These two verses may be taken together as a description of two contrasting groups, and representing all human beings. Death treats them without discrimination.

One dies in full prosperity: verses 23 and 25 begin with the same expression in Hebrew, “this one,” but since they are in sequence and contrasted, it is better to reflect the contrast as Revised Standard Version does. In full prosperity translates an idiomatic expression, “in the bone of his perfection”; that is, “the essence of health,” which Good News Translation renders “Some men stay healthy till the day they die.” New Jerusalem Bible says “… in robust health.” In some languages it will be necessary to adjust the contrast contained in One dies in verse 23a and “another dies” in verse 25a by prefacing verse 23a with “There may be two people” or “If there are two people.” Then verse 23a may go on with “the first person dies”; that is, “the first person dies while he is in perfect health.”

Being wholly at ease and secure describes the first example as mentally and physically in the best of condition. This person has nothing to worry about, nothing to fear, and the line may be rendered, for example, “He is at peace and afraid of nothing.”

His body full of fat: Revised Standard Version notes that the word translated body is uncertain. It is found nowhere else in the Old Testament. Some scholars take it to mean “his pails (buckets).” New Jerusalem Bible translates “His pails are full of milk.” Syriac has “his sides,” a word which some relate to an Aramaic root meaning “flank.” This is the basis for Revised Standard Version body. Bible en français courant implies body in its translation, “well nourished….” Fat translates the Hebrew for “milk,” but if body is used as the subject, fat suits better and is obtained by a change of vowels only. The parallelism in line b makes body the preferred reading. This line may also be rendered “he has eaten plentifully,” “he has had the best of food to eat,” or “his body is fat from eating well.”

And the marrow of his bones moist: the word translated marrow occurs only here in the Old Testament, but its connection with bones makes its meaning clear. The marrow in the bones is said to be moist, meaning “fresh, not dried up by old age.” In Proverbs 3.8 the bones are said to be refreshed. Good News Translation incorporates the meaning of this line with the previous line and joins verses 23 and 24 together. The sense of having moist marrow in his bones is translated by Bible en français courant as “full of freshness, of youth.” Translators may be able to replace the moist marrow figure by one that is more appropriate; for example, “and his skin is smooth like in his youth” or “his limbs are straight as those of a youth.”

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 .