OET interlinear JOB 28:22

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes

אֲבַדּ֣וֹן וָ֭⁠מָוֶת אָ֣מְר֑וּ בְּ֝⁠אָזְנֵ֗י⁠נוּ שָׁמַ֥עְנוּ שִׁמְעָֽ⁠הּ

abaddon and,death say (Some words not found in UHB: abaddon and,death say with,ears_of,our heard report_of,its )

If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: [Abaddon and death say that they have heard a rumor of it with their ears]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

אֲבַדּ֣וֹן וָ֭⁠מָוֶת אָ֣מְר֑וּ בְּ֝⁠אָזְנֵ֗י⁠נוּ שָׁמַ֥עְנוּ שִׁמְעָֽ⁠הּ

abaddon and,death say (Some words not found in UHB: abaddon and,death say with,ears_of,our heard report_of,its )

Job is speaking as if Abaddon and death were living things that could speak. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [If Abaddon and death could speak, they would say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

אֲבַדּ֣וֹן וָ֭⁠מָוֶת אָ֣מְר֑וּ בְּ֝⁠אָזְנֵ֗י⁠נוּ שָׁמַ֥עְנוּ שִׁמְעָֽ⁠הּ

abaddon and,death say (Some words not found in UHB: abaddon and,death say with,ears_of,our heard report_of,its )

The terms Abaddon and death mean similar things. As a note to [26:6](../26/06.md) explains, Abaddon is another name for Sheol, the abode of the dead. In this context, the term death likely refers by association to the abode of the dead. Job 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: [The underworld says, ‘I have heard a rumor of it with my ears]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicitinfo

בְּ֝⁠אָזְנֵ֗י⁠נוּ שָׁמַ֥עְנוּ שִׁמְעָֽ⁠הּ

(Some words not found in UHB: abaddon and,death say with,ears_of,our heard report_of,its )

The speakers mean that while they have heard of wisdom with their ears, they have not seen it with their eyes or encountered it in person. So the mention of the ears, which might otherwise seem like extra information because the notion is already implicit in the term heard, actually serves to limit the statement, You could indicate that in your translation if it would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [We have only heard a rumor of it]