Job 14:11
Job 14:11 in Multiple Translations
As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry,
As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
As the waters fail from the sea, And the river wasteth and drieth up;
The waters go from a pool, and a river becomes waste and dry;
Like water evaporating from a lake and a river that dries up and disappears,
As the waters passe from the sea, and as the flood decayeth and dryeth vp,
Waters have gone away from a sea, And a river becometh waste and dry.
As the waters fail from the sea, and the river wastes and dries up,
As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
As if the waters should depart out of the sea, and an emptied river should be dried up:
Just like water evaporates from the ocean, or like a riverbed dries up,
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 14:11
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Job 14:11 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
אָֽזְלוּ
מַ֭יִם
מִנִּי
יָ֑ם
וְ֝/נָהָ֗ר
יֶחֱרַ֥ב
וְ/יָבֵֽשׁ
אָֽזְלוּ
ʼâzal
H235
be gone
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
מַ֭יִם
mayim
H4325
Water (Gate)
N-mp
מִנִּי
min
H4480
from
Prep
יָ֑ם
yâm
H3220
West
N-ms
וְ֝/נָהָ֗ר
nâhâr
H5104
river
Conj | N-ms
יֶחֱרַ֥ב
chârab
H2717
to dry
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
וְ/יָבֵֽשׁ
yâbêsh
H3001
to wither
Conj | V-Qal-3ms
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Job 14:11
אָֽזְלוּ
ʼâzal
H235
"be gone"
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
To be gone means to go away or disappear, like something that is used up or exhausted. It can also mean to go to and fro, or to gad about, as in Ezekiel 27:19 where it describes trade and commerce.
Definition: 1) to go, to go away, to go about 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go away 1a2) to go about 1a3) to be used up, be exhausted, be gone, evaporated 1b) (Pual) to go to and fro
Usage: Occurs in 5 OT verses. KJV: fail, gad about, go to and fro (but in Ezekiel 27:19 the word is rendered by many 'from Uzal,' by others 'yarn'), be gone (spent). See also: Deuteronomy 32:36; Job 14:11; Proverbs 20:14.
מַ֭יִם
mayim
H4325
"Water (Gate)"
N-mp
This word means water, referring to a liquid or a source of refreshment. It appears in the Bible as a literal and figurative term, including references to wasting or urine. The word is used in various contexts, such as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Definition: This name means water, refreshment
Usage: Occurs in 525 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)). See also: Genesis 1:2; Leviticus 14:9; Joshua 18:15.
מִנִּי
min
H4480
"from"
Prep
This Hebrew word means a portion or part of something, and is often used to show the relationship between things, like from or out of something.
Definition: prep 1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than 1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of 1b) out of 1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling) 1b2) (of material from which something is made) 1b3) (of source or origin) 1c) out of, some of, from (partitively) 1d) from, since, after (of time) 1e) than, more than (in comparison) 1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or 1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons) 1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive) conj 2) that Aramaic equivalent: min (מִן־ "from" H4481)
Usage: Occurs in 1094 OT verses. KJV: above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, [idiom] neither, [idiom] nor, (out) of, over, since, [idiom] then, through, [idiom] whether, with. See also: Genesis 2:6; Exodus 16:32; Leviticus 14:26.
יָ֑ם
yâm
H3220
"West"
N-ms
Refers to a large body of water like the Mediterranean Sea or a sea in general, sometimes specifically the west or seaward direction.
Definition: This name means sea, seaward, westward Another name of eph.ron (עֶפְרוֹן "(Mount )Ephron" H6085H)
Usage: Occurs in 339 OT verses. KJV: sea ([idiom] -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern, side, -ward). See also: Genesis 1:10; Joshua 17:10; Psalms 8:9.
וְ֝/נָהָ֗ר
nâhâr
H5104
"river"
Conj | N-ms
In the Bible, a river symbolizes prosperity, like the Nile or Euphrates, and is often used figuratively. It appears in Genesis and Exodus, describing the life-giving waters of the Promised Land. This word is also used to describe underground streams.
Definition: 1) stream, river 1a) stream, river 1b) (underground) streams Aramaic equivalent: ne.har (נְהַר "river" H5103H)
Usage: Occurs in 108 OT verses. KJV: flood, river. See also: Genesis 2:10; Psalms 93:3; Psalms 24:2.
יֶחֱרַ֥ב
chârab
H2717
"to dry"
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
To slay or destroy is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which can also mean to dry up or desolate something. It is used to describe fighting, attacking, or laying waste.
Definition: 1) to be dry, be dried up 1a) (Qal) to be dried, be dried up 1b) (Pual) to be dried 1c) (Hiphil) to dry up 1d) (Hophal) to be dried up
Usage: Occurs in 38 OT verses. KJV: decay, (be) desolate, destroy(-er), (be) dry (up), slay, [idiom] surely, (lay, lie, make) waste. See also: Genesis 8:13; Isaiah 50:2; Psalms 106:9.
וְ/יָבֵֽשׁ
yâbêsh
H3001
"to wither"
Conj | V-Qal-3ms
This Hebrew word means to wither or dry up, like a plant without water. It can also mean to be ashamed or disappointed. The Bible uses it to describe things that have lost their freshness or vitality.
Definition: 1) to make dry, wither, be dry, become dry, be dried up, be withered 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be dry, be dried up, be without moisture 1a2) to be dried up 1b) (Piel) to make dry, dry up 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to dry up, make dry 1c1a) to dry up (water) 1c1b) to make dry, wither 1c1c) to exhibit dryness
Usage: Occurs in 62 OT verses. KJV: be ashamed, clean, be confounded, (make) dry (up), (do) shame(-fully), [idiom] utterly, wither (away). See also: Genesis 8:7; Jeremiah 6:15; Psalms 22:16.
Study Notes — Job 14:11
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 14:11 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 14:11
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 14:11
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 14:11
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 14:11
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 14:11
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 14:11
- Cambridge Bible on Job 14:11
- Barnes' Notes on Job 14:11
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 14:11
- Sermons on Job 14:11
Context — Job Laments the Finality of Death
9at the scent of water it will bud and put forth twigs like a sapling.
10But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?
11As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry,
12so a man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no more, he will not be awakened or roused from sleep. 13If only You would hide me in Sheol and conceal me until Your anger has passed! If only You would appoint a time for me and then remember me!Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 19:5 | The waters of the Nile will dry up, and the riverbed will be parched and empty. |
| 2 | Jeremiah 15:18 | Why is my pain unending, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become like a mirage to me— water that is not there. |
| 3 | Job 6:15–18 | But my brothers are as faithless as wadis, as seasonal streams that overflow, darkened because of the ice and the inflow of melting snow, but ceasing in the dry season and vanishing from their channels in the heat. Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go into the wasteland and perish. |
Job 14:11 Summary
This verse is saying that just like water can evaporate from the sea and a river can dry up, our lives on this earth can come to an end and not be restored. It's a reminder that our time on this earth is limited, and we should make the most of it, as noted in Psalm 90:12, which says, 'Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.' It's a call to live each day with purpose and intention, knowing that our lives are precious and fleeting, like the grass that withers and fades, as seen in Isaiah 40:6-8.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main idea that Job is trying to convey in this verse?
Job is highlighting the contrast between the natural world, where water can disappear and reappear, and human life, which comes to a permanent end at death, as seen in Job 14:10, where it says, 'But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?'
Is Job suggesting that human life is meaningless because it ends in death?
No, Job is not suggesting that human life is meaningless, but rather that it is precious and fleeting, and that death is a permanent state, unlike the cycles of nature, as noted in Ecclesiastes 3:2, which says, 'a time to be born, and a time to die'
What is the significance of the image of water disappearing from the sea and a river becoming parched and dry?
This image emphasizes the idea that just as water can disappear and not return, human life can come to an end and not be restored, at least not in this life, as seen in Psalm 103:15-16, which says, 'The life of man is like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more'
Reflection Questions
- What does this verse reveal about the nature of human existence and our mortality?
- How does the comparison between the natural world and human life impact your understanding of the preciousness of life?
- What emotions or thoughts arise within you as you contemplate the permanence of death, and how can you bring those to God in prayer?
- In what ways can you live each day with the awareness that your life is fleeting, and what priorities might you adjust as a result?
Gill's Exposition on Job 14:11
[As] the waters fail from the sea,.... the words may be rendered either without the as, and denote dissimilitude, and the sense be, that the waters go from the sea and return again, as with the tide:
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 14:11
As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: Sea - i:e., a lake, or pool formed from the outspreading of as river. Job lived near the Euphrates; and "sea" is applied to it (Jeremiah 51:36; Isaiah 27:1).
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 14:11
This may be understood either, 1. By way of opposition, the waters go or flow out of the sea, and return thither again, ; and a lake or river sometimes decayeth, and drieth up, but afterwards is recruited and replenished. But man lieth, &c., as it follows. Or, 2. By way of resemblance; As waters, i.e. some portion of waters, fail from the sea, being either exhaled or drawn up by the sun, or received and sunk into the dry and thirsty earth, or overflowing its banks; and as the flood, or a river, or a pond (for the word signifies any considerable confluence of waters) in a great drought decayeth, and is dried up; in both which cases the selfsame waters never return to their former places; so it is with man. Or thus, As when the waters fail from the sea, i.e. when the sea forsakes the place into which it used to flow, the river, which was fed by it, , decayeth and drieth up, without all hopes of recovery; so man, when once the fountain of his radical moisture is dried up, dies, and never revives again.
Trapp's Commentary on Job 14:11
Job 14:11 [As] the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:Ver. 11. As the waters fail from the sea] He sets forth the same truth by an elegant similitude drawn from drying up of waters. Look how these, after some exundation of the sea, or some great river, are separated and left (upon the reflux thereof) behind the rest upon the land, which cannot return (for then they must ascend, which is impossible to nature) nor continue, but do utterly dry up, and evaporate; sc, &c., Job 14:11. Others read it thus, As when the waters from the sea fail, the flood decayeth, and drieth up; so when man’ s life is taken away, it returns no more while this world lasteth. God hath made in the bowels of the earth certain secret ways, passages, and veins through which water conveyeth itself from the sea to all parts, and hath its saltness taken away in the passage. Thence are our springs, and from them our rivers; but in hot countries and dry seasons springs are dry, and rivers lack water exceedingly; as at this time they do, March 7th, 1653. So when natural moisture decayeth in man, he faileth and dieth; the radical humour, that supplement and oil of life, is dried up, and can be no more renewed till the last day, when yet it shall not be restored to the same state and moisture, but, instead of natural, rise spiritual, 1 Corinthians 15:44.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 14:11
(11) As the waters fail from the sea seems commonly to have been misunderstood from its having been taken as a comparison; but there is no particle denoting comparison in the Hebrew. Moreover, the water never fails from the sea, nor do great rivers like the Nile or the Euphrates ever dry up. The comparison that is implied, but not expressed, is one of contrariety. The waters will have failed from the sea, and the rivers will have wasted and become dry, and yet the man who hath lain down (in death) will not arise: i.e., sooner than that shall happen, the sea will fail and the great rivers become dry. This appears to give a sense far better and more appropriate to the context. The Authorised Version obscures the obvious meaning of the passage by the introduction of the “as,” which is not wanted. There is no hope of any future life, still less of any resurrection here; but neither can we regard the language as involving an absolute denial of it. What Job says is equally true even in full view of the life to come and of the resurrection; indeed, there seems to glimmer the hope of an ardent though unexpressed longing, through the very language that is used. At all events, the statement uttered so confidently is not proof against the inevitable doubt involved in Job 14:14.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 14:11
Verse 11. The waters fail from the sea] I believe this refers to evaporation, and nothing else. As the waters are evaporated from the sea, and the river in passing over the sandy desert is partly exsiccated, and partly absorbed; and yet the waters of the sea are not exhausted, as these vapours, being condensed, fall down in rain, and by means of rivers return again into the sea: so man is imperceptibly removed from his fellows by death and dissolution; yet the human race is still continued, the population of the earth being kept up by perpetual generations.
Cambridge Bible on Job 14:11
11. fail from the sea] i. e. the inland sea or pool, cf. Isaiah 19:5; so in Arabic bahr, sea, is any mass of water whether salt or fresh, and also a river. the flood] the stream. A graphic figure for complete extinction.
Barnes' Notes on Job 14:11
As the waters fail from the sea - As the waters evaporate wholly, and leave the bottom wholly dry, so it is with man, who passes entirely away, and leaves nothing. But to what fact Job refers here, is not known.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 14:11
11. The sea — The word sea is sometimes used for the River Nile, and sometimes for the Euphrates.
Sermons on Job 14:11
| Sermon | Description | |
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June 23. 1678. Separate the Precious From the Vile: Or, the Altar-Fire. by Jane Lead | Jane Lead preaches about the cry of the soul in distress, questioning the perpetual pain and lack of healing, and feeling abandoned by God in the face of overwhelming challenges. H |
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Why Is My Pain Unending? by Thomas Brooks | Thomas Brooks addresses the question of unending pain and suffering, emphasizing that while God has reasons for His actions, He is not obligated to reveal them to us. He warns agai |
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Our Daily Homily - Job by F.B. Meyer | F.B. Meyer reflects on the life of Job, emphasizing the importance of vigilance against temptation during times of festivity and the necessity of prayer and intercession for loved |
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As a Brook, as the Channel of Brooks by F.B. Meyer | F.B. Meyer reflects on Job's lament regarding his friends who, instead of providing comfort, sought to uncover hidden sins as the cause of his suffering. He compares their failure |