independentrelativepurposecausecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)
The frame 19:1
1
וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽרindependent — the dialogue frame — two wayyiqtols; everything that follows is one speech
How long will you torment me? 19:2–6
2
עַד אָ֭נָה תּוֹגְי֣וּן נַפְשִׁ֑יindependent — the retort opens with the friends' own idiom — עַד־אָנָה, 'how long' (cf. 18:2)
וּֽתְדַכְּאוּנַ֥נִי בְמִלִּֽיםindependent — coordinate colon — דָּכָא, the crushing the friends work with mere מִלִּים
3
זֶ֤ה עֶ֣שֶׂר פְּ֭עָמִים תַּכְלִימ֑וּנִיindependent — עֶשֶׂר פְּעָמִים — a round number for 'again and again'
לֹֽא תֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּindependent — coordinate colon — the shamelessness of the shaming
תַּהְכְּרוּ לִֽיcontent — the complement of the shame verb — תַּהְכְּרוּ, a hapax; asyndetic
4
וְאַף אָמְנָ֥ם שָׁגִ֑יתִיconditional — concessive protasis — leaning on the colon below; אָמְנָם, 'truly'
אִ֝תִּ֗י תָּלִ֥ין מְשׁוּגָתִֽיindependent — apodosis — אִתִּי תָּלִין, 'with ME it lodges': whatever the sin, it is not the friends' business
5
אִם אָ֭מְנָם עָלַ֣י תַּגְדִּ֑ילוּconditional — protasis — הִגְדִּיל עַל, the posture of superiority
וְתוֹכִ֥יחוּ עָ֝לַ֗י חֶרְפָּתִּֽיconditional — protasis continued — יָכַח hiphil, the friends' favorite courtroom verb turned on them
6
דְּֽעוּ אֵ֭פוֹindependent — apodosis — the imperative that governs the confession
כִּי אֱל֣וֹהַּ עִוְּתָ֑נִיcontent — עִוְּתָנִי — Bildad's own verb (8:3, 'does God bend justice?') thrown back
וּ֝מְצוּד֗וֹ עָלַ֥י הִקִּֽיףcontent — מְצוּדוֹ — the hunter's net; Bildad's trap-catalogue (18:8–10) re-attributed to God
God has walled me in 19:7–12
7
הֵ֤ן אֶצְעַ֣ק חָ֭מָסindependent — חָמָס — the legal cry for help against assault
וְלֹ֣א אֵעָנֶ֑הindependent — coordinate colon — the cry meets silence
אֲ֝שַׁוַּ֗עindependent — שִׁוַּע — the psalmist's appeal verb
וְאֵ֣ין מִשְׁפָּֽטindependent — verbless — אֵין מִשְׁפָּט: the summary of the whole legal complaint
8
אָרְחִ֣י גָ֭דַרindependent — the siege begins — גָּדַר, cf. Lam 3:7, 9
וְלֹ֣א אֶעֱב֑וֹרindependent — coordinate result colon
וְעַ֥ל נְ֝תִיבוֹתַ֗י חֹ֣שֶׁךְ יָשִֽׂיםindependent — חֹשֶׁךְ — the road ahead unlit
9
כְּ֭בוֹדִי מֵעָלַ֣י הִפְשִׁ֑יטindependent — הִפְשִׁיט — the verb for stripping a garment or a slain man
וַ֝יָּ֗סַר עֲטֶ֣רֶת רֹאשִֽׁיindependent — עֲטֶרֶת — honor as regalia; cf. 29:14, when Job wore justice as robe and turban
10
יִתְּצֵ֣נִי סָ֭בִיבindependent — נָתַץ — demolition language, used of walls and altars
וָאֵלַ֑ךְindependent — one Hebrew word — וָאֵלַךְ, 'and I go'
וַיַּסַּ֥ע כָּ֝עֵ֗ץ תִּקְוָתִֽיindependent — כָּעֵץ — the bitter echo of 14:7: 'there is hope for a tree'; not for Job
11
וַיַּ֣חַר עָלַ֣י אַפּ֑וֹindependent — וַיִּחַר אַף — the idiom of kindled wrath
וַיַּחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי ל֣וֹ כְצָרָֽיוindependent — כְצָרָיו — Job reckoned an enemy; cf. 13:24
12
יַ֤חַד יָ֘בֹ֤אוּ גְדוּדָ֗יוindependent — גְּדוּדָיו — the military metaphor made explicit
וַיָּסֹ֣לּוּ עָלַ֣י דַּרְכָּ֑םindependent — סָלַל — earthworks thrown up against a fortified city
וַיַּחֲנ֖וּ סָבִ֣יב לְאָהֳלִֽיindependent — the absurdity of the siege: all this armament against one אֹהֶל
All flesh has abandoned me 19:13–20
13
אַ֭חַי מֵעָלַ֣י הִרְחִ֑יקindependent — the alienation catalogue opens — God as the agent of the distancing
וְ֝יֹדְעַ֗י אַךְ זָ֥רוּ מִמֶּֽנִּיindependent — זָרוּ — the 'stranger' root that will toll through the strophe
14
חָדְל֥וּ קְרוֹבָ֑יindependent — חָדְלוּ — they have simply stopped
וּֽמְיֻדָּעַ֥י שְׁכֵחֽוּנִיindependent — מְיֻדָּעַי — those who 'know' me; the knowing ones no longer know
15
גָּ֘רֵ֤י בֵיתִ֣י וְ֭אַמְהֹתַי לְזָ֣ר תַּחְשְׁבֻ֑נִיindependent — even the household's dependents — לְזָר תַּחְשְׁבֻנִי
נָ֝כְרִ֗י הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינֵיהֶֽםindependent — נָכְרִי — the outsider word; the master is the alien in his own house
16
לְעַבְדִּ֣י קָ֭רָאתִיindependent — the social order inverted
וְלֹ֣א יַעֲנֶ֑הindependent — the same unanswered cry as v. 7 — now from a slave
בְּמוֹ פִ֝֗י אֶתְחַנֶּן לֽוֹindependent — אֶתְחַנֶּן — the master begs favor of the slave
17
ר֭וּחִֽי זָ֣רָה לְאִשְׁתִּ֑יindependent — רוּחִי זָרָה — breath/spirit repulsive; the זָר root reaches the marriage bed
וְ֝חַנֹּתִ֗י לִבְנֵ֥י בִטְנִֽיindependent — בְנֵי בִטְנִי — 'sons of my womb': my mother's womb, or his own children; either way the innermost circle
18
גַּם עֲ֭וִילִים מָ֣אֲסוּ בִ֑יindependent — עֲוִילִים — street children scorning an elder at the gate
אָ֝ק֗וּמָהconditional — temporal protasis — one cohortative, leaning forward
וַיְדַבְּרוּ בִֽיindependent — דִּבֶּר בְּ — to speak against; the elder mocked by children
19
תִּֽ֭עֲבוּנִי כָּל מְתֵ֣י סוֹדִ֑יindependent — מְתֵי סוֹדִי — the intimate circle, the men of my confidence
וְזֶֽה אָ֝הַ֗בְתִּיphrase modifier — casus pendens — the object flung forward: 'and this one I loved'
נֶהְפְּכוּ בִֽיindependent — נֶהְפְּכוּ — the turning of the closest
20
בְּעוֹרִ֣י וּ֭בִבְשָׂרִי דָּבְקָ֣ה עַצְמִ֑יindependent — the wasted body — skeleton showing through
וָ֝אֶתְמַלְּטָ֗ה בְּע֣וֹר שִׁנָּֽיindependent — the famous idiom — בְּעוֹר שִׁנָּי; its exact sense is uncertain (with nothing? barely? only my gums?)
Pity me — and the Redeemer 19:21–27
21
חָנֻּ֬נִי חָנֻּ֣נִי אַתֶּ֣ם רֵעָ֑יindependent — the doubled imperative — the speech's emotional hinge
כִּ֥י יַד אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ נָ֣גְעָה בִּֽיcause — יַד אֱלוֹהַּ, the plague-hand — the sufferer asks pity of men because God's hand is on him
22
לָ֭מָּה תִּרְדְּפֻ֣נִי כְמוֹ אֵ֑לindependent — כְמוֹ־אֵל — the friends have taken God's role as hunter
וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י לֹ֣א תִשְׂבָּֽעוּindependent — the idiom of slander as devouring flesh (cf. Aram. 'eat the pieces of')
23
מִֽי יִתֵּ֣ן אֵ֭פוֹindependent — מִי־יִתֵּן — the wish formula, doubled through vv. 23–24
וְיִכָּתְב֣וּן מִלָּ֑יcontent — the wish's content — יִכָּתְבוּן, archaic paragogic nun throughout the strophe
מִֽי יִתֵּ֖ןindependent — the formula repeated — the wish intensifying
בַּסֵּ֣פֶר וְיֻחָֽקוּcontent — חָקַק — incised, not merely penned; סֵפֶר, the permanent record
24
בְּעֵט בַּרְזֶ֥ל וְעֹפָ֑רֶתphrase modifier — instrumental phrase — iron stylus, lead inlay poured into the cut letters
לָ֝עַ֗ד בַּצּ֥וּר יֵחָצְבֽוּןcontent — the wish's climax — לָעַד בַּצּוּר: from scroll to monumental inscription
25
וַאֲנִ֣י יָ֭דַעְתִּיindependent — וַאֲנִי יָדַעְתִּי — emphatic pronoun; the certainty that outbids the monument
גֹּ֣אֲלִי חָ֑יcontent — גֹּאֲלִי חָי — verbless; the גֹּאֵל is the kinsman-vindicator (Lev 25; Num 35; Ruth), the one who takes up a wronged relative's cause
וְ֝אַחֲר֗וֹן עַל עָפָ֥ר יָקֽוּםcontent — אַחֲרוֹן — 'as the Last' or 'at last'; קוּם עַל־עָפָר, the witness standing up in court, upon the dust of the earth — or of the grave
26
וְאַחַ֣ר ע֭וֹרִֽי נִקְּפוּ זֹ֑אתcontent — the notoriously broken text: נִקְּפוּ זֹאת, 'they have flayed this' — the syntax itself is in tatters
וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י אֶֽחֱזֶ֥ה אֱלֽוֹהַּcontent — מִבְּשָׂרִי — 'FROM my flesh' (embodied) or 'WITHOUT my flesh' (stripped of it): the preposition will not decide; the seeing is certain either way
27
אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִ֨י אֶֽחֱזֶה לִּ֗יrelative — אֲנִי emphatic again: the vindication must be personal
וְעֵינַ֣י רָא֣וּ וְלֹא זָ֑רrelative — וְלֹא־זָר — the strophe's last word against the estrangement catalogue: not the stranger's eyes, MINE
כָּל֖וּ כִלְיֹתַ֣י בְּחֵקִֽיindependent — כָּלוּ כִלְיֹתַי — 'my kidneys are consumed': the seat of longing spent with yearning
Fear the sword 19:28–29
28
כִּ֣י תֹ֭אמְרוּconditional — protasis — the friends' anticipated resolve
מַה נִּרְדָּף ל֑וֹcontent — quoted resolve — the hunt resumed
וְשֹׁ֥רֶשׁ דָּ֝בָ֗ר נִמְצָא בִֽיcontent — i.e. the fault lies in Job himself; the Qere reads בוֹ, 'in him'
29
גּ֤וּרוּ לָכֶ֨ם מִפְּנֵי חֶ֗רֶבindependent — apodosis — גּוּרוּ, the threat turned back on the accusers
כִּֽי חֵ֭מָה עֲוֺנ֣וֹת חָ֑רֶבcause — verbless and clipped — חֵמָה עֲוֺנוֹת חָרֶב, 'wrath: sword-iniquities'; the text is compressed to obscurity
לְמַ֖עַן תֵּדְע֣וּןpurpose — purpose — the friends too must come to 'know' (v. 25's verb)
שדין שַׁדּֽוּןcontent — the chapter's last word — Kethiv שדין / Qere שַׁדּוּן ('that [there is] judgment'), both letters kept in the text
Analysis. Job's fifth reply, laid out by cola: the flush-left lines are the mainline of the speech, and almost everything is mainline — Hebrew lament proceeds by parallel assertion, not subordination, so the staircase patterns of the epistles are absent and the page reads as a column of hammer-blows. Subordination appears exactly where the argument pivots: the content-clauses under 'Know, then' (v. 6) and under 'I know' (vv. 25–27) mirror each other — what the friends must know (God has wronged me) against what Job knows (my Redeemer lives) — and the final purpose chain (v. 29) turns the knowing back on the friends. The wish of vv. 23–24 steps inward twice as it intensifies: written → engraved in a scroll → with iron pen and lead → hewn in rock forever. The famous cruxes (v. 20's skin of my teeth, v. 25's Redeemer, v. 26's from/without my flesh) are flagged in the line tags; the translation keeps their ambiguity rather than resolving it.