Job 42:1
וַיַּ֖עַן אִיּ֥וֹב אֶת־יְהוָ֗ה וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
and Job answered YHWH and said,
Paraphrase: To this new set of questions (Job 40:6-24; 41), Job again had nothing to say for himself. (Job 40:3-5) He bowed his head and responded to YHWH,
Comments:
Job 42:2
יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־כֹ֣ל תּוּכָ֑ל וְלֹא־יִבָּצֵ֖ר מִמְּךָ֣ מְזִמָּֽה׃
I know that all things, You are able to do, and a purpose cannot be withheld from You.
Paraphrase: “Oh God, You are the Great King of heaven and earth. There is nothing in all the world which you are not able to do. There is no problem so difficult that You cannot solve it; You are the Creator of all things, and everything depends on You for its very existence. Furthermore, no one can keep from You a thought or plan which they have in their mind. Every thought is plainly visible to Your all seeing eye. (Hebrews 4:13) Nothing can be hidden from You.
Comments:
Notice the ketiv is יָדַעְתָּ while the qere is יָדַעְתִּי. The LXX also has “I know.” see here.
A clear statement of God’s omnipotence and omniscience.
Job 42:3
מִ֤י זֶ֨ה׀ מַעְלִ֥ים עֵצָ֗ה בְּֽלִ֫י דָ֥עַת לָכֵ֣ן הִ֭גַּדְתִּי וְלֹ֣א אָבִ֑ין נִפְלָא֥וֹת מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי וְלֹ֣א אֵדָֽע׃
Who is this concealing counsel without knowledge? Therefore, I declare, and I do not understand; too wonderful for me, and I do not know.
Paraphrase: Then God responded to Job (Job 38:2), “Who do you think you are that you can speak about matters of which you have no knowledge? (Psalm 131:1) All yours words have done is to confuse the issue and to call into question My goodness and perfect sovereignty. Shame on you for your foolish pride!”
Then, Job bowed his head to the ground and cried out, “Indeed, I was foolish. I thought I could uncover the truth about something of which I know nothing. I wanted to teach others and explain to them the mystery of your ways. Now, I realize that Your ways are far above me. (Isaiah 55:8-9) I am as a little child and know nothing. (Job 8:9)
Comments:
The preposition min can make a comparison; God’s knowledge is too wonderful for Job.
Job 42:4
שְֽׁמַֽע־נָ֭א וְאָנֹכִ֣י אֲדַבֵּ֑ר אֶ֝שְׁאָלְךָ֗ וְהוֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃
Listen please, and I will speak; I will ask You and cause me to know.
Paraphrase: You had told me to listen to the questions you would put to me. You told me that you would ask questions and I was to provide answers. (Job 38:3)
Comments:
Job 42:5
לְשֵֽׁמַע־אֹ֥זֶן שְׁמַעְתִּ֑יךָ וְ֝עַתָּ֗ה עֵינִ֥י רָאָֽתְךָ׃
by the hearing of the ear, I heard You; but now my eye sees You.
Paraphrase: Well I did listen, and I was foolish enough to think I could answer the questions you would put to me. I had always been told of your infinite power, wisdom, and knowledge. My parents and teachers instilled these truths in me from my very youth. I thought I knew them well; but now, I have come into Your presence; I have seen a glimpse of your glory. (Exodus 33:20) I realize now that my knowledge was just so much ignorance.
Comments:
Chesterton writes about Thomas Aquinas that something happened to him which caused him to regard all his previous writing and thinking as of little value. His friend Reginald asked him to return to his usual habits of reading and writing, but Thomas said, “I can write no more.” When Reginald brought up the subject again, Thomas replied, “I can write no more. I have seen things which make all my writings like straw.” What did he see? more
Job 42:6
עַל־כֵּ֭ן אֶמְאַ֣ס וְנִחַ֑מְתִּי עַל־עָפָ֥ר וָאֵֽפֶר׃פ
Therefore, I despise, and I repent on dust and ashes.
Paraphrase: Now, as a result of this encounter, I see my utter worthlessness. I have been stripped of everything that gave me any reason to think I was something. Before God, I abhor myself and repent of my folly. I lay in dust and ashes.
Comments:
Adams (p50): Where we may consider three degrees of mortification: the sickness, the death, and the burial of sin. “I abhor myself;” there sin is sick and wounded. “I repent;” there it is wounded and dead. “in dust and ashes;” there it is dead and buried. To deny one’s self maims concupiscence that it cannot thrive; to repent, kills it that it cannot live; in dust and ashes, buries it that it can not rise up again. I throw it into the grave; I cover it with mould; I rake it up in dust and ashes.
Jastrow understands the phrase “dust and ashes” to be an idiom conveying the idea of being completely undone (p291) and utterly worthless (p364).
Job 42:7
וַיְהִ֗י אַחַ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה אֶל־אִיּ֑וֹב וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־אֱלִיפַ֣ז הַתֵּֽימָנִ֗י חָרָ֨ה אַפִּ֤י בְךָ֙ וּבִשְׁנֵ֣י רֵעֶ֔יךָ כִּ֠י לֹ֣א דִבַּרְתֶּ֥ם אֵלַ֛י נְכוֹנָ֖ה כְּעַבְדִּ֥י אִיּֽוֹב׃
Job 42:8
וְעַתָּ֡ה קְחֽוּ־לָכֶ֣ם שִׁבְעָֽה־פָרִים֩ וְשִׁבְעָ֨ה אֵילִ֜ים וּלְכ֣וּ׀ אֶל־עַבְדִּ֣י אִיּ֗וֹב וְהַעֲלִיתֶ֤ם עוֹלָה֙ בַּֽעַדְכֶ֔ם וְאִיּ֣וֹב עַבְדִּ֔י יִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם כִּ֧י אִם־פָּנָ֣יו אֶשָּׂ֗א לְבִלְתִּ֞י עֲשׂ֤וֹת עִמָּכֶם֙ נְבָלָ֔ה כִּ֠י לֹ֣א דִבַּרְתֶּ֥ם אֵלַ֛י נְכוֹנָ֖ה כְּעַבְדִּ֥י אִיּֽוֹב׃
Job 42:9
וַיֵּלְכוּ֩ אֱלִיפַ֨ז הַתֵּֽימָנִ֜י וּבִלְדַּ֣ד הַשּׁוּחִ֗י צֹפַר֙ הַנַּ֣עֲמָתִ֔י וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֔וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּשָּׂ֥א יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־פְּנֵ֥י אִיּֽוֹב׃
Job 42:10
וַֽיהוָ֗ה שָׁ֚ב אֶת־שְׁבִית אִיּ֔וֹב בְּהִֽתְפַּֽלְל֖וֹ בְּעַ֣ד רֵעֵ֑הוּ וַ֧יֹּסֶף יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְאִיּ֖וֹב לְמִשְׁנֶֽה׃
Job 42:11
וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ אֵ֠לָיו כָּל־אֶחָ֨יו וְכָל־אַחְיֹתָיו וְכָל־יֹדְעָ֣יו לְפָנִ֗ים וַיֹּאכְל֨וּ עִמּ֣וֹ לֶחֶם֮ בְּבֵיתוֹ֒ וַיָּנֻ֤דוּ לוֹ֙ וַיְנַחֲמ֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ עַ֚ל כָּל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־הֵבִ֥יא יְהוָ֖ה עָלָ֑יו וַיִּתְּנוּ־ל֗וֹ אִ֚ישׁ קְשִׂיטָ֣ה אֶחָ֔ת וְאִ֕ישׁ נֶ֥זֶם זָהָ֖ב אֶחָֽד׃ס
Job 42:12
וַֽיהוָ֗ה בֵּרַ֛ךְ אֶת־אַחֲרִ֥ית אִיּ֖וֹב מֵרֵאשִׁת֑וֹ וַֽיְהִי־ל֡וֹ אַרְבָּעָה֩ עָשָׂ֨ר אֶ֜לֶף צֹ֗אן וְשֵׁ֤שֶׁת אֲלָפִים֙ גְּמַלִּ֔ים וְאֶֽלֶף־צֶ֥מֶד בָּקָ֖ר וְאֶ֥לֶף אֲתוֹנֽוֹת׃
Job 42:13
וַֽיְהִי־ל֛וֹ שִׁבְעָ֥נָה בָנִ֖ים וְשָׁל֥וֹשׁ בָּנֽוֹת׃
Job 42:14
וַיִּקְרָ֤א שֵׁם־הָֽאַחַת֙ יְמִימָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית קְצִיעָ֑ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֖ית קֶ֥רֶן הַפּֽוּךְ׃
Job 42:15
וְלֹ֨א נִמְצָ֜א נָשִׁ֥ים יָפ֛וֹת כִּבְנ֥וֹת אִיּ֖וֹב בְּכָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּתֵּ֨ן לָהֶ֧ם אֲבִיהֶ֛ם נַחֲלָ֖ה בְּת֥וֹךְ אֲחֵיהֶֽם׃ס
Job 42:16
וַיְחִ֤י אִיּוֹב֙ אַֽחֲרֵי־זֹ֔את מֵאָ֥ה וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַיַּרְא אֶת־בָּנָיו֙ וְאֶת־בְּנֵ֣י בָנָ֔יו אַרְבָּעָ֖ה דֹּרֽוֹת׃
Job 42:17
וַיָּ֣מָת אִיּ֔וֹב זָקֵ֖ן וּשְׂבַ֥ע יָמִֽים׃