OET interlinear JOB 41:20

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

כְּ⁠ד֖וּד נָפ֣וּחַ וְ⁠אַגְמֹֽן

(Some words not found in UHB: from,nostrils_of,its comes smoke like,a_cooking_pot boiling and,bulrush[es] )

Yahweh is using the term blown by association to mean a fire that someone has blown or fanned to make it burn hot. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [like a pot over a blown fire and a reed]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

כְּ⁠ד֖וּד נָפ֣וּחַ וְ⁠אַגְמֹֽן

(Some words not found in UHB: from,nostrils_of,its comes smoke like,a_cooking_pot boiling and,bulrush[es] )

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: [like a pot over a fire that someone has blown and a reed]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / hendiadys

כְּ⁠ד֖וּד נָפ֣וּחַ וְ⁠אַגְמֹֽן

(Some words not found in UHB: from,nostrils_of,its comes smoke like,a_cooking_pot boiling and,bulrush[es] )

This phrase expresses a single idea by using two words connected with and. The word reed tells what kind of fuel the fire is burning that is heating the pot. People would make a fire out of dried reeds if they wanted it to burn hot quickly, although for a short time, such as to boil water. If it would be more natural in your language, you could express this meaning with an equivalent phrase that does not use “and.” Alternate translation: [like a pot that is boiling over a hot fire]