He looses the bonds of kings: bonds translates the Hebrew “discipline, correction,” which most scholars read with different vowels to get bonds or “chains.” It is not certain if the meaning is that God removes the chains which kings put on others, or if God takes away some symbol of royal authority belonging to kings. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project understands it in the latter sense, as do Good News Translation and others: “He dethrones kings.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “He leaves kings without authority.” New International Version represents the former sense, “He takes off the shackles put on by kings,” referring to the bonds kings put on people. Dhorme thinks the bonds of kings refers to chains which keep kings in bondage, so that the meaning is “He sets kings free from chains.”

The understanding of the first line is partly dependent upon the second, and binds a waistcloth on their loins. In Revised Standard Version the relation between the two lines is not clear. The Hebrew says “and he binds a girdle on their waist.” Some take this to mean that he strengthens the kings by placing a girdle or wide band about their middle. However, it is more probable that the meaning is that God, having removed their symbol of authority, puts on the kings a waistcloth which is worn for doing hard physical labor, and so depicts a slave. Good News Translation translates this entire line “and makes them prisoners.” A literal rendering of line b such as New International Version, “and ties a loincloth around their waist,” would require an explanatory note to show that he reduces the king to a slave. It is better to give the fuller cultural significance in the text by saying, for example, “and makes them slaves” or “and ties a loincloth on them and makes them slaves.” Another translation model is “God takes away the authority of kings and makes them like slaves.” If the translator wishes to keep the change of clothes image in each line, it may be possible to say, for example, “He takes away from kings their robes of authority and puts on them the loin cloth of a slave.”

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 .