For he knows worthless men: Zophar asserts that God does not have to investigate people to know their wickedness. Worthless men translates the Hebrew “men of emptiness,” which is used also in Psalm 26.4, “I do not sit with false men” (Revised Standard Version), where the expression is parallel in meaning with “dissemblers” and so suggests “deceitful people.” Worthless men is translated “deceitful men” by New International Version, “liars” by Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, and “false” by New English Bible. This line may also be expressed as “God knows a liar when he sees one,” “God knows if you are worthless,” or “God knows which people are deceitful.”

When he sees iniquity: in 7.8, 20; 10.14 Job sees God as a spy working against him. Now, however, Zophar tells Job that what God is seeing is iniquity, Job’s sin. In Zophar’s view God knows deceitful men and sees their sins. Revised Standard Version, New International Version, and New English Bible express the final part of this verse as a question, will he not consider it? Will he not implies a positive reply is expected: “Yes, he will.” Some scholars suggest that the negative particle should be read with a different vowel as an object pronoun, giving “he does consider it.” Rowley suggests it be read “without considering it.” A good translation model is “When God sees iniquity (sees a person sin), he takes note of it, pays attention to it, does not let it pass unnoticed,” or “When God sees people do bad things, he does not forget what they have done,” or “God knows when people do bad things, and he keeps these in his heart.”

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 .