In this verse Job continues his sarcasm as he inquires about the source of Bildad’s great knowledge. With whose help have you uttered words…?: translators will note a difference in the meaning in this line in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. The Hebrew can be understood to mean “To whom have you uttered words,” which Good News Translation expresses as “Who do you think will hear all your words?” Another way of taking the Hebrew is “With whom” in the sense of With whose help or “By means of whom.” This second sense, which is that of Revised Standard Version, provides a parallel for line b. It seems more fitting in the context of Job’s sarcasm to take it as in Revised Standard Version. New International Version has “Who has helped you utter these words?” and New English Bible says “Who has prompted you to say such things?” This line may also be expressed “Who helped you think up all these words?” or “Who helped you speak so well?”

And whose spirit has come forth from you?: spirit is literally “breath.” It can refer to the breath or spirit of God or of a human. This line asks the same question as line a, but it moves to a more specific level. The question whose spirit implies that Job does not accept Bildad’s words as originating within himself, but hears them flowing out of his mouth like the breath or inspiration of someone else. Thus Good News Translation has “Who inspired you to speak like this?” In some languages “inspire” is rendered “caused, made, gave you the thoughts”; for example, “Who caused your mouth to speak this way?” or “Who gave you the thoughts to speak as you do?”

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 .