Oh, that I knew where I might find him: Job despairs at not being able to lay his case before God. (See 9.34; 13.15.) He now laments the fact that he does not know where to find God. The form used here to express a wish is found also in 11.5, where Good News Translation translates “How I wish God would answer you!” This line may also be expressed, for example, “If only I knew where to find him” or “I wish I could find God.”

That I might come even to his seat: if Job knew where to find God, he would go to the place where he is. Seat translates a Hebrew noun whose meaning is uncertain. In Ezekiel 43.11 it means “arrangement, structure.” In Nahum 2.9 it alludes to a “collection of treasure.” As a verb it may mean “prepare, set, arrange”; in Psalm 9.7; 103.19 the verb means “established (his throne),” and in Exodus 15.17 Yahweh’s hands have “established” his sanctuary. Good News Translation translates very generally: “and knew how to go where he is.” New Jerusalem Bible has “dwelling,” New English Bible “court,” and Moffatt “throne.” Revised Standard Version seat refers to the place from which God judges, and so has the sense of “court.” In translation it will be best to be more specific than Good News Translation and use a place where legal matters are held, or to shift to a verb; for example, “the place where God judges matters” or “the place where God listens to complaints.”

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 .