I will be teaching Job 38-42 in our adult Sunday School class. In preparing for this class I studied the LXX, the ESV and the NIV. Verse 36 in the LXX reads as follows: And who has given to women skill in weaving or knowledge of embroidery? ESV: Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind? NIV: Who endowed the heart with wisdome or gave understanding to the mind. Our versions are about as different from the LXX as one could ever hope to find? Any rational reason for the difference in translations? Thank you. Ken Heflin
Students of the Bible who have observed various translations of Job 38:36 have also observed the disparity between some of those translations. Albert Barnes prefaced his treatment of this verse by saying: “There is great variety in the interpretation of this passage.” The following translations illustrate this variety of translation: “And who has given to women skill in weaving or knowledge of embroidery?” (Septuagint or LXX); “Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?” (KJV). “Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart?” (NKJV). “Who has put wisdom in the clouds, or given understanding to the mists?” (RSV). The question, naturally, is why such variety in translation.
One commentary notes that most of our English translations correspond to the Hebrew text (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown). The Septuagint, of course, is a translation from Hebrew to Greek, after which rendered into English. However, the difficulty in translation appears to relate to defining the original language words properly within their specific context. Yet, the message is not altered by the difficulty of translating here.
The meaning of the two basic words in this verse — “inward parts” and “mind’’ — is uncertain. These two words are rendered clouds and mists elsewhere. The root meaning of the former is probably “cover over” or hidden, i.e., hidden or inward parts; and the root significance of the latter is perhaps “to look out,” i.e., in the sense that men can draw meanings from observing. Regardless of these difficulties, Yahweh is asking Job whether or not he can understand the workings of His wonderful creation. (Strauss 404)
The message of God’s supremacy is clearly understood throughout the volume, and here, too.
Works Cited
Barnes, Albert. Barnes’ Notes. CD-ROM. Seattle: Biblesoft, 1997.
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary. CD-ROM. Seattle: Biblesoft, 1997.
Strauss, James D. The Shattering of Silence: Job, Our Commentary. CD-ROM. Joplin: College Press, 1976.
