Some Thoughts Concerning Job 31:26

Hebrew: אִם־אֶרְאֶ֣ה אֹ֖ור כִּ֣י יָהֵ֑ל וְ֝יָרֵ֗חַ יָקָ֥ר הֹלֵֽךְ׃

Norman C. Habel (Job in the OTL Series) remarks that the Hebrew word or can be translated "Sun" but it is literally "light," which he maintains refers to "the light par excellence (cf. [Job] 37:21" (Habel, page 426). Also compare Isaiah 18:4. When explaining the hand gesture that Job mentions, Habel says "the precise liturgical actions intended is obscure" (Ibid.). Maybe Job is talking about throwing a kiss with his hand, we just don't know for sure, but it likely involved some type of homage.

I will post Habel's commentary in full for Job 31:26-28:



David J.A. Clines (Job 21-37 in the WBC Series):