Surely vexation kills the fool: the two lines of verse 2 are parallel; however, there is little if any intensification in the second line. Vexation translates a Hebrew term used in Proverbs 12.16; 14.17 meaning passion, anger, resentment or “short temper.” Kills in line a means to murder and is more specific than the general term translated slays in line b. This is an example of parallelism in which the more specific term occurs in the first line and the general term in the second, and so is an exception to the general pattern. Fool translates a noun used in Proverbs 12.15 of a person who is brash and impulsive: “the way of a fool is right in his own eyes.” Fool is contrasted in line b of that proverb by “a wise man listens to advice.” Normally in the Old Testament the fool is not a senseless person but rather one who stubbornly rejects the highest wisdom, the fear of God (Prov 1.7). However, in the present context the term refers to an impulsive, brash person who is wise in his own eyes (Prov 12.15), and means a senseless, foolish, silly person. Idiomatic expressions are used in some languages to describe such people; for example, “gourd-headed people,” “hollow heads,” or “mind-gone-away people.” In some languages it will not be possible to employ anger or resentment as the agent of killing, and in those cases it will be necessary to say, for example, “When a foolish person gives himself to anger, it kills him” or “When a foolish person is filled with anger….” In some languages it will also be necessary to say against whom the anger is directed. Moffatt and Bible en français courant make God the object of the anger, so Bible en français courant says “The fool is angry with God, and that is what kills him.”

Jealousy slays the simple: jealousy translates a noun found also in Proverbs 14.29-30, where the meaning is that of jealous anger. New English Bible calls it “childish resentment,” and Bible en français courant says “the silly person loses his temper.” The simple: the verb related to this noun is used in 31.9, 27, where the meaning focuses on being enticed by a woman and by nature. The idea is that the simple are people who are easily led astray, deceived. So Eliphaz uses this proverbial saying to make the point that anger and indignation destroy people. They reveal their stupidity by allowing themselves to be led astray.

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 .