OET interlinear JOB 14:20

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

תִּתְקְפֵ֣⁠הוּ לָ֭⁠נֶצַח

overpower,him for,ever

Job is speaking as if each person were in a lifelong struggle with God and as if God were able to overpower or defeat each person throughout his life. Job likely means that people struggle to live, but God is able to enforce his decree that each person must ultimately die after living for a certain time. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “You make people’s bodies wear out throughout their lives”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / euphemism

וַֽ⁠יַּהֲלֹ֑ךְ

and,pass_away

Job is using the expression goes away to mean “dies.” This is a mild way of referring to death. Your language may have a similar expression that you could use in your translation. Alternate translation: “and he passes away”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

מְשַׁנֶּ֥ה פָ֝נָ֗י⁠ו

change countenance,his

The expression changing his face describes a person’s face becoming wrinkled as that person ages. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “making his face wrinkled”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

מְשַׁנֶּ֥ה פָ֝נָ֗י⁠ו

change countenance,his

Job may be using one part of the aging process, the changing of the face to become wrinkled, to mean the entire process. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “causing him to age”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וַֽ⁠תְּשַׁלְּחֵֽ⁠הוּ

and,send_~_away,him

Job is implicitly describing how God will send a person away from the community of living people to the abode of the dead. Job will describe this isolation in more detail in the next two verses. You could indicate that in your translation if it would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “you send him away from the community of living people to the abode of the dead”