With verse 4 the author returns to Job’s children, mentioned in verse 2, in order to illustrate what he meant when he said in verse 1 that Job feared God and turned away from evil. Verse 4 expands and illustrates verse 2, and verse 5 expands and illustrates 1b. Good News Translation and many other modern translations begin a new paragraph with 1.4. Whether or not the translator will make a new paragraph here depends on the way in which the language most naturally handles the relations between verses 4 and 5 and verses 1 and 3. Verses 4 and 5 constitute a tiny episode. However, since the episode of feasting and sacrificing makes specific the content of the previous verses, in some languages it may be appropriate to preface verse 5 with something like “This is how Job was careful to do nothing evil.”
His sons used to go: in the Hebrew text, as in Revised Standard Version, the pronoun can only refer to Job, since no other subject has been used. Languages vary greatly in the use of pronouns. In some languages the use of a pronoun here would unduly emphasize that these were Job’s sons and not the sons of someone else. In such languages it will be necessary to say “Job’s sons.” Used to go translates the verb “go,” which in this context does not mean “they used to go somewhere” but rather expresses an action that continues. Therefore “Job’s sons used to take turns” (Good News Translation).
Hold a feast in the house of each on his day: the meaning of this statement, according to Rowley, is that feasts were held seven days a week throughout the year, and each brother took his turn being the host. Such excessive feasting is pictured as part of the lavish display of Job’s wealth. The other view is that the feasts were annual festivals (so Pope); for example, the feast of ingathering at the end of the year (Exo 34.22) and the festival of booths, which was observed with seven days of offerings (Lev 23.36; Num 29.35; 2 Chr 7.9). Another view, held by some commentators, is that on his day refers to the birthday of each son, in which case there would be seven feasts a year. In any event (daily or annual feasting) each on his day refers to each son taking his turn to provide the feast, which is the way it is rendered by Good News Translation, New English Bible, French common language version Bible en français courant, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, German common language version (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Hold a feast must sometimes be rendered “to invite the others to eat at his house” or “get the food ready at his house.” The whole clause may sometimes be translated “Each son took his turn to get the feast food ready to eat at his house” or “The sons of Job took turns serving the big eating meal at their houses.”
Send and invite their three sisters: the two verbs translate what is literally “send and call,” an expression that is used somewhat idiomatically, the focus of meaning being on the second verb. (For a similar double verb see “send and sanctify” in verse 5.) It may be implied that the sisters were unmarried and lived with their father, while each of the sons had his own house. In some languages the translator will have to decide if the sisters are younger or older in reference to the brothers. There is no way of knowing from the text. Verse 13 speaks of the “eldest brother,” but this need not exclude the sisters from being older than the first born male. In some languages it will be more natural to bridge between 4a and 4b by saying, for example, “and when the feast was ready, they would invite their sisters.”
To eat and drink with them: Good News Translation shifts to the more generic “to join them,” which avoids repeating the idea of “feast” (also Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). Translators need to be sensitive to ways in which local cultural interpretations may be given to this kind of event. The author intends to give the impression of family harmony in the midst of lavish consumption, and is not suggesting an incestuous orgy. If the latter is understood commonly, the translator should examine ways of stating the facts the author presents without favoring a misinterpretation. In some languages this may be “They would invite their sisters to come and share the food with them” or “They would ask their sisters to visit them and to have a meal together.”
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 .