So that all men he has made may know his work, he stops every man from his labour.
"He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work.
Everyone stops working at such a time so they can recognize his power.
No one can escape the weather--it's there. And no one can escape from God.
He puts an end to the work of every man, so that all may see his work.
serves as a sign on everyone’s hand, so that all whom he has made may know it.
He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work.
|NET © [draft] ITL|
|NET © Notes||
1 tn Heb “by the hand of every man he seals.” This line is intended to mean with the heavy rains God suspends all agricultural activity.
2 tc This reading involves a change in the text, for in MT “men” is in the construct. It would be translated, “all men whom he made” (i.e., all men of his making”). This is the translation followed by the NIV and NRSV. Olshausen suggested that the word should have been אֲנָשִׁים (’anashim) with the final ם (mem) being lost to haplography.
3 tn D. W. Thomas suggested a meaning of “rest” for the verb, based on Arabic. He then reads אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh) for man, and supplies a ם (mem) to “his work” to get “that every man might rest from his work [in the fields].”