OET interlinear JOB 30:19

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

הֹרָ֥⁠נִי לַ⁠חֹ֑מֶר

he,has_thrown_me to=mortar

The pronoun He refers to text. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: [God has thrown me into the mud]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

הֹרָ֥⁠נִי לַ⁠חֹ֑מֶר

he,has_thrown_me to=mortar

Job is speaking as if God had literally thrown him into mud. This could mean: (1) that Job is using the image of being thrown into mud to represent his loss of position and status. Alternate translation: [God has reduced me to meager circumstances] (2) that Job is referring to the way he has been demonstrating his distress by sitting in the midst of the ash pile outside the city, as [2:8](../02/08.md) describes. Alternate translation: [God has caused me such distress that I have been sitting in this ash heap]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וָ֝⁠אֶתְמַשֵּׁ֗ל כֶּ⁠עָפָ֥ר וָ⁠אֵֽפֶר

and,I_have_become_like like,dust and,ash[es]

Job is speaking as if he had literally become like dust and ashes. This could be: (1) a physical description. Job may mean that the dust and ashes from the pile where he is sitting have stuck to his skin because of his oozing sores and so now he physically resembles dust and ashes himself. Job describes the appearance of his body in the previous verse, and this could be a continuation of that description. Alternate translation: [and I now appear to have become dust and ashes] (2) a comparison. Job may be saying that in some way his situation resembles some characteristic of dust and ashes, perhaps their lowliness of being on the ground. Alternate translation: [and I am greatly humiliated]