And he is gracious to him: this verse has three short lines in Hebrew, divided as in Revised Standard Version. No subject is used in line a. Some supply God as the subject, but it is more probably the angel, as Good News Translation makes clear. Gracious translates a verb meaning “to have mercy, to take pity, to be compassionate.” Him refers to the sick person mentioned in verses 19-23.

Deliver him from going down into the Pit are the words the angel speaks to God, and so Bible en français courant says in line b “and he requests God ‘Do not let him go down into the grave.’ ”

I have found a ransom is the continuation of the quotation of the angel. Ransom is usually a payment made to someone holding a person, in order to set that person free. Good News Translation translates “Here is the ransom to set him free.” In this way the angel buys the sick person some additional life. Verse 24 may also be expressed “The angel has pity on the sick person and says to God, ‘Don’t let him go to the world of the dead; I have found a way to free him.’ ”

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 .