Job’s wealth and the fertility of his herds are expressed here in figurative terms. When my steps were washed with milk: milk translates the same word rendered “curds” in 20.17. Some translate “cream” or “butter.” Good News Translation has expressed this line differently: “My cows and goats gave plenty of milk.” This may imply wealth but has reduced the poetic force to nearly nothing. New International Version keeps the poetic figures: “when my path was drenched with cream.” It makes little sense in English to say “when my feet were bathed in milk” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “my path flowed with milk” (New English Bible). If “milk, cream, curds, butter” are not elements of a recognized expression of wealth, it is better to substitute a different figure or to translate without a metaphor; for example, “my path was paved with gold” or “I was a wealthy man.”

And the rock poured out for me streams of oil: the rock most likely refers to the oil press, which is a hollowed-out rock where the crushed olives are pressed for their oil. Deuteronomy 32.13 has a similar reference to getting oil from the rock. Good News Translation “and my olive trees grew in the rockiest soil” may suggest that these trees do not normally grow well in rocky soil, but this is contrary to fact. It is more accurate to speak of the quantity of oil that was obtained from the oil press; for example, “And oil flowed richly from my olive presses.” For translation comments on “olive press,” see 24.11.

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 .