Job speaks of rulers in verses 17-21. In verse 23 he focuses upon nations. In verses 24-25 he speaks again of the leaders. He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth: this translates the Hebrew “He takes away the heart of the heads of the people of the earth.” Some interpreters believe the first line is too long due to the putting together of two readings, of the people and of the earth. The Septuagint omits of the people. In 3.14 the parallel expression “counselors of the earth” is used. “Take away the heart” is a Hebrew idiom meaning to cause someone to be stupid, ignorant, or as Good News Translation says, “make their leaders foolish.” Chiefs of the people is a general designation of rulers or persons in authority. Good News Translation takes of the earth to be redundant, since all rulers are “of the earth.” The line may also be rendered, for example, “He also takes away the intelligence of those who rule the people” or “He makes the rulers of the people stupid.”

And makes them wander in a pathless waste is identical to Psalm 107.40b. Makes them wander translates a verb meaning “stagger, go astray.” Here they drift about, wandering aimlessly. Pathless waste translates “a waste (where there is) no path.” Waste is the word translated “without form” (Revised Standard Version), “formless” (Good News Translation), in Genesis 1.2. The reference here is to a trackless, empty desert, as used in 6.18, where Good News Translation says “They wander and die in the desert.” Here Good News Translation understands the waste to be a confused state of mind rather than a physical place. However, Job’s description is figurative in both places. Line 24a may be rendered, for example, “He makes the rulers wander about in the desert” or “He makes the rulers of the people drift about, not knowing where they are.”

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 .