3, 7-8; 3:11; 4:1, 13; 5:12, 23). The teachings of Wisdom have a disciplinary and corrective function, curbing any natural inclinations of a young person toward sin or tendencies toward foolish behavior (which can lead to sin [cf. the previous study]). The noun tj^k^oT (cf. also hj*k@oT) also occurs frequently in Proverbs (16 of the 24 Scriptural occurrences) in this same context. The root jk^y` has the basic meaning of proving (demonstrating) that someone is right/wrong; often, however, it carries the ethical-religious sense of “reprove” (i.e., rebuke), with the derived noun(s) thus meaning “reproof, rebuke” —i.e., a corrective rebuke. This is particularly the force of the meaning in Wisdom literature, cf. the earlier instances of the noun in 1:23, 25, 30; 3:11; 5:12.

The characterization of such discipline as “a path of life” is consistent with the thematic emphasis (in these Lectures) that following the path and teaching of Wisdom leads to life—primarily in terms of blessing, etc., and long life in the present. The opposite (viz., the path of wickedness and folly) leads to death. Cf. 1:19; 2:18-19; 3:2, 16, 18, 22; 4:10, 13, 22-23; 5:5-6.

Verse 24

“to guard you from (the) woman of evil (ways),
from (the) smooth tongue of (the) strange (woman)!”

The initial prefixed infinitive marks a purpose clause that continues the thought from v. 23. The use of the verb rm^v* (“guard”) also connects back to v. 22, further emphasizing the protection that is provided to a person by the teachings of Wisdom. In particular, Wisdom will protect a young man from “(the) woman of evil” (ur* tv#a@). The parallel substantive adjective in the second line, feminine hY`r!k=n` (“strange/foreign [woman]”), makes it quite clear that we are dealing with the figure-type of the ‘Strange Woman’. In light of this parallelism, Toy (p. 135, cf. also Whybray, p. 105) suggests that the text should be emended to hr*z` tv#a@m@, “from a woman turned aside” (but, according to the customary translation, “from a strange woman”). While this is correct from the thematic and motivic standpoint of chapters 1-9, there is no real text-critical basis for the emendation.

More plausible is the suggested revocalization of the consonantal text to u^r@ tv#a@m@, “from (the) woman of a companion”, i.e., “from (the) wife of a neighbor”. This is favored by Fox (p. 230), Waltke (p. 349), Clifford (p. 77), and other commentators, and is supported by the LXX translation (gunaiko\$ u(pa/ndrou). But, while this reading certainly fits the life-application context of the Lecture (cf. the Instruction that follows in vv. 25ff [and note v. 29]), it is questionable whether it is appropriate to the immediate context of the couplet in v. 24. More likely, it seems, the author is employing a bit of double-meaning wordplay (a frequent device in the Wisdom texts), whereby the text (ur) could be read as ur* (rā‘) and also u^r@ (rēa‘). It is thus perhaps best to keep to the Masoretic vocalization, and, indeed, this is the preferred course of a number of commentators, including Schipper (p. 235), Meinhold (pp. 116, 118), Müller (p. 117), and Maier (p. 139).

A particular characteristic of the ‘Strange Woman’, and an important aspect of her deadly allure, is the “smoothness [hq*l=j#] of (her) tongue” (cf. 2:16; 5:3; 7:5, 21). She seduces the young man with her speech more than with her physical beauty and sexual attractiveness (but see verse 25 below). This emphasis reflects, in large part, the fact that the ‘Strange Woman’ symbolizes and represents the opposite of Wisdom (and her teachings).

Instruction: Verses 25-33
Verse 25

“You must not desire her beauty in your heart,
and do not let her take you with her eyes.”

As the main Instruction begins, there is a shift between the figure-type of the ‘Strange Woman’ as the opposite of Wisdom over to the practical manifestation of such folly—viz., of becoming involved sexually with the wife of another man (and, in that sense, a strange/foreign woman); cf. the textual wordplay in v. 24. This is expressed by a shift in emphasis from the speech of the ‘Strange Woman’ to her actual physical beauty. In this regard, the verses of the Instruction are related thematically to the love poetry of the previous Lecture (5:15-20 [study]). The warning not to desire such a woman is reminiscent of the famous prohibition of the Decalogue (20:17, cf. the prohibition against adultery in v. 14), the verb (dm^j*) being the same.

The Syriac version of the Proverbs of Ahiqar (S2 72) contains a warning similar to that of v. 25 here (cf. Fox, p. 231):

“My son, let not thine eyes look upon a woman that is beautiful; and be not inquisitive into beauty that does not belong to thee: because many have perished through the beauty of woman, and her love has been as a fire that burneth.” (translation Conybeare-Harris, The Story of Ahikar [1898])

The second line, regarding the idea of a man being “taken” (i.e., captured) by a woman’s eyes—their beauty, her seductive glances, etc.—is likewise evocative of love poetry (cf. Song 4:9; 6:5). In Sirach 26:9, the seductive eyes (and glances) of a woman are regarded as particularly characteristic of a prostitute (cf. verse 26 below).

Verse 26

“For, (the price) on behalf of a woman (who is) a prostitute
(may be) up to a loaf of bread,
but (the) wife of a man hunts (one’s) precious soul!”

The syntax of this irregular second couplet is awkward, to say the least, and it may be that the proverbial saying has become garbled somewhat in transmission. Even so, the basic message seems relatively clear: it is far less costly to engage in sexual relations with a prostitute (“a woman [who is] a prostitute [hn`oz]”) that with a married woman. A man will pay for a prostitute at the cost of (“on behalf of”, du^B=, i.e., in exchange for, cp. the usage in Job 2:4b) his daily wages and living (“bread”), but involvement with another man’s wife could end up costing a person his very life (his own “precious soul”). The expression <j#l* rK^K! du^ (“up to a loaf of bread”) probably means “could cost as little as a loaf of bread”; Waltke (p. 349) suggests that the contextual use of the preposition du^ here requires a meaning such as “reduced to (that of) a load of bread”. Cf. Fox, p. 231f; Schipper, p. 243f, who cites the similar comparison (between involvement with a prostitute and a married woman) in Sirach 26:22.; cf. also Müller, pp. 128-9.

In Ezek 13:18, the idiom of “hunting souls” is attributed to magical charms and ‘sorcery’ practiced by women; this parallel suggests the sexual seductiveness of a woman is like that of sorcery (or witchcraft) and thus has a comparably captivating and binding effect on the man. Interestingly, in verse 19, it is stated that such women engage in this harmful activity for “a few scraps of bread”, further enhancing the apparent parallel with our passage (“[for] a loaf of bread”).

On the possibility of adultery leading to death (see verse 32 below), Schipper (p. 246) cites similar warnings from Egyptian Instruction texts: “He who makes love to a married woman is killed on her doorstep” (Khasheshonqi), “A man who goes with a married woman is a man heading for death” (Louvre Papyrus N 2414).

Verse 27

“Can a man take away fire in his lap
and his garments not be burned?”

Here a simple and evocative proverb is used to elucidate the danger of becoming involved with adulterous sexual relations. One cannot play with that sort of fire and not get at least a little burned. Adultery is similarly compared to fire in Job 31:12; even allowing oneself to be enticed toward involvement with a married woman (v. 9) is like playing with fire.

Verse 28

“If a man walks upon burning coals
can his feet not at all get scorched?”

A proverbial question quite similar to that of v. 27 (though formulated slightly differently) follows here. The verb hw`K* (“burn,” parallel to [r^c* in the first line) is quite rare, occurring elsewhere in Scripture only at Jer 23:29 and Isa 43:2—the latter reference similarly contains the image of a person walking through fire (and not getting burned).

I have translated the initial w-conjunction emphatically, viz., “can…at all…?” However, it is possible to translate the couplet a bit differently, treating the <a! conjunction as a continuation of the interrogative from v. 27 (“Or…?”):

“Or can a man walk upon burning coals
and his feet not get scorched?”

Verse 29

“So (is) the (man) coming to his companion’s wife—
every(one) touching her shall not be clear (of guilt)!”

The application of the proverbs (and rhetorical questions) from vv. 27-28 is applied to the specific situation of the Instruction. The man who approaches a married woman is playing with fire, and the one who touches her (sexually) will be burned. Actually, the idiomatic use of both verbs aoB (“come [in]”) and ug~n` (“touch”) can refer to concrete sexual experience (and intercourse). As mentioned above, in verse 24, there is some question whether ur specifically means “companion, neighbor” (thus being vocalized u^r@, rather than ur* [“evil”]), but there can be no doubt of that meaning here.

To be “clear” (vb hq*n`), i.e., innocent and/or acquitted, of guilt also means being undeserving (and free) of punishment. Similarly, if a person is not clear(ed) of guilt, he/she is deserving of punishment.

Verses 30-31

“They do not show contempt for a thief when he steals
to fill his appetite when he is hungry;
but (if) he is found, he shall fulfill sevenfold—
all (the) means of his house he shall give!”

As in vv. 27-28, here a proverb is utilized to expound and elucidate the Instruction. The basic message is that, even if people can understand and sympathize with the reasons why a violation of the law was committed, this doesn’t mean that the violator will go unpunished (v. 29b). In this case, a young man’s sexual ‘appetite’ is comparable to that of a man who steals for food (to fulfill his appetite)—the crime of adultery being thus somewhat similar to the crime of theft (cf. Exod 20:14-15). Fox (p. 234) cites the Egyptian “Tale of the Eloquent Peasant” (R, lines 121-4, cf. Lichtheim 1.174) as expressing a measure of leniency for the person who feels compelled to steal as the result of poverty.

The second couplet (v. 31) emphasizes (in rather exaggerated terms) how a seemingly small crime can lead to an enormous (and unforeseen) cost for the person who commits it.

Note the conceptual wordplay between the verbs al*m* (“fill”) and <l^v* (“fulfill, complete”).

Verse 32

“(The one) committing adultery (with) a woman (is) lacking heart,
(and as one) destroying himself, (so) he does it!”

The man who has sexual relations with a married woman (i.e., commits adultery, vb [a^n`) is like the foolish person of the preceding proverbs who ends harming himself—even to the point of destroying (vb tj^v* Hiphil, “cause destruction”) his own life and well-being. As in verse 22c (see above), the explicit pronoun here in the second line (aWh, “he”) is emphatic (i.e., “he himself”, “he indeed”, “he it is who…”). In other words, the very person (“he”) who commits adultery is (like) the one who foolishly destroys himself. Note the similar identification at the close of a short Sumerian text (as cited by Schipper, p. 246):

“…Not being dear to any good man, he is left behind of life.
He is thrown away like a ‘worthless penny’,
No one cares about him.
He is covered as with a garment.
His crime never ends.
Talking (?) about it never stops.
Who is he? A man who slept with another man’s wife!”

On the religious-historical background regarding the crime of adultery (and its punishment), cf. the discussion by Maier, pp. 146-50.

Verse 33

“(Only) a stroke (of the lash) and disgrace shall he find—
and his shame shall not be wiped away!”

The man committing adultery will be punished, being hit (ug~n`) by a blow, or a stroke (of the lash); the noun ug~n# could perhaps be understood collectively here (i.e., “strokes, blows”). Even worse, is the shame and disgrace that the man will receive, as expressed by the noun /olq* and hP*r=j#, the latter denoting shame/disgrace that is connected with being taunted and reviled. Indeed, this shame/disgrace will be lasting (“shall not be wiped away [vb hj*m*]”). Fox (p. 235) mentions an Egyptian Instruction (Papyrus Chester Beatty IV, 18.13) that makes much the same point, perhaps even more vividly: “Do not approach a married woman, lest your name stink”.

Conclusion: Verses 34-35

Verse 34

“For jealousy (stirs the) heat of a vigorous (man),
and he will not show mercy in (the) day of vengeance!”

The Lecture concludes with a proverb (cf. 27:4) that is clearly relevant to the Instruction, referring to the force of a man’s “red-faced” (anq) jealousy (cf. Song 8:6). The burning passion of jealousy produces heat (hm*j@, i.e., anger/rage) in a man—the use of the noun rb#G# suggests that we are dealing with someone who is still a strong and vigorous man (indeed, the noun can be used of a warrior) who is fully capable of taking violent action (“day of vengeance”).
G. R. Driver (“Problems in the Hebrew Text of Proverbs,” Biblica 32 [1951], p. 177; cf. Waltke, p. 350) suggests that the text should be emended from rbg tm^j& (“heat [i.e., anger] of a man”) to rbg <j@T* (“heats up [i.e., inflames] a man”).

The verb lm^j* denotes being patient and gentle, i.e., willing to show compassion/mercy on a person, sparing (some of) one’s wrath and desire for vengeance. The warning strongly suggests that the wronged husband (in a case of adultery) may be so inflamed by jealous rage that he will not spare any of his anger in taking out revenge.

Verse 35

“He will not lift up (your) face for any covering (by you),
nor will he be willing (to relent) though you give many a gift!”

This concluding couplet is paired with the prior verse, producing a proverb-quatrain. In following up on the previously line, the statement emphasizes that the wronged husband will not be assuaged even by payment made to cover (rpk) the situation (cf. 21:14); the noun rp#K) [IV] denotes an action taken (esp. a gift or bribe payment) meant to cover over (and wipe away) the damage and/or dishonor produced by a crime or other violation of social norms (cf. Maier, pp. 151-3). Even if a person “makes/gives many” (or “multiplies”, vb hb*r* Hiphil) such gifts, it may not be enough to assuage the man’s anger or to avert vengeance being taken. Note the concessive use of the yK! particle (translated “though”), cf. Waltke, p. 350.

The expression “lift up the face” (vb ac*n` + <yn]P*) is an idiom for showing favor to a person. The object of the favor, in this instance, is the person being addressed (“you”, i.e., the hypothetical person who [God forbid] commits adultery); it has been suggested (by Ehrlich, cf. Fox, p. 236) that the text should be emended from ynp to iynp (“your face”) which would make this explicit.

    • References above marked “Fox” are to Michael V. Fox, Proverbs 1-9, Anchor Bible [AB], vol. 18A (Yale University Press: 2000). Those marked “Fox, Textual Commentary” are to idem, Proverbs: An Eclectic Edition with Introduction and Textual Commentary, The Hebrew Bible: A Critical Edition 1 (Society of Biblical Literature [SBL] Press: 2015). 
    • References marked “Waltke” are to Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs, Chapters 1–15, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Eerdmans: 2004).
    • References marked “Schipper” are to Bernd U. Schipper, Proverbs 1-15, Hermeneia Commentary Series (Fortress Press: 2010). See also his monograph on Proverbs 2: Hermeneutik der Tora: Studien zur Traditionsgeschichte von Prov 2 und zur Komposition von Prov 1-9, Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft [BZAW] 432 (Walter de Gruyter: 2012).
    • Those marked “Meinhold” are to Arndt Meinhold, Die Sprüche, Teil 1: Sprüche Kapitel 1-15, Zürcher Bibelkommentare, AT 16.1 (Theologische Verlag Zürich: 1991).
    • Those marked “Whybray” are to R. N. Whybray, Proverbs, New Century Bible [NCB] (Marshall Pickering: 1994). Those marked “Whybray, Composition” are to idem, The Composition of the Book of Proverbs, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament [JSOT] Supplement Series, vol. 168 (JSOT Press, 1994).
    • Those marked “Müller” are to Achim Müller, Proverbien 1-9: Der Weisheit neue Kleider, Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft [BZAW] 291 (Walter de Gruyter: 2000).
    • Those marked “Maier” are to Christl Maier, Die «fremde Frau» in Proverbien 1-9: Eine exegetische und socialgeschichtliche Studie, Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 144 (Universitätsverlag Freiburg Schweiz / Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht: 1995).
    • Those marked “Tan” are to Nancy Nam Hoon Tam, The ‘Foreignness’ of the Foreign Woman in Proverbs 1-9: A Study of the Origin and Development of a Biblical Motif, Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft [BZAW] 381 (Walter de Gruyter: 2008).
    • Those marked “Lichtheim, I” are to Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdom (University of California Press: 1973).

 

February 17: Job 6:26-27

Job 6:25-27, continued
Verse 26

“Do you imagine (your own) sayings to be proof,
but (the) words of a despairing (man) to (be) wind?”

This couplet builds upon the prior (v. 25, discussed in the previous note), with the rebuke from Job that the “proofs” (and “reproofs”) presented by his companions (spec. Eliphaz) are not demonstrating or convincing him of anything—at least not regarding the issue at hand, viz., providing an explanation for his terrible suffering. The root jk^y` was used twice in v. 25, and again here in v. 26a, meaning primarily “prove” (in the sense of providing arguments), in the context of proving someone (or something) right or wrong; it can also carry the ethical-religious and disciplinary sense of “reprove” (usually with the aim of correction).

Here in this couplet, Job pivots on the point made in v. 25, now contrasting the companions’ words (namely, the speech by Eliphaz, chaps. 4-5) with his own lamenting speech in chap. 3. The nouns hL*m! and rm#a@ are used in parallel, with essentially no difference in meaning—both terms denoting “saying, (spoken) word”. To distinguish them in the translation above, I have rendered the former as “saying” and the latter as “word”. The noun hL*m! is considerably rarer in Scripture (occurring just 38 times) but is quite frequent in the book of Job (34 of the 38 occurrences), being a distinctive element of the Dialogue-poet’s vocabulary (cf. earlier in 4:2, 4).
This earlier usage of hL*m! represents one of a number of verbal correspondences between Job’s speech in chaps. 6-7 and the prior speech of Eliphaz (chaps. 4-5); cf. Beuken, pp. 58-67.

In his speech, Eliphaz rebuked Job for his bitter and despairing lament, indicating that it was reckless and unworthy of a righteous man (see esp. 4:2-5, 6; 5:2). Job himself summarizes here that characterization of his lament as “(mere) wind” (j^Wr). This probably implies a quality of noisy “bluster”, but also the sense of emptiness and pointlessness that the wind-motif occasionally represents in Wisdom literature—especially in Qohelet (1:6, 14, 17; 2:11, 17, 26, etc.), but cf. also Prov 11:29, and elsewhere in Job (8:2; 15:2; 16:3).
Seow (p. 483) notes that the Akkadian noun šârû (“wind”) can similarly be used as “a metaphor for things that are ephemeral or unimportant”, such as in the Gilgamesh Epic, where Gilgamesh declares that all things humans do are “but wind” (Tablet III [Yale Tablet, Old Babylonian version] iv.8).

The point of the contrast here seems to be that the companions regard their statements (expressing orthodox piety and conventional wisdom) as sound and instructive arguments, but Job’s lamentations as empty and pointless raving (“mere wind”). Their response ignores the genuine despair that Job is experiencing (and giving expression to in his laments). Job describes himself as a “despairing (man)”, utilizing a Niphal (passive) form of the verb va^y`, a rather rare Scriptural term that occurs elsewhere only in Qoh 2:20; 1 Sam 27:1, and (as an interjection) Isa 57:10; Jer 2:25; 18:12. The callousness that this suggests (on the part his companions) is expounded by Job in the next verse.

The syntax of this couplet is a bit difficult to translate in English. The initial interrogative particle (h) is attached to the infinitive (of the verb jky), “to be proving” (i.e., “to be proof”), though in English the force of the interrogative more naturally applies to the verb (i.e., “Do you imagine…?”). In the Hebrew, the infinitive is properly the object complement of the verb bv^j*, while the plural noun <yL!m! (“sayings, words”) should probably be understood as a modifying element rather that the direct object: viz., “Do you imagine to be proving (with) words?”. However, the Hebrew word order, and the poetic parallelism of the couplet, is best rendered by treating <yL!m! like the direct object: “Do you imagine (your) words to (be) proof?” The verb bv^j* literally means “weave”, but often in the more general figurative sense of “devise, imagine”.

Verse 27

“Would you thus make (the lot) fall over an orphan,
and make a purchase over your (own) companion?”

As noted above, Job rebukes the apparent callous disregard for his suffering and despair by the companions. He compares it here, first, with a person who ‘casts lots’ over an orphan; the use of the verb lp^n` (Hiphil, “make fall”) almost certainly refers to the idiom of making the stone (viz., the lot) fall, as most commentators recognize (cf. 1 Sam 14:42; Psalm 22:19[18]; Isa 34:17; Neh 10:35[34]). The Versions, however, do not seem to recognize the ellipsis of this idiom here (cf. the note by Seow, p. 483). The context of the idiom suggests a situation where creditors cast lots to see which one is to take the orphan child; cf. Pope, p. 55.

A similar illustration is presented in the second line—a person heartlessly (and disloyally) making a transaction or “purchase” over the life of a friend. The meaning of the relatively rare verb hr*K* (II) can be determined based on cognates in Arabic (kry III, IV “to rent (out), let”, VIII “to hire”, HALOT, p. 497) and Punic (kry, “to buy”), and by the context of the Scriptural occurrences (cf. also 40:30 [41:6]; Deut 2:6; Neh 5:8, and Hos 3:2). Commentators have rightly recognized the nuance here of “barter” or “haggle” (over a transaction), cf. Seow, p. 483; Clines, p. 162, etc. Clearly, the use of the noun u^r@ (“companion”) ties the illustration from line 1 back to Job’s situation—viz., the relationship to his three companions, and the issue of loyalty and faithfulness in friendship (cf. verses 14-15). There may well be some alliterative wordplay between <oty` (yāṯôm, “orphan”) and <T` (tām, “complete”, i.e., righteous, without blame), as a characteristic of Job (cf. 1:1, 8; 2:3) the righteous and innocent sufferer; however, it hardly necessary to emend or redivide the text as a few commentators (e.g., Bickell, Beer, Duhm, Anderson) have suggested (cf. Seow, p. 483; Clines, p. 162), so that the text reads <t*-yl@u& (“over [the] innocent”) instead of <t)y`-lu^ (“over an orphan”).

I have translated the verse as a question (cf. also Clines, p. 156); however, it is also possible to render it as an exclamation (the initial conjunction [a^ being emphatic):

“You might even make (the lot) fall over an orphan,
and make a purchase over your (own) friend!”

    • References above (and throughout these notes) marked “Seow” are to C. L. [Choon Leong] Seow, Job 1-21: Interpretation and Commentary, Illuminations Commentary Series (Eerdmans: 2013).
    • Those marked “Clines” are to David J. A. Clines, Job 1–20, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 17 (1989).
    • Those marked “Pope” are to Marvin H. Pope, Job, Anchor Bible [AB], vol. 15 (1965, 1973).
    • Those marked “Beuken” are to The Book of Job, edited by W. A. M. Beuken, Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium CXIV (Leuven University Press: 1994). Cf. especially the article by W. A. M. Beuken, “Job’s Imprecation as the Cradle of a New Religious Discourse. The Perplexing Impact of the Semantic Correspondences between Job 3, Job 4-5 and Job 6-7”, pp. 41-78.

Sunday Psalm Studies: 11QPs Apostrophe to Zion

Qumran Manuscript 11QPsa, continued

Apostophe to Zion

Column XXII of the Qumran manuscript 11QPsa contains an extra-canonical Psalm that scholars have labeled “Apostrophe to Zion”. The hymn is not addressed to YHWH, but to Zion (Jerusalem), the holy city and site of the Temple sanctuary. The name /oYx! (Ṣiyyôn) originally (and properly) refers to the Canaanite fortified hilltop site captured by David (2 Sam 5:6-10) and which became the basis for the early Israelite settlement (i.e., the “City of David”, 1 Kings 8:1, etc.) serving as the location for the Temple compound (i.e., the Temple mount). Subsequently in Israelite tradition, the name came to be applied to the city of Jerusalem as a whole, and also to the entire region of Judea and wider the Promised Land, as well as to the people dwelling in the Land.

Zion/Jerusalem features as an important thematic point of orientation in a number of Psalms, particularly those of the post-exilic period (such as the Songs of Ascent, Pss 120-134), though in only relatively few Psalms (e.g., 46, 48, 87) does the subject of Zion dominate the entire composition as it does here in the “Apostrophe to Zion”. The language, style, and tone of this work is closer to portions of the Deutero- and Trito-Isaian poems—especially Isa 54:1-8; 60:1-22; 62:1-12; 65:17-25; and 66:7-14. There seem to be a degree of literary dependence upon these passages (mentioned in the notes below).

This poem is preserved intact in lines 1-15 of Col. XXII, and has also been discovered in fragmentary form (vv. 1-2, 11-18) in manuscript 4QPsf, as well as in a small fragment (vv. 4-5) of a second Cave 11 Psalms manuscript (11QPsb). In the 11QPsa manuscript, it follows Psalms 137 and 138, being immediately preceded by the acrostic poem in Sirach [Ben-Sira] 51 (vv. 13-30); it is then followed (in Cols. XXII-XXIII) by Pss 93, 141, 133, and 144. Like the Sirach poem, the “Apostrophe to Zion” is also an acrostic, though the format is not applied with absolute consistency; while most letters relate to a couplet (bicolon), in a few instances they apply to a single line (colon).

The psalm may be divided into three parts, or stanzas, as indicated in Sanders’ treatment (pp. 123-7), and which I have followed below.

Stanza 1: Verses 1-6 (lines 1-6)
Verse 1

“[a] I remember you [irwkza] for blessing, O Ṣiyyôn;
[b] with all [lwkb] my strength I have loved you—
blessed [iwrb] (be) your memory into (the) distant (future)!”

This initial verse is a tricolon (cf. verse 18), covering the first two letters (a & b) in the acrostic format; a applies to a single line, while the next two lines each begin with b. The idea of the righteous Israelite/Judean remembering (vb rkz) Zion/Jerusalem, especially while in exile or otherwise dwelling among the nations, is expressed famously in Ps 137:6, though it is present in other passages as well. Elsewhere in the Psalms, it is the Psalmist who calls on YHWH to remember Zion (74:2), acting on behalf of the city (and the land) and its people. He has Zion in mind, remembering His covenant promises to His people, and He will protect and deliver them in their time of distress—cf. 89:51[50]; 105:8, 42; 106:4, 45; 111:5; 115:12; 132:1. The righteous will similarly have Zion (and the covenant with YHWH) constantly in mind.

It is also characteristic of the righteous that they love Zion, even as they love and are devoted to YHWH Himself (and His covenant); cf. especially Isa 66:10; Ps 122:6. The righteous ones love Zion with all their strength (da)m=, here spelled dom= = dwam), even as they are commanded to love YHWH (Deut 6:5).

Verse 2

“[g] Great [hlwdg] (is) your waited-for hope, Ṣiyyôn,
even wholeness and your awaited salvation to come!”

As noted above (on verse 1), the love and devotion of the righteous toward Zion is a reflection of their love and devotion to YHWH—and to the covenant-bond between YHWH and His people. Here Zion itself, as representative of the people (collectively), is the recipient of the covenant promises—blessing and protection by YHWH. Insofar as Zion is faithful to the covenant-bond, she (i.e., the city and people) will obtain <olv* (wholeness/fullness and well-being) and hu*Wvy+ (safety/security/salvation). Even if God’s people sometimes have to wait to see these promises realized, they are willing to do so, with an attitude of trust and hope. The verbal roots hw`q* and lj^y` are more or less synonymous, both meaning “wait” with a strong connotation of hopeful expectation. They are frequently paired in Biblical poetry; here the nouns hw`q=T! (II) and tl*j*oT are used.

Verse 3

“[d] Generation [rwd] and generation will dwell in you,
and generations of (the) devout (will be) your glory—”

The noun roD means “circle”, often in the temporal sense of “cycle” and especially in the durative expression rodw` roD (“[for] cycle and cycle”). However, frequently, the focus is on the people living during a particular cycle or period of time; in such instances, the noun is typically translated “generation” —”(for) generation and generation”, i.e., “generation after generation”. Here, it is unquestionably the people that are in view, because of the wordplay with the verb roD (II, a separate rwd root) meaning “dwell”. The blessing for Zion (v. 2) will be realized by the abundance of people dwelling in her, covering many generations. The close association between Zion and the righteous is expressed in the second line; it is not just multitudes of people dwelling in her—it is specifically the devout (<yd!ys!j&), that is, those who are faithful and devout to YHWH, loyal to the covenant. The righteous, in particular, are the tr#a#p=T! (“splendor, glory”) of Zion; cf. Isa 60:19; 62:3 for a comparable use of this noun, which, especially in connection with Zion (personified as female), can allude to the beauty and adornment of a woman.

Verse 4

“[h] the (one)s wishing [<ywatmh] for (the) day of your salvation,
[w] that they might rejoice [wcycyw] in (the) abundance of your honor!”

The righteous long for the well-being of Zion—both the city itself and as representing the land and its people as a whole. The verb hw`a* means “wish, desire, long for”, but sometimes in the specific context of desiring the beauty, etc., of a woman—in this case, Zion/Jerusalem personified as a woman (v. 3b). Her beauty is specifically identified with the righteous/devout ones of God’s people, and so, in a sense, what the righteous truly long for are their fellow righteous ones. The salvation of Zion means the salvation of God’s people (esp. the righteous); and, indeed, the righteous rejoice in the well-being of God’s people. The theme of rejoicing, and particularly the use of the verb cWc, may reflect Isa 65:18-19; cf. also 66:10. The use of the verb hw`a* may allude to Ps 132:13-14.

The noun dobK* here is parallel with tr#a#p=T! in v. 3; both can be translated “glory, splendor”, though dobK* more properly means “honor”, its denotation actually being “weight” —particularly in the sense of “worth, value”.

This couplet covers both letters h and w of the acrostic pattern, each letter applying to a single line.

Verse 5

“[z] (From the) teat [zyz] of your honor they do suck,
and in (the) wide spaces of your glory they hop about.”

The figure of Zion personified as a woman, introduced and alluded to in vv. 3-4, is more clearly portrayed here in this couplet. The righteous are depicted as the precious children nurtured by Lady Zion. In the first line (apparently drawn from Isa 66:10), they are infants sucking at the teat (zyz], i.e., nipple of the breast) of the woman (viz., a mother), while in the second line they toddle and/or hop about in her “wide spaces” (probably to be envisioned as a park scene). The exact meaning of the rare verb su^K* is uncertain; the Arabic cognate ʿks can be used of the ‘hobbling’ of a camel, but the only Scriptural occurrence (Isa 3:16) is customarily understood in relation to the ‘jingling’ of a woman’s anklet (as she walks), cf. the related noun sk#u# (Isa 3:18; Prov 7:22), and (presumably) the feminine name hs*k=u^. HALOT, p. 824.

Verse 6

“[j] (The) devout acts [ydsj] of your prophets you will remember,
and in (the) deeds of your devout (one)s you will glory.”

Here in verse 6, the children of mother Zion (v. 5) have grown up to adulthood, being represented by two categories of the righteous—the prophets and the devout ones (<yd!ys!j&) of the people. The holy prophets perform devout acts (<ydsj, cf. Isa 55:3; 63:7), which correspond to the right/holy deeds of the devout. Like any proud parent, Zion will have these deeds of her children always in mind and will glory in them. Thus, Zion remembers and glories in the righteous, just as the righteous remember and glory in her. As noted above, Zion and the righteous are really just two aspects or sides of the same coin.

The use of the verb rk^z` (“remember, have/keep in mind”) parallels the earlier use in verse 1, creating an inclusio for the stanza. Meanwhile the verbal root raP (“glory”) was also used earlier in verse 3 (cf. also the similar dbK in vv. 4-5).

Stanza 2: Verses 7-13 (lines 6-11)
Verse 7

“[f] Cleansing [rhf] violence from the midst of you,
falsehood and crookedness will be cut off from you!”

Here, at the beginning of the second stanza, the righteous express a wish (and expectation) for Zion (and thus also God’s people as a whole) to be cleansed of violence and injustice. The initial verb is rh^f* (“be clean”), presumably in the Piel stem (“make clean, cleanse”). The exact form (i.e., vocalization) of the verb here (rhf) is uncertain; most likely it is to be parsed as a Piel infinitive (rh@f^), possibly with imperatival force (cf. Sanders, p. 125). A comprehensive sense of injustice is expressed in the second line by the pairing of the regular wickedness-terms rq#v# (“falsehood”) and lw#u* (“crookedness”, i.e., deviation from what is right). The expression “from the midst of you” in line utilizes the relatively rare noun wG~ II (“inside, in the middle”), probably to be regarded as an Aramaic loanword in Hebrew (cf. Arabic jaww), the only Scriptural occurrence of which is in Job 20:25.

Verse 8

“[y] Your sons will twirl with joy [wlygy] in the midst of you;
your beloved (children) will be joined together unto you.”

Again, the righteous are depicted as the precious children of mother Zion (see above, vv. 5-6), who dwell together in/with her. Violence and injustice being removed from the midst of her (v. 7), righteousness and faithful devotion (to the covenant) dwells in their place; the prepositional expression ibrqb (“in the midst [br#q#] of you” is precisely parallel with iwgm (“from the midst [wG~] of you”) in v. 7. The theme of rejoicing continues from vv. 4ff (see above), here with the verb lyG], properly denoting the act (and attitude) of spinning/twirling around with joy. Cf. Isa 65:18-19; 66:10.

The verb hw`l* (I), in the Niphal stem, means “be joined with” or “join oneself to”. Here the righteous children of Zion, dwelling in her midst, are joined to her, but also to each other. Clearly, the righteous are being portrayed as dwelling together, united as a family.

Verse 9

“[k] According to what (length) [hmk] they wait for your salvation,
even your complete (one)s (who) have mourned over you!”

The verbal root hw`q* (“wait”, with hopeful expectation) was used earlier in verse 2 (see above) in the same context—viz., the righteous/devout ones (here designated as <ymt, “complete”) waiting for the salvation of Zion. They have mourned over the suffering of Zion, and now they expect salvation to come, with mourning replaced by joy (v. 8); cf. Isa 65:18-19; 66:10. The mourning for Zion certainly refers to the experience of the exile, with the associated destruction of Jerusalem (and the Temple); however, the more general and basic reference is to the suffering of God’s people throughout their history. The city’s restoration (in the post-exilic period) symbolizes the hoped-for restoration of Israel in the New Age.

The compound particle hmk (hm* + prefixed preposition K=) frames an emphatic rhetorical question/exclamation—literally, “according to what…?” (that is, to what length or extent), viz., “how much…?”, “how long/often…?”

Verse 10

“[l] It does not [aol] perish, (this) hope awaited for you, Ṣiyyôn
nor is (that which is) awaited in you (ever) forgotten!”

The motifs and terminology from verse 2 (see above) recur here, including the pairing of the nouns hw`q=T! (II) and tl*j*oT derived from the synonymous (and parallel) roots hw`q* and lj^y` meaning “wait” (with hopeful expectation). The idea of remembering (rk^z`), vv. 1, 6, is expressed here in terms of not forgetting (vb jk^v*). The righteous express the confidence that the hope for Zion’s salvation and well-being will be realized—it will not perish, nor will it be forgotten.

Verse 11

“[m] Who [ym] (is) this (who) has perished in right(eous)ness,
and who (is) this (who) remained alive in his crookedness?”

This double rhetorical question (which closes the stanza) further expresses the expectation for the ultimate realization of God’s justice—the devout will not perish in their righteousness, and the faithless will not survive (i.e., get away safe, vb fl^m*) in their wickedness and injustice (“crookedness”)—cf. the earlier use of the noun lw#u* in v. 7 at the beginning of the stanza. The use of the demonstrative pronoun hz# (“this”) is meant to produce a emphatic-dramatic nuance to the rhetorical questions that might be translated something like “Who has ever…?” (cf. Sanders, p. 125).

Verse 12

“[n] Mankind is examined [/jbn] according to its path,
a man is paid back completely according to his deeds.”

The Wisdom-tenor of the rhetorical question of v. 11 is carried over in this next couplet, affirming the traditional religious tenet that every human being will be judged (by God) according to what he/she has done. The “path” idiom (here the noun Er#D#) is a typical Wisdom-motif, referring to a person’s regular/habitual behavior; this ethical-religious sense occurs quite frequently in the Psalms and Wisdom literature.

The verb <l^v* has the basic meaning “complete, fulfill”, but it can be used in a wide range of contexts, including the idea of the completion/fulfillment of a contractual or religious obligation; on occasion (as here), it is used in a judgment-context of ‘paying back’ a person as deserved, based upon the things that the person has done.

Verse 13

“[s] (All) around [bybs] your adversaries, Ṣiyyôn, are cut off,
and all (the) foes hating you have been scattered!”

The judgment of the wicked (vv. 11b-12) is expressed here in terms of the adversaries and enemies of Zion (i.e., of God’s people) being defeated and destroyed— “cut off” (vb tr^K*) and “scattered” (rz~P*). The use of the adverbial noun byb!s* (“surrounding, [all] around”) likely carries an allusion to the specific idea of the judgment of the nations (i.e., the surrounding nations/peoples)—an eschatological event tied to the idea of the restoration of Israel.

The use of the verb tr^K* (Niphal, “be cut [off]”) here and in v. 7 creates an inclusio for the stanza, even as there was a similar keyword inclusio for the first stanza (cf. above).

Stanza 3: Verses 14-18 (lines 11-15)
Verse 14

“[u] Pleasant [hbru] in (the) nostrils (is) your praise, Ṣiyyôn,
rising up to (fill) all of (the) inhabited world!

The praise of Zion (by the righteous), such as in this very Psalm, is described as a sweet-smelling sacrifice (cf. Mal 3:4), the fragrant smoke of which rises up (adverbial noun hl*u=m^) to fill the entire world. Frequently in the Scriptural Psalms praise (of God) is compared to the sacrificial offerings, functioning in a manner similar to (and, to some extent, taking the place of) the ritual offerings.

Verse 15

“[p] Many times [<ymup] I remember you for blessing,
(and) with all my heart I do bless you.”

The combination of remembering (rkz) and blessing (irb) echoes verse 1. Indeed, this couplet in the 4QPsf manuscript more closely resembles that of verse 1, the copyist apparently having been influenced by the earlier verse (cf. Sanders, p. 127).

Verse 16

“[x] Righteousness [qdx] unto (the) distant (future) may you find,
and blessing of (the) most honored may you receive!”

A further wish by the righteous for Zion is expressed in this couplet. The noun qd#x# (“right[eous]ness”) can sometimes carry the connotation of “victory, vindication”, which is probably present here in addition to the more expected ideals of “holiness”, etc. (see v. 7). Clearly, it is expected that Zion will receive great honor (dbk). The plural participle of the verb db^K* should probably be understood as an intensive or comprehensive plural (i.e., “most honored”, “greatest honor”), matching the plural form of the temporal-durative modifier <l*ou (“[into/unto the] distant [future]”) in the previous line (cf. verse 1c). The Niphal (passive) form of the verb is a bit difficult to translate in English expression: “blessing of the most honored”, i.e., “blessing of/unto the greatest honor”. The verb gc^n` (“find”) can specifically have the nuance of “reach, catch, arrive at” (as with one who hunts/pursues).

Verse 17

“[q] May you receive [yjq] (the) vision spoken over you,
and (the) dream of prophets being sought for you!”

The blessing wish of the previous verse(s) is here expressed in terms of the fulfillment of prophecy—specifically prophetic visions and dreams. These visions are uttered/spoken by the prophet when received, but they are also “sought after” (vb hu^b*, which can also have the nuance of “wish for”, cf. Ugaritic bġy)—a reflection of the prophets’ faithfulness and devotion (both to God and to Zion, cf. verse 6). The manuscript 11QPsa has a construct plural form of the noun <olj& (tmlj, “dreams of”) which is in disagreement with the verb form; 4QPsf has the correct singular (“dream of”).

The verb jq^l* (“receive”) is precisely parallel (and synonymous) with lb^q* in v. 16b; the verbs are essentially interchangeable in this regard, and I have translated them both as “receive”.

Verse 18

“[r] Be lifted high [ymwr] and spread out wide, O Ṣiyyôn!
[?] Praise [yjbv] (the) Most High, your Redeemer,
[t] (and) let be glad [jmct] my soul in your honor!”

The final expression of praise for Zion is a tricolon that matches the initial tricolon of the Psalm (v. 1, see above). In order to fill out the acrostic format, the last three letters are used, one for each line. The righteous, in their praise of Zion, call on her to give praise to YHWH—the Most High and the One who ransoms (vb hd*P*) her (“your Redeemer”, idwp), the salvation mentioned earlier in the Psalm (vv. 2, 4, 9) here being expressed in terms of ransom/redemption (a traditional motif). Another recurring motif (and keyword) in the Psalm is dbk (esp. the noun dobK*, “honor, glory, splendor”) which it is expected that Zion (and the people of God) will receive—cf. verses 3-6, 14.

There are a number of instances (in the Isaian poems) where Jerusalem/Zion is called upon to “stand/rise up”, usually with the verb <Wq (e.g., 51:17; 52:2; 60:1), while here the verb <Wr (“be [lifted] high”) is used. The use of the verb bj^r* (“be wide, widen, spread out”) may echo 54:2. Cf. Sanders, p. 127.

The verb jb^v* (“praise”) was used earlier in verse 14, creating a framing inclusio for the stanza; a similar keyword inclusio is present in the other two stanzas as well (see above). There is a bit of modest alliterative wordplay between the verb jb^v* (“praise”) and jm^c* (“be glad, rejoice”).

*     *     *     *     *

In our next study, we will continue the examination of deutero-canonical and extra-canonical Psalms from the Qumran scrolls, by looking another extra-canonical composition in 11QPsa—Psalm 154 (column XVIII), a Hebrew version of one of the so-called Syriac Apocryphal Psalms.

    • References above marked “Sanders” are to J. A. Sanders, The Dead Sea Psalms Scroll (Cornell University Press: 1967). Those marked “Sanders DJD” are to the more detailed scholarly treatment by the same author in volume 4 of the Discoveries in the Judean Desert [DJD] series (Clarendon Press [Oxford]): The Psalms Scroll of Qumran Cave 11 (11QPsa) (1965). 

February 13: Job 6:25

Job 6:25-27
Verse 25

“How sickening are words of straightness!
And how does reproof from you prove (anything)?”

This verse provides another good example of how the Dialogue poet’s proclivity for alliterative and double-meaning wordplay causes difficulties for the translator and commentator. That there is double-meaning wordplay involved in the first line of v. 25 is almost certain, given the similarity in sound between the verbs Jr^m* (“be sick”, Niphal “be sickening”) and Jl^m* (Niphal, “be smooth”), and the resemblance of the line to Ps 119:103a:

    • “How sickening are [Wxr=m=n]-hm^] words of straightness” (v. 25a)
    • “How smooth are [Wxl=m=n]-hm^] your words to my palate” (Ps 119:103a)

The wordplay may be enhanced by the possibility of interchange between the consonants l and r (a similar instance of which could conceivably have occurred in v. 16 [note], between <lu and <ru). In other words, Job may (on the surface) be affirming the pious observation that “words of straightness” (i.e., sound and upright words that bring correction) are smooth-tasting (i.e., ‘sweet’), but he is, at the same time, declaring that they are sickening to him! This, indeed, would echo his earlier complaint (in vv. 5-7) to the effect that his suffering and affliction have made his food sickening to him. There is further wordplay in this regard since the attribute of rvy (“straight[ness]”) can also mean “smooth” (i.e., “level, even”) with the connotations of “pleasant, appealing,” etc.
Cf. the discussions by Seow (p. 482), Clines (p. 161), Michel (p. 150), and other commentators. Guillaume (p. 85) obtains here a semantic range of “hypocritical, ignorant, defective” for Jrm based on the cognate verb in Arabic. Gordis (p. 76) proposes that Jrm here carries an opposite meaning from the normal “be sick” (cf. Aramaic, Akkadian marāṣu, Arabic mariḍa)—namely, “be strong, vigorous” —which results in a translation “How strong [i.e., forceful] are words of straightness!” The verb Jrm occurs again in 16:3 (to be discussed); cf. also 1 Kings 2:8; Micah 2:10.

In any case, Job seems to be making the point that his companion’s pious and wise-sounding “words of straightness”, however smooth and appealing (reasonable, etc.) they may appear, are actually not providing any help or comfort at all—in fact, they are making him sick! The same bitter and caustic tone comes out as well in the second line, a parallel rhetorical question/exclamation: “How does (the) reproof from you prove (anything)?” For commentators (Pope, etc.) who read Jrm in the first line in the sense of “smooth, sweet, pleasant” (cf. above), the lines of the couplet are in contrast (the initial w-conjunction of the second line being contrastive/adversative):

“How smooth (to the palate) are words of straightness,
but how does reproof from you prove (anything)?”

That is to say, the pious arguments and observations presented by Job’s companions are not proper “words of straightness” at all.

I am much more inclined to view the parallelism of the couplet as synonymous (or synthetic), with the second line building and expounding upon the first—viz., it is the companions’ arguments (as intended “words of straightness”) that Job finds ‘sickening’ and difficult to endure.

I have attempted to preserve the double-use of the verb jk^y` here with the translation “(re)proof…prove”. This verb (in the Hiphil) basically means “prove (someone) right/wrong”, either in the legal or moral sense, the latter often carrying the disciplinary connotation of “rebuke, reprove”. The verbal noun (infinitive) captures both the act of proving (or reproving) and the proof (or reproof) itself. Job’s companions (Eliphaz, so far) are presenting arguments that are meant to prove their case/point, but are also offering corrective rebukes (i.e., reproofs) to Job for his reckless words of lamentation (chap. 3). But here, Job rebukes them in turn, complaining that their ‘proofs’ are not proving anything (viz., are not convincing), and as reproofs they seem empty to him. As indicated in the prior v. 24 (see the previous note), Job is trying to understand how such terrible suffering and affliction (apparently as punishment from God) could have come on someone as righteous and devout as he. Thus far, his companions have been no help in this regard.

    • References above (and throughout these notes) marked “Seow” are to C. L. [Choon Leong] Seow, Job 1-21: Interpretation and Commentary, Illuminations Commentary Series (Eerdmans: 2013).
    • Those marked “Clines” are to David J. A. Clines, Job 1–20, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 17 (1989).
    • Those marked “Michel” are to Walter L. Michel, Job in the Light of Northwest Semitic, Biblica et Orientalia 42 (Rome, Pontifical Biblical Institute Press: 1987).
    • Those marked “Gordis” are to Robert Gordis, The Book of Job: Commentary, New Translation, and Special Studies, Moreshet Series, Studies in Jewish History, Literature and Thought, vol. 11 (The Jewish Theological Seminary of America: 1978).
    • Those marked “Guillaume” are to A. Guillaume, Studies in the Book of Job, with a New Translation, edited by John Macdonald, Supplement II to the Annual of Leeds University Oriental Society (Brill: 1968).

February 12: Job 6:22-24

Job 6:22-24
Verse 22

“Is it that I have said, ‘Give to me!’
or ‘From your strength offer to me!’?”

The force of Job’s rhetoric, critiquing and rebuking the reaction of the companions to his suffering, becomes more direct in this next section (vv. 22-30). The sense of a lack of loyalty and devotion from the companions, expressed by Job in vv. 14-15, is dealt with here. He asks if he has made any improper or inconsiderate demands on their friendship. The parallel verbs hb*h* and dj^v* both essentially mean “give”, and so the imperative (“Give…!”) would represent a rather impolite and self-centered way of approaching a companion. The imperative in the first line, in particular, lacking a direct object, is striking (“Give to me!”).

The verb in the second line, dj^v*, is quite rare in the Scriptures, occurring elsewhere only in Ezek 16:33. It is attested in Akkadian (šaḫādum, cf. also Arabic šakada), with the meaning “give, present, bestow”. The contextual meaning here in Job is probably closer to the Aramaic dj^v= (šḥd, Syriac šeḥad), with the particular nuance of offering a gift, etc., to someone, occasionally in the specific (negative) sense of offering a bribe. The sense of the line is that of a needy individual making a somewhat rude request of a wealthier companion—i.e., “You have so much, why don’t you offer me some of that?” The noun j^K) properly means “strength”, but often with an emphasis on a person’s wealth; occasionally, in such a context, it is translated as “substance”. For poetic concision, the suffixed preposition yd!u&B^ (“on behalf of me, on my behalf”) is translated just like yl! (“to/for me”) in line 1. Cf. the note by Seow, p. 481.

The Wisdom texts occasionally deal with the problems that can arise when there is borrowing/lending, etc., between companions; cf. my recent note on Prov 6:1ff.

Verse 23

“Or, ‘Help me escape from (the) hand of an adversary!’
or ‘From (the) hand of fearsome (foe)s ransom me!’?”

The requests here in the second couplet involve an even more serious demand on a companion—acting to rescue one from a hostile and powerful adversary/opponent (rx^). In this instance, the request for money would be specifically for the purpose of ransoming (vb hd*P*) a person from bondage-debt. The motif of ransom (and use of the specific verb hd*P*) can also carry the more general sense of saving/rescuing someone out of danger, etc. The verb fl^m* (Piel) means “help/enable (someone) to escape”. The adjective Jyr!u* properly means “fearsome, fearful, terrifying”, used here as a substantive, characterizing adversaries as “fearsome (one)s”; in the Scriptural usage (cf. also Syriac ʿrāṣā) there is a strong connotation of violence and oppression.

The point in vv. 22-23 seems to be that Job should not be rebuked by his companions for his lamenting (chap. 3). After all, his words of lament are not placing any burdensome demands on them personally, and they should be willing, as friends, to endure it alongside him.

Verse 24

“Instruct me, and I myself, I will keep silent!
Yes, (of) how I have erred give understanding to me!”

As indicated in vv. 23-24, Job’s feels that his words of bitter lament were not deserving rebuke by the companions (viz., Eliphaz’ speech, chaps. 4-5), with the implication that he should be silent and should not speak in such a reckless way. Now, however, he tells them that he would, indeed, be quiet if they would explain to him (i.e., help him to understand) how these terrible things that he has endured could have come about. The verb vr^j* (II, Hiphil) means “keep silent” but properly refers to the binding of a person’s tongue/speech; in English idiom, we might say “I will hold my tongue!”.

The verb gg~v*/hg`v* has the basic meaning “err, (go a)stray”, but in the Israelite religious tradition it also came to have the technical meaning (especially with the noun hg`g`v=) of a sin that was committed inadvertently, by mistake. As indicated by the Prologue detail in 1:5, Job’s piety and religious devotion was such that he regularly showed concern that his children might have sinned and offended God inadvertently (or “in their heart”). Here, Job implicitly admits that he himself might have sinned by mistake (cf. 4:17ff), yet he is not aware of doing so, and certainly he cannot understand how he possibly could have offended God in such a way as to deserve the terrible calamities and afflictions that have come upon him.
Cf. the article by J. Milgrom, “The cultic šggh and its Influence in Psalms and Job”, Jewish Quarterly Review [JQR] 58 (1967), pp. 115-25.

The ‘righteous sufferer’ of the Akkadian-Babylonian Wisdom text Ludlul bēl nēmeqi (“I will praise the Lord of wisdom…”) is in a similar situation as Job, suffering terrible and debilitating (and socially ostracizing) physical afflictions. He is apparently being punished like one who is wicked and impious, ignoring and neglecting the gods (Tablet II, lines 10-22), even though he had always been devout and faithful in religious matters (lines,22-32). Still, he recognizes that he may have offended his god (and the gods) in some way, without exactly realizing it (or understanding in what way he had sinned), since the divine thought and purpose in this regard can be difficult for human beings to fathom:

“Would that I knew these things (that) were acceptable to the god!
That which is good to oneself may be a sacrilege to the god,
(While) that which is wretched to one’s heart may be good to one’s god.
Who can learn the plan of the gods in the heavens?
Who understands the counsel of the deep?
Where did humanity learn the divine decree of the gods?” (lines 33-38)
Translation, with slight modification, c/o Amar Annus and Alan Lenzi, Ludlul bēl nēmeqi: The Standard Babylonian Poem of the Righteous Sufferer, State Archive of Assyria Cuneiform Texts Vol. VII (The Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project: 2010).

    • References above (and throughout these notes) marked “Seow” are to C. L. [Choon Leong] Seow, Job 1-21: Interpretation and Commentary, Illuminations Commentary Series (Eerdmans: 2013).