Job 38:3

Hebrew Bible

1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: 2 “Who is this who darkens counsel with words without knowledge? 3 Get ready for a difficult task like a man; I will question you, and you will inform me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you possess understanding.

LXX Job 38:3

Septuagint

1 And after Elius had ceased from speaking, the Lord spoke to Job through the whirlwind and clouds, saying, 2 Who is this that hides counsel from me, and confines words in his heart, and thinks to conceal them from me? 3 Gird thy loins like a man; and I will ask thee, and do thou answer me. 4 Where wast thou when I founded the earth? tell me now, if thou hast knowledge,

 Notes and References

"... Michael Klein has argued that the Job Targum from Qumran (11QtgJob) does not employ any circumlocutions in speaking of God. It is true that several anthropomorphic expressions are left unchanged in this Targum, and none of the later terms such as “Glory,” “Presence,” and “Word” described above are employed. Nevertheless, there are at least two verses where the targumist has not translated literally, probably because God’s honor or abilities would be impugned by doing so. The first is an expression found twice, in Job 38:3 and 40:7. God is speaking ... the Septuagint Job gives a similar rendering: “I will ask you and you answer me.” Since it would have been easy to translate literally (as the later rabbinic Job Targum would do), it is likely that the targumist simply shrunk from the idea that Job could actually instruct or inform the all-knowing God about anything. Another example is found in Job 42:2 ..."

Cook, Edward M. "The Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in the Targums" in Henze, Matthias (ed.) A Companion to Biblical Interpretation in Early Judaism (pp. 92-117) William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2012

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