He is wise in heart: as usual in the Old Testament, heart here represents intelligence. The same expression is used in 37.24. The Hebrew does not specify the one who is wise in heart, but the following question makes clear that it refers to God and not to man. Wise in heart may have to be restructured in translation to say, for example, “God is wise,” “God’s heart is wise,” or “there is wisdom in God’s heart.” Mighty in strength: verse 19 confirms that the qualities of intelligence and strength belong to God. Mighty in strength, if rendered literally, may be unnecessarily redundant. The whole line may be rendered “God is wise and powerful.”

Who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?: this line is a rhetorical question requiring in many languages the reply “No one.” The form of the Hebrew for hardened has no object, the usual one being “nape of the neck,” with the meaning of “oppose, resist.” It is best to take it here with that meaning as in Good News Translation, “No man can stand up against him.” In some languages a suitable figure may be used; for example, “who has raised his hand against God?” “Who has pushed out his lip at God?” If no figurative expression exists, it may be necessary to ask “Who has said ‘No’ to God?” or “Who has said to God ‘I will not obey you’?” Succeeded translates a form of the verb shalam meaning “to be safe, intact, whole.” The meaning of the line may be rendered as a question, “Who can defy God and get away with it?” or “Can anyone challenge God and win his case? Certainly not.”

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 .