Aron Pinker, «On the Meaning of Job 4,18», Vol. 93 (2012) 500-519
This paper argues that the terms wydb( and wyk)lm in Job 4,18 should be understood as referring to the set motions of the sun, moon, and stars as well as to sporadic meteorological events, respectively. Such understanding does not dilute the validity and force of the qal wahomer in 4,18-19. The comparison is between the inanimate but permanent (sun, moon, stars, meteorological phenomena) and the animate but impermanent (humans). The difficult hlht is assumed to have been originally hhflft;@ from hhl, «languish, faint». Taking hlht as having the meaning «weakness» provides a sense that eminently fits a natural event.
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On the Meaning of Job 4,18
I. The hapax legomenon in 4,18
The Book of Job is generally acclaimed as the greatest poem of
ancient or modern times. Terrien wrote: “The literary mastery of the
poet is unsurpassed in the Old Testament, and his stylistic versatility,
vigor, conciseness and elegance are probably superior to those of
any other poet†1. A special position in this unusual book is held by
Eliphaz’s speeches. Rowley characterized them by saying: “The
speech of Eliphaz is one of the masterpieces of the book†2. Job 4,18
is one of the verses in Eliphaz’s first speech. It reads:
If he cannot trust His own servants, Nymi)JyA )lo wydFb(jbA % Nh
F "
And casts reproach on His angels 3, hlhtF % My#oiyF wyk)l;mab;w%
F? FF
This verse was subject to considerable debate because of the
hapax legomenon hlht%F, which elicited much guess-work. Dhorme
F?
observes that “L’hapax hlht%F a choqué quelques commentateurs†4.
F?
Though much exegetical effort focused on deciphering the meaning
of hlht%F, still one cannot confidently state that a satisfactory solution
F?
has been found.
Chaham, in a somewhat optimistic spirit, says that despite the
many different interpretations that have been offered, “anyway the
meaning is clear†5. What seems to be clear from the conclusion of
the a minori ad majus (qal wahomer in Talmudic terminology) struc-
ture in vv. 18-19, and the parallelism of the cola in v. 18, is that v. 18b
must also express some dissatisfaction with God’s emissaries 6. How-
S. TERRIEN, The Book of Job. Introduction and Exegesis (Interpreter’s
1
Bible 3; New York 1954) 1892.
H.H. ROWLEY, “The Book of Job and Its Meaningâ€, BJRL 41 (1958) 199,
2
n. 1. Rowley quotes Davidson.
NJPS translation.
3
E. DHORME, Le livre de Job (EB; Paris 1926) 48.
4
A. CHANAM, bwy) rps (Jerusalem 1981) 35, n. 27.
5
A rmwxw lq (lit. “light and weightyâ€) is a rhetorical principle whereby
6
a conclusion is drawn from a minor premise, or a more lenient condition
BIBLICA 93.4 (2012) 500-519
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