They feed on the barren childless woman: verses 18-20 describe the unhappy fate of the wicked person. Verse 21, however, speaks of the evil things such a person does. To make a connection with the previous verse, Good News Translation supplies “That happens because…,” which is not in the text but helps relate verse 21 to the previous context. Feed translates a verb form derived from a root meaning “to graze,” or to another verb meaning “to associate with.” Both verbs are written alike, and so only the context can determine which verb is meant. The Septuagint has “mistreat,” and this is followed by Good News Translation and others. The reference seems to be again to the wicked man who oppresses the weak and unfortunate. Line a has barren childless woman, and line b widow. Good News Translation shifts the more specific term to line a for style and clarity. There is a difference between being a childless woman and a barren childless woman. The latter is to be pitied even more than the former, because in the Old Testament view God withholds children from her. The line may also be rendered, for example, “He also made the widow who could have no children to suffer” or “He oppressed the barren, childless widow.”

And do no good to the widow: the sense of the verb translated do no good is “treat unkindly, ungraciously, fail to behave well toward.” The widow has a right to special care, as she has no husband to protect her. This line may also be expressed “and was unkind to her” or “and behaved badly to her.”

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 .