Job

Job 21:9–15

⁹Their homes are safe from fear;

no rod of punishment from God is upon them.

¹⁰Their bulls breed without fail;

their cows bear calves and do not miscarry.

¹¹They send forth their little ones like a flock;

their children skip about,

¹²singing to the tambourine and lyre

and making merry at the sound of the flute.

¹³They spend their days in prosperity

and go down to Sheol in peace.^a

¹⁴Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone!

For we have no desire to know Your ways.

¹⁵Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him,

and what would we gain if we pray to Him?’

Footnotes

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Their homes	בָּתֵּיהֶ֣ם	bāt·tê·hem	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H1004 house
are safe	שָׁל֣וֹם	šā·lō·wm	Noun - masculine singular	H7965 completeness, soundness, welfare, peace
from fear	מִפָּ֑חַד	mip·pā·ḥaḏ	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H6343 dread
no	וְלֹ֤א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
rod of punishment	שֵׁ֖בֶט	šê·ḇeṭ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H7626 rod, staff, club, sceptre
from God	אֱל֣וֹהַּ	’ĕ·lō·w·ah	Noun - masculine singular	H433 god, God
upon them	עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃	‘ă·lê·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural	H5921 height

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Their bulls	שׁוֹר֣וֹ	šō·w·rōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H7794 head of cattle
breed	עִ֭בַּר	‘ib·bar	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
without	וְלֹ֣א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
fail	יַגְעִ֑ל	yaḡ·‘il	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1602 abhor, loathe
their cows	פָּ֝רָת֗וֹ	pā·rā·ṯōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H6510 heifer, cow
bear calves	תְּפַלֵּ֥ט	tə·p̄al·lêṭ	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H6403 escape
and do not	וְלֹ֣א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
miscarry	תְשַׁכֵּֽל׃	ṯə·šak·kêl	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7921 be bereaved

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They send forth	יְשַׁלְּח֣וּ	yə·šal·lə·ḥū	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7971 send
their little ones	עֲוִילֵיהֶ֑ם	‘ă·wî·lê·hem	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H5759 young boy
like a flock	כַ֭צֹּאן	ḵaṣ·ṣōn	Preposition-k, Article; Noun - common singular	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
their children	וְ֝יַלְדֵיהֶ֗ם	wə·yal·ḏê·hem	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H3206 child, son, boy, youth
skip about	יְרַקֵּדֽוּן׃	yə·raq·qê·ḏūn	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural; Paragogic nun	H7540 skip about

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
singing	יִ֭שְׂאוּ	yiś·’ū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5375 lift, take, carry
to the tambourine	כְּתֹ֣ף	kə·ṯōp̄	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular	H8596 timbrel, tambourine
and lyre	וְכִנּ֑וֹר	wə·ḵin·nō·wr	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H3658 lyre
and making merry	וְ֝יִשְׂמְח֗וּ	wə·yiś·mə·ḥū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H8055 rejoice, be glad
at the sound	לְק֣וֹל	lə·qō·wl	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct	H6963 sound, voice
of the flute	עוּגָֽב׃	‘ū·ḡāḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H5748 reed-instrument

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They spend	יְבַלּוּ	yə·ḇal·lū	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H1086 become old and worn out
their days	יְמֵיהֶ֑ם	yə·mê·hem	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H3117 day
in prosperity	בַטּ֣וֹב	ḇaṭ·ṭō·wḇ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
and go down	יֵחָֽתּוּ׃	yê·ḥāt·tū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5181 go down, descend
to Sheol	שְׁא֣וֹל	šə·’ō·wl	Noun - common singular	H7585 underworld
in peace	וּ֝בְרֶ֗גַע	ū·ḇə·re·ḡa‘	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular	H7281 a moment

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Yet they say	וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ	way·yō·mə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H559 utter, say
to God	לָ֭אֵל	lā·’êl	Preposition; Noun - masculine singular	H410 god
Leave us alone	ס֣וּר	sūr	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H5493 turn aside
For we have no	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
desire	חָפָֽצְנוּ׃	ḥā·p̄ā·ṣə·nū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural	H2654 delight in
to know	וְדַ֥עַת	wə·ḏa·‘aṯ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H1847 knowledge
Your ways	דְּ֝רָכֶ֗יךָ	də·rā·ḵe·ḵā	Noun - common plural construct; second person masculine singular	H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Who	מַה־	mah-	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
is the Almighty	שַׁדַּ֥י	šad·day	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7706 Almighty
that	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
we should serve Him	נַֽעַבְדֶ֑נּוּ	na·‘aḇ·ḏen·nū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural; third person masculine singular	H5647 work, serve
and what	וּמַה־	ū·mah-	Conjunctive waw; Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
would we gain	נּ֝וֹעִ֗יל	nō·w·‘îl	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common plural	H3276 profit, avail, benefit
if	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
we pray	נִפְגַּע־	nip̄·ga‘-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural	H6293 meet, encounter, reach
to Him	בּֽוֹ׃	bōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular