OET interlinear JOB 6:6

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

הֲ⁠יֵאָכֵ֣ל תָּ֭פֵל מִ⁠בְּלִי־מֶ֑לַח אִם־יֶשׁ־טַ֝֗עַם בְּ⁠רִ֣יר חַלָּמֽוּת

?,eaten tasteless from,without salt if is_there taste in/on/at/with,white egg

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: “The unsavory will not be eaten without salt! And there is no taste in the white of an egg!”

Note 2 topic: writing-proverbs

הֲ⁠יֵאָכֵ֣ל תָּ֭פֵל מִ⁠בְּלִי־מֶ֑לַח אִם־יֶשׁ־טַ֝֗עַם בְּ⁠רִ֣יר חַלָּמֽוּת

?,eaten tasteless from,without salt if is_there taste in/on/at/with,white egg

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 it is necessary to season some foods in order to eat them, so it is necessary to talk expressively about some situations in life in order to endure them. Job has already made this point explicitly in verse 3 (“therefore my words raved”), but perhaps the connection will not be as clear in this case as in the previous verse. So you could make the connection more explicitly. Alternatively, you could translate the proverb itself in a way that would be recognized as a proverb and be meaningful in your language and culture. If people in your culture would not eat the white of an egg, in your translation you could use a food that your readers would recognize. Alternate translation: “I cannot endure these troubles without talking emotionally about them, any more than people can eat bland food without seasoning it”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

הֲ⁠יֵאָכֵ֣ל תָּ֭פֵל מִ⁠בְּלִי־מֶ֑לַח

?,eaten tasteless from,without salt

Job is using the adjective unsavory, which in this context means “without flavor,” as a noun to mean a certain kind of food. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate this word with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: “Will unsavory food be eaten without salt”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

הֲ⁠יֵאָכֵ֣ל תָּ֭פֵל מִ⁠בְּלִי־מֶ֑לַח

?,eaten tasteless from,without salt

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: “Will people eat unsavory food without salt”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

אִם־יֶשׁ־טַ֝֗עַם בְּ⁠רִ֣יר חַלָּמֽוּת

if is_there taste in/on/at/with,white egg

Job is using the word If to introduce a question that anticipates a contrary answer. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate this in your translation. Alternate translation: “There is no taste in the white of an egg, is there”