Their houses are safe from fear: this line reflects the assurance Eliphaz gave to Job in 5.24, which depended on Job’s acceptance of his misfortunes as divine punishment, “You will live in peace in your tent.” Now, however, Job says the same thing of wicked people, without any conditions attached. These people live in their homes securely and without being afraid. In verse 8 the focus was on their children; in verse 9 it is on their homes; and in verse 10 it will be on their livestock. Good News Translation has shifted God from line b into line a and translates the line negatively: “God does not bring disaster on their homes.” However, line a in Hebrew emphasizes the positive aspect of dwelling securely. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy and others reflect the Hebrew better with “nothing threatens the peace of their homes.” This line may also be rendered, for example, “They do not need to be afraid that someone will destroy their houses” or “They live in peace in their houses and are not afraid.”

And no rod of God is upon them: in 9.34 Job complained that there was no one to remove the “rod of God” from him. Rod of God refers, as earlier, to divine punishment, and so “God does not punish them.” New English Bible calls it “the rod of God’s justice.” Because the sense of the metaphor is apparent, Bible en français courant translates “The rod of God never strikes them.” The line may be translated, for example, “God does not use his rod to punish them,” “God does not punish them,” or “God’s switch (cane, stick) is never used to punish them.”

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 .