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Job’s Benevolence

11 “As soon as the ear heard these things,[a] it blessed me,[b]
and when the eye saw them, it bore witness to me,
12 for I rescued the poor who cried out for help,
and the orphan who[c] had no one to assist him;
13 the blessing of the dying man descended on me,[d]
and I made the widow’s heart rejoice;[e]

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Footnotes

  1. Job 29:11 tn The words “these things” and “them” in the next colon are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  2. Job 29:11 tn The main clause is introduced by the preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive (see GKC 327 §111.h); the clause before it is therefore temporal and circumstantial to the main clause.
  3. Job 29:12 tn The negative introduces a clause that serves as a negative attribute; literally the following clause says, “and had no helper” (see GKC 482 §152.u).
  4. Job 29:13 tn The verb is simply בּוֹא (boʾ, “to come; to enter”). With the preposition עַל (ʿal, “upon”) it could mean “came to me,” or “came upon me,” i.e., descended (see R. Gordis, Job, 320).
  5. Job 29:13 tn The verb אַרְנִן (ʾarnin) is from רָנַן (ranan, “to give a ringing cry”) but here “cause to give a ringing cry,” i.e., shout of joy. The rejoicing envisioned in this word is far greater than what the words “sing” or “rejoice” suggest.

11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me,
    and those who saw me commended me,(A)
12 because I rescued the poor(B) who cried for help,
    and the fatherless(C) who had none to assist them.(D)
13 The one who was dying blessed me;(E)
    I made the widow’s(F) heart sing.

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