Whom I shall see on my side: on my side translates the Hebrew “for myself,” as in the Revised Standard Version footnote. Revised Standard Version and others interpret Job to mean that he will see God taking his part, being on his side in the argument, or as New Jerusalem Bible translates, “He whom I shall see will take my part.” This rendering implies that God is Job’s defender and not his enemy. Bible en français courant translates this line more naturally with “I will see him myself, with my own eyes,” and this is essentially the meaning of Good News Translation. The renderings of Good News Translation and Bible en français courant are preferred and may be followed by translators.

And my eyes shall behold, and not another: Revised Standard Version, like the Hebrew, has no object for behold. The object must be understood from the previous line. The word translated another has the meaning of “stranger” in Proverbs 27.2 and is taken in that sense here by Good News Translation: “and he will not be a stranger.” Bible en français courant also translates “stranger” but with a different meaning: “I am the one who will see him, and not a stranger.” New Jerusalem Bible is like Good News Translation: “My eyes will be gazing on no stranger.” The thought of the line probably is that Job’s struggle with God as his enemy will be over, that God will no longer be an enemy or stranger to him; and so Good News Translation serves as a good model. This line may also be expressed “and God will not be a stranger to me,” or “and he will not be a foreigner.” This line may also be rendered positively, “and I will see him as a friend” or “I will see him as one whom I know.”

My heart faints within me is literally “My kidneys grow faint in my breast.” The kidneys are considered the center of emotions in Hebrew thought. This line is taken by most translators to go with the two preceding lines of verse 27, as though the thought Job has just expressed has overwhelmed him emotionally. Good News Translation, on the other hand, relates this line to what follows, and adjusts this line with “because you said…,” placing verse 28a in quotation marks. Bible en français courant and others keep this line as part of verse 27 by saying “My heart is exhausted waiting for that moment,” that is, the moment when Job will see God. Translators may follow this. A better possibility is to relate the line to what follows, as in Good News Translation and others.

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 .