Clarke's Bible Commentary - Job 18:2

Instead of How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? Mr. Good translates: "How long will ye plant thorns (irritating, lacerating, wounding invectives) among words?" translating the unusual term yxnq kintsey, thorns, instead of bounds or limits. The word yxnq kintsey may be the Chaldee form for yxq kitsey, the n nun being inserted by the Chaldeans for the sake of euphony, as is frequently done; and it may be considered as the contracted plural from Åq kats, a thorn, from Åq kats, to lacerate, rather than Åq kets, an end, from hxq katsah, to cut off. Schultens and others have contended that Ånq kanats, is an Arabic word, used also in Hebrew; that (Arabic) kanasa, signifies to hunt, to lay snares; and hence (Arabic) maknas, a snare: and that the words should be translated, "How long will you put captious snares in words?" But I prefer yxnq kintsey, as being the Chaldee form for yxq kitsey, whether it be considered as expressing limits or thorns; as the whole instance is formed after the Chaldee model, as is evident, not only in the word in question, but also in ylml lemillin, to words, the Chaldee plural instead of µylml lemillim, the Hebrew plural.

Matthew Henry Commentary

Original Hebrew