OET interlinear JOB 24:16

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

חָתַ֥ר & בָּ֫תִּ֥ים

break_into & houses

The pronoun One refers to a wicked person. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Since, as the rest of the verse shows, Job is actually describing behavior that is characteristic of wicked people in general, you may wish to use a plural term. Alternate translation: “Wicked people dig into houses”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

חָתַ֥ר בַּ⁠חֹ֗שֶׁךְ בָּ֫תִּ֥ים

break_into in/on/at/with,dark houses

In this culture, houses were made of clay or sun-dried brick, so thieves could gain entry to a house most easily by digging through one of its walls. If houses in your culture are made of different materials that a thief would not or could not dig through, you may wish to use a general expression in your translation. Alternate translation: “Wicked people break into houses”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

חִתְּמוּ־לָ֗⁠מוֹ

shut_~_up themselves,themselves

This expression means “they stay indoors”. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “they stay indoors”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

לֹא־יָ֥דְעוּ אֽוֹר

not know light

This expression means that wicked people are not familiar with light, and the reason is that they do not leave their homes when it is light. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “they do not go out when it is light”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

לֹא־יָ֥דְעוּ אֽוֹר

not know light

While the word light here is literal, since Job is using it to mean day, there is also a moral overtone, as in verse 13, where Job said that wicked people rebel against the light, meaning God’s revelation. If your language has a term for “light” that also has these moral connotations, it would be appropriate to use it here in your translation.