Job

Job 31:16–23

¹⁶If I have denied the desires of the poor

or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail,

¹⁷if I have eaten my morsel alone,

not sharing it with the fatherless —

¹⁸though from my youth I reared him as would a father,

and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow —

¹⁹if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing,

or a needy man without a cloak,

²⁰if his heart has not blessed me^b

for warming him with the fleece of my sheep,

²¹if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless

because I saw that I had support in the gate,

²²then may my arm fall from my shoulder

and be torn from its socket.

²³For calamity from God terrifies me,

and His splendor I cannot overpower.

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
If	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
I have denied	אֶ֭מְנַע	’em·na‘	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H4513 withhold, hold back
the desires	מֵחֵ֣פֶץ	mê·ḥê·p̄eṣ	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct	H2656 delight, pleasure
of the poor	דַּלִּ֑ים	dal·lîm	Adjective - masculine plural construct	H1800 low, weak, poor, thin
or allowed the widow’s	אַלְמָנָ֣ה	’al·mā·nāh	Noun - feminine singular	H490 widow
eyes	וְעֵינֵ֖י	wə·‘ê·nê	Conjunctive waw; Noun - cdc	H5869 eye
to fail	אֲכַלֶּֽה׃	’ă·ḵal·leh	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular	H3615 be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, spent

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
if I have eaten	וְאֹכַ֣ל	wə·’ō·ḵal	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular	H398 eat
my morsel	פִּתִּ֣י	pit·tî	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H6595 fragment, bit, morsel
alone	לְבַדִּ֑י	lə·ḇad·dî	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H905 separation
not	וְלֹא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
sharing	אָכַ֖ל	’ā·ḵal	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H398 eat
it	מִמֶּֽנָּה׃	mim·men·nāh	Preposition; third person feminine singular	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
with the fatherless	יָת֣וֹם	yā·ṯō·wm	Noun - masculine singular	H3490 orphan

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
though	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
from my youth	מִ֭נְּעוּרַי	min·nə·‘ū·ray	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H5271 youth, juvenility, young
I reared him	גְּדֵלַ֣נִי	gə·ḏê·la·nî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular; first person common singular	H1431 grow up, become great
as would a father	כְאָ֑ב	ḵə·’āḇ	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular	H1 father
and from my mother’s	אִמִּ֣י	’im·mî	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H517 mother
womb	וּמִבֶּ֖טֶן	ū·mib·be·ṭen	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular construct	H990 belly, body, womb
I guided	אַנְחֶֽנָּה׃	’an·ḥen·nāh	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular; third person feminine singular	H5148 lead, guide

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
if	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
I have seen	אֶרְאֶ֣ה	’er·’eh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H7200 see
one perish	א֭וֹבֵד	’ō·w·ḇêḏ	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H6 perish
for lack	מִבְּלִ֣י	mib·bə·lî	Preposition-m; Adverb	H1097 wearing out
of clothing	לְב֑וּשׁ	lə·ḇūš	Noun - masculine singular	H3830 garment, clothing, raiment
or a needy man	לָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃	lā·’eḇ·yō·wn	Preposition-l, Article; Adjective - masculine singular	H34 in want, needy, poor
without	וְאֵ֥ין	wə·’ên	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
a cloak	כְּ֝ס֗וּת	kə·sūṯ	Noun - feminine singular	H3682 covering

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
if	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
his heart	חֲלָצוֹ	ḥă·lå̄·ṣō	Noun - masculine dual construct; third person masculine singular	H2504 loins
has not	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
blessed me	בֵרֲכ֣וּנִי	ḇê·ră·ḵū·nî	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural; first person common singular	H1288 kneel, bless
for warming him	יִתְחַמָּֽם׃	yiṯ·ḥam·mām	Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2552 be or become warm
with the fleece	וּמִגֵּ֥ז	ū·mig·gêz	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct	H1488 shearing, mowing
of my sheep	כְּ֝בָשַׂי	kə·ḇā·śay	Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H3532 lamb

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
if	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
I have lifted	הֲנִיפ֣וֹתִי	hă·nî·p̄ō·w·ṯî	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular	H5130 move to and fro, wave, besprinkle
up my hand	יָדִ֑י	yā·ḏî	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H3027 hand
against	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the fatherless	יָת֣וֹם	yā·ṯō·wm	Noun - masculine singular	H3490 orphan
because	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
I saw	אֶרְאֶ֥ה	’er·’eh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H7200 see
that I had support	עֶזְרָתִֽי׃	‘ez·rā·ṯî	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H5833 help, succour, assistance
in the gate	בַ֝שַּׁ֗עַר	ḇaš·ša·‘ar	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H8179 gate

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
then may my arm	וְ֝אֶזְרֹעִ֗י	wə·’ez·rō·‘î	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H248 arm
fall	תִפּ֑וֹל	ṯip·pō·wl	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H5307 fall, lie
from my shoulder	מִשִּׁכְמָ֣ה	miš·šiḵ·māh	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H7929 the shoulderbone
and be torn	תִשָּׁבֵֽר׃	ṯiš·šā·ḇêr	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7665 break, break in pieces
from its socket	מִקָּנָ֥ה	miq·qā·nāh	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H7070 stalk, reed

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּ֤י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
calamity	אֵ֣יד	’êḏ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H343 distress, calamity
from God	אֵ֑ל	’êl	Noun - masculine singular	H410 god
terrifies	פַ֣חַד	p̄a·ḥaḏ	Noun - masculine singular	H6343 dread
me	אֵ֭לַי	’ê·lay	Preposition; first person common singular	H413 motion to
and His splendor	וּ֝מִשְּׂאֵת֗וֹ	ū·miś·śə·’ê·ṯōw	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H7613 exaltation, dignity
I cannot	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
overpower	אוּכָֽל׃	’ū·ḵāl	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H3201 be able, have power, prevail, endure