If their tent-cord is plucked up: the Hebrew noun translated tent-cord by Revised Standard Version is understood by Dhorme to mean “what remains,” and it has that meaning in Exodus 23.11; Psalm 17.14; Isaiah 44.19. The noun therefore refers to excess wealth being taken away; but this does not fit the context. Consequently Dhorme transfers verse 21a to verse 5.5b (so also New English Bible and New English Bible). This has the advantage of making verse 19c parallel to verse 20a, and verse 20b parallel to verse 21b. However, the Hebrew word translated tent-cord can mean “abundance,” and Good News Translation therefore translates “all that he has.” Plucked up within them translates a verb used for pulling up a tent-peg, or striking camp. However, it is necessary to take the full expression as an idiom referring to the loss of a person’s wealth to others in death. In languages which do not use a passive construction, it will be necessary to shift to an active verb; for example, “Others will take the wealth he owns.”

And that without wisdom may be taken to mean that the one who died did so without having gained wisdom, or without understanding why he was dying. Most translations agree with the first alternative. Wisdom in Proverbs 4 is a guide and goal of life, and in Psalm 111.10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” In wisdom literature wisdom is an attitude and a discipline, and to die without attaining it is a disaster. Wisdom should not be translated as knowledge or information or intelligence but, if necessary, as “knowing the way of the LORD” or “wisdom that comes from God.” Accordingly we may suggest “they die without knowing God’s way” or “when they finally die they still do not understand the way of God.”

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 .