escaped by the skin of my teeth

The Hebrew in Job 21:5 that is translated as “escaped by the skin of my teeth” or similar in English is translated in Chitonga with the proverb “my teeth are outside” (i.e., he is so thin [hence near to death] that his lips are stretched tightly, thus exposing his teeth). (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 104)

lay your hand upon your mouth

The Hebrew in Job 21:5 that is translated as “lay your hand upon your mouth” or similar in English is translated in Chitonga with the proverb “grab yourself on the lip” (i.e., in amazement). (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 104)

complete verse (Job 21:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Job 21:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “Please look at me,
    hey, do the words you are saying not make you shocked/speechless?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Please look at me and be amazed.
    Please cover your faces with your hands.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “[You (plur.)] look-at me and surely you (plur.) would-cover your (plur.) mouth with your (sing.) hand in shock, wherein (you) would- not -believe with-what happened to me.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Look at me! Does what you see not cause you to be appalled
    and to put your hands over your mouths and say no more?” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Job 21:5

Look at me, and be appalled: in this verse Job gives three commands translated Look, be appalled, and lay. Revised Standard Version fails to relate these verbs in a stylistically appropriate manner for English. Good News Translation “Isn’t that enough to make you…” improves the style considerably. Job is not asking the friends to be appalled by looking at his physical appearance. Rather he is asking them to get ready to hear something that will appall, amaze, astound, surprise them, and will cause them to become silent. Instead of drawing attention to his diseased body, he is asking them to look at his particular story, his situation, or as Bible en français courant says, “Be sensitive to my case; you’ll be amazed.” New Jerusalem Bible has “Give your attention to me; you will be dumbfounded.” This line may also be rendered, for example, “Think about what has happened to me, and you’ll be amazed,” “Consider my situation and let it grasp you,” or idiomatically, “Let what has happened to me stop your hearts.”

And lay your hand upon your mouth: Job’s experience so completely contradicts the pious teaching of the friends that, if they will hear him out, they will, as Good News Translation says, “stare in shocked silence.” Laying the hand over the mouth is a gesture of silent amazement which has been found depicted in archaeological objects from Mesopotamia; see Pope. Verse 5 may be rendered, for example, “look at what has happened to me and let it stop your talking, let it make you put your hands over your mouths” or “Think how God has treated me; then you will be silently amazed and cover you mouths with your hands.” In some languages putting the hand over the mouth means to speak with respect to a superior, and so the expression must be adjusted to say, for example, “be quiet,” “don’t speak any more.” If the expression “put your hand over your mouth” implies speaking to someone secretly, it may be necessary to avoid the literal expression and translate something like “stop talking.”

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 .