Terrors are turned upon me: the Hebrew of this verse has three lines, the second and third being parallel in meaning. Terrors is the same noun used by Bildad and Zophar in 18.11, 14; 27.20. The meaning here is “fear, fright.” Are turned upon me means “overwhelms me,” or as in Good News Translation, “I am overcome with terror.”
My honor is pursued as by the wind: honor translates a word found only here and in Isaiah 32.8 (“noble”). It may be expressed as “dignity” or “confidence.” It is related to the word for “noble” or “prince” found in 12.21; 21.28. It is Job’s “princely dignity,” which may refer mainly to his status in the community. Pursued as by the wind: we may render this as “it is as if my dignity were driven away by the wind.” Bible en français courant has “sweeping away my dignity like a gust of wind.” Good News Translation is expressive, with “my dignity is gone like a puff of wind.” In some languages my honor may have to be expressed differently; for example, “the honor the people gave me” or “the respect I received from the people.”
And my prosperity has passed away like a cloud: the word translated prosperity is related to the verb meaning “to save,” so it has traditionally been rendered “salvation” and is so rendered by Dhorme. It can also be understood as “well-being, welfare,” and many modern translations take it in one of these senses. The word occurs in Job in only one other place, namely, in 13.16, where Revised Standard Version translates “salvation” but New English Bible has “success.” The causative form of the verb can mean “is victorious” as in Zechariah 9.9, and “victorious” in the context in which God rescues or saves his people. Accordingly New English Bible translates “And my hope of victory vanishes like a cloud.” This rendering fits the context better than prosperity or “welfare” and should be considered by translators as a translation model.
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 .