He shatters the mighty without investigation: shatters translates a verb meaning “to break to pieces.” It is used in Isaiah 24.19 (“utterly broken”) and Psalm 2.9 (“break”). When applied to persons it refers to causing their downfall, so that Good News Translation has “remove” in its second line. The mighty refers to the powerful rulers, as used in verses 17 and 20. Without investigation translates the same Hebrew term used in 5.9; 9.10 with the sense of “unsearchable,” “not to be found out.” Here the sense is that God does not need to investigate because he already knows, or as Good News Translation says, “He does not need an investigation.”

And sets others in their place explains what God does after he has broken the mighty in line a. Sets others means he “installs, appoints, gives their positions” to other people.

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 .