diff --git a/writing/3/unknown-things/iyov/3-interpolations.tex b/writing/3/unknown-things/iyov/3-interpolations.tex index f65bd608..e40629d7 100644 --- a/writing/3/unknown-things/iyov/3-interpolations.tex +++ b/writing/3/unknown-things/iyov/3-interpolations.tex @@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ In fact, though many of the same ideas within the hymn are also there in Ecclesi Qohelet, on the other hand, has a much more grounded view. He says that wisdom is one of those things that you gain by experiencing, something that abides through all of the ups and downs in your life and is only ever strengthened. This is not to say that he is in any way upbeat, however. Wisdom, folly, riches, merriment, these all will go with you to the grave. They, too, will be meaningless. -That is, until, one gets to the end of Ecclesiastes. The second half of chapter 12 is, per Alter, likely an interpolation of its own, where an epilogist rounds out the remainder of the book with some sounder, more conventional piety. "The last word, all being heard: fear God and keep His commands, for that is all humankind. Since every deed will God bring to judgment, for every hidden act, be it good or Evil" (Job 12:13-14, Alter) echoes the end of the hymn, which puts it, "Look, fear of the master, that is wisdom, and the shunning of evil is insight." +That is, until, one gets to the end of Ecclesiastes. The second half of chapter 12 is, per Alter, likely an interpolation of its own, where an epilogist rounds out the remainder of the book with some sounder, more conventional piety. ``The last word, all being heard: fear God and keep His commands, for that is all humankind. Since every deed will God bring to judgment, for every hidden act, be it good or Evil'' (Job 12:13-14, Alter) echoes the end of the hymn, which puts it, ``Look, fear of the master, that is wisdom, and the shunning of evil is insight.'' Both of these interpolations seem to be taking the raw feelings of the authors of Job and Ecclesiastes and trying to soften them, shaving off all those coarse edges. @@ -40,7 +40,9 @@ Job and his friends have three rounds of arguments, which shall be covered soon, Christian sources, however, all lean on righteous, while the HCSB, NIV, and KJV having identical wording for that phrase. This colors the meaning, does it not? JPS and Alter describe Elihu as being angry because he is declaring himself more right than God, where as the Christian sources all interpret the text as Job justifying himself \emph{rather than} God. Interestingly, the 2001 translation of the Septuagint has Elihu upset that Job is declaring himself righteous before God, a sense of uncolored plainness that is missing from the other translations. In this case, Elihu is seemingly upset at Job for being upset.\footnotemark -If you will forgive me for getting further into the weeds, the next verse is all over the place in translation. KJV and NIV suggest that Elihu is upset at Job's friends because they couldn't find any fault in Job but still condemned him. JPS agrees, but uses `merely' before `condemn' which adds a value judgement. Alter has him upset because Job's friends couldn't show Job to be guilty. Though it is difficult to pin down why, Alter posits that Elihu is angry at Job's friends because they just couldn't actually find a way to condemn him: ``because they had not found an answer that showed Job guilty'' (Job 32:3, Alter), while the NRSV walks the middle path with ``because they had found no answer, though they had declared Job to be in the wrong.'' (Job 32:3, NRSV)}\footnotetext{And goodness knows we've all had one of those people in our lives. Why are you angry? Why are you crying? Who cares if you're right? They are in the position of authority, are they not? Get it together.} is where we leave off,\footnote{} and then this youngster, this whippersnapper, this upstart Elihu picks up. +If you will forgive me for getting further into the weeds, the next verse is all over the place in translation. KJV and NIV suggest that Elihu is upset at Job's friends because they couldn't find any fault in Job but still condemned him. JPS agrees, but uses `merely' before `condemn' which adds a value judgement. Alter has him upset because Job's friends couldn't show Job to be guilty. Though it is difficult to pin down why, Alter posits that Elihu is angry at Job's friends because they just couldn't actually find a way to condemn him: ``because they had not found an answer that showed Job guilty'' (Job 32:3, Alter), while the NRSV walks the middle path with ``because they had found no answer, though they had declared Job to be in the wrong.'' (Job 32:3, NRSV) + +Weinberger continues to be relevant: ``{[}\ldots{]} translation is more than a leap from dictionary to dictionary; it is a reimagining of the poem.'' \parencite[46]{wangwei}}\footnotetext{And goodness knows we've all had one of those people in our lives. Why are you angry? Why are you crying? Who cares if you're right? They are in the position of authority, are they not? Get it together.} is where we leave off,\footnote{Did they give up? Did they see that Job was starting to change, was starting to stand up for himself, and realize that hey, maybe this was for the best? It seems deeper than simply winning an argument.} and then this youngster, this whippersnapper, this upstart Elihu picks up. ``I am young in years, and you are aged. Therefore I was awed and feared to speak my mind with you,'' (Job 32:6, Alter) ((On Elihu))