Verses 16 and 17 (and also verses 19, 20, and 21) are translated in Revised Standard Version as a string of “if” clauses, which are followed by the consequence of punishment in verse 22. Verse 23 then provides the reason why Job avoided doing the wrong things he mentioned. In these verses Job speaks of the poor, widows, and orphans—people who were dependent upon Job’s goodness. These denials are a reply to Eliphaz, who accused Job of refusing to feed the hungry.

If I have withheld anything that the poor desired: that is, “If I have refused to give to the poor what they wanted.” Good News Translation and others express this oath as a strong denial, “I have never refused to help the poor”; and others use a rhetorical question; for example, New Jerusalem Bible “Have I been insensitive to the needs of the poor?” which implies an oath as the answer, “Never!”

Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail: Revised Standard Version can be understood as causing widows to have poor eyesight. The expression is used in 11.20, where it means “to cause despair.” (See 11.20 for comments.) Psalm 69.3 refers to the eyes growing dim through crying. Good News Translation “never have I let widows live in despair” gives the right thought here. The line may also be expressed “I have never caused widows to be without hope,” or stated positively, “I always gave widows reason to hope.”

Or have eaten my morsel alone: morsel translates a word meaning “piece,” which may or may not be accompanied by the word “bread.” However, even here “morsel of bread” is understood. Eating alone would be a selfish act, and the morsel here refers to food in general, or to a small meal. Good News Translation avoids morsel, “food,” or “meal” by saying “while I ate.” As a rhetorical question this can be expressed “Have I ever eaten by myself?” or “Have I ever eaten a piece of my bread alone?” In many languages “to eat alone” means selfishly refusing to share food with others. However, in other languages this attitude will not be clear without further information; for example, “Am I guilty of not sharing my food with others?” or “Am I guilty of eating my food without sharing it with other people?”

And the fatherless has not eaten of it: the fatherless means “orphan” and refers to orphans generally, and so Good News Translation and others translate “orphans.” To avoid repetition Good News Translation has “or let orphans go hungry….” It may be best to combine the two lines of verse 17 to say, for example, “am I guilty of not sharing my food, and letting orphans go hungry?”

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 .