These two verses appear to support the claim Job made in 7.20 that God is indifferent to what takes place on earth, and is neither harmed by people’s sin nor helped by their goodness. Eliphaz does not seem at all concerned to reply to Job’s observations on the prosperity of the wicked in chapter 21. To Eliphaz and the other friends, prosperity is of no consequence. They are interested in piety and sin. If a person is pious and does his religious duties, he will be rewarded, and if he is wicked he will be punished. Their conclusion for Job is clear.

Can a man be profitable to God?: as usual the friends begin their discourses with a rhetorical question. There is essential agreement between Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation in this line, in which Eliphaz asks “Is a man useful to God?” The negative of profitable was used in 15.3, “Should he (a wise man) argue in unprofitable talk?” There “unprofitable” was paralleled by “can do no good.” In a similar manner profitable here means “be of value, use, benefit, advantage.” That is, “Can a person do God any good?” or as in New English Bible, “Can a man be any benefit to God?” This line may also be rendered, for example, “What can a person do that is valuable to God?” or “How can a man help God?”

Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself: in this line Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation differ in interpretation. Revised Standard Version has profitable to himself, and Good News Translation, which equates he who is wise in line b with a man in line a, asks if such a person “could ever be of use to God.” In agreement with Revised Standard Version are Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Bible en français courant, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New American Bible, Dhorme. To himself is similar to Proverbs 9.12 “If you are wise, you are wise for yourself.” However, to himself can also be understood as “to him,” in which case it would refer to God; so Good News Translation, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, and Moffatt. Translators may follow either. Profitable translates the same word as in line a. If the translator follows the model of Revised Standard Version, the line may also be expressed, for example, “If the person is wise, he can certainly help himself” or “He can be of value to himself if he has wisdom.” Verse 2 may also be translated, for example, “Job, do you think even a very wise person could be useful to God?”

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous…?: pleasure translates a word whose meaning is “concern, interest, advantage,” and in the present context “benefit.” Good News Translation translates “benefit,” which provides a good parallel to the second line. Almighty translates Shaddai. Are righteous is the Hebrew tsadaq (see Eliphaz’s use of this word in 4.17; 15.14), which refers to being “pious, righteous, good.” This line may also be rendered, for example, “If you are a good person, does that benefit God Almighty?” “How does your being good become an advantage to God?” or “Does God Almighty benefit from your being a good person?”

Or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless? may be rendered “Would God gain anything by your living in a good way?” Gain is here “profit, what can be obtained.” It is the same word Judah used in Genesis 37.26, when he asked his brothers “What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?” There was more to be gained by selling Joseph to the merchants. To him represents the Hebrew text and refers to God. Make your ways blameless translates “perfect your ways” and means “live without fault, be perfect, be without blemish.” Good News Translation “being good” appears to represent less of a quality of conduct than the text requires. This line may also be expressed, for example, “What does God get out of it if you live a perfect life?” or “What interest does God have in your living without fault?”

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 .