OET interlinear JOB 15:14

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

מָֽה־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ כִּֽי־יִזְכֶּ֑ה וְ⁠כִֽי־יִ֝צְדַּ֗ק יְל֣וּד אִשָּֽׁה

what ʼEnōshh that/for/because/then/when pure and=because/when righteous born woman/wife

Eliphaz is using the question form for emphasis. If you would not use the question form for that purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation. Alternate translation: “Man cannot be clean! No, one born of a woman cannot be righteous!”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

אֱנ֥וֹשׁ

ʼEnōshh

Here the masculine term man has a generic sense that includes both men and women. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could use language in your translation that is clearly inclusive of both men and women. Alternate translation: “a human being”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

יִזְכֶּ֑ה

pure

Eliphaz is speaking as if people who are innocent of wrongdoing are literally clean. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “he should be innocent”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

יְל֣וּד אִשָּֽׁה

born woman/wife

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “someone to whom a woman has given birth”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

יְל֣וּד אִשָּֽׁה

born woman/wife

Eliphaz is speaking of human mortality by association with the way that people are born physically and, by implication, will also die. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “a mortal”