Job 4:12

Word came to me in stealth,

                My ear caught an echo of it.

I picture an old man about to tell a fable to innocent kids. Maybe an old Arab tell one of the 1001 stories you hear spoken of. I actually decided to read that book and found a very good translation. I of course got tired of the never ending story aspect and have yet to finish.

Many translations had a “now” in front of the verse, but I left it out as unnecessary. One version had “thing” in place of “word” which I actually like better, but only because I associate ”the word” in the Bible with Jesus and I know this is not Jesus Eliphaz is speaking of. But “word” seemed to be the word used and I went with it. “Stealth” seemed like the right decision from “secretly brought” and “came stealing” as none were too different.

“Caught“ was chosen over “received” as the sentiment seemed that an action was taken to hear. “An echo” was chosen over “the whisper of it” (which was well supported), “a little there of” (nice from King James), “a snatch of it”, and “a tag end of it”. Based on the depth of what is coming, the partiality of snatch, tag end, and little do not quite seem to fit. I liked a whisper of it, but echo fit more of the stealth theme and seems more fantastical than just a whisper.

I really like the mystery of these next few verses, but it certainly seems to be more of a demonic feel to it rather than angelic. The sentiment in the rest of the chapter seems right, but it feels like it is deception. As if Satan came to work on Eliphaz specifically to throw the crowd off with a supernatural explanation for why Job is “a senseless fool”. This feels like a good topic to follow as the rest of my study of the book unfolds.

If we hear something, anything, we are to test it against the Word of God, the words of Jesus, and the order of things as God reveals them and not against the wisdom of ourselves or of the world. Some ideas to make things better really do and others are more like the mark of the beast, evil disguised.