JOB 3:5 Parallel View

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Key: yellow:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT May darkness and a dark shadow claim it;
⇔ may a cloud dwell over it;
⇔ may the blacknesses of the day terrify it.

UST I wish that that day were only darkness,
⇔ with clouds blocking out the sunlight
⇔ and many other things also making it very dark.

BSB May darkness and gloom reclaim it,
⇔ and a cloud settle over it;
⇔ may the blackness of the day overwhelm it.

OEB May darkness and gloom claim it for their own,
⇔ And may the thick cloud rest upon it.
 ⇔ Black vapours of the day affright it!

WEB Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own.
⇔ Let a cloud dwell on it.
⇔ Let all that makes the day black terrify it.

NET Let darkness and the deepest
 ⇔ shadow claim it;
 ⇔ let a cloud settle on it;
 ⇔ let whatever blackens the day terrify it!

LSV Let darkness and death-shade redeem it,
Let a cloud dwell on it,
Let them terrify it as the most bitter of days.

FBV Take it back, darkness and death-shadow. A black cloud should overshadow it. It should be as terrifying as the darkness of an eclipse[fn] during the day.

3:5 The word “darkness” here is only used once in the Bible and is associated with bitterness. In Amos 8:10 a “bitter day” is linked with an eclipse.

T4T I wish that thick/intense darkness would have filled that day,
 ⇔ and that a black cloud would have come over it
⇔ and blotted out all light
⇔ and caused people to be terrified.

LEB • let clouds[fn] settle on it; • let them[fn] terrify it with the blackness[fn] of day.

?:? Literally “cloud”

?:? Masculine plural referring to all three entities mentioned in this verse

?:? Literally “blacknesses”

BBE Let the dark and the black night take it for themselves; let it be covered with a cloud; let the dark shades of day send fear on it.

MOF No MOF JOB book available

JPS Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own; let a cloud dwell upon it; let all that maketh black the day terrify it.

ASV Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own;
 ⇔ Let a cloud dwell upon it;
 ⇔ Let all that maketh black the day terrify it.

DRA Let darkness, and the shadow of death cover it, let a mist overspread it, and let it be wrapped up in bitterness.

YLT Let darkness and death-shade redeem it, Let a cloud tabernacle upon it, Let them terrify it as the most bitter of days.

DBY Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it; let clouds dwell upon it; let darkeners of the day terrify it.

RV Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own; let a cloud dwell upon it; let all that maketh black the day terrify it.

WBS Let darkness and the shades of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.

KJB Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.[fn][fn]
(Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.)

3.5 stain: or, challenge

3.5 let the…: or, let them terrify it, as those who have a bitter day

BB But let it be stayned with darknesse and the shadowe of death, let the dimme cloude fall vpon it, whiche may make it terrible as a most bitter day.
(But let it be stayned with darkness and the shadowe of death, let the dimme cloud fall upon it, which may make it terrible as a most bitter day.)

GNV But let darkenesse, and the shadowe of death staine it: let the cloude remayne vpon it, and let them make it fearefull as a bitter day.
(But let darkness, and the shadowe of death staine it: let the cloud remain upon it, and let them make it fearefull as a bitter day. )

CB but be couered with darcknesse, and the shadowe of death. Let the dymme cloude fall vpon it, and let it be lapped in with sorowe.
(but be covered with darknessse, and the shadowe of death. Let the dymme cloud fall upon it, and let it be lapped in with sorowe.)

WYC Derknessis make it derk, and the schadewe of deeth and myist occupie it; and be it wlappid with bittirnesse.
(Derknessis make it derk, and the schadewe of death and myist occupie it; and be it wlappid with bittirnesse.)

LUT Finsternis und Dunkel müssen ihn überwältigen, und dicke Wolken müssen über ihm bleiben, und der Dampf am Tage mache ihn gräßlich.
(darkness and darkness müssen him/it überwältigen, and dicke Wolken müssen above him bleiben, and the Dampf in/at/on_the days mache him/it gräßlich.)

CLV Obscurent eum tenebræ et umbra mortis; occupet eum caligo, et involvatur amaritudine.[fn]
(Obscurent him tenebræ and umbra mortis; occupet him caligo, and involvatur amaritudine.)

3.5 Non illustretur, etc., obscurent eum. Id est, diem delectationis, ne ab eo qui omnia videt, videatur. Tenebræ. GREG. Id est, lamenta pœnitentiæ vel occulta Dei judicia, a quibus præveniente gratia absolvimur, quam nos mereri nescimus. Et umbra mortis. Id est, mors Christi secundum carnem, etc., usque ad in quo misericordia subvenit, hoc homo puniat: unde sequitur: Occupet eum caligo. Id est, mentis confusio, de qua dicitur: Est enim confusio adducens gloriam. Eccli. 4. Et involvatur. Omni parte. Amaritudine. Pœnitentiæ: sed si dies, id est, delectatio peccati, sic punitur: quid nox, id est, consensus ad culpam?

3.5 Non illustretur, etc., obscurent him. Id it_is, diem delectationis, ne away eo who omnia videt, videatur. Tenebræ. GREG. Id it_is, lamenta pœnitentiæ or occulta Dei yudicia, a to_whom præveniente gratia absolvimur, how nos mereri nescimus. And umbra mortis. Id it_is, mors Christi after/second carnem, etc., usque to in quo misericordia subvenit, hoc human puniat: whence sequitur: Occupet him caligo. Id it_is, mentis confusio, about which dicitur: Est because confusio adducens gloriam. Eccli. 4. And involvatur. Omni parte. Amaritudine. Pœnitentiæ: but when/but_if dies, id it_is, delectatio peccati, so punitur: quid nox, id it_is, consensus to culpam?

BRN But let darkness and the shadow of death seize it; let blackness come upon it;

BrLXX Ἐκλάβοι δὲ αὐτὴν σκότος καὶ σκιὰ θανάτου, ἐπέλθοι ἐπʼ αὐτὴν γνόφος·
(Eklaboi de autaʸn skotos kai skia thanatou, epelthoi epʼ autaʸn gnofos; )

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

Complaints

The Bible generally depicts complaining as wrong. For example, God judged the Israelites for grumbling about their hardships in the wilderness (Num 14:27-37). Job complained mightily and earned God’s rebuke for it, yet God ultimately confirmed Job’s righteousness and rejected those who tried to stop him from complaining (Job 42:7-8).

Job’s fundamental complaint was that God did not give him a fair hearing to demonstrate his innocence. Job’s friends attacked him for trying to vindicate himself, but God upheld Job’s innocence. In a gracious but firm act of self-revelation, God rebuked Job for his overreaching self-defense and implied criticism of God’s fairness. God shifted Job’s focus away from his troubles and toward God himself (Job 38–41).

Scripture admonishes us to rejoice and give thanks in all situations (Eph 5:20; Phil 4:4; 1 Thes 5:16-18). It also calls us to endure through suffering and to persist in prayer (Jas 5:10-18). If we do want to complain in prayer, we should follow the pattern of the psalms, which lead us past ourselves and back to God (see, e.g., Ps 13). Job’s positive example (Jas 5:11) is not so much in how he responded to his troubles or to his comforters but in how he responded to God (Job 40:3-5; 42:1-6). In the midst of difficult and confusing situations that may precipitate a desire to complain, we can still acknowledge the sovereignty and goodness of God.

Passages for Further Study

Gen 4:13-14; Exod 16:2-18; Num 14:27-37; 1 Kgs 19:3-18; Job 3:1-26; 6:1–7:21; Pss 38; 39; 44; 73; Jer 20:14-18; Jon 4:1-11; Matt 27:46; John 6:41-59; 1 Cor 10:1-10; Eph 5:20; Phil 2:14-15; Jas 5:9-11

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

יִגְאָלֻ֡⁠הוּ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְ֭⁠צַלְמָוֶת

claim,it darkness and,deep_shadow

The terms darkness and dark shadow mean similar things. The author is using the two terms together for emphasis. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could express the emphasis with a single phrase. Alternate translation: “May darkness completely claim it”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

יִגְאָלֻ֡⁠הוּ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְ֭⁠צַלְמָוֶת

claim,it darkness and,deep_shadow

Job assumes that his listeners will understand that by claim he is referring to the way, in his culture, a close relative would bring an orphaned child into his own home and make that child a member of his own family. You could say that explicitly if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “May darkness and deep darkness make it part of their own family”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

יִגְאָלֻ֡⁠הוּ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְ֭⁠צַלְמָוֶת

claim,it darkness and,deep_shadow

Job is speaking as if darkness and a dark shadow were living things that could adopt the day of his birth, as if it too were a living thing. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “May that day be just like darkness, yes, like deep darkness”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

תִּשְׁכָּן־עָלָ֣י⁠ו עֲנָנָ֑ה

settle on/upon/above=him/it cloud

Job is speaking of a cloud as if it were a living thing that could dwell or make its home over the day of his birth, and he is speaking of that day as if it were something that itself lived in a particular place. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “may that whole day be cloudy”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

כִּֽמְרִ֥ירֵי יֽוֹם

blackness day

In this possessive form, the day is the object rather than the subject of blacknesses. That is, this does not mean blacknesses that the day possesses, it means all the things that blacken a day, that is, make it dark. This would include things such as eclipses, sand storms, volcanic eruptions, etc. Alternate translation: “all the things that blacken a day” or “all the things that make a day dark”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

כִּֽמְרִ֥ירֵי יֽוֹם

blackness day

If your language would not use an abstract noun such as blacknesses, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “all the things that blacken a day” or “all the things that make a day dark”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

יְ֝בַעֲתֻ֗⁠הוּ

terrify,it

Job is speaking of the day of his birth as if it were a living thing that blackening events could terrify. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “make it so dark that it is no longer truly a day”

Parallel JOB 3:5