OET interlinear JOB 33:6

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

אֲנִ֣י כְ⁠פִ֣י⁠ךָ לָ⁠אֵ֑ל

I like,mouth_of,you before_THE,God

Elihu could be using the term mouth to mean: (1) what Job said when he wished that God would respond to him. Job said something like this in 31:35 and in several other places earlier in his speeches. Alternate translation: “I will reply to you on behalf of God, as you wished” (2) Job himself. Elihu would be using part of Job, the part he has been using to pursue his case against God, to mean all of Job. If you follow this second interpretation in your translation, you may wish to put the sentence break at the end of the verse rather than in the middle of the verse, since the two halves of the verse would be parallel statements. Alternate translation: “I am just like you to God”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

מֵ֝⁠חֹ֗מֶר קֹרַ֥צְתִּי גַם־אָֽנִי

from,clay formed also/even I

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. If you need to say who does the action, the context suggests that it is God. Alternate translation: “God formed me too from clay”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

מֵ֝⁠חֹ֗מֶר קֹרַ֥צְתִּי גַם־אָֽנִי

from,clay formed also/even I

Elihu is speaking as if God had literally formed him from clay. He is indicating that he is only a mortal human being by alluding to the way that God originally formed humans from the dust of the earth. The Bible presents this concept in Genesis 2:7). As the next verse makes clear, Elihu is reassuring Job that he does not have to be afraid of how he will respond to him, in contrast with the way Job said in 30:21–23 and other places that he was afraid that God would respond to him violently and with great force. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “I am only a mortal human being”