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Post by brianwagner on May 19, 2017 13:45:34 GMT -6
I am fascinated by Elihu's speech in Job 33:14-30 as a pre-Mosaic confirmation of God's reaching out to each person two or three times (or ways) in their life to draw them to the light of His righteousness that is available to them through faith. The first verse, verse 14, seems to need some translation work. I am thinking that normally one would see God as the subject in both phrases of this poetry. But most translations make man the subject of the second verb. The LXX doesn't even have this second verb! Any thoughts?
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Post by CowboysDad on Jun 8, 2017 21:46:44 GMT -6
First, the atnach would seem to disjunctively mark the verse as follows: “For God may speak in one way / or in another does not perceive it.”
The word for perceive that is used here is also used in 34:29, “And when He hides His face, who then can see Him, whether it is against a nation or a man alone.” Also in 35:5, “Look to the heavens and see, and behold the clouds—they are higher than you.” These two verses are descriptive of man’s sight. However, 33:27 reads, “Then he looks at men and says ….” This verse is descriptive of God’s sight. The usage of the Hebrew word would suggest that both are possibilities in context.
“One way” and “another” are both feminine, and so “does not perceive it” actually reads, “does not perceive her,” suggesting that the third-person-masculine perceiver does not perceive the “one way” or the “another” way. It does not seem to follow that God would not perceive the very thing he spoke. Thus, it seems to follow that “man” does not perceive her, i.e., the “one way” or the “another.” In dreams God “opens the ears of men” (v. 16), meaning that man wouldn’t otherwise perceive God’s instruction. I’m ok with the insertion of “man” in “yet man does not perceive it”—i.e., the instruction of God.
I don’t see any textual variants.
With regard to the meaning of light (cf. v. 30), I looked up every usage of light in Job. Most of the usages are literal references to sunlight in contrast to darkness. In Job 3:20 it is used in parallel with life. So, poetically it is used to refer to physical life. Sometimes it is used to speak of hope (cf. Job 17:12), blessing (22:28), or perhaps even to righteousness in 24:12-13.
Instinctively, I want to read "Twice, in fact, three times with a man," more as an idiom that would suggest frequency rather than a reaching out to each person two or three literal times. But I don't see this reference as a salvific drawing. In v. 26 Elihu says, "He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him, He shall see His face with joy, for He restores to man His righteousness." I take this as a restoration to right perception, not as a salvific action of God. I see your point, but Elihu and the others don't seem to look upon Job as a man who had never known God, but rather as a man who has sinned against God and needs restoration. He can again be restored to meaningful life with God.
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