Devotional Short Note on Job 14
Koot van Wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)
Devotional
Short Note on Job 14: The readers may well ask where they can get a good
translation in English of Job? Miss. Elizabeth Smith’s translation of 1810 is
online available for download. She is not perfect and made errors by adding
some words that are not in the original or reading Arabic meanings instead of
Egyptian and in one case suggested with scissors to cut the Word of God and moved
it to another position. A red card of course. But, the simplicity of her
translation and the attempt to be very literal at times is the beauty of it. I
have thus provided her translation here and updated the English, removed the
Arabisms for Egyptianisms and here and there translated more literal. Adapted
and Reworked Translation of Elizabeth Smith 1810:
1
Man born of a woman, Short
are his days, and full of *affliction* [*quaking*, so also the Rabbi Mezudath
Zion]. 2
He Cometh forth like a flower, and is cut off, He
[flees] away like a shadow, and [remains] not. [3]
Even upon such an one, will [You] open [Your] eyes? And
bring me into judgment with [You]? [4]
Who [gives a clean (thing) out of an unclean (one)?] Not one. [5]
If his days be cut *short [or *are limited], the
number of his months be with [You], And
[You] have [set] his [*scepter* (Middle Egyptian ḥḳ3t meaning “scepter” for
Hebrew חקו). Haq in Hebrew means “ordinance, law,
limit”] which he may not pass over, [6]
Look from off him [Elizabeth Smith 1810 is better here since it is more literal
than “turn away”], that he may rest. Till
he [*acquit*, used by Moses in Leviticus 26:34, 41, 43 later when he wrote
Leviticus between 1448-1410 BCE] his day, like a hireling'. [7]
For there is [to a tree] hope If
it be cut down, [*also still*] it may revive, And
its [sprouts] will not fail/[cease]. [8]
[If] its root be grown old in the earth, its
stump also in the dust be dead. [9]
From the smell of water it will bud. And
[make] branches like a [young] plant/[sapling]. [10]
[Also] the strong man will die, and will be [*defeated* as Moses used it after
1450 BCE in Exodus 17:13]. And
[mankind] [*lack* (Middle Egyptian g3w meaning “lack” for Hebrew גוע). The Arabic would not do here], and where
is he? [11]
The waters fail [*cease* or *fail* as used by Moses in his later book
Deuteronomy 32:36] from the sea. And
the river [drained] and dry up. [12]
And man lies down, and shall not arise, [Until]
there be no heaven, he shall not be awakened And
he shall not be disturbed from his sleep. [13]
[Who will give in Sheol? You hide me.] You [veil/conceal] me [until] Your wrath
turns away. Appoint to me a *scepter (see supra)*/*limit*/*set time* and
remember me. [Keep in mind Moses lost his potential scepter from Hatshepsut
when he manslaughtered the Egyptian in 1490 BCE, thus opening the chances for
the illegal child Thutmosis III from a streetwoman Iset, to snatch the throne
from him]. [14]
If a strong man dies, shall he live again ? All
the days of my appointed time will I wait, [Until]
my renovation come: [15]
You will call, and I will answer, To
the work of Your hands You will *reckon with* [Middle Egyptian ḥsb for Hebrew
simulationכסף ]. [16]
[For] now You number my steps, [Not
will** You keep upon my sins]. (**Rabbi Rashi of the Middle Ages made this a
present tense instead of Future) [17]
Sealing my transgression in a bundle, And
You have [*attached* or *tied up* (so the Rabbis of the Middle Ages) or
*plastered*/*coat*/*paint over* so also Jerome in the Vulgate in 389 A.D.]
Yourself upon my iniquity. (Think of Abraham fastening Isaac on the altar but
Christ took his place in 31 A.D. fastened to a cross upon our iniquity). [18]
[And surely, a falling mountain will produce and a rock that moves from its
place]. [19]
The stones wears away. Water will flood its *remainder* [Middle Egyptian spyt
meaning “remainder” for Hebrew ספיחיה](It
is not the Arabic word saḥîfeh because the consonants are interchanged and the
Word of God reads spḥ not like the Arabic here sḥp “rainstorm”. It is thus
useless to refer to Assyrian saḫâpu as support for the Arabic meaning
“overturn/devastate” because both words have the order different than the Word
of God. Yet, despite the red card, scholars went ahead with their
translations)], the dust of the earth. [And
the hope of mankind You have destroyed]. [20]
[You] [*immerse* (Middle Egyptian tḫb for Hebrew simulation as תקף)] to eternity and he goes away, change his
face and You send him away. [21]
His sons come to honor, and [he does not know], They
are brought low,[ and not do they *understand/perceive* unto it]. [22]
Only his flesh upon him [will] corrupt. And
his soul [over it You shall mourn].