Job 39

Relief, back to some poetry. But hard to judge every gloss. I do not find Yahweh's speeches unsatisfactory. They express faith in the created order with all its dread from our point of view.

[There are a number of verses in this and the prior chapters beginning with the note g. This may be worth a follow up to hear the structure. 168 altogether in the speeches. In contrast, only 70 begin on C. 752 begin on the default tonic. I have already noted how the narrator's voice uses this note to show the structure of the multi-chapter dialogues.]

Job 39		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
הֲיָדַ֗עְתָּ עֵ֭ת לֶ֣דֶת יַעֲלֵי־סָ֑לַע חֹלֵ֖ל אַיָּל֣וֹת תִּשְׁמֹֽר	1		Do you know the time when the cliff-dwelling mountain goats give birth? The writhing of the hart, can you shelter?	3e	4B	11 7
תִּסְפֹּ֣ר יְרָחִ֣ים תְּמַלֶּ֑אנָה וְ֝יָדַ֗עְתָּ עֵ֣ת לִדְתָּֽנָה	2		Do you count the moons they fulfill? And do you know the time when they give birth?	3e	4B	9 8
תִּ֭כְרַעְנָה יַלְדֵיהֶ֣ן תְּפַלַּ֑חְנָה חֶבְלֵיהֶ֥ם תְּשַׁלַּֽחְנָה	3	g	They bow down. They break forth their newborns. Their pangs they send out.	3e	4B	10 7
יַחְלְמ֣וּ בְ֭נֵיהֶם יִרְבּ֣וּ בַבָּ֑ר יָ֝צְא֗וּ וְלֹא־שָׁ֥בוּ לָֽמוֹ	4		Their children are healthy. They increase with corn. They go forth and they do not return to them.	3e	4B	10 7
מִֽי־שִׁלַּ֣ח פֶּ֣רֶא חָפְשִׁ֑י וּמֹסְר֥וֹת עָ֝ר֗וֹד מִ֣י פִתֵּֽחַ	5		Who sets loose a wild ass to freedom, and the bonds of the onager, who unties?	3e	4B	6 9
אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי עֲרָבָ֣ה בֵית֑וֹ וּֽמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֥יו מְלֵֽחָה	6		(For whom I set steppe as his house, and his dwellings a salt plain.)	3e	4B	9 8
יִ֭שְׂחַק לַהֲמ֣וֹן קִרְיָ֑ה תְּשֻׁא֥וֹת נ֝וֹגֵ֗שׂ לֹ֣א יִשְׁמָֽע	7	g	He laughs at the tumult of a town. The ruin of a taskmaster he will not hear.	3e	4B	7 8
יְת֣וּר הָרִ֣ים מִרְעֵ֑הוּ וְאַחַ֖ר כָּל־יָר֣וֹק יִדְרֽוֹשׁ	8	B	The surplus of the mountains are his pasture, and after all foliage he searches out.	3e	4B	7 8
הֲיֹ֣אבֶה רֵּ֣ים‬ עָבְדֶ֑ךָ אִם־יָ֝לִ֗ין עַל־אֲבוּסֶֽךָ	9		Will a wild bull consent to serve you, or lodge at your manger?	3e	4B	7 8
הֲֽתִקְשָׁר־רֵ֭ים בְּתֶ֣לֶם עֲבֹת֑וֹ אִם־יְשַׂדֵּ֖ד עֲמָקִ֣ים אַחֲרֶֽיךָ	10		Can you fasten a wild bull on a ridge by its cords, as if to harrow valleys behind you?	3e	4B	10 11
הֲֽתִבְטַח־בּ֭וֹ‬ כִּי־רַ֣ב כֹּח֑וֹ וְתַעֲזֹ֖ב אֵלָ֣יו יְגִיעֶֽךָ	11		Will you trust in him, for excessive is his power, and delegate to him your labour?	3e	4B	8 10
הֲתַאֲמִ֣ין בּ֭וֹ‬ כִּי־יָשִׁ֣יב זַרְעֶ֑ךָ וְֽגָרְנְךָ֥ יֶאֱסֹֽף	12		Will you have faith in him that he return your seed, and to your threshing-floor gather?	3e	4B	10 7
כְּנַף־רְנָנִ֥ים נֶעֱלָ֑סָה אִם־אֶ֝בְרָ֗ה חֲסִידָ֥ה וְנֹצָֽה	13		The wings of joyful cries, a peacock thrilled, or pinion of stork and plumage?	3e	4A	9 9
כִּֽי־תַעֲזֹ֣ב לָאָ֣רֶץ בֵּצֶ֑יהָ וְֽעַל־עָפָ֥ר תְּחַמֵּֽם	14		For she forsakes to the earth her eggs, and on dust she warms them.	3e	4B	9 7
וַ֭תִּשְׁכַּח כִּי־רֶ֣גֶל תְּזוּרֶ֑הָ וְחַיַּ֖ת הַשָּׂדֶ֣ה תְּדוּשֶֽׁהָ	15	g	And she forgets that a foot may squash her, or the animals of the field may pound her.	3e	4B	9 10
הִקְשִׁ֣יחַ בָּנֶ֣יהָ לְּלֹא־לָ֑הּ לְרִ֖יק יְגִיעָ֣הּ בְּלִי־פָֽחַד	16		He makes her severe to her children as if not hers, without cause, her labour, without dread.	3e	4B	9 8
כִּֽי־הִשָּׁ֣הּ אֱל֣וֹהַּ חָכְמָ֑ה וְלֹא־חָ֥לַק לָ֝֗הּ בַּבִּינָֽה	17		For God made her oblivious of her wisdom, and did not smooth her in her understanding.	3e	4B	7 7
כָּ֭עֵת בַּמָּר֣וֹם תַּמְרִ֑יא תִּֽשְׂחַ֥ק לַ֝סּ֗וּס וּלְרֹֽכְבֽוֹ	18	g	As in the time she makes herself flap on high, she laughs at horse and its rider.	3e	4B	7 7
הֲתִתֵּ֣ן לַסּ֣וּס גְּבוּרָ֑ה הֲתַלְבִּ֖ישׁ צַוָּאר֣וֹ רַעְמָֽה	19		Did you give to the horse valour? Do you clothe its neck with thunder?	3e	4B	8 8
הְֽ֭תַרְעִישֶׁנּוּ כָּאַרְבֶּ֑ה ה֖וֹד נַחְר֣וֹ אֵימָֽה	20		Can you make him quake like a locust, the splendour of its whinnying horrible?	3e	4B	8 5
יַחְפְּר֣וּ בָ֭עֵמֶק וְיָשִׂ֣ישׂ בְּכֹ֑חַ יֵ֝צֵ֗א לִקְרַאת־נָֽשֶׁק	21		It excavates in the valley and joys in power. It goes forth to converge with assault.	3e	4B	12 6
יִשְׂחַ֣ק לְ֭פַחַד וְלֹ֣א יֵחָ֑ת וְלֹֽא־יָ֝שׁ֗וּב מִפְּנֵי־חָֽרֶב	22		It laughs at dread and is not pinned, and it does not turn in the face of a sword.	3e	4B	9 6
עָ֭לָיו תִּרְנֶ֣ה אַשְׁפָּ֑ה לַ֖הַב חֲנִ֣ית וְכִידֽוֹן	23	g	Against it rattles a quiver, flame of spear and scales.	3e	4B	6 7
בְּרַ֣עַשׁ וְ֭רֹגֶז יְגַמֶּא־אָ֑רֶץ וְלֹֽא־יַ֝אֲמִ֗ין כִּי־ק֥וֹל שׁוֹפָֽר	24		In quake and shudder it rushes earth, nor does it believe because of the voice of the shophar.	3e	4B	11 8
בְּדֵ֤י שֹׁפָ֨ר ׀ יֹ֘אמַ֤ר הֶאָ֗ח וּֽ֭מֵרָחוֹק יָרִ֣יחַ מִלְחָמָ֑ה רַ֥עַם שָׂ֝רִים וּתְרוּעָֽה	25		Enough with shophar, it says, Aha. And from afar it smells battle, thunder of nobility and a shout of triumph.	3e	4C	18 7
הֲֽ֭מִבִּינָ֣תְךָ יַֽאֲבֶר־נֵ֑ץ יִפְרֹ֖שׂ כְּנָפָ֣יו לְתֵימָֽן	26		By your understanding does a hawk soar, spreading its wings to the south?	3e	4B	9 8
אִם־עַל־פִּ֭יךָ יַגְבִּ֣יהַּ נָ֑שֶׁר וְ֝כִ֗י יָרִ֥ים קִנּֽוֹ	27		If by your mouth is an eagle high and lofty, and that he lifts high a nest?	3e	4B	9 6
סֶ֣לַע יִ֭שְׁכֹּן וְיִתְלֹנָ֑ן עַֽל־שֶׁן־סֶ֝֗לַע וּמְצוּדָֽה	28	B	A cliff is his roost where he lodges, on the tooth of a cliff and a fortress.	3e	4B	8 7
מִשָּׁ֥ם חָֽפַר־אֹ֑כֶל לְ֝מֵרָח֗וֹק עֵינָ֥יו יַבִּֽיטוּ	29		From there he excavates food. From afar his eyes take note.	3e	4A	6 9
וְאֶפְרֹחָ֥יו יְעַלְעוּ־דָ֑ם וּבַאֲשֶׁ֥ר חֲ֝לָלִ֗ים שָׁ֣ם הֽוּא פ	30		And his brood slurp up blood, and wherever the profaned are, there he is.	3e	4B	8 10