The eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight: this line may be compared to Proverbs 7.9, which depicts a young man going secretly at twilight to his prostitute. The eye draws attention to the watching and waiting of the adulterer, and so Good News Translation “The adulterer waits….” Adulterer translates a word which refers to a man who has sex with someone other than his marriage partner. Bible en français courant translates “the unfaithful husband.” In the Old Testament adultery took place between any man and a married or engaged woman. The result was an offense against the woman’s husband, never against the male adulterer’s wife. In some languages adulterer must be expressed as, for example, “The man who sleeps with other women” or “The man who takes another man’s wife.” The Hebrew for twilight is used in 7.4, where it refers to the “dawn.” As in English the Hebrew word for this time refers to the scant light between sunset and full night, and it is this time that most probably is to be understood in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation; it may also refer to the time between full night and sunrise, but not in this context. This line may be rendered “the adulterer watches and waits until it is almost dark.”

Saying, ‘No eye will see me’: Revised Standard Version translates the Hebrew literally. It is not The eye of the adulterer who speaks or thinks this line to himself, but the adulterer. “He says to himself, ‘No one will notice me.’ ” The line may also be expressed “He says to himself, ‘Nobody will see me’ ” or “… ‘Nobody will recognize who I am.’ ”

And he disguises his face: this expression is used in 13.24a, where Job asks God “Why dost thou hide thy face?” See there for comment. The expression refers to putting on a face veil; that is, “veil the face.” Good News Translation shifts line c of the verse so that it precedes line b and thus provides a reason before the result: “He covers his face so that no one can see him.” The adjustment made by Good News Translation will recommend itself to many translators. The translator should not give the impression that the adulterer wears a mask, which may be associated with local religious rites. In some languages it will be necessary to say, for example, “he keeps his face covered” or “he hides his face.”

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 .