At the end of each feast, Job, who apparently did not take part, made a sacrifice to purify his children, in case they had offended Yahweh. Regulations governing the sacrifice required one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs (Num 29.36). Such a sacrifice would require considerable wealth, whether it was done daily or several times a year.
When the days of the feast had run their course: Good News Translation understands the sacrifice to take place “the morning after each feast,” which could be understood to be the morning after each day of feasting, or the first morning following each festive period. New English Bible says “when a round of feasts was finished,” making it explicit that the sacrifice took place only at the close of each series of festivities, and ruling out the “birthday” interpretation; see also Revised Standard Version, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch.
Send and sanctify them: Good News Translation takes this double verb to have the meaning of the second verb, as in verse 1.4. Other translations understand the two verbs as distinct (so Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, New English Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). The idea is that of removing any ritual impurity from his children which would prevent them from participating in the worship of Yahweh. In addition to the burning of the sacrifice, there would probably be washings and changes of clothing (Rowley). Good News Translation has “purify them”; so Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Bible en français courant. In translation sanctify should not be rendered here “make holy.” The act was a cleansing from possible contact with tabooed food or objects which caused the person to be defiled, as well as saying words that might be offensive to God, as in 1.5. Accordingly we may say in some languages “wash away the defilement,” “remove the taboo,” or “take away the effect of that which was forbidden.”
Offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all: it is not clear from the Hebrew whether this means seven sacrifices for the seven sons or ten for the sons and daughters. The term for sons can sometimes refer to “children,” but since it means “sons” in verse 4, it is probably the same in verse 5. Good News Translation understands the purpose of the sacrifice was “in order to purify them.” Some interpreters understand that the purification refers to the washing of the body and change of clothing, and that this was followed by the whole burnt offerings according to Leviticus 1. In some languages the idea of burning animals as an offering to God is entirely strange. Nevertheless the idea can normally be communicated with little difficulty; for example, “burned animals offered to God” or “animals killed and burned as a gift to God.” In some languages it is necessary to add that the animals were first killed, to prevent readers from thinking they were burned while still alive. Verse 5a may be rendered “After the feast was over, Job would get up early and kill the animals which he would burn as an offering to God. He would do this for each of his children.”
For Job said: this statement introduces not a remark that Job made to someone, but rather his inner thinking. In other words, “Job thought to himself.” In many languages it is common for a person’s thoughts to appear as quoted speech. However, the form may differ; for example, “ ‘Maybe my sons have sinned by cursing God without thinking,’ I say this.” In some languages it will be more natural to follow Good News Translation “because he thought…” and omit the quotation marks. If the use of quotation marks gives a meaning other than that of thinking to himself, then the quotation marks should not be used.
And cursed God in their hearts: Job was concerned that his children may have thought or said something which would offend God and therefore cause God to punish them. The Hebrew word is literally “blessed” and may be a correction made by a scribe to avoid putting the word “curse” next to “God”; some interpreters think that “blessed” (a mild word) is used by the author to avoid saying the harsh word “cursed.” In any case, it is clear that the implied meaning is “cursed.” For similar usages see 1.11; 2.5, 9; 1 Kings 21.10; Psalm 10.3.
A curse normally involves a formula of words pronounced against someone, and calls on a supernatural being or force to bring about the results of the curse. Here the idea is more general, and in translation it may often be rendered as “saying evil words against God.”
In their hearts: in the Old Testament the heart is the center of the intellect and will, more than of the affections and emotions. Good News Translation‘s rendering “by insulting God unintentionally” expresses accurately in modern English the meaning of the Hebrew phrase. In many languages in which the heart is used idiomatically to refer to the center of the emotions, it will be better here to shift to something like “in their thoughts” or “in what they thought and said.”
Thus Job did continually: continually translates the Hebrew “all the days” and means “always.” Good News Translation shifts this clause forward as “He always did this” and follows with the reason “because he thought that one of them….” The translator must decide where this statement most naturally fits in. In Hebrew it is not necessarily emphasized.
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 .