Will any teach God knowledge…?: some interpreters consider this verse to be a comment added later by someone objecting to the criticism of God’s actions in verse 19. Tur-Sinai believes that Job is here expressing an objection of the friends. Dhorme, on the other hand, argues that Job is scolding the friends for imposing on God their own traditional teachings. According to the friends any lack of morality results automatically in physical suffering and death. But from verse 23 Job asserts that death happens to all alike, and so men should not try to teach God. Teach God knowledge is the literal form. God who has all knowledge cannot be given more by humans. New Jerusalem Bible translates “But who can teach wisdom to God?” Use of the term “wisdom” or knowledge is redundant in English, and so Good News Translation and others say “Can a man teach God?” This line may be rendered as a negative statement, “Men cannot teach God” or “People cannot give their knowledge to God.”

Seeing that he judges those that are on high: this line explains why people cannot teach God. Those that are on high translates a single word in Hebrew, sometimes rendered “the exalted.” Translators differ as to who these are. Good News Translation “those in high places” refers to powerful people, rulers. New English Bible has “those in heaven above,” and Bible en français courant “angels.” New Jerusalem Bible “those on high” seems to be purposefully ambiguous. New Jerusalem Bible takes on high to refer to the place of God, thus translating “he who judges from such heights.” The reference is most probably to the heavenly council and echoes 16.19, Job’s “heavenly witness.” Since God controls the heavenly beings, he is no doubt capable of governing earth without being instructed by human beings. In some languages it may be more natural to transpose the two lines of this verse. This line may also be rendered “since God is the one who decides the affairs of even angels in heaven” or “because God even rules over those who serve him in heaven.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .