בָּיַי

From the study of Job 34:36

Range of meaning

A rare word, found securely only here, that opens a sentence. Most modern lexicons (BDB, HALOT) treat it as an exclamation of wish or plea, 'Oh that!, would that!', possibly linked to the particle of polite request bî ('please, pardon'). Older interpreters vocalised or read it as 'my father' (ʾāḇî), or derived it from ʾāḇâ, 'to be willing', giving 'my desire'.

Against the English

BSB, WEB, NIV and ESV give a wish: 'If only / I wish / Oh that / Would that'. KJV's 'My desire is' follows the 'be willing' derivation, which Strong's also uses ('desire'). YLT's 'My Father!' follows the Vulgate (Pater mi) and takes it as a cry to God.

How it drifted

Not drift so much as an old uncertainty. 'My Father!' can lead a reader to think Elihu is praying to God as Father. Few modern scholars accept that, and it would be an unusual way to address God in Job.

Used elsewhere in the period

Vulgate: 'Pater mi, probetur Iob usque ad finem'. Rashi and Ibn Ezra take it as 'my wish'. The Septuagint opens with 'nevertheless' (οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλά), which may reflect a different Hebrew word or a guess. Some modern commentators emend it to ʾăḇāl or ʾāḵēn ('but surely').