If one wished to contend with him: in Hebrew there are only third-person singular pronouns in verse 3, and in translation it will often be necessary to replace these with nouns. Good News Translation, like Revised Standard Version, understands that it is man who may wish to contend (argue a case, go to a law court) with God. One could not answer him once in a thousand times translates what is literally “with him he cannot answer him once in a thousand times.” This is best expressed in Good News Translation as “He (God) can ask a thousand questions that no one could ever answer,” and Good News Translation offers an alternative in the margin, “A man could ask him (God) a thousand questions and he (God) would not answer.” Revised Standard Version, like Good News Translation text, assumes that God asks the questions which one could not answer.

Once in a thousand times: the two main interpretations of this phrase are that God could pose a thousand questions which would be beyond man’s ability to answer (as in Revised Standard Version and others), or that God will not answer an accusation by man, not even once in a thousand times, which is to say “not ever” or “not at all.” New English Bible follows the latter in the text and the former in the margin. Translators should follow the text of Good News Translation. Chapters 38–41 illustrate God’s asking Job numerous questions which he cannot answer, or at least he makes no attempt to answer. In languages in which once in a thousand times would be understood literally as a slight probability of answering successfully, it will be better to translate as in Good News Translation, “no one could ever answer.”

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 .