Job 24

The second half of Job's speech in response to Eliphaz (Chapter 22), the beginning of the third round, a round that degenerates into many voices, until after the wisdom hymn in chapter 28, Job summarizes his arguments in three chapters 29-31. We'll get there eventually.

There are several very long lines in this poetry. Some could have use the ole-veyored, but did not. Only verse 13 uses both strong cadences. Sometimes the revia is sufficient to warrant a strong break. The high syllable counts before the atnach draw one's attention to the verses 5, 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, and 24. There have been other such verses in Job to now (excluding the non-poetic verses of course.) E.g. 3:5 17 syllables, but exclude 3:26 which is naturally without rest. Also 4:16 and 5:5. (The rest: 6:4, 10, 7:4, 9:24, 10:3, 15, 17, 12:4, 6, 14:13, 19, 15:28, 16:9, 10, 12, 13, 19:12, 27, 20:23, 21:17) One or two sometimes none per chapter. 23 in total so far. In the Psalms, there are about 200 such anomalies. Again about 1 per chapter. In this chapter there are 7 with 15 or more. So the chapter stands out. The potential disjunctive accent is the revia in 6 cases here. I've put a * into the English so you can see it. This is the revia that occurs without the geresh. Verse 15 does not fit the pattern.

Observing these revias in solitude via software is tempting. But I have not yet proven with a query that they are such a major disjunctive. And it is clear from verse 24 that there can be more than one per verse. This is not the case with either of the major disjunctives in the poetry. These only occur once per verse. Never twice.

Verse 5 begins on a high C tying the image of the wild donkeys back to the prior 3 verses. Verse 12 begins with a turn leading to recitation on the high C. It summarizes and prepares for the tricolon verse 13 where I think blame is laid. Verses 23-24 sound like the role of the shyster of today who encourages people to get rich quick.

A quick look at recurrence does not tell me any obvious pattern that highlights verse 13 the way the accents do. These stems recur more than twice :גזל דרך עני בלי שׂום אור עין פנה. Twenty occur exactly twice, and the negative לא thirteen times.

Job 24		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
מַדּ֗וּעַ מִ֭שַּׁדַּי לֹא־נִצְפְּנ֣וּ עִתִּ֑ים וְ֝יֹדְעָ֗יו לֹא־חָ֥זוּ יָמָֽיו	1	~	Why from the Sufficient are times not treasured? And why do those knowing him not gaze on his days?	3e	4B	12 7
גְּבֻל֥וֹת יַשִּׂ֑יגוּ עֵ֥דֶר גָּ֝זְל֗וּ וַיִּרְעֽוּ	2		Borders they overtake. The troop they ravage while they graze.	3e	4A	6 7
חֲמ֣וֹר יְתוֹמִ֣ים יִנְהָ֑גוּ יַ֝חְבְּל֗וּ שׁ֣וֹר אַלְמָנָֽה	3	B	The orphans' ass they drive away. They pledge the widow's bull.	3e	4B	8 7
יַטּ֣וּ אֶבְיוֹנִ֣ים מִדָּ֑רֶךְ יַ֥חַד חֻ֝בְּא֗וּ עֲנִיֵּי־אָֽרֶץ	4	B	They stretch out the needy from the way. Together the poor of the land camouflage themselves.	3e	4B	8 8
הֵ֤ן פְּרָאִ֨ים ׀ בַּֽמִּדְבָּ֗ר יָצְא֣וּ בְּ֭פָעֳלָם מְשַׁחֲרֵ֣י לַטָּ֑רֶף עֲרָבָ֥ה ל֥וֹ לֶ֝֗חֶם לַנְּעָרִֽים	5	C	Lo, the wild donkeys into the wilderness go forth in their work seeking early to tear. Its steppe is bread for youngsters.	3e	4C	20 9
בַּ֭שָּׂדֶה בְּלִיל֣וֹ יִקְצ֑וֹרוּ וְכֶ֖רֶם רָשָׁ֣ע יְלַקֵּֽשׁוּ	6	g	In the field of its fodder they reap, and the vineyard of the wicked they make a final crop.	3e	4B	9 9
עָר֣וֹם יָ֭לִינוּ מִבְּלִ֣י לְב֑וּשׁ וְאֵ֥ין כְּ֝ס֗וּת בַּקָּרָֽה	7	B	They make the naked lodge without clothing, and there is no covering in the town.	3e	4B	9 7
מִזֶּ֣רֶם הָרִ֣ים יִרְטָ֑בוּ וּֽמִבְּלִ֥י מַ֝חְסֶ֗ה חִבְּקוּ־צֽוּר	8		From inundation from hills, they are wet, and without refuge, they clasp a rock.	3e	4B	8 8
יִ֭גְזְלוּ מִשֹּׁ֣ד יָת֑וֹם וְֽעַל־עָנִ֥י יַחְבֹּֽלוּ	9	g	They ravage orphan from a breast, and on one who is poor, they take a pledge.	3e	4B	7 7
עָר֣וֹם הִ֭לְּכוּ בְּלִ֣י לְב֑וּשׁ וּ֝רְעֵבִ֗ים נָ֣שְׂאוּ עֹֽמֶר	10	B	Naked they make him walk without clothing, and the famished bare the bale.	3e	4B	8 7
בֵּין־שׁוּרֹתָ֥ם יַצְהִ֑ירוּ יְקָבִ֥ים דָּ֝רְכ֗וּ וַיִּצְמָֽאוּ	11		Between their barriers they press oil, wine-vats they tread, and they thirst.	3e	4A	7 9
מֵ֘עִ֤יר מְתִ֨ים ׀ יִנְאָ֗קוּ וְנֶֽפֶשׁ־חֲלָלִ֥ים תְּשַׁוֵּ֑עַ וֶ֝אֱל֗וֹהַּ לֹא־יָשִׂ֥ים תִּפְלָֽה	12	~	From the city men groan, and the being of the profaned cries for help, but God does not render them as wrongdoing.	3e	4C	17 8
הֵ֤מָּה ׀ הָיוּ֮ בְּֽמֹרְדֵ֫י־א֥וֹר לֹֽא־הִכִּ֥ירוּ דְרָכָ֑יו וְלֹ֥א יָ֝שְׁב֗וּ בִּנְתִיבֹתָֽיו	13	C	They, they are those who mutiny against light. They do not recognize its ways, and they do not settle in its pathways.	3e	4C	8 6 8
לָא֡וֹר יָ֘ק֤וּם רוֹצֵ֗חַ יִֽקְטָל־עָנִ֥י וְאֶבְי֑וֹן וּ֝בַלַּ֗יְלָה יְהִ֣י כַגַּנָּֽב	14	~	With the light arises a murderer to kill poor or needy, and in the night he is like a thief.	3e	4C	14 9
וְעֵ֤ין נֹאֵ֨ף ׀ שָׁ֤מְרָֽה נֶ֣שֶׁף לֵ֭אמֹר לֹא־תְשׁוּרֵ֣נִי עָ֑יִן וְסֵ֖תֶר פָּנִ֣ים יָשִֽׂים	15		And the eye of an adulterer watches for twilight, saying, No eye will be my watcher. And face hidden, he sets out.	3e	4C	17 7
חָתַ֥ר בַּחֹ֗שֶׁךְ בָּ֫תִּ֥ים יוֹמָ֥ם חִתְּמוּ־לָ֗מוֹ לֹא־יָ֥דְעוּ אֽוֹר	16		They dig hard into houses in the darkness, that by day they had sealed themselves. They do not know light.	3e	3f	7 9
כִּ֤י יַחְדָּ֨ו ׀ בֹּ֣קֶר לָ֣מוֹ צַלְמָ֑וֶת כִּֽי־יַ֝כִּ֗יר בַּלְה֥וֹת צַלְמָֽוֶת	17	C	For together, morning is their death shadow, for he recognizes the fright of the shadow of death.	3e	4C	10 7
קַֽל־ה֤וּא ׀ עַל־פְּנֵי־מַ֗יִם תְּקֻלַּ֣ל חֶלְקָתָ֣ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ לֹֽא־יִ֝פְנֶה דֶּ֣רֶךְ כְּרָמִֽים	18		Fleet he is above the face of water. Fleet will be their share in the land. It does not face the way of vineyards.	3e	4C	15 8
צִיָּ֤ה גַם־חֹ֗ם יִגְזְל֥וּ מֵֽימֵי־שֶׁ֗לֶג שְׁא֣וֹל חָטָֽאוּ	19		Aridity, also warmth, ravages the snow's water, the grave, his sin.	3e	4C	15
יִשְׁכָּ֘חֵ֤הוּ רֶ֨חֶם ׀ מְתָ֘ק֤וֹ רִמָּ֗ה ע֥וֹד לֹֽא־יִזָּכֵ֑ר וַתִּשָּׁבֵ֖ר כָּעֵ֣ץ עַוְלָֽה	20		Forget him nurture, suck sweetly maggot, no longer, remembrance, and broken like a tree, injustice.	3e	4C	15 8
רֹעֶ֣ה עֲ֭קָרָה לֹ֣א תֵלֵ֑ד וְ֝אַלְמָנָ֗ה לֹ֣א יְיֵטִֽיב	21		He grazes on the barren not to give birth, and widow he does no good.	3e	4B	8 8
וּמָשַׁ֣ךְ אַבִּירִ֣ים בְּכֹח֑וֹ יָ֝ק֗וּם וְֽלֹא־יַאֲמִ֥ין בַּֽחַיִּֽין	22		He drags the mighty by his power. He arises but he is not faithful with their lives.	3e	4B	9 9
יִתֶּן־ל֣וֹ לָ֭בֶטַח וְיִשָּׁעֵ֑ן וְ֝עֵינֵ֗יהוּ עַל־דַּרְכֵיהֶֽם	23		It is given to him to be trusted and a buttress, but his eyes are on their ways.	3e	4B	10 8
ר֤וֹמּוּ מְּעַ֨ט ׀ וְֽאֵינֶ֗נּוּ וְֽהֻמְּכ֗וּ כַּכֹּ֥ל יִקָּפְצ֑וּן וּכְרֹ֖אשׁ שִׁבֹּ֣לֶת יִמָּֽלוּ	24	C	They are exalted a little, but there is nothing, and they are diminished. As were all, they will be shut up, as the head of a stalk is cut down.	3e	4C	16 8
וְאִם־לֹ֣א אֵ֭פוֹ מִ֣י יַכְזִיבֵ֑נִי וְיָשֵׂ֥ם לְ֝אַ֗ל מִלָּתִֽי ס	25		And if not, indeed, who will make me a liar, or define as nothing my speech?	3e	4B	10 9