I go about blackened, but not by the sun: blackened translates a word whose primary meaning is as in Revised Standard Version. Dhorme takes it to mean “tanned,” but when this is followed by but not by the sun, “tanned” is inappropriate in English. The most likely sense seems to be “darkened by disease,” and by extension “sad, depressed, downcast,” or as Good News Translation says, “I go about in gloom.” But not by the sun is literally “and not in heat,” where “heat” is used as in Psalm 19.6. It is most likely that Job is saying here that he is dejected, in despair, and there is no sunshine or warmth to make him feel better. New Jerusalem Bible has made a change to get “Yet no one comforts me.” Bible en français courant and others take blackened to mean “mourn,” and translate “I am in mourning; there is no sun for me!” This line may also be rendered, for example, “I live a sad life and without the sun to cheer me up” or “I am discouraged and the sun does not shine to encourage me.”

I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help: stand up translates the same verb used in verse 20. The purpose of Job’s standing is to cry for help. Assembly refers to a public gathering of the leaders of the community, a town council meeting. This line may be expressed differently; for example, “I even call out in public and ask for help,” “I stand up in the town meeting and beg the people to help me,” or “I plead in the public meetings ‘Someone please help me!’ ”

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 .