1
וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר
Then Job answered and said:
The narrator's formula resumes the dialogue cycle, marking Job's fifth reply, this time directly answering Bildad's second speech (ch. 18).
Word-by-word analysis· 3 words
וַיַּ֥עַןand he answeredconj וַ + Qal wayyiqtol 3ms · עָנָה (H6030)Wayyiqtol of narrative sequence (introduces Job's speech)→ Wayyiqtol: foregrounded narrative advanceעָנָה (H6030) 'to answer, respond'; the standard narrative verb opening each speaker's turn in the dialogue; source id 18pid.
אִיּ֗וֹבJobproper noun · אִיּוֹב (H347)Subject of וַיַּעַןאִיּוֹב (H347), the protagonist's name; etymology debated (perhaps 'where is (my) father?' or an Amarna-age personal name); source id 18uiv.
וַיֹּאמַֽרand saidconj וַ + Qal wayyiqtol 3ms · אָמַר (H559)Wayyiqtol of narrative sequence (introduces direct speech)→ Wayyiqtol: foregrounded narrative advanceאָמַר (H559) 'to say'; paired with עָנָה in the fixed narrative formula opening each dialogue speech; source id 18HVX.
2
עַד אָ֭נָה תּוֹגְי֣וּן נַפְשִׁ֑י וּֽתְדַכְּאוּנַ֥נִי בְמִלִּֽים
How long will you torment my soul, and crush me with words?
Job opens with the same 'how long' formula the friends used against him (cf. 8:2; 18:2), turning their rhetoric back on them; the bicolon pairs two synonymous verbs of affliction (torment / crush).
Word-by-word analysis· 6 words
עַדhow longprep · עַד (H5704)Preposition governing the interrogative אָנָה, forming the idiom 'how long'עַד (H5704) 'until, as far as'; with אָנָה forms the fixed interrogative idiom עַד־אָנָה 'how long?', a stock lament formula (cf. Ps 6:4); source id 18Mk2.
אָ֭נָהlonginterrogative adverb · אָנָה (H575)Interrogative adverb completing עַד אָנָהאָנָה (H575) interrogative adverb 'whither? how long?'; with עַד forms 'how long', echoing the friends' own opening taunt (cf. 8:2; 18:2) thrown back at them; source id 18aoG.
תּוֹגְי֣וּןwill you tormentHiphil impf 2mp (paragogic nun) · יָגָה (H3013)Predicate verb (rhetorical question, main clause)→ Yiqtol: imperfective/modal - ongoing, repeated afflictionיָגָה (H3013) Hiphil 'to afflict, grieve, torment'; the paragogic nun lends emphatic, poetic weight to the accusation; source id 18c8D.
נַפְשִׁ֑יmy soulN (c/b) sg constr + 1cs suff · נֶפֶשׁ (H5315)Direct object of תּוֹגְיוּןנֶפֶשׁ (H5315) 'soul, life, self, throat/appetite'; here the seat of Job's inner being - his torment is existential, not merely physical; source id 189se.
וּֽתְדַכְּאוּנַ֥נִיand crush meconj וְ + Piel impf 2mp + 1cs suff · דָּכָא (H1792)Predicate verb, second member of hendiadic pair with תּוֹגְיוּן→ Yiqtol: imperfective - repeated, ongoing crushingדָּכָא (H1792) Piel 'to crush, pulverize, oppress'; a vivid image of being ground down, paired with 'torment my soul' for rhetorical intensity; source id 18rn8.
בְמִלִּֽיםwith wordsprep בְּ + N f pl abs · מִלָּה (H4405)Instrumental prepositional phrase modifying תְדַכְּאוּנַנִימִלָּה (H4405) 'word, speech'; poetic synonym of דָּבָר favored in Job's dialect-rich diction; the instrument of the friends' cruelty is verbal, not physical - an irony given Job's own bodily suffering; source id 18nqT.
3
זֶ֤ה עֶ֣שֶׂר פְּ֭עָמִים תַּכְלִימ֑וּנִי לֹֽא תֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּ תַּהְכְּרוּ לִֽי
These ten times you have humiliated me; you are not ashamed to wrong me.
'These ten times' is hyperbolic for repeated insult across the dialogue cycles; the verse closes the wounded-opening stanza (vv.1-3) before Job turns to God's own hand in v.6.
Word-by-word analysis· 8 words
זֶ֤הthesedemonstrative pron · זֶה (H2088)Demonstrative modifying עֶשֶׂר פְּעָמִים ('these ten times')זֶה (H2088) demonstrative 'this'; idiomatically quantifies 'ten times' as a round number for 'many times, repeatedly' (cf. Gen 31:7; Num 14:22); source id 18wMG.
עֶ֣שֶׂרtennumeral f sg abs · עֶשֶׂר (H6235)Numeral modifying פְּעָמִיםעֶשֶׂר (H6235) 'ten'; a round-number idiom for 'many times' rather than a literal count (cf. Gen 31:7); source id 18MNS.
פְּ֭עָמִיםtimesN f pl abs · פַּעַם (H6471)Adverbial accusative of time/frequencyפַּעַם (H6471) 'foot(step), occurrence, time'; completes the idiom 'these ten times' = 'so many times already'; source id 18Y7c.
תַּכְלִימ֑וּנִיyou have humiliated meHiphil impf 2mp + 1cs suff · כָּלַם (H3637)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Yiqtol: iterative/present-perfect nuance - repeated humiliation up to nowכָּלַם (H3637) Hiphil 'to humiliate, insult, shame'; root כלם 'to be ashamed/disgraced'; the friends' repeated speeches function as repeated insult; source id 18ohk.
לֹֽאnotnegative particle · לֹא (H3808)Negates תֵבֹשׁוּלֹא (H3808) the standard negative particle; source id 18ujT.
תֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּare you ashamedQal impf 2mp · בּוֹשׁ (H954)Predicate verb, first of two verbs governed by לֹא (hendiadys: 'not ashamed to wrong')→ Yiqtol: present/ongoing state - a standing lack of shameבּוֹשׁ (H954) Qal 'to be ashamed'; paired with תַּהְכְּרוּ, 'not ashamed [that] you wrong me' - a rebuke of the friends' conscienceless persistence; source id 18sac.
תַּהְכְּרוּto wrong meHiphil impf 2mp · הָכַר (H1970)Predicate verb, second verb under negation (epexegetical to תֵבֹשׁוּ: 'not ashamed that you wrong me')→ Yiqtol: present/durative - ongoing mistreatmentהָכַר (H1970), a rare Hiphil, 'to treat with insolence, wrong, browbeat'; related to נכר 'to be strange/foreign' - treating Job as an alien rather than a friend; source id 18URC.
לִֽיmeprep לְ + 1cs suff · לְDative of disadvantage / indirect object ('wrong against me')לְ, the dative/indirect-object preposition + 1cs suffix; marks Job as the one wronged; source id 18uyH.
4
וְאַף אָמְנָ֥ם שָׁגִ֑יתִי אִ֝תִּ֗י תָּלִ֥ין מְשׁוּגָתִֽי
And even if I have indeed erred, my error remains with myself alone.
The wordplay between 'erred' and 'my error' underscores that even a genuine fault would be Job's private affair, not license for the friends' public shaming.
Word-by-word analysis· 6 words
וְאַףand evenconj וְ + adverb · אַף (H637)Concessive conjunction introducing conditional clauseאַף (H637) 'also, even, indeed'; concessive here, 'and even if...', granting a hypothetical concession only to reclaim the point; source id 189oK.
אָמְנָ֥םtrulyadverb · אָמְנָם (H551)Adverb modifying שָׁגִיתִי, marking the concessive clauseאָמְנָם (H551) 'truly, indeed', from אמן 'to be firm'; strengthens the concessive 'even if I have truly erred'; source id 18nuG.
שָׁגִ֑יתִיI have erredQal perf 1cs · שָׁגָה (H7686)Predicate verb of concessive protasis→ Perfective: a completed act, granted only hypotheticallyשָׁגָה (H7686) Qal 'to err, go astray (inadvertently)'; used of unintentional sin (cf. Lev 4-5); Job concedes the abstract possibility without admitting the friends' charge; source id 18Uae.
אִ֝תִּ֗יwith meprep אֵת (comitative) + 1cs suff · אֵת (H854)Prepositional phrase, predicate of תָּלִין ('remains with me')אֵת (H854) 'with, together with' (comitative, distinct from the object-marker אֵת H853); 'my error lodges with me alone' - it is my own private matter, not the friends' business; source id 185P4.
תָּלִ֥יןremainsQal impf 3fs · לוּן (H3885)Predicate verb, subject מְשׁוּגָתִי→ Yiqtol: durative - an ongoing, private conditionלוּן/לִין (H3885) Qal 'to lodge, spend the night, remain'; Job's error, if any, 'stays overnight' with him alone, not becoming public property for the friends to judge; source id 18pNa.
מְשׁוּגָתִֽיmy errorN f sg constr + 1cs suff · מְשׁוּגָה (H4879)Subject of תָּלִיןמְשׁוּגָה (H4879), a rare noun (hapax legomenon) from שגה 'to err'; 'my going-astray, my error' - cognate with שָׁגִיתִי, reinforcing the verse's wordplay; source id 18xdk.
5
אִם אָ֭מְנָם עָלַ֣י תַּגְדִּ֑ילוּ וְתוֹכִ֥יחוּ עָ֝לַ֗י חֶרְפָּתִּֽי
If indeed you exalt yourselves against me, and prove my disgrace against me,
Job frames the friends' accusations as a conditional self-aggrandizement: if their case rests on making themselves look righteous by disgracing him, then (v.6) they must reckon with the true cause - God, not Job's sin.
Word-by-word analysis· 7 words
אִםifconj · אִם (H518)Conditional conjunction introducing the protasis, answered by the imperative of v.6אִם (H518) conditional 'if'; opens a conditional clause whose apodosis is resumed rhetorically by v.6's דְּעוּ אֵפוֹ; source id 18aQh.
אָ֭מְנָםindeedadverb · אָמְנָם (H551)Adverb strengthening the conditional clauseאָמְנָם (H551) 'truly, indeed'; see v.4 - the repetition ties the two verses together rhetorically; source id 186HC.
עָלַ֣יagainst meprep עַל + 1cs suff · עַל (H5921)Prepositional phrase, adverbial modifying תַּגְדִּילוּעַל (H5921) 'upon, against'; hostile nuance, 'exalt yourselves against me'; source id 18Pz9.
תַּגְדִּ֑ילוּyou magnify yourselvesHiphil impf 2mp · גָּדַל (H1431)Predicate verb of conditional protasis→ Yiqtol: conditional/modal - hypothetical self-exaltationגָּדַל (H1431) Hiphil 'to make great, magnify'; reflexive-tinged here - 'exalt yourselves (at my expense)', claiming superiority by condemning Job; source id 18Hq3.
וְתוֹכִ֥יחוּand argueconj וְ + Hiphil impf 2mp · יָכַח (H3198)Predicate verb, second member of the conditional protasis→ Yiqtol: conditional/modal - hypothetical legal argumentיָכַח (H3198) Hiphil 'to decide, prove, argue a case, reprove'; forensic term (cf. 9:33; 13:3) - the friends cast themselves as prosecutors building a legal case against Job; source id 18Rne.
עָ֝לַ֗יagainst meprep עַל + 1cs suff · עַל (H5921)Prepositional phrase modifying וְתוֹכִיחוּעַל (H5921), repeated for rhetorical emphasis - 'against me... against me' bracketing the verse; source id 18AFm.
חֶרְפָּתִּֽיmy disgraceN f sg constr + 1cs suff · חֶרְפָּה (H2781)Direct object of תוֹכִיחוּחֶרְפָּה (H2781) 'reproach, disgrace, scorn'; the object the friends supposedly argue/prove - completing the accusation motif from v.3's תַּכְלִימוּנִי / תֵבֹשׁוּ; source id 18CqQ.
6
דְּֽעוּ אֵ֭פוֹ כִּי אֱל֣וֹהַּ עִוְּתָ֑נִי וּ֝מְצוּד֗וֹ עָלַ֥י הִקִּֽיף
know then that God has bent/wronged me, and has closed his net around me.
The turning point of the opening stanza: Job answers Bildad's own verb (from 8:3) back at him, naming God, not himself, as the source of injustice. The military/hunting image opens the siege-metaphor cascade of vv.7-12.
Word-by-word analysis· 8 words
דְּֽעוּknowQal impv 2mp · יָדַע (H3045)Predicate verb (main-clause imperative, apodosis of v.5's conditional)→ Volitional: a demanded recognitionיָדַע (H3045) Qal 'to know'; launches the turn from the friends' accusation to God's own hand - 'know, then, that it is God...' (cf. the climactic יָדַעְתִּי, 'I know', in v.25); source id 184pF.
אֵ֭פוֹthenadverb · אֵפוֹ (H645)Emphatic adverb intensifying the imperativeאֵפוֹ (H645), enclitic particle of emphasis, 'then, indeed'; strengthens the demand דְּעוּ; source id 18uJp.
כִּיthatconj · כִּי (H3588)Subordinating conjunction introducing the object clause of דְּעוּכִּי (H3588) 'that, because'; introduces the content to be known - the following indirect discourse; source id 18TaS.
אֱל֣וֹהַּGodN m sg abs · אֱלוֹהַּ (H433)Subject of עִוְּתָנִיאֱלוֹהַּ (H433), the singular form of אֱלֹהִים, favored in Job's poetry (over 40x, mostly in this book); Job names God directly as his assailant; source id 18LLF.
עִוְּתָ֑נִיhas bent/wronged mePiel perf 3ms + 1cs suff · עִוֵּת (H5791)Predicate verb (object clause, main assertion)→ Perfective: a completed, decisive actעָוַת (H5791) Piel 'to bend, twist, subvert, wrong'; the very verb Bildad used against Job in 8:3 ('Does God pervert justice?') - Job seizes his accuser's own word and turns it into a confession: yes, God has 'bent/wronged' me. A deliberately loaded intertextual barb; source id 18bDy.
וּ֝מְצוּד֗וֹand his netconj וְ + N (c/b) sg constr + 3ms suff · מְצוּדָה (H4686)Subject of הִקִּיףמְצוּדָה (H4686) 'net, snare, siegework, stronghold'; from צוד 'to hunt'; introduces the military/hunting metaphor developed through v.12 - God as hunter/besieger; source id 18iov.
עָלַ֥יaround meprep עַל + 1cs suff · עַל (H5921)Prepositional phrase modifying הִקִּיףעַל (H5921) 'upon, around'; with הִקִּיף, 'has closed in around me'; source id 18sPA.
הִקִּֽיףhas surroundedHiphil perf 3ms · נָקַף (H5362)Predicate verb (second clause, coordinate with עִוְּתָנִי)→ Perfective: a completed, encircling actנָקַף (H5362) Hiphil 'to surround, encircle'; the same root recurs at v.26 (נִקְּפוּ, Piel, of skin 'struck off') - linking the siege-metaphor with the flesh's ruin; source id 18CJX.
7
הֵ֤ן אֶצְעַ֣ק חָ֭מָס וְלֹ֣א אֵעָנֶ֑ה אֲ֝שַׁוַּ֗ע וְאֵ֣ין מִשְׁפָּֽט
Behold, I cry out, 'Violence!' but I am not answered; I cry for help, but there is no justice.
The legal cry of 'violence,' normally guaranteeing redress, meets only silence - Job's central grievance is not merely suffering but suffering without any forum for justice.
Word-by-word analysis· 8 words
הֵ֤ןbeholdinterjection · הֵן (H2005)Presentative particle introducing the complaintהֵן (H2005) 'behold, look'; presentative particle marking vivid, direct testimony - introduces the cascade of grievances of vv.7-12; source id 18ANN.
אֶצְעַ֣קI cry outQal impf 1cs · צָעַק (H6817)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Yiqtol: durative/habitual - a repeated, ongoing cryצָעַק (H6817) Qal 'to cry out (for help), cry out in distress'; the classic cry of the oppressed (cf. Exod 2:23) - Job casts himself as the victim of violence; source id 1895S.
חָ֭מָס'Violence!'N m sg abs · חָמָס (H2555)Direct object / quoted cry-content of אֶצְעַקחָמָס (H2555) 'violence, wrong'; the technical legal cry raised by a victim of assault to summon help/witnesses (cf. Hab 1:2; Jer 20:8) - Job files the very complaint the legal system exists to answer, yet gets no response; source id 188xm.
וְלֹ֣אbut notconj וְ + negative particle · לֹא (H3808)Negates אֵעָנֶהלֹא (H3808) standard negator; the conjunction is adversative here, 'but not'; source id 18gX2.
אֵעָנֶ֑הI am answeredNiphal impf 1cs · עָנָה (H6030)Predicate verb, passive→ Yiqtol: durative passive - an ongoing lack of responseעָנָה (H6030) Niphal 'to be answered'; same root as v.1's וַיַּעַן - the narrator's formula of answering, now denied to Job; source id 18r7E.
אֲ֝שַׁוַּ֗עI cry for helpPiel impf 1cs · שִׁוַּע (H7768)Predicate verb, parallel to אֶצְעַק→ Yiqtol: durative - continued cryingשָׁוַע (H7768) Piel 'to cry for help'; poetic synonym of צָעַק, often paired in laments (cf. Ps 18:7[6]); source id 18bzy.
וְאֵ֣יןbut there is noconj וְ + particle of non-existence · אַיִן (H369)Existential negator governing מִשְׁפָּטאַיִן (H369) particle of non-existence, 'there is not'; a stronger, more absolute denial than לֹא - 'justice simply does not exist [for me]'; source id 18Zd9.
מִשְׁפָּֽטjusticeN m sg abs · מִשְׁפָּט (H4941)Subject of the existential clause וְאֵין מִשְׁפָּטמִשְׁפָּט (H4941) 'judgment, justice, legal verdict'; from שׁפט 'to judge'; the crux of Job's complaint throughout the dialogue - the moral order that should vindicate him is simply absent; source id 188Dv.
8
אָרְחִ֣י גָ֭דַר וְלֹ֣א אֶעֱב֑וֹר וְעַ֥ל נְ֝תִיבוֹתַ֗י חֹ֣שֶׁךְ יָשִֽׂים
He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, and he has set darkness upon my paths.
The road/path imagery figures Job's entire course of life as obstructed and benighted by God, extending the besieger image from v.6 into a totalizing loss of direction and hope.
Word-by-word analysis· 8 words
אָרְחִ֣יmy wayN (c/b) sg constr + 1cs suff · אֹרַח (H734)Direct object of גָדַר (fronted for emphasis)אֹרַח (H734) 'path, way, journey'; from ארח 'to travel'; the road-metaphor Job develops for his blocked life-course, echoed by 'my paths' below; source id 18NTZ.
גָ֭דַרhe has walled upQal perf 3ms · גָּדַר (H1443)Predicate verb (main clause; subject = God, implied from v.6)→ Perfective: a completed, obstructing actגָּדַר (H1443) Qal 'to wall up, fence in, block'; siege imagery - God as besieger blocking Job's escape route, continuing the מְצוּדָה motif of v.6; source id 18775.
וְלֹ֣אso that notconj וְ + negative · לֹא (H3808)Negates אֶעֱבוֹר (result clause)לֹא (H3808); see v.2-v.3; here introducing a result clause, 'so that I cannot pass'; source id 18Fmt.
אֶעֱב֑וֹרI can passQal impf 1cs · עָבַר (H5674)Predicate verb of result clause→ Yiqtol: modal - potential/ability negated ('cannot pass')עָבַר (H5674) Qal 'to pass over, through'; the blocked road leaves Job with no way forward - a figure for hopelessness (cf. Lam 3:7,9); source id 18eCW.
וְעַ֥לand uponconj וְ + prep · עַל (H5921)Prepositional phrase, fronted, modifying יָשִׂיםעַל (H5921) 'upon'; fronted for poetic parallelism with אָרְחִי in the first colon; source id 182pa.
נְ֝תִיבוֹתַ֗יmy pathsN (c/b) pl constr + 1cs suff · נְתִיבָה (H5410)Object of preposition עַלנְתִיבָה (H5410) 'path, pathway', poetic synonym of אֹרַח; the plural underscores every avenue of life being darkened; source id 18kxp.
חֹ֣שֶׁךְdarknessN m sg abs · חֹשֶׁךְ (H2822)Direct object of יָשִׂיםחֹשֶׁךְ (H2822) 'darkness'; throughout Job a symbol of calamity, death, and divine abandonment (cf. 3:4-5; 10:21-22); source id 18vnr.
יָשִֽׂיםhe has setQal impf 3ms (past-referring in poetic parallelism) · שִׂים (H7760)Predicate verb, coordinate with גָדַר→ Yiqtol used with perfective/past force in poetic parallelism - a settled, completed conditionשִׂים/שׂוּם (H7760) Qal 'to put, place, set'; the yiqtol here functions past-referring in parallel to the perfect גָדַר, a common feature of Hebrew poetic parallelism where tense/aspect is fluid; source id 18SfR.
9
כְּ֭בוֹדִי מֵעָלַ֣י הִפְשִׁ֑יט וַ֝יָּ֗סַר עֲטֶ֣רֶת רֹאשִֽׁי
He has stripped my glory from me, and removed the crown from my head.
The clothing/crown metaphor casts God as forcibly dethroning Job, deepening the humiliation motif and anticipating the more violent images of vv.10-12.
Word-by-word analysis· 6 words
כְּ֭בוֹדִיmy gloryN (c/b) sg constr + 1cs suff · כָּבוֹד (H3519)Direct object of הִפְשִׁיט (fronted for emphasis)כָּבוֹד (H3519) 'glory, honor, weight, dignity'; from כבד 'to be heavy'; Job's former social standing and dignity, now stripped away like a garment; source id 18PA5.
מֵעָלַ֣יfrom meprep מִן + prep עַל + 1cs suff · מֵעַל (H5921)Prepositional phrase modifying הִפְשִׁיטמֵעַל (H5921 with מִן) 'from upon, away from'; compound preposition intensifying removal - glory taken clean off him; source id 186gb.
הִפְשִׁ֑יטhe has strippedHiphil perf 3ms · פָּשַׁט (H6584)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Perfective: a completed, decisive act of strippingפָּשַׁט (H6584) Hiphil 'to strip off (clothing/skin)'; vivid clothing-metaphor - glory is a garment God has torn off Job, matching the later literal stripping of skin (vv.20,26); source id 18or6.
וַ֝יָּ֗סַרand he removedconj וַ + Hiphil wayyiqtol 3ms · סוּר (H5493)Predicate verb, wayyiqtol continuing the narration→ Wayyiqtol: foregrounded narrative advance (within the poetic complaint)סוּר (H5493) Hiphil 'to remove, take away'; continues the divestiture image; source id 18Zed.
עֲטֶ֣רֶתthe crown ofN f sg constr · עֲטָרָה (H5850)Direct object of וַיָּסַר, head of construct chain with רֹאשִׁיעֲטָרָה (H5850) 'crown, wreath'; royal/honorific imagery - Job pictures himself as a dethroned king, echoing his description of former glory in ch.29; source id 18u6X.
רֹאשִֽׁיmy headN m sg constr + 1cs suff · רֹאשׁ (H7218)Genitive, second member of construct chain (עֲטֶרֶת רֹאשִׁי)רֹאשׁ (H7218) 'head'; completes 'crown of my head' - the total reversal of former honor (cf. 29:14, 'my justice was like a robe and a turban'); source id 18nm9.
10
יִתְּצֵ֣נִי סָ֭בִיב וָאֵלַ֑ךְ וַיַּסַּ֥ע כָּ֝עֵ֗ץ תִּקְוָתִֽי
He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone; he has uprooted my hope like a tree.
The simile 'like a tree' deliberately recalls Job's own tree-hope speech in 14:7-9 - there a felled tree could still sprout at the scent of water; here even that residual hope is uprooted, a deeper despair than mere death.
Word-by-word analysis· 6 words
יִתְּצֵ֣נִיhe breaks me downQal impf 3ms + 1cs suff · נָתַץ (H5422)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Yiqtol used with perfective/present force in the poetic sequence - a completed demolitionנָתַץ (H5422) Qal 'to tear down, demolish' (used of walls/altars); Job depicts himself as a demolished structure - the besieged-city/tent motif intensifies; source id 183PJ.
סָ֭בִיבon every sideN (c/b) sg abs, used adverbially · סָבִיב (H5439)Adverbial accusative modifying יִתְּצֵנִיסָבִיב (H5439) 'round about, on every side'; total, encircling demolition - no side is spared; source id 185ZM.
וָאֵלַ֑ךְand I am goneconj וָ + Qal wayyiqtol 1cs · הָלַךְ (H3212)Predicate verb, wayyiqtol result clause→ Wayyiqtol: foregrounded consequence - 'and so I went (away/to ruin)'הָלַךְ (H3212) Qal 'to go, walk'; here with a nuance of departing/perishing - 'I am undone, I go my way (into oblivion)', a euphemism paralleling death-language elsewhere in Job (cf. 10:21); source id 18fYy.
וַיַּסַּ֥עand he has uprootedconj וַ + Hiphil wayyiqtol 3ms · נָסַע (H5265)Predicate verb, wayyiqtol→ Wayyiqtol: foregrounded narrative advanceנָסַע (H5265) Hiphil 'to pull up, tear away' (Qal 'to journey, set out', of tent-pegs); here uprooting a tree - the verb's tent/journey nuance subtly anticipates v.12's tent-siege image; source id 18UBS.
כָּ֝עֵ֗ץlike a treeprep כְּ + art + N m sg abs · עֵץ (H6086)Comparative prepositional phrase modifying וַיַּסַּעעֵץ (H6086) 'tree, wood'; the simile deliberately echoes Job's own image in 14:7, 'there is hope for a tree if it is cut down, that it will sprout again' - but now that very tree-hope is itself uprooted, with no such second chance; source id 181iG.
תִּקְוָתִֽיmy hopeN f sg constr + 1cs suff · תִּקְוָה (H8615)Direct object of וַיַּסַּעתִּקְוָה (H8615) 'hope, expectation'; from קוה 'to wait, hope'; the object uprooted - Job's despair here is the negation of the tree-hope he articulated in 14:7, making the allusion especially bitter; source id 18ZqA.
11
וַיַּ֣חַר עָלַ֣י אַפּ֑וֹ וַיַּחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי ל֣וֹ כְצָרָֽיו
His anger burns against me, and he counts me as one of his adversaries.
The verse names the emotional register (anger) driving the assault-imagery of vv.7-12, and reclassifies Job - the innocent sufferer - into the category of God's foes.
Word-by-word analysis· 6 words
וַיַּ֣חַרand it burnedconj וַ + Hiphil wayyiqtol 3ms · חָרָה (H2734)Predicate verb (main clause); subject אַפּוֹ follows→ Wayyiqtol: foregrounded narrative advanceחָרָה (H2734) 'to burn, be kindled, blaze' (of anger); idiom חָרָה אַף, '(someone's) anger burned/was kindled' - a frequent biblical formula for the onset of wrath, here attributed to God against Job; source id 18dKb.
עָלַ֣יagainst meprep עַל + 1cs suff · עַל (H5921)Prepositional phrase modifying וַיַּחַרעַל (H5921) 'against'; marks Job as the target of the divine anger; source id 18qiR.
אַפּ֑וֹhis angerN m sg constr + 3ms suff · אַף (H639)Subject of וַיַּחַראַף (H639) 'nose, nostril' → 'anger' (from the flaring nostrils of rage); subject of the idiom חָרָה אַף, 'his anger burned'; source id 18amo.
וַיַּחְשְׁבֵ֖נִיand he counts meconj וַ + Qal wayyiqtol 3ms + 1cs suff · חָשַׁב (H2803)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Wayyiqtol: foregrounded narrative advanceחָשַׁב (H2803) Qal 'to think, reckon, account'; here 'to regard/treat as' - God classifies Job in the category of his enemies; source id 184Xh.
ל֣וֹto himselfprep לְ + 3ms suff · לְDative phrase completing the resultative construction with כְצָרָיולְ preposition (no independent Strong's; bound proclitic) marking the resultative predicate - 'he counts me to himself as...'; source id 185e5.
כְצָרָֽיוas his adversariesprep כְּ + N m pl constr + 3ms suff · צַר (H6862)Comparative/predicate complement of וַיַּחְשְׁבֵנִיצַר (H6862) 'adversary, foe, enemy' (from צרר 'to be hostile/narrow'); plural though referring to Job as a single individual, generalizing him into the category 'one of his enemies'; source id 18p9R.
12
יַ֤חַד יָ֘בֹ֤אוּ גְדוּדָ֗יו וַיָּסֹ֣לּוּ עָלַ֣י דַּרְכָּ֑ם וַיַּחֲנ֖וּ סָבִ֣יב לְאָהֳלִֽי
Together his troops advance; they have cast up their siege-ramp against me and encamp around my tent.
The extended siege-warfare metaphor (net, wall, demolition, army, ramp, encampment) reaches its climax: Job's humble tent, not a fortified city, is treated as the target of a full-scale campaign - the disproportion underscoring how implacable Job feels God's hostility to be.
Word-by-word analysis· 9 words
יַ֤חַדtogetheradverb · יַחַד (H3162)Adverb modifying יָבֹאוּיַחַד (H3162) 'together, at once'; describes a unified, coordinated military advance; source id 18dTq.
יָ֘בֹ֤אוּthey comeQal impf 3mp · בּוֹא (H935)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Yiqtol used with vivid present/past narrative force - a graphic, ongoing advanceבּוֹא (H935) Qal 'to come, enter'; military advance-verb, continuing the siege metaphor with גְדוּדָיו as subject; source id 18wep.
גְדוּדָ֗יוhis troopsN m pl constr + 3ms suff · גְּדוּד (H1416)Subject of יָבֹאוּגְּדוּד (H1416) 'troop, raiding band, marauding company'; God's forces personified as an army besieging Job - the culmination of the siege imagery begun with מְצוּדָה (v.6); source id 18Uo7.
וַיָּסֹ֣לּוּand they cast upconj וַ + Qal wayyiqtol 3mp · סָלַל (H5549)Predicate verb, wayyiqtol→ Wayyiqtol: foregrounded narrative advanceסָלַל (H5549) Qal 'to raise up, cast up (a siege ramp/highway)'; technical military-engineering term for constructing a siege-mound against a target (cf. 2 Sam 20:15; Isa 37:33) - Job, a single man, is besieged like a fortified city; source id 18Y7e.
עָלַ֣יagainst meprep עַל + 1cs suff · עַל (H5921)Prepositional phrase modifying וַיָּסֹלּוּעַל (H5921), hostile 'against'; source id 18Hgx.
דַּרְכָּ֑םtheir siege-roadN (c/b) sg constr + 3mp suff · דֶּרֶךְ (H1870)Direct object of וַיָּסֹלּוּדֶּרֶךְ (H1870) 'way, road'; the siege-approach road/ramp the besieging troops build to reach the target - completing the idiom סָלַל דֶּרֶךְ, 'to cast up a road/ramp'; source id 18G3x.
וַיַּחֲנ֖וּand they encampconj וַ + Qal wayyiqtol 3mp · חָנָה (H2583)Predicate verb, wayyiqtol→ Wayyiqtol: foregrounded narrative advanceחָנָה (H2583) Qal 'to encamp, pitch camp'; the besieging army's final, encircling action; source id 18s67.
סָבִ֣יבaroundadverbial noun · סָבִיב (H5439)Adverbial accusative modifying וַיַּחֲנוּסָבִיב (H5439) 'round about'; see v.10 - total encirclement, echoing that verse's יִתְּצֵנִי סָבִיב; source id 18YC8.
לְאָהֳלִֽיagainst my tentprep לְ + N m sg constr + 1cs suff · אֹהֶל (H168)Prepositional phrase modifying וַיַּחֲנוּאֹהֶל (H168) 'tent'; Job's dwelling figured as a besieged encampment - the domestic, nomadic-patriarchal image replaces a walled city, making the siege metaphor personal and intimate; source id 18krY.
13
אַ֭חַי מֵעָלַ֣י הִרְחִ֑יק וְ֝יֹדְעַ֗י אַךְ זָ֥רוּ מִמֶּֽנִּי
He has put my brothers far from me, and my acquaintances have become wholly estranged from me.
The estrangement vocabulary introduced here recurs through v.27, forming a thematic thread that culminates in the ironic hope that his Redeemer will be seen 'and not a stranger' (v.27).
Word-by-word analysis· 7 words
אַ֭חַיmy brothersN m pl constr + 1cs suff · אָח (H251)Direct object of הִרְחִיק (fronted)אָח (H251) 'brother'; opens the catalogue of alienation (vv.13-19), starting with the innermost circle of kin; source id 18Cym.
מֵעָלַ֣יfrom meprep מִן + prep עַל + 1cs suff · מֵעַל (H5921)Prepositional phrase modifying הִרְחִיקמֵעַל (H5921 with מִן) 'away from'; see v.9 for the same compound preposition; source id 18jbf.
הִרְחִ֑יקhe has distancedHiphil perf 3ms · רָחַק (H7368)Predicate verb (main clause; subject God, continuing from vv.6-12)→ Perfective: a completed, decisive removalרָחַק (H7368) Hiphil 'to put far away, remove to a distance'; God is the unstated agent behind the social catastrophe, not mere circumstance; source id 18VGV.
וְ֝יֹדְעַ֗יand my acquaintancesconj וְ + Qal ptc mpl constr + 1cs suff · יָדַע (H3045)Subject of זָרוּ (substantival participle, 'those who know me')→ Participle: durative/characteristic - those in an ongoing state of 'knowing me'יָדַע (H3045) Qal participle used substantivally, 'ones knowing (me), acquaintances'; the same root as the climactic יָדַעְתִּי of v.25 ('I know') - poignant, since those who 'know' Job abandon him while he alone affirms what he 'knows' of his Redeemer; source id 18PMB.
אַךְsurelyadverb/particle · אַךְ (H389)Emphatic particle modifying זָרוּאַךְ (H389) restrictive/emphatic particle, 'surely, only, altogether'; intensifies the estrangement - 'they are utterly estranged'; source id 18NJt.
זָ֥רוּhave become strangersQal perf 3cp · זוּר (H2114)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Perfective: a completed, settled state of estrangementזוּר (H2114) Qal 'to be a stranger, turn aside, become estranged'; the root recurs at vv.15,17,27 (זָר, נָכְרִי) - the alienation-vocabulary threading through the whole catalogue; source id 18vsz.
מִמֶּֽנִּיfrom meprep מִן + 1cs suff · מִן (H4480)Prepositional phrase modifying זָרוּמִן (H4480) 'from'; marks the point of separation - Job's acquaintances have wholly turned from him; source id 18mgi.
14
חָדְל֥וּ קְרוֹבָ֑י וּֽמְיֻדָּעַ֥י שְׁכֵחֽוּנִי
My kinsmen have failed me, and my intimate friends have forgotten me.
A short, stark bicolon deepening the abandonment from mere estrangement to active failure and forgetting - the social erasure of Job is now complete among his closer circle.
Word-by-word analysis· 4 words
חָדְל֥וּhave failedQal perf 3cp · חָדַל (H2308)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Perfective: a completed cessationחָדַל (H2308) Qal 'to cease, leave off, fail'; relationships that have simply stopped functioning - his relatives no longer come near; source id 18nDb.
קְרוֹבָ֑יmy relativesadjective (substantival) m pl constr + 1cs suff · קָרוֹב (H7138)Subject of חָדְלוּקָרוֹב (H7138) 'near, close' (adj.), substantivized 'near ones, kin/relatives'; continues the catalogue after אַחַי (v.13); source id 18gDS.
וּֽמְיֻדָּעַ֥יand my close friendsconj וְ + Pual ptc mpl constr + 1cs suff · יָדַע (H3045)Subject of שְׁכֵחוּנִי (substantival passive participle, 'ones made known, intimates')→ Participle: a characteristic/durative state, here passive (Pual), 'those known/familiar'יָדַע (H3045) Pual participle 'known, familiar, intimate acquaintance'; a stronger term than יֹדְעַי (v.13) - the erosion of relationship deepens from mere acquaintances to intimates; source id 18Efv.
שְׁכֵחֽוּנִיhave forgotten meQal perf 3cp + 1cs suff · שָׁכַח (H7911)Predicate verb→ Perfective: a completed, settled forgettingשָׁכַח (H7911) Qal 'to forget'; the sharpest verb yet - not merely distant but erased from memory, intensifying the catalogue's progression; source id 18DVj.
15
גָּ֘רֵ֤י בֵיתִ֣י וְ֭אַמְהֹתַי לְזָ֣ר תַּחְשְׁבֻ֑נִי נָ֝כְרִ֗י הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינֵיהֶֽם
The guests of my house, even my maidservants, count me a stranger; I have become a foreigner in their eyes.
The progression from brothers/kin (vv.13-14) to household dependents (v.15) maps a complete collapse of Job's social world, moving from the most intimate to the most marginal relationships, all now equally lost.
Word-by-word analysis· 8 words
גָּ֘רֵ֤יthe sojourners ofQal ptc mpl constr · גּוּר (H1481)Subject (substantival participle) of תַּחְשְׁבֻנִי, head of construct chain with בֵיתִי→ Participle: characteristic - those in the state of dwelling/sojourningגּוּר (H1481) Qal participle substantivized, 'sojourner, guest, temporary resident'; resident aliens/guests staying in Job's household, now also treating him as foreign; source id 18YCE.
בֵיתִ֣יmy houseN m sg constr + 1cs suff · בַּיִת (H1004)Genitive completing construct chain גָּרֵי בֵיתִיבַּיִת (H1004) 'house, household'; the domestic sphere where even guests now scorn Job; source id 18JsT.
וְ֭אַמְהֹתַיand my maidservantsconj וְ + N f pl constr + 1cs suff · אָמָה (H519)Coordinate subject of תַּחְשְׁבֻנִיאָמָה (H519) 'maidservant, female slave'; those of lowest social station in Job's household now also despise their former master - the reversal of social order is total; source id 184Jj.
לְזָ֣רas a strangerprep לְ + adjective m sg abs · זָר (H2114)Predicate complement of תַּחְשְׁבֻנִיזָר (H2114) 'strange, foreign, alien' (from the root זוּר, cf. v.13); Job, master of the house, is now reckoned an outsider within his own home; source id 18FjR.
תַּחְשְׁבֻ֑נִיthey count meQal impf 3fp + 1cs suff · חָשַׁב (H2803)Predicate verb (main clause; feminine plural agreeing with the compound subject)→ Yiqtol: durative/habitual - an ongoing, present reckoningחָשַׁב (H2803) Qal 'to think, reckon, regard as' (cf. v.11); a repeated key verb of the chapter - everyone now 'reckons' Job differently than he is; source id 18h6T.
נָ֝כְרִ֗יa foreigneradjective m sg abs, predicate · נָכְרִי (H5237)Predicate adjective of הָיִיתִינָכְרִי (H5237) 'foreign, foreigner'; synonym of זָר, from נכר 'to be strange, unrecognized' - the same root behind תַּהְכְּרוּ (v.3); intensifies the estrangement theme; source id 18wu9.
הָיִ֥יתִיI have becomeQal perf 1cs · הָיָה (H1961)Predicate verb (copular, main clause)→ Perfective: a completed, settled stateהָיָה (H1961) Qal 'to be, become'; marks Job's transformation in others' eyes into an alien within his own household; source id 184Gx.
בְעֵינֵיהֶֽםin their eyesprep בְּ + N (c/b) dual constr + 3mp suff · עַיִן (H5869)Prepositional phrase modifying הָיִיתִיעַיִן (H5869) 'eye', dual, used idiomatically for 'in the estimation/view of'; underscores that this alienation is a matter of perception and judgment, not merely fact; source id 18Bj7.
16
לְעַבְדִּ֣י קָ֭רָאתִי וְלֹ֣א יַעֲנֶ֑ה בְּמוֹ פִ֝֗י אֶתְחַנֶּן לֽוֹ
I call to my servant, and he does not answer; I must plead with him with my own mouth.
The verb 'answer' ties this verse back to vv.1,7 - just as God does not answer Job's cry for justice, Job's own servant does not answer his call; the disintegration of order runs from heaven to household.
Word-by-word analysis· 8 words
לְעַבְדִּ֣יto my servantprep לְ + N m sg constr + 1cs suff · עֶבֶד (H5650)Prepositional phrase (indirect object) of קָרָאתִי, frontedעֶבֶד (H5650) 'servant, slave'; the reversal reaches its nadir - even one legally bound to obey Job now refuses; source id 18sAN.
קָ֭רָאתִיI callQal perf 1cs (present-habitual nuance) · קָרָא (H7121)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Perfective with present/habitual nuance: a repeated, ongoing act of callingקָרָא (H7121) Qal 'to call, summon'; the master's basic prerogative - being obeyed when calling a servant - now denied him; source id 18MhW.
וְלֹ֣אand notconj וְ + negative particle · לֹא (H3808)Negates יַעֲנֶהלֹא (H3808); see v.7; source id 18b4t.
יַעֲנֶ֑הhe answersQal impf 3ms · עָנָה (H6030)Predicate verb→ Yiqtol: durative - habitual non-responseעָנָה (H6030) Qal 'to answer'; same root as v.7's אֵעָנֶה and the opening וַיַּעַן (v.1) - the chapter is threaded with this root, contrasting Job's persistent unanswered cries; source id 18KbS.
בְּמוֹwithprep (poetic form) · בְּמוֹ (H1119)Preposition governing פִיבְּמוֹ (H1119), archaic/poetic form of בְּ 'with, by means of', common in elevated poetic diction - fits Job's elevated register here; source id 18ymY.
פִ֝֗יmy mouthN m sg constr + 1cs suff · פֶּה (H6310)Object of preposition בְּמוֹ, instrumentalפֶּה (H6310) 'mouth'; 'with my own mouth' emphasizes Job's personal humiliation - he himself, the master, must beg where once he only commanded; source id 181iQ.
אֶתְחַנֶּןI must pleadHitpael impf 1cs · חָנַן (H2603)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Yiqtol: modal/durative - an ongoing, humiliating necessityחָנַן (H2603) Hitpael 'to seek favor, plead for grace, implore'; reflexive-intensive stem underscoring Job's self-abasement - the same root appears in the double imperative חָנֻּנִי (v.21); source id 18zDJ.
לֽוֹto himprep לְ + 3ms suff · לְIndirect object of אֶתְחַנֶּןלְ preposition marking the servant as the addressee of Job's plea; source id 18bUs.
17
ר֭וּחִֽי זָ֣רָה לְאִשְׁתִּ֑י וְ֝חַנֹּתִ֗י לִבְנֵ֥י בִטְנִֽי
My breath is repulsive to my wife, and I am loathsome to my own brothers (lit. the sons of my mother's womb).
The form rendered 'I am loathsome' is one of the chapter's genuine textual cruxes: MT's pointing suggests a form of the verb 'to plead/seek favor,' awkward here, and many treat it as a rare or corrupted form meaning 'I stink/am loathsome,' paired with 'is repulsive'; no certain resolution is possible, and the translation follows the contextual parallelism rather than claiming certainty.
Word-by-word analysis· 6 words
ר֭וּחִֽיmy breathN (c/b) sg constr + 1cs suff · רוּחַ (H7307)Subject of זָרָהרוּחַ (H7307) 'breath, spirit, wind'; most naturally 'my (foul) breath' here, a physical detail consistent with Job's disease; some read 'my spirit/disposition', but the concrete sense fits the physical-repulsion context alongside skin and teeth (vv.20,26); source id 18dcV.
זָ֣רָהis repulsiveQal perf 3fs (stative) · זוּר (H2114)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Perfective: a settled, ongoing state (stative use of the perfect)זוּר (H2114) Qal 'to be strange, be repugnant, turn aside'; same root as vv.13,15 - his own wife now experiences him as alien and repellent; source id 18gAL.
לְאִשְׁתִּ֑יto my wifeprep לְ + N f sg constr + 1cs suff · אִשָּׁה (H802)Prepositional phrase (dative of experiencer) modifying זָרָהאִשָּׁה (H802) 'woman, wife'; Job's own wife, his most intimate human relationship, is repulsed - deepening the alienation to its most personal point; source id 18VXy.
וְ֝חַנֹּתִ֗יand I am loathsomeconj וְ + Qal perf 1cs · חָנַן (H2603) [disputed form]Predicate verb, parallel to זָרָה→ Perfective: a settled state (sense uncertain)This form is a genuine textual/lexical crux: MT vocalizes it as if from חנן ('to seek favor/pity'), yielding 'I am [reduced to] pleading', but that sits awkwardly here; many instead posit a rare or corrupted form meaning 'I stink/am loathsome', matching the parallel זָרָה. HALOT and BDB register the difficulty without resolving it; source id 18GXL.
לִבְנֵ֥יto the sons ofprep לְ + N m pl constr · בֵּן (H1121)Prepositional phrase (dative of experiencer), head of construct chain with בִטְנִיבֵּן (H1121) 'son'; construct chain 'sons of my own body' - likely Job's own children or, by extension, his womb-siblings; the referent is debated, but the point is intimate blood-kin repulsed by him; source id 18KEX.
בִטְנִֽיmy bodyN f sg constr + 1cs suff · בֶּטֶן (H990)Genitive, second member of construct chainבֶּטֶן (H990) 'belly, womb'; 'sons of my belly', an idiom for one's own offspring/close blood relations, completing the picture of universal kin-rejection; source id 18Try.
18
גַּם עֲ֭וִילִים מָ֣אֲסוּ בִ֑י אָ֝ק֗וּמָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ בִֽי
Even young children despise me; when I rise, they speak against me.
The cohortative 'when I rise' anticipates the positive use of the same verb in v.25 of the Redeemer's rising - a deliberate verbal bridge between Job's present humiliation and his future vindication.
Word-by-word analysis· 7 words
גַּםevenadverb/particle · גַּם (H1571)Emphatic particle introducing עֲוִילִיםגַּם (H1571) 'also, even'; emphatic escalation - even the youngest, least powerful members of society join the scorn; source id 18d7i.
עֲ֭וִילִיםyoung childrenN m pl abs · עָוִיל (H5759)Subject of מָאֲסוּעָוִיל (H5759), a rare word, 'young child, boy, urchin'; possibly connotes street children - completing the collapse of respect from every quarter, high to low; source id 18512.
מָ֣אֲסוּdespiseQal perf 3cp · מָאַס (H3988)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Perfective: a settled, ongoing rejectionמָאַס (H3988) Qal 'to reject, despise, refuse'; strong verb of contempt, elsewhere used of covenant rejection - here directed at Job by mere children; source id 18MzY.
בִ֑יmeprep בְּ + 1cs suff · בְּObject of מָאֲסוּ (idiom מָאַס בְּ, 'to despise someone')בְּ preposition marking the object of מָאַס, 'despise, reject'; source id 18kXM.
אָ֝ק֗וּמָהwhen I ariseQal cohortative 1cs · קוּם (H6965)Predicate verb, subordinate temporal/circumstantial clause ('when I rise')→ Cohortative used with temporal nuance: 'if I even try to rise/stand'קוּם (H6965) Qal 'to arise, stand up'; the cohortative suggests Job's own attempt to rise is itself the occasion for mockery - the same verb recurs climactically in v.25 (יָקוּם) of the Redeemer; source id 18Hj8.
וַיְדַבְּרוּthey speakconj וַ + Piel wayyiqtol 3mp · דִּבֵּר (H1696)Predicate verb, wayyiqtol→ Wayyiqtol: foregrounded narrative responseדָּבַר (H1696) Piel 'to speak'; with בִּי, 'speak against me' - the children's taunting speech, matching מִלִּים (v.2) as another form of verbal assault; source id 18zFY.
בִֽיagainst meprep בְּ + 1cs suff · בְּObject of preposition marking hostile speech (דִּבֵּר בְּ, 'speak against')בְּ preposition marking hostile address; source id 18Rhm.
19
תִּֽ֭עֲבוּנִי כָּל מְתֵ֣י סוֹדִ֑י וְזֶֽה אָ֝הַ֗בְתִּי נֶהְפְּכוּ בִֽי
All my intimate friends abhor me; those I loved have turned against me.
'Men of my intimate council' marks the innermost circle - closing a movement that began with brothers (v.13) and descended through servants and children to this, the friends dearest to Job's heart, now his enemies.
Word-by-word analysis· 8 words
תִּֽ֭עֲבוּנִיthey abhor mePiel perf 3cp + 1cs suff · תִּעֵב (H8581)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Perfective: a settled, complete abhorrenceתָּעַב (H8581) Piel 'to abhor, detest'; strong cultic/moral term (often of what is 'abomination') applied here to Job's closest confidants' revulsion toward him; source id 18hnf.
כָּלallN m sg constr (quantifier) · כֹּל (H3605)Quantifier heading construct chain with מְתֵי סוֹדִיכֹּל (H3605) 'all, every'; universalizes the betrayal - not merely some but all of his intimate circle; source id 18eM1.
מְתֵ֣יmen ofN m pl constr · מַת (H4962)Head noun of construct chain, subject of תִּעֲבוּנִימַת (H4962) 'man, mortal' (poetic, chiefly in construct); the phrase מְתֵי סוֹד, 'men of my council', is a set idiom for one's closest confidants (cf. Ps 55:15[14]); source id 18hk3.
סוֹדִ֑יmy councilN m sg constr + 1cs suff · סוֹד (H5475)Genitive completing construct chain מְתֵי סוֹדִיסוֹד (H5475) 'council, confidential circle, intimate counsel'; denotes the inner circle privy to one's private counsel - the deepest possible friendship, now turned enemy; source id 18W1U.
וְזֶֽהand these whomconj וְ + demonstrative pron · זֶה (H2088)Relative-like demonstrative, resumptive subject of the following verb ('those whom I loved')זֶה (H2088) demonstrative used here in a relative-clause-like function (a feature of poetic/late Hebrew syntax), 'these/those whom' - introducing the object of Job's own past affection; source id 188Um.
אָ֝הַ֗בְתִּיI lovedQal perf 1cs · אָהַב (H157)Predicate verb of the relative clause (modifying the referent of זֶה)→ Perfective: a completed past state of affectionאָהַב (H157) Qal 'to love'; marks these as friends Job himself cherished - the betrayal cuts both ways, since the affection was mutual (or so Job believed); source id 18G4t.
נֶהְפְּכוּhave turnedNiphal perf 3cp · הָפַךְ (H2015)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Perfective: a completed reversalהָפַךְ (H2015) Niphal 'to be turned, be overturned, be changed'; total reversal of relationship - those loved have become adversaries, closing the alienation catalogue (vv.13-19) on its bitterest note; source id 18VzB.
בִֽיagainst meprep בְּ + 1cs suff · בְּObject of preposition marking hostile turning (נֶהְפַּךְ בְּ)בְּ preposition marking the target of the reversal; source id 181ou.
20
בְּעוֹרִ֣י וּ֭בִבְשָׂרִי דָּבְקָ֣ה עַצְמִ֑י וָ֝אֶתְמַלְּטָ֗ה בְּע֣וֹר שִׁנָּֽי
My bones cling to my skin and flesh, and I have escaped with only the skin of my teeth.
'The skin of my teeth' is among the most debated phrases in the book: teeth have no skin, so proposals range to 'gums,' to a metaphor for the barest possible survival, to textual corruption; the exact referent cannot be recovered with confidence, and the translation preserves the idiom's traditional, deliberately paradoxical wording rather than resolving it.
Word-by-word analysis· 7 words
בְּעוֹרִ֣יto my skinprep בְּ + N m sg constr + 1cs suff · עוֹר (H5785)Prepositional phrase modifying דָּבְקָהעוֹר (H5785) 'skin, hide'; the physical ravages of Job's disease - skin wasted so thin that bone shows through, matching the account in chs.2,30; source id 18bjQ.
וּ֭בִבְשָׂרִיand to my fleshconj וְ + prep בְּ + N m sg constr + 1cs suff · בָּשָׂר (H1320)Prepositional phrase, coordinate with בְּעוֹרִיבָּשָׂר (H1320) 'flesh'; paired with עוֹר - skin and flesh wasted to nothing, leaving bone exposed, the physical counterpart to the social devastation of vv.13-19; source id 18A2U.
דָּבְקָ֣הclingsQal perf 3fs (stative) · דָּבַק (H1692)Predicate verb (main clause), subject עַצְמִי→ Perfective: a settled, present state (stative)דָּבַק (H1692) Qal 'to cling, adhere'; a grotesque image of emaciation - bone clings directly to skin with no flesh between, a picture of near-death wasting (cf. Ps 102:6[5]; Lam 4:8); source id 18ZM7.
עַצְמִ֑יmy boneN f sg constr + 1cs suff · עֶצֶם (H6106)Subject of דָּבְקָהעֶצֶם (H6106) 'bone'; the skeletal frame, now the only substance left beneath the ravaged skin; source id 18jY6.
וָ֝אֶתְמַלְּטָ֗הand I have escapedconj וָ + Hitpael wayyiqtol 1cs (volitive he) · מָלַט (H4422)Predicate verb, wayyiqtol→ Wayyiqtol (with emphatic ־ָה ending): foregrounded narrative advanceמָלַט (H4422) Hitpael 'to escape, slip away, save oneself'; introduces the famous idiom of the next phrase - Job pictures himself barely surviving, having 'slipped through' with almost nothing left; source id 18XbX.
בְּע֣וֹרwith the skin ofprep בְּ + N m sg constr · עוֹר (H5785)Instrumental prepositional phrase, head of construct chain with שִׁנָּיעוֹר (H5785) 'skin'; construct chain 'skin of my teeth' - the famous idiom whose precise sense is uncertain: perhaps 'gums' (the thin covering around the teeth), or a proverbial expression for the smallest imaginable remnant; no fully certain solution exists; source id 18jxp.
שִׁנָּֽיmy teethN (c/b) dual constr + 1cs suff · שֵׁן (H8127)Genitive completing construct chain בְּעוֹר שִׁנָּישֵׁן (H8127) 'tooth', dual 'teeth'; completes an idiom whose exact reference has puzzled interpreters since antiquity (LXX and Vulgate already struggle with it) since teeth famously have no skin; source id 18ox4.
21
חָנֻּ֬נִי חָנֻּ֣נִי אַתֶּ֣ם רֵעָ֑י כִּ֥י יַד אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ נָ֣גְעָה בִּֽי
Pity me, pity me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me!
The repeated imperative 'pity me, pity me' is the rhetorical and emotional high point of the appeal (vv.21-22), a rare instance of unmediated pathos in the dialogue; it pivots the speech from catalogue of loss to direct plea before turning, in v.22, to rebuke.
Word-by-word analysis· 9 words
חָנֻּ֬נִיpity meQal impv 2mp + 1cs suff · חָנַן (H2603)Predicate verb (main clause imperative), first of doubled repetition→ Volitional: an urgent, pleading imperativeחָנַן (H2603) Qal 'to be gracious to, show favor/pity'; the same root as v.16's אֶתְחַנֶּן - there Job pleaded with an unresponsive servant, here he pleads with the friends themselves, the emotional center of the whole speech; source id 18gSB.
חָנֻּ֣נִיpity meQal impv 2mp + 1cs suff · חָנַן (H2603)Predicate verb, repetition for emphatic pathos (epizeuxis)→ Volitional: repetition intensifying the plea's urgencyThe doubling of the identical imperative marks the emotional climax of the appeal - nowhere else in the chapter does Job repeat a word back-to-back like this; source id 18mv8.
אַתֶּ֣םyouindependent pron 2mp · אַתֶּם (H859)Vocative/emphatic subject, in apposition to the addressees of חָנֻּנִיאַתֶּם (H859), emphatic in apposition/vocative use, 'you (of all people)'; stresses that it is precisely his friends - who should show compassion - from whom he begs pity; source id 18xW5.
רֵעָ֑יmy friendsN m pl constr + 1cs suff · רֵעַ (H7453)Vocative, in apposition to אַתֶּםרֵעַ (H7453) 'friend, companion'; direct address to Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar - the bitter irony that 'friends' must be begged for basic pity; source id 18X8c.
כִּ֥יforconj · כִּי (H3588)Causal conjunction introducing the ground for the appealכִּי (H3588) 'for, because'; introduces the reason: the divine affliction itself, not any personal fault, justifies the appeal for pity; source id 18Kyc.
יַדthe hand ofN (c/b) sg constr · יָד (H3027)Subject of נָגְעָה, head of construct chain with אֱלוֹהַּיָד (H3027) 'hand'; idiom for direct divine agency/affliction (cf. 1:11; 2:5, where the satan and God himself invoke the divine 'hand') - Job's language matches the narrative frame's own vocabulary; source id 18MpC.
אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּGodN m sg abs · אֱלוֹהַּ (H433)Genitive completing construct chain יַד אֱלוֹהַּאֱלוֹהַּ (H433); see v.6 - Job again names God directly as the one who has struck him; source id 18s71.
נָ֣גְעָהhas touchedQal perf 3fs · נָגַע (H5060)Predicate verb (main clause), subject יַד אֱלוֹהַּ→ Perfective: a completed, decisive actנָגַע (H5060) Qal 'to touch, strike, afflict'; euphemistic verb for affliction/plague (cf. 1:11; 2:5), used with grim understatement for what has devastated Job utterly; source id 1878H.
בִּֽיmeprep בְּ + 1cs suff · בְּObject of preposition completing נָגְעָה בְּ ('touch/strike someone')בְּ preposition marking the object of the striking, idiom נָגַע בְּ; source id 18BwW.
22
לָ֭מָּה תִּרְדְּפֻ֣נִי כְמוֹ אֵ֑ל וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י לֹ֣א תִשְׂבָּֽעוּ
Why do you pursue me as God does, and are not satisfied with my flesh?
'Like God' is a stinging charge: the friends, who insist God is punishing Job justly, are told they themselves act with the same relentless, insatiable severity - completing the appeal section (vv.21-22) before Job turns to his climactic wish (vv.23-24) and confession (vv.25-27).
Word-by-word analysis· 7 words
לָ֭מָּהwhyprep לְ + interrogative · מָה (H4100)Interrogative adverbial phrase introducing the rebukeמָה (H4100) interrogative 'what'; with לְ, 'for what (reason), why' - introduces Job's rebuke of the friends, turning from plea (v.21) to accusation; source id 18xmm.
תִּרְדְּפֻ֣נִיdo you pursue meQal impf 2mp (paragogic nun) + 1cs suff · רָדַף (H7291)Predicate verb (main clause, rhetorical question)→ Yiqtol: durative/present - an ongoing, active pursuitרָדַף (H7291) Qal 'to pursue, chase, persecute'; accuses the friends of joining, even imitating, God's own hostile pursuit of Job (cf. v.28's same root); source id 18QWv.
כְמוֹlikeprep (poetic form) · כְּמוֹ (H3644)Comparative preposition governing אֵלכְּמוֹ (H3644), poetic/emphatic form of כְּ 'like, as'; the comparison 'like God' is provocative - the friends are accused of arrogating a divine prerogative to persecute; source id 18onS.
אֵ֑לGodN m sg abs · אֵל (H410)Object of comparative preposition כְּמוֹאֵל (H410), the generic Northwest-Semitic term for 'God, deity'; used here rather than אֱלוֹהַּ or אֱלֹהִים, perhaps for terse poetic economy - the friends presume to act with god-like severity toward a fellow mortal; source id 183CX.
וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗יand with my fleshconj וְ + prep מִן + N m sg constr + 1cs suff · בָּשָׂר (H1320)Prepositional phrase (partitive/source) modifying תִשְׂבָּעוּבָּשָׂר (H1320) 'flesh'; the preposition מִן is partitive here ('[having your fill] of/from my flesh') - a grim image of the friends 'feeding' on Job's suffering, distinct from the מִן of v.26 which raises the separate crux 'from/without my flesh'; source id 18kSN.
לֹ֣אnotnegative particle · לֹא (H3808)Negates תִשְׂבָּעוּלֹא (H3808); see v.3; source id 18M79.
תִשְׂבָּֽעוּare you satisfiedQal impf 2mp · שָׂבַע (H7646)Predicate verb (main clause, rhetorical question)→ Yiqtol: durative/present - an ongoing insatiabilityשָׂבַע (H7646) Qal 'to be satisfied, sated, have one's fill'; a grotesque metaphor of the friends 'feeding' on Job's suffering yet never being full - an accusation of insatiable hostility; source id 189PJ.
23
מִֽי יִתֵּ֣ן אֵ֭פוֹ וְיִכָּתְב֣וּן מִלָּ֑י מִֽי יִתֵּ֖ן בַּסֵּ֣פֶר וְיֻחָֽקוּ
Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a scroll!
The doubled wish-formula, escalating from 'written' to 'inscribed in a scroll,' begins the movement toward the chapter's summit (vv.25-27): Job wants his innocence and hope preserved beyond the reach of his own death, anticipating the confidence of v.25's 'I know my Redeemer lives.'
Word-by-word analysis· 9 words
מִֽיwhointerrogative pron · מִי (H4310)Head of the fixed optative idiom מִי יִתֵּן ('who will give' = 'would that')מִי (H4310) interrogative 'who'; with יִתֵּן forms the fixed idiom of wishing, מִי־יִתֵּן, 'oh that, would that' (cf. 6:8; 14:13; 23:3) - a favorite construction of Job's for expressing impossible longing; source id 18psZ.
יִתֵּ֣ןwould giveQal impf 3ms · נָתַן (H5414)Predicate verb of the optative idiom מִי יִתֵּן→ Yiqtol: optative/desiderative - expresses an unattainable wishנָתַן (H5414) Qal 'to give'; in the idiom מִי יִתֵּן functions as a semi-fossilized optative marker, 'would that (it were given/granted)'; source id 18jXT.
אֵ֭פוֹindeedadverb · אֵפוֹ (H645)Emphatic adverb intensifying the wishאֵפוֹ (H645); see v.6 - here lending emphasis to the longing, 'oh that indeed...'; source id 183i9.
וְיִכָּתְב֣וּןand they were writtenconj וְ + Niphal impf 3mp (paragogic nun) · כָּתַב (H3789)Predicate verb, subject מִלָּי, continuing the wish-clause→ Yiqtol (jussive-like in the optative sequence): a desired, not-yet-realized actionכָּתַב (H3789) Niphal 'to be written'; the wish for a permanent written record - Job desires an enduring testimony that will outlast the moment and vindicate him beyond his lifetime, however long delayed (cf. v.25's 'at the last'); source id 1886G.
מִלָּ֑יmy wordsN f pl constr + 1cs suff · מִלָּה (H4405)Subject of וְיִכָּתְבוּןמִלָּה (H4405); see v.2 - the poetic term for 'word/speech', here specifically Job's own testimony, the content he wishes preserved; source id 189x4.
מִֽיwhointerrogative pron · מִי (H4310)Repeats the optative idiom, intensifying by parallelismRepetition of the wish-formula for rhetorical emphasis, moving from a general wish ('written') to a more specific one ('in a scroll'); source id 18FES.
יִתֵּ֖ןwould thatQal impf 3ms · נָתַן (H5414)Predicate verb of the second optative clause→ Yiqtol: optative/desiderativeנָתַן (H5414); see above - the second occurrence intensifies the wish with growing specificity; source id 18f4y.
בַּסֵּ֣פֶרin a scrollprep בְּ + art + N m sg abs · סֵפֶר (H5612)Prepositional phrase modifying וְיֻחָקוּסֵפֶר (H5612) 'scroll, document, book'; a formal, durable medium of legal or literary record - Job wants his testimony given the permanence of an official document, not just spoken words that vanish; source id 18H8b.
וְיֻחָֽקוּand they were inscribedconj וְ + Hophal impf 3mp · חָקַק (H2710)Predicate verb, subject continuing from מִלָּי, parallel to וְיִכָּתְבוּן→ Yiqtol (optative continuation): a desired, durable inscriptionחָקַק (H2710) Hophal 'to be engraved, inscribed, decreed'; a stronger verb than כָּתַב, associated with carving into a hard surface - escalates the wish from 'written' to 'permanently engraved', preparing for v.24's iron pen, lead, and rock; source id 18C81.
24
בְּעֵט בַּרְזֶ֥ל וְעֹפָ֑רֶת לָ֝עַ֗ד בַּצּ֥וּר יֵחָצְבֽוּן
With an iron stylus and lead, engraved in the rock forever!
The iron stylus, lead-filled grooves, and rock together evoke real ancient memorial/royal inscriptions; Job wants a testimony as indestructible as stone, setting up the ultimate irony of v.25 - his truest, most permanent hope is not carved by human hands at all, but already secured in a living Redeemer.
Word-by-word analysis· 6 words
בְּעֵטwith a stylus ofprep בְּ + N m sg constr · עֵט (H5842)Instrumental prepositional phrase, head of construct chain with בַּרְזֶלעֵט (H5842) 'stylus, engraving tool, pen'; a rare word denoting the tool used for incising letters into hard material, escalating from v.23's scroll to permanent rock-inscription; source id 18G5J.
בַּרְזֶ֥לironN m sg abs (genitive of material) · בַּרְזֶל (H1270)Genitive completing construct chain בְּעֵט בַּרְזֶלבַּרְזֶל (H1270) 'iron'; specifies the hardest, most durable metal available for the stylus, ensuring the inscription's permanence; source id 186Fc.
וְעֹפָ֑רֶתand leadconj וְ + N f sg abs · עֹפֶרֶת (H5777)Coordinate noun, instrumental (lead poured into the incised grooves to fix the letters)עֹפֶרֶת (H5777) 'lead'; ancient inscriptions were sometimes filled with molten lead to make letters permanently legible in stone - a known epigraphic technique lending vivid realism to Job's wish; source id 18x3P.
לָ֝עַ֗דforeverprep לְ + N m sg abs (adverbial) · עַד (H5703)Adverbial prepositional phrase modifying יֵחָצְבוּןעַד (H5703) 'perpetuity, forever'; with לְ forms the adverb 'forever, permanently' - the goal of the whole monument-wish, a record that outlasts Job's own death; source id 181wp.
בַּצּ֥וּרin the rockprep בְּ + art + N m sg abs · צוּר (H6697)Prepositional phrase modifying יֵחָצְבוּןצוּר (H6697) 'rock, cliff'; the ultimate durable medium - a rock-cut inscription, comparable to real ancient Near Eastern royal/memorial inscriptions, the strongest image yet of Job's longing for an unimpeachable, lasting testimony; source id 18aq2.
יֵחָצְבֽוּןlet them be engravedNiphal impf 3mp (paragogic nun) · חָצַב (H2672)Predicate verb (continuing the wish of v.23, subject מִלָּי implied)→ Yiqtol (optative continuation): a desired, permanent engravingחָצַב (H2672) Niphal 'to be hewn, cut, quarried'; the technical verb for rock inscription, completing the escalating triad כָּתַב / חָקַק / חָצַב from mere writing to permanent stone-carving; source id 18U9g.
25
וַאֲנִ֣י יָ֭דַעְתִּי גֹּ֣אֲלִי חָ֑י וְ֝אַחֲר֗וֹן עַל עָפָ֥ר יָקֽוּם
But I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the dust.
This is the most celebrated verse in Job. 'My Redeemer' draws on the legal institution of the kinsman-redeemer/blood-avenger (Lev 25; Num 35) - a near relative obligated to vindicate a wronged or dead kinsman's cause. Whether Job means God himself, a distinct heavenly witness (cf. 16:19), or leaves the referent deliberately open is debated; the later Christian and Jewish reception of this verse as a resurrection promise reads it through later theological lenses not demonstrably present in the original Hebrew, though the verse's open temporal horizon made such a reading possible and enduring.
Word-by-word analysis· 8 words
וַאֲנִ֣יbut Iconj וְ + independent pron 1cs · אֲנִי (H589)Emphatic subject, fronted for contrast ('but as for me')אֲנִי (H589) independent 1cs pronoun; the fronted, disjunctive וְ + pronoun marks the strongest possible contrast with the friends just rebuked - 'but I, for my part, know...'. This is the chapter's pivot from complaint to confession; source id 18D2c.
יָ֭דַעְתִּיI knowQal perf 1cs (present-perfect force) · יָדַע (H3045)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Perfective with stative/present force: a settled, certain present knowledge, not a past eventיָדַע (H3045) Qal 'to know'; the same root that opened the chapter's demand (דְּעוּ, v.6) and marked the alienation of 'those who know him' (v.13); here Job affirms his own unshakeable knowledge against their false certainty - the emotional and theological high point of the chapter; source id 18EMa.
גֹּ֣אֲלִיmy redeemerQal ptc msg constr (substantival) + 1cs suff · גָּאַל (H1350)Subject of חָי (and of יָקוּם in the second colon)→ Participle: a durable, characteristic role - 'the one who redeems/acts as kinsman-redeemer for me'גָּאַל (H1350) Qal participle substantivized, 'redeemer, kinsman-redeemer, avenger'; in Israelite law the גֹּאֵל is the near kinsman obligated to redeem property (Lev 25), fulfill levirate-adjacent duties, or avenge a slain relative's blood (Num 35, גֹּאֵל הַדָּם). Whether Job means God himself, a distinct heavenly witness (cf. 16:19), or leaves the referent deliberately open is debated; source id 18ef3.
חָ֑יlivesadjective m sg abs, predicate · חַי (H2416)Predicate adjective of גֹּאֲלִי (verbless clause: 'my redeemer [is] living')חַי (H2416) 'living, alive'; predicate adjective forming a verbless clause - Job's redeemer is not a mere legal abstraction but a living, active person, powerfully contrasted with Job's own approaching death; source id 18saN.
וְ֝אַחֲר֗וֹןand at the lastconj וְ + adjective (substantival, adverbial) · אַחֲרוֹן (H314)Adverbial, temporal, modifying יָקוּםאַחֲרוֹן (H314) 'last, latter, final'; used adverbially, 'at the last, in the end' - the temporal horizon on which the Redeemer will act is deliberately open-ended, the seed of later resurrection readings; source id 18U8A.
עַלuponprep · עַל (H5921)Preposition governing עָפָרעַל (H5921) 'upon'; here simply locative; source id 18Pdw.
עָפָ֥רthe dustN m sg abs · עָפָר (H6083)Object of preposition עַל, locative complement of יָקוּםעָפָר (H6083) 'dust, dry earth'; can denote the ground generally or, elsewhere in Job (e.g., 10:9; 34:15), the dust of death/the grave; 'stand upon the dust' has been read either as triumph over death or simply 'upon the earth' - the ambiguity is part of the verse's enduring interpretive richness; source id 18c8h.
יָקֽוּםwill standQal impf 3ms · קוּם (H6965)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Yiqtol: future/modal - a confidently anticipated future actקוּם (H6965) Qal 'to arise, stand up'; the same root as v.18's אָקוּמָה (Job's own mocked attempt to rise) - here the Redeemer's rising/standing is Job's certain future hope, whether as a legal champion appearing to testify or, in later theological reception, a herald of resurrection; source id 18vjE.
26
וְאַחַ֣ר ע֭וֹרִֽי נִקְּפוּ זֹ֑את וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י אֶֽחֱזֶ֥ה אֱלֽוֹהַּ
And after my skin has been thus stripped away, yet from my flesh (or: without my flesh) I shall see God.
This is the chapter's most disputed verse on every level - syntax, semantics, and above all the preposition in 'from/without my flesh,' which can mean either 'without my flesh' (a vision after and beyond bodily death) or 'from my flesh/in my body' (an embodied vision). No single confessional reading is textually certain; the verse is treated here with both possibilities held open, alongside its well-known later reception as an intimation of bodily resurrection - a reception the Hebrew permits but does not require.
Word-by-word analysis· 7 words
וְאַחַ֣רand afterconj וְ + prep · אַחַר (H310)Temporal prepositional phrase heading the clauseאַחַר (H310) 'after, behind'; temporal, 'after [this]' - introduces the clause describing what follows the destruction of Job's skin, though the exact syntactic relation to what follows is itself part of the verse's difficulty; source id 18JgM.
ע֭וֹרִֽיmy skinN m sg constr + 1cs suff · עוֹר (H5785)Subject (or object, depending on construal) of נִקְּפוּעוֹר (H5785); see v.20 - 'my skin', continuing the physical-devastation imagery; here its fate (being struck off/stripped) is the subject of the difficult verb נִקְּפוּ; source id 18Tmi.
נִקְּפוּhave been struck offPiel perf 3cp (impersonal 'they') · נָקַף (H5362)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Perfective: a completed, violent act (impersonal 'they have struck it off')נָקַף (H5362) Piel 'to strike, strip off, destroy'; same root as v.6's הִקִּיף (Hiphil, 'surround') but here with a very different, violent sense - 'they have stripped/struck off [my skin]', describing the final ravages of Job's disease; source id 18eRQ.
זֹ֑אתthis / thusdemonstrative pron fs · זֹאת (H2063)Adverbial/resumptive demonstrative, complement of נִקְּפוּ ('thus, in this way')זֹאת (H2063) feminine demonstrative 'this'; its precise grammatical role - object, adverbial ('thus'), or resumptive of the preceding clause - is disputed and contributes to the verse's overall syntactic difficulty; most take it loosely as 'thus, in this condition'; source id 18Ky8.
וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗יyet from my fleshconj וְ + prep מִן + N m sg constr + 1cs suff · בָּשָׂר (H1320)Prepositional phrase modifying אֶחֱזֶה - the crux phrase of the verseבָּשָׂר (H1320) 'flesh'; the preposition מִן here is the chapter's most notorious crux: it can be privative, 'without/apart from my flesh' (a vision after and beyond bodily death, underlying the classic resurrection-adjacent reading), or a source/vantage sense, 'from my flesh/in my body' (implying an embodied vision). Both readings are grammatically defensible; the Hebrew itself is genuinely ambiguous, compounded by the difficulty of זֹאת and נִקְּפוּ in the preceding clause; source id 18Xnm.
אֶֽחֱזֶ֥הI shall seeQal impf 1cs · חָזָה (H2372)Predicate verb (main clause)→ Yiqtol: future/modal - a confidently anticipated future act of seeingחָזָה (H2372) Qal 'to see, behold, gaze upon' (often of visionary/prophetic seeing); a stronger, more intense verb of perception than רָאָה (used in v.27) - Job anticipates an unmediated, personal encounter with God himself; source id 18V6c.
אֱלֽוֹהַּGodN m sg abs · אֱלוֹהַּ (H433)Direct object of אֶחֱזֶהאֱלוֹהַּ (H433); see vv.6,21 - the object of Job's anticipated vision is God himself, not merely the גֹּאֵל of v.25 (whether these are the same or different referents is itself debated); source id 1883z.
27
אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִ֨י אֶֽחֱזֶה לִּ֗י וְעֵינַ֣י רָא֣וּ וְלֹא זָ֑ר כָּל֖וּ כִלְיֹתַ֣י בְּחֵקִֽי
Whom I myself shall see, for myself; my own eyes shall behold him, and not a stranger's. My heart is consumed within me!
The threefold emphasis on personal seeing answers the alienation catalogue's 'stranger' vocabulary (vv.13,15,17): where Job has become a stranger to all, he insists it will be his own eyes, not a stranger's, that witness his vindication. The verse closes the chapter's theological summit (vv.23-27) on a note of exhausted, aching longing rather than triumphant resolution.
Word-by-word analysis· 11 words
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhomrelative particle · אֲשֶׁר (H834)Relative pronoun, resuming אֱלוֹהַּ (v.26) as its antecedentאֲשֶׁר (H834) relative particle 'who, which, that'; links this verse's vision back to God as the object seen in v.26, elaborating on the nature of that seeing; source id 18gBP.
אֲנִ֨יI myselfindependent pron 1cs · אֲנִי (H589)Emphatic, fronted subject of אֶחֱזֶהאֲנִי (H589); grammatically redundant with the verb's own person-marking, hence emphatic - 'I, I myself, will see him', stressing the personal, unmediated nature of the hoped-for vision; source id 18PP6.
אֶֽחֱזֶהshall seeQal impf 1cs · חָזָה (H2372)Predicate verb (main clause, relative clause continuing from v.26)→ Yiqtol: future/modal - the same confident anticipation as v.26חָזָה (H2372); see v.26 - repeated for emphasis, underscoring the certainty and directness of the anticipated vision; source id 18rfQ.
לִּ֗יfor myselfprep לְ + 1cs suff · לְDative of advantage/reflexive emphasis modifying אֶחֱזֶהלְ preposition, here reflexive/benefactive, 'for myself, on my own behalf' - intensifying the personal stake Job has in this vision, his own vindication; source id 181kz.
וְעֵינַ֣יand my eyesconj וְ + N (c/b) dual constr + 1cs suff · עַיִן (H5869)Subject of רָאוּעַיִן (H5869) 'eye'; dual form 'my own two eyes' - physical, literal eyesight is emphasized in deliberate contrast to any merely figurative 'seeing', reinforcing the concreteness of Job's hoped-for vindication; source id 18qBP.
רָא֣וּshall beholdQal perf 3cp (prophetic perfect) · רָאָה (H7200)Predicate verb (main clause), subject עֵינַי→ Perfective (prophetic perfect): a future event asserted with the certainty of something already accomplishedרָאָה (H7200) Qal 'to see'; the more common, everyday verb of seeing, contrasting with the visionary חָזָה above - the perfect functions as a 'prophetic perfect', expressing Job's total confidence that this seeing will occur, as though already realized; source id 182rB.
וְלֹאand notconj וְ + negative particle · לֹא (H3808)Negates the implied predicate 'a stranger's [eyes]'לֹא (H3808); see v.3; here negating the following זָר; source id 18Hxg.
זָ֑רa stranger'sadjective m sg abs (substantival), predicate · זָר (H2114)Predicate complement, elliptical ('[my eyes have seen] and not [those of] a stranger')זָר (H2114); see vv.13,15,17 - the alienation-vocabulary returns one final time, now inverted: whereas Job has become a זָר, a stranger, to everyone, in the end it will be his own eyes, not a stranger's, that see his vindication; source id 189fZ.
כָּל֖וּare consumedQal perf 3cp (stative) · כָּלָה (H3615)Predicate verb (main clause), subject כִלְיֹתַי→ Perfective: a settled, ongoing state of exhaustion (stative)כָּלָה (H3615) Qal 'to be finished, consumed, spent, come to an end'; describes the physical/emotional exhaustion of longing - Job's whole being is spent yearning for the vindication he has just described; source id 18SCH.
כִלְיֹתַ֣יmy kidneysN f pl constr + 1cs suff · כִּלְיָה (H3629)Subject of כָּלוּכִּלְיָה (H3629) 'kidney'; in Hebrew anthropology, the kidneys (like the heart) are the seat of the deepest emotions - conscience, longing, inner conviction (cf. Ps 16:7; 73:21); 'my kidneys are consumed' means Job's innermost being is utterly spent with longing; source id 18anU.
בְּחֵקִֽיwithin meprep בְּ + N m sg constr + 1cs suff · חֵיק (H2436)Prepositional phrase (locative) modifying כָּלוּחֵיק (H2436) 'bosom, lap, interior'; 'within my bosom' locates the exhaustion deep inside Job, closing the verse's intense expression of longing that ends the summit passage (vv.23-27); source id 18DJC.
28
כִּ֣י תֹ֭אמְרוּ מַה נִּרְדָּף ל֑וֹ וְשֹׁ֥רֶשׁ דָּ֝בָ֗ר נִמְצָא בִֽי
If you say, 'How we will pursue him!' and, 'The root of the matter is found in me' -
Job voices the friends' imagined triumphant reasoning - that they have found the 'root' of his guilt and may righteously keep pursuing him - precisely so as to warn them (v.29) that such pursuit invites divine judgment upon themselves.
Word-by-word analysis· 9 words
כִּ֣יifconj · כִּי (H3588)Conditional/temporal conjunction introducing the friends' hypothetical speechכִּי (H3588); here conditional, 'if', introducing the warning's protasis, resumed by the imperative גּוּרוּ of v.29; source id 18u5x.
תֹ֭אמְרוּyou sayQal impf 2mp · אָמַר (H559)Predicate verb of the conditional clause→ Yiqtol: conditional/future - a hypothesized future statementאָמַר (H559); see v.1 - here projecting the friends' likely future speech, which Job then quotes and warns against; source id 18YgF.
מַהhowinterrogative pron (exclamatory) · מָה (H4100)Exclamatory/interrogative introducing the quoted speechמָה (H4100), here exclamatory, 'how (intensely)!' rather than a true question - the friends' imagined self-congratulation at successfully prosecuting Job; source id 18p1g.
נִּרְדָּףwe will pursueQal impf 1cp · רָדַף (H7291)Predicate verb of the quoted speech→ Yiqtol: cohortative-like future - the friends' resolve to keep pressing their caseרָדַף (H7291); see v.22 - the friends imagine continuing (even escalating) their pursuit/persecution of Job, the very charge Job leveled at them there; source id 18g1i.
ל֑וֹhimprep לְ + 3ms suff · לְObject of נִּרְדָּף (idiom רָדַף לְ, dative object)לְ preposition marking Job (referred to in third person within their quoted words) as the object of pursuit; source id 18Wdi.
וְשֹׁ֥רֶשׁand the root ofconj וְ + N m sg constr · שֹׁרֶשׁ (H8328)Subject (construct) of נִמְצָאשֹׁרֶשׁ (H8328) 'root'; figurative for the underlying cause/source, as in the idiom 'root of the matter' - the friends imagine they have found the fundamental cause (Job's hidden sin) behind his suffering; source id 18YMa.
דָּ֝בָ֗רthe matterN m sg abs · דָּבָר (H1697)Genitive completing construct chain שֹׁרֶשׁ דָּבָרדָּבָר (H1697) 'word, matter, thing'; with שֹׁרֶשׁ forms the idiom 'the root of the matter', i.e. the fundamental explanation - the friends' presumed diagnosis of Job's guilt; source id 18xEe.
נִמְצָאis foundNiphal perf 3ms · מָצָא (H4672)Predicate verb of the quoted speech→ Perfective: a completed, settled state - the friends' presumed certaintyמָצָא (H4672) Niphal 'to be found'; the friends' confident (mis)diagnosis, treated as an established fact - precisely the presumption Job has spent the whole speech dismantling; source id 18z48.
בִֽיin meprep בְּ + 1cs suff · בְּPrepositional phrase (locative) modifying נִמְצָאבְּ preposition; 'in me' - locating the supposed root cause of Job's suffering within his own character; source id 18fDm.
29
גּ֤וּרוּ לָכֶ֨ם מִפְּנֵי חֶ֗רֶב כִּֽי חֵ֭מָה עֲוֺנ֣וֹת חָ֑רֶב לְמַ֖עַן תֵּדְע֣וּן שדין שַׁדּֽוּן
be afraid of the sword for yourselves, for wrath brings the punishments of the sword, that you may know there is a judgment.
The final word - Kethiv/Qere - is itself a textual crux, generally understood as 'judgment' (from the root din) though its exact form is disputed; fittingly, the chapter that turns on the crux of 'from my flesh' (v.26) closes on another unresolved textual difficulty, underscoring how much of Job's most weighty theology rests on famously uncertain textual ground.
Word-by-word analysis· 12 words
גּ֤וּרוּbe afraidQal impv 2mp · גּוּר II (H1481)Predicate verb (main clause imperative, apodosis of v.28's conditional)→ Volitional: an urgent warning-imperativeHomograph note: the root here is the distinct גור II 'to fear, dread' (not גור I 'to sojourn' used in v.15's גָּרֵי); 'be afraid, dread' launches Job's closing warning to the friends; source id 18FEx.
לָכֶ֨םfor yourselvesprep לְ + 2mp suff · לְDative of advantage/reflexive, modifying גּוּרוּלְ preposition, reflexive-ethical dative, 'for your own sakes' - the danger the friends should fear is to themselves, not to Job; source id 18aSS.
מִפְּנֵיbecause ofprep מִן + N (c/b) pl constr · פָּנִים (H6440)Prepositional phrase modifying גּוּרוּפָּנִים (H6440) 'face'; the compound preposition מִפְּנֵי, 'from the face of, because of', is idiomatic for the source of a feared danger - 'be afraid on account of the sword'; source id 18iAj.
חֶ֗רֶבthe swordN f sg abs · חֶרֶב (H2719)Object of preposition מִפְּנֵיחֶרֶב (H2719) 'sword'; symbol of violent, decisive divine judgment - the friends are warned that their own unjust accusations expose them to God's punitive justice; source id 18aWd.
כִּֽיforconj · כִּי (H3588)Causal conjunction introducing the ground for the warningכִּי (H3588); introduces the reason for the warning: the certainty of judgment; source id 18Vuh.
חֵ֭מָהwrathN f sg abs · חֵמָה (H2534)Subject of the clause ('wrath [brings] the punishments of the sword')חֵמָה (H2534) 'heat, wrath, rage'; here divine wrath, agent/cause behind the following 'punishments of the sword' - echoes v.11's וַיַּחַר...אַפּוֹ, God's anger against Job, now redirected as a warning to the friends; source id 184nG.
עֲוֺנ֣וֹתthe punishments ofN (c/b) pl constr · עָוֹן (H5771)Predicate noun completing the clause with חֵמָה, in construct with חָרֶבעָוֹן (H5771) 'iniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquity' - a word spanning both wrongdoing and its consequence; here 'the punishments/penalties [meted out by] the sword' - a warning that the friends' own accusatory zeal could bring judgment on themselves; source id 18D7R.
חָ֑רֶבof the swordN f sg abs (genitive-functioning) · חֶרֶב (H2719)Genitive completing construct chain עֲוֺנוֹת חָרֶבחֶרֶב (H2719); repeated from earlier in the verse for emphasis - 'sword-worthy punishments', tying the warning tightly to the opening imperative גּוּרוּ...מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב; source id 18fw9.
לְמַ֖עַןso thatprep (conjunctive) · לְמַעַן (H4616)Purpose conjunction introducing the final clauseלְמַעַן (H4616) 'for the sake of, in order that'; introduces the purpose of the warning - that the friends come to recognize the reality of judgment; source id 18znQ.
תֵּדְע֣וּןyou may knowQal impf 2mp (paragogic nun) · יָדַע (H3045)Predicate verb of the purpose clause→ Yiqtol: purpose/result - a desired future recognitionיָדַע (H3045); see vv.6,13,25 - the chapter's key verb of 'knowing' returns one final time: just as Job urged the friends to 'know' God's hand is on him (v.6) and affirmed his own certain knowledge (v.25), so now he warns that they too will 'know', through judgment, that a moral order exists; source id 18ZdC.
שדיןjudgment (Kethiv)Kethiv (written form), morphology uncertain · שדין (H1779?)Kethiv reading, predicate noun of the existential clause (see Qere שַׁדּוּן immediately following)שדין is the Kethiv (consonantal written form) of this celebrated crux word; see the following שַׁדּוּן (Qere) for full discussion. The Kethiv's own vocalization is unattested since tradition supplies the Qere's pointing instead; source id 182MP.
שַׁדּֽוּןthere is a judgment (Qere)Qere (as read/vocalized) · שַׁדּוּן (H1779)Qere reading, predicate noun completing the purpose clause תֵּדְעוּן...שַׁדּוּן, 'that you may know there is a judgment'שַׁדּוּן (Qere) is traditionally connected to דִּין 'judgment, verdict', here perhaps with an unusual plural/emphatic ending, yielding 'that you may know there is a judgment [to come]'. This is one of the rarest and most disputed forms in the book: proposals range from a scribal variant of דִּין to a form related to שדד 'violence, destruction' (yielding 'devastation' rather than 'judgment'), with no scholarly consensus; the chapter's closing warning thus ends on genuine philological uncertainty; source id 18Exz.