Job 33:8-13
New English Translation
Elihu Rejects Job’s Plea of Innocence
8 “Indeed, you have said in my hearing[a]
(I heard the sound of the words!):
9 [b] ‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am clean[c] and have no iniquity.
10 [d] Yet God[e] finds occasions[f] with me;
he regards me as his enemy.
11 [g] He puts my feet in shackles;
he watches closely all my paths.’
12 Now in this, you are not right—I answer you,[h]
for God is greater than a human being.[i]
13 Why do you contend against him,
that he does not answer all a person’s[j] words?
Footnotes
- Job 33:8 tn Heb “in my ears.”
- Job 33:9 sn See Job 9:21; 10:7; 23:7; 27:4; ch. 31.
- Job 33:9 tn The word is a hapax legomenon; חַף (khaf) is from חָפַף (khafaf). It is used in New Hebrew in expressions like “to wash” the head. Cognates in Syriac and Akkadian support the meaning “to wash; to clean.”
- Job 33:10 sn See Job 10:13ff.; 19:6ff.; 13:24.
- Job 33:10 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Job 33:10 tn The Hebrew means “frustrations” or “oppositions.” The RSV has “displeasure,” NIV “faults,” and NRSV “occasions.” Rashi chose the word found in Judg 14:4—with metathesis—meaning “pretexts” (תֹּאֲנוֹת, toʾanot); this is followed by NAB, NASB.
- Job 33:11 sn See Job 13:27.
- Job 33:12 tn The meaning of this verb is “this is my answer to you.”
- Job 33:12 tc The LXX has “he that is above men is eternal.” Elihu is saying that God is far above Job’s petty problems.
- Job 33:13 tc The MT has “all his words.” This must refer to “man” in the previous verse. But many wish to change it to “my words,” since it would be summarizing Job’s complaint to God.
Job 33:8-13
English Standard Version
8 “Surely you have spoken in my ears,
and I have heard the sound of your words.
9 You say, ‘I am (A)pure, without (B)transgression;
I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 Behold, he finds occasions against me,
he (C)counts me as his enemy,
11 he (D)puts my feet in the stocks
and (E)watches all my paths.’
12 “Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you,
for God is greater than man.
13 Why do you (F)contend against him,
saying, ‘He (G)will answer none of man's[a] words’?[b]
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
