Job, of course, receives no reply, but the next step in his rehearsal will be to put a series of rhetorical questions to his oppressor. The purpose of these questions is to make God think again about his actions against Job.

In verses 3-7 and 9-10 Revised Standard Version uses rhetorical questions. Translators should determine whether all, part, or none of these should be translated as rhetorical questions. See the comments on this device in “Translating the Book of Job,” page 16.

Does it seem good to thee to oppress …: this expresses the irony of Job’s mood. In Genesis 1.31 “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” By contrast the manner in which Job has been dealt with by his creator suggests not only that God looks upon the creation of Job as bad, but that God looks upon it as actually something to be oppressed and despised. The word translated oppress is used again in 40.23 (“is turbulent”). The meaning here is “to be strong and violent” and is well rendered by Good News Translation as “cruel.” Job’s question can be restated as “What benefit (pleasure) do you get by torturing me?” Other translation models: “What good does it do you to treat me badly?” or “What purpose is there in your hurting me?”

To despise the work of thy hands: despise means “spurn, reject, consider of no value.” The work of thy hands refers to God’s act of creating, or to the things he has made. Other renderings are “Why do you reject what you yourself have made?” “Why do you throw away as worthless what you have created?” or “Why do you discard the thing you have made with your own hands?”

And favor the designs of the wicked: favor translates a verb meaning to have a glowing face, to be radiant or to smile. Therefore Dhorme translates “to smile at the counsel of the wicked?” Similarly Good News Translation “smile on the schemes of wicked men?” Designs translates the same expression used in Psalm 1.1, “the counsel of the wicked,” and elsewhere is rendered “schemes, plans, projects, intrigues.” This line may be expressed, for example, “and then look with satisfaction on the deceits of evil people” or “and be happy with the schemes of wicked people.”

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 .