Job

Job 7:15–21

¹⁵so that I would prefer strangling and death

over my life in this body.

¹⁶I loathe my life! I would not live forever.

Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

¹⁷What is man that You should exalt him,

that You should set Your heart upon him,

¹⁸that You attend to him every morning,

and test him every moment?

¹⁹Will You never look away from me,

or leave me alone to swallow my spittle?

²⁰If I have sinned, what have I done to You,

O watcher of mankind?

Why have You made me Your target,

so that I am a burden to You^a?

²¹Why do You not pardon my transgression

and take away my iniquity?

For soon I will lie down in the dust;

You will seek me, but I will be no more.”

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
so that I	נַפְשִׁ֑י	nap̄·šî	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
would prefer	וַתִּבְחַ֣ר	wat·tiḇ·ḥar	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H977 choose
strangling	מַחֲנָ֣ק	ma·ḥă·nāq	Noun - masculine singular	H4267 strangling, suffocation
and death	מָ֝֗וֶת	mā·weṯ	Noun - masculine singular	H4194 death
over my life in this body	מֵֽעַצְמוֹתָֽי׃	mê·‘aṣ·mō·w·ṯāy	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine plural construct; first person common singular	H6106 bone, substance, self

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
I loathe	מָ֭אַסְתִּי	mā·’as·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H3988 reject
I would not	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
live	אֶֽחְיֶ֑ה	’eḥ·yeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H2421 live
forever	לְעֹלָ֣ם	lə·‘ō·lām	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H5769 long duration, antiquity, futurity
Leave me alone	חֲדַ֥ל	ḥă·ḏal	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H2308 cease
for	כִּי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
my days	יָמָֽי׃	yā·māy	Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H3117 day
a breath	הֶ֥בֶל	he·ḇel	Noun - masculine singular	H1892 vapour, breath

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
What	מָֽה־	māh-	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
is man	אֱ֭נוֹשׁ	’ĕ·nō·wōš	Noun - masculine singular	H582 man, mankind
that	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
You should exalt him	תְגַדְּלֶ֑נּוּ	ṯə·ḡad·də·len·nū	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H1431 grow up, become great
that	וְכִי־	wə·ḵî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
You should set	תָשִׁ֖ית	ṯā·šîṯ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H7896 put, set
Your heart	לִבֶּֽךָ׃	lib·be·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
upon him	אֵלָ֣יו	’ê·lāw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H413 motion to

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
that You attend to him	וַתִּפְקְדֶ֥נּוּ	wat·tip̄·qə·ḏen·nū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H6485 attend to, visit, muster, appoint
every morning	לִבְקָרִ֑ים	liḇ·qā·rîm	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural	H1242 morning
test him	תִּבְחָנֶֽנּוּ׃	tiḇ·ḥā·nen·nū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H974 examine, try
every moment	לִ֝רְגָעִ֗ים	lir·ḡā·‘îm	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural	H7281 a moment

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Will You never	כַּ֭מָּה	kam·māh	Preposition-k; Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
look away	תִשְׁעֶ֣ה	ṯiš·‘eh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H8159 gaze
from me	מִמֶּ֑נִּי	mim·men·nî	Preposition; first person common singular	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
or	לֹֽא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
leave me alone	תַ֝רְפֵּ֗נִי	ṯar·pê·nî	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular; first person common singular	H7503 sink, relax
to	עַד־	‘aḏ-	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
swallow	בִּלְעִ֥י	bil·‘î	Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; first person common singular	H1104 swallow down, swallow up, engulf
my spittle	רֻקִּֽי׃	ruq·qî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H7536 spittle

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
If I have sinned	חָטָ֡אתִי	ḥā·ṭā·ṯî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H2398 miss
what	מָ֤ה	māh	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
have I done	אֶפְעַ֨ל׀	’ep̄·‘al	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H6466 do, make
to You	לָךְ֮	lāḵ	Preposition; second person feminine singular
O watcher	נֹצֵ֪ר	nō·ṣêr	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct	H5341 watch, guard, keep
of mankind	הָאָ֫דָ֥ם	hā·’ā·ḏām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind
Why	לָ֤מָה	lā·māh	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
have You made me	שַׂמְתַּ֣נִי	śam·ta·nî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular; first person common singular	H7760 put, place, set
Your	לָ֑ךְ	lāḵ	Preposition; second person feminine singular
target	לְמִפְגָּ֣ע	lə·mip̄·gā‘	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H4645 thing hit, mark
so that I am	וָאֶהְיֶ֖ה	wā·’eh·yeh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a burden	לְמַשָּֽׂא׃	lə·maś·śā	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H4853 load, burden, lifting, bearing, tribute
to You	עָלַ֣י	‘ā·lay	Preposition; first person common singular	H5921 height

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Why	וּמֶ֤ה׀	ū·meh	Conjunctive waw; Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
do You not	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
pardon	תִשָּׂ֣א	ṯiś·śā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H5375 lift, take, carry
my transgression	פִשְׁעִי֮	p̄iš·‘î	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H6588 transgression
and take away	וְתַעֲבִ֪יר	wə·ṯa·‘ă·ḇîr	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - second person masculine singular	H5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
my iniquity	עֲוֺ֫נִ֥י	‘ă·wō·nî	Noun - common singular construct; first person common singular	H5771 iniquity, guilt, or punishment of iniquity
For	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
soon	עַ֭תָּה	‘at·tāh	Adverb	H6258 now
I will lie down	אֶשְׁכָּ֑ב	’eš·kāḇ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H7901 lie down
in the dust	לֶעָפָ֣ר	le·‘ā·p̄ār	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H6083 dry earth, dust
You will seek me	וְשִׁ֖חֲרְתַּ֣נִי	wə·ši·ḥăr·ta·nî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular; first person common singular	H7836 look early, diligently for
but I will be no more	וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃פ	wə·’ê·nen·nî	Conjunctive waw; Adverb; first person common singular	H369 nothing, nought