But he saves the fatherless from their mouth: the Hebrew reads “But he saves from the sword from their mouth” and lacks the words the fatherless. Many interpreters believe that an object of the verb saves is needed in line a to match the needy in line b. It may have been left implicit in the Hebrew in order to keep the number of words the same in the four poetic lines of verses 15-16. Therefore some modify the word “sword” to get the fatherless. Gordis understands the Hebrew to mean “from the sharp tongue,” and that without any change. Numerous other suggestions have been made, but most of these differ as to deliverance being from the sword or from the mouth. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project suggests “from a sword,” “from their mouth,” or “from their sharp mouth.” This solution leaves unanswered the question who is delivered or saved in line a. Most modern translations name the object of the verb saves (fatherless, poor, helpless, destitute, ruined), and New Jerusalem Bible has “the bankrupt.” Most have a note saying “Hebrew unclear.” From their mouth is to be taken as referring to the tyrants who are pictured as wild animals devouring the poor, as in Proverbs 30.14, and this is matched in line b by the mighty. Good News Translation has “saves the poor from death,” where “death” means destruction at the hands of the powerful.

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 .