OET interlinear JOB 6:5

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

הֲ⁠יִֽנְהַק־פֶּ֥רֶא עֲלֵי־דֶ֑שֶׁא אִ֥ם יִגְעֶה־שּׁ֝֗וֹר עַל־בְּלִילֽ⁠וֹ

?,bray wild_donkey over grass if low ox on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in fodder,its

Job is using the question form for emphasis in both of these sentences. If you would not use the question form for that purpose in your language, you could translate these sentences as statements or as exclamations. Alternate translation: “A wild donkey does not bray over grass! Indeed, an ox does not bellow over its fodder!”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

אִ֥ם יִגְעֶה־שּׁ֝֗וֹר עַל־בְּלִילֽ⁠וֹ

if low ox on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in fodder,its

Job is using the word If to introduce a question that anticipates a negative answer. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate this in your translation. Alternate translation: “An ox does not bellow over its fodder, does it?”

Note 3 topic: writing-proverbs

הֲ⁠יִֽנְהַק־פֶּ֥רֶא עֲלֵי־דֶ֑שֶׁא אִ֥ם יִגְעֶה־שּׁ֝֗וֹר עַל־בְּלִילֽ⁠וֹ

?,bray wild_donkey over grass if low ox on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in fodder,its

Job is quoting or creating a proverb, a short saying about something that is generally true in life. This proverb draws a figurative comparison: Just as animals do not complain loudly if they have food, so Job would not be protesting so vehemently if something were not seriously wrong. But since Job has already made this point explicitly in verse 3 (“therefore my words raved”), you do not need to explain it here. Rather, you can translate the proverb itself in a way that will be recognized as a proverb and be meaningful in your language and culture. If your readers would not recognize what a wild donkey or an ox is, in your translation you could use animals that your readers would recognize.