too numerous / without number

The Hebrew that is translated as some form of “too numerous” or “without number” in these verses in English is translated in the widely-used Mandarin Chinese Union Version with a historical 4-character Chinese idiom: bùkě shèngshǔ (不可勝數 / 不可胜数), literally “can’t be successfully counted.”

See also cannot be counted / without number.

complete verse (Job 5:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Job 5:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “His deeds which cannot be known/understood are amazing
    and they are more than can be counted.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He does works that are felt to be great and incomprehensible,
    innumerable [and] amazing.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “For he does amazing things and miracles that can- not -be-fathomed and can -not -be-counted.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

work(s) (of God) (Japanese honorifics)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-ude (みわざ) or “work (of God)” in the referenced verses.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("do/perform")

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, okonaw-are-ru (行われる) or “do/perform” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Job 5:9

Who does great things and unsearchable: this line is part of a praise to God built on the pattern of Psalm 145.3, “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.” As is customary, the praise opens with a participle, “Doing great things.” Unsearchable translates what is literally “no investigation” and means “beyond understanding,” “unfathomable,” “deep.” The structure of Revised Standard Version is plainly awkward. Good News Translation has introduced “We,” which would not conflict with Eliphaz’s point of view here. This line may be rendered as a reason; for example, “because God does great things that people do not understand.”

Marvelous things without number: this line is parallel to the previous line, with little attempt to heighten the poetic effect. The content of these marvels is developed in verses 10-16. Some translators may be translating into prose or into languages where close repetition will not be acceptable; in that case they may wish to incorporate verse 9b into verse 9a as a single statement; for example, “God does many great and marvelous things which we do not understand” or “the great and wonderful things God does are many, and we do not understand them.”

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 .