Is Job 24:1 about scheduling or overlooking?

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Ruminator
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Is Job 24:1 about scheduling or overlooking?

Post by Ruminator »

Job 24:1 מַדּ֗וּעַ מִ֭שַּׁדַּי לֹא־נִצְפְּנ֣וּ עִתִּ֑ים וידעו לֹא־חָ֥זוּ יָמָֽיו׃
Or better yet, go here: https://parabible.com/Job/24

Translators seem to take this to be about scheduling dates to hear cases but I'm wondering if you can really get there from the Hebrew which seems to be about "unhiding" something. LXX seems to interpret that God doesn't "notice the hours".

How should this be translated?
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William Ross
Ruminator
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Re: Is Job 24:1 about scheduling or overlooking?

Post by Ruminator »

Is there a way to delete this question? Or can a mod delete it? Thanks.
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William Ross
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Kirk Lowery
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Re: Is Job 24:1 about scheduling or overlooking?

Post by Kirk Lowery »

I can do it. Is there a particular reason why?
Kirk E. Lowery, PhD
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Ruminator
Posts: 52
Joined: Mon Dec 25, 2017 10:09 am

Re: Is Job 24:1 about scheduling or overlooking?

Post by Ruminator »

I had second thoughts about whether or not it is appropriate for this site. I actually double posted it here from another site because I was not getting any satisfactory answers: https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/ ... in-job-241 If it is appropriate for this site then I would certainly welcome an answer but I'm still learning what's appropriate and what's not.
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William Ross
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Kirk Lowery
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Re: Is Job 24:1 about scheduling or overlooking?

Post by Kirk Lowery »

Your question is about rendering the Hebrew text into English. That is dead center in our charter.

So...anyone care to tackle this question?
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blog: https://blogs.emdros.org/eh
Michael W Abernathy
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Re: Is Job 24:1 about scheduling or overlooking?

Post by Michael W Abernathy »

מַדּ֗וּעַ מִ֭שַּׁדַּי לֹא־נִצְפְּנ֣וּ עִתִּ֑ים וְ֝יֹדְ֯עָ֗ו לֹא־חָ֥זוּ יָמָֽיו׃
Halot gives multiple meanings for צפן including keeping, storing, reserving, treasuring, etc.
A literal translation could be, “Why aren’t times reserved by the Almighty?”
As for the aspect of judgment, Keil and Delitzsch comment that עִתִּ֑ים appears to be comparable to the Arab ‛idât, “which signifies predetermined reward or punishment.”
Again Halot suggests it means judgment in several passages, “time of judgement, time of the end לָבוֹא עִתָּהּ Is 1322 (of Babel), Ezk 223 (of Jerusalem), עֵת אַרְצוֹ Jr 277; עֶת־קֵץ Da 817, = עֵת קֵץ 1135.40 124.9; בָּא הָעֵת Ezk 77.12, עֵת עֲוֹן קֵץ the time of final punishment 2130.34 355.”
So, “Why aren’t times of judgment reserved by the Almighty?” seems quite reasonable.


Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 901.
Hope this helps.
Michael Abernathy
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Re: Is Job 24:1 about scheduling or overlooking?

Post by Ruminator »

Okay, so does this capture the sense:

“Why are opportunities to be heard in court not set aside by the Almighty?
And why do those who know Him never get their day [in court]?"

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William Ross
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William Ross
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