Job 21:24
Job 21:24 in Multiple Translations
His body is well nourished, and his bones are rich with marrow.
His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.
His pails are full of milk, And the marrow of his bones is moistened.
His buckets are full of milk, and there is no loss of strength in his bones.
Their body is fat from eating well; their bones still strong.
His breasts are full of milke, and his bones runne full of marowe.
His breasts have been full of milk, And marrow his bones doth moisten.
His pails are full of milk. The marrow of his bones is moistened.
His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.
His bowels are full of fat, and his bones are moistened with marrow.
Their bodies are fat; their bones are strong.
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 21:24
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 21:24 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
עֲ֭טִינָי/ו
מָלְא֣וּ
חָלָ֑ב
וּ/מֹ֖חַ
עַצְמוֹתָ֣י/ו
יְשֻׁקֶּֽה
עֲ֭טִינָי/ו
ʻăṭîyn
H5845
belly
N-mp | Suff
מָלְא֣וּ
mâlêʼ
H4390
to fill
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
חָלָ֑ב
châlâb
H2461
milk
N-ms
וּ/מֹ֖חַ
môach
H4221
marrow
Conj | N-ms
עַצְמוֹתָ֣י/ו
ʻetsem
H6106
bone
N-fp | Suff
יְשֻׁקֶּֽה
shâqâh
H8248
to water
V-Pual-Imperf-3ms
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Job 21:24
עֲ֭טִינָי/ו
ʻăṭîyn
H5845
"belly"
N-mp | Suff
This word refers to the belly or breast area, like the breasts of a nursing mother in Isaiah 66:11. It can also mean a container for milk, such as a pail. In the Bible, it is used to describe the body and its parts.
Definition: belly, body, bucket, pail, breasts
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: breast. See also: Job 21:24.
מָלְא֣וּ
mâlêʼ
H4390
"to fill"
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
To fill means to make something full or complete, like filling a container or fulfilling a promise. This word is used in many contexts, including being full of joy or having a job completed.
Definition: 1) to fill, be full 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be full 1a1a) fulness, abundance (participle) 1a1b) to be full, be accomplished, be ended 1a2) to consecrate, fill the hand 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be filled, be armed, be satisfied 1b2) to be accomplished, be ended 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to fill 1c2) to satisfy 1c3) to fulfil, accomplish, complete 1c4) to confirm 1d) (Pual) to be filled 1e) (Hithpael) to mass themselves against Aramaic equivalent: me.la (מְלָא "to fill" H4391)
Usage: Occurs in 242 OT verses. KJV: accomplish, confirm, [phrase] consecrate, be at an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, [idiom] draw, give in, go) full(-ly, -ly set, tale), (over-) flow, fulness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume, replenish, satisfy, set, space, take a (hand-) full, [phrase] have wholly. See also: Genesis 1:22; 2 Chronicles 16:14; Psalms 10:7.
חָלָ֑ב
châlâb
H2461
"milk"
N-ms
Chalab means milk, symbolizing richness and abundance. In the Bible, it can refer to the richness of cattle or the abundance of the land. This term is also used to describe white or pale things, like milk or cheese.
Definition: 1) milk, sour milk, cheese 1a) milk 1b) abundance of the land (metaph.) 1c) white (as milk)
Usage: Occurs in 44 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] cheese, milk, sucking. See also: Genesis 18:8; Judges 4:19; Proverbs 27:27.
וּ/מֹ֖חַ
môach
H4221
"marrow"
Conj | N-ms
Marrow is the fatty tissue inside bones, providing nutrients and energy. This Hebrew word specifically refers to the marrow, which is rich in fat and goodness. The KJV translates it as 'marrow'.
Definition: marrow
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: marrow. See also: Job 21:24.
עַצְמוֹתָ֣י/ו
ʻetsem
H6106
"bone"
N-fp | Suff
In the original Hebrew, this word refers to a bone or the body, and can also mean the substance or essence of something. It is used in many parts of the Bible, including in the book of Genesis and Psalms, to describe the physical body.
Definition: : bone/limb 1) bone, essence, substance 1a) bone 1a1) body, limbs, members, external body 1b) bone (of animal) 1c) substance, self
Usage: Occurs in 108 OT verses. KJV: body, bone, [idiom] life, (self-) same, strength, [idiom] very. See also: Genesis 2:23; Job 33:19; Psalms 6:3.
יְשֻׁקֶּֽה
shâqâh
H8248
"to water"
V-Pual-Imperf-3ms
This verb means to give water or a drink to someone or something, often used in stories like Genesis and Exodus. It describes providing sustenance and care, like God giving water to the Israelites in the desert.
Definition: : watering(ANIMALS/PLANTS) 1) to give to drink, irrigate, drink, water, cause to drink water 1a) (Hiphil) 1a1) to water, irrigate 1a2) to water, give drink to 1b) (Pual) to be watered 1c) (Niphal) variant
Usage: Occurs in 60 OT verses. KJV: cause to (give, give to, let, make to) drink, drown, moisten, water. See H7937 (שָׁכַר), H8354 (שָׁתָה). See also: Genesis 2:6; 1 Chronicles 11:17; Psalms 36:9.
Study Notes — Job 21:24
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 21:24 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 21:24
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 21:24
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 21:24
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 21:24
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 21:24
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 21:24
- Cambridge Bible on Job 21:24
- Barnes' Notes on Job 21:24
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 21:24
Context — Job: God Will Punish the Wicked
22Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since He judges those on high?
23One man dies full of vigor, completely secure and at ease.
24His body is well nourished, and his bones are rich with marrow.
25Yet another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, having never tasted prosperity. 26But together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them both.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 3:8 | This will bring healing to your body and refreshment to your bones. |
| 2 | Psalms 17:10 | They have closed their callous hearts; their mouths speak with arrogance. |
| 3 | Job 15:27 | Though his face is covered with fat and his waistline bulges with flesh, |
Job 21:24 Summary
This verse, Job 21:24, describes someone who is physically healthy and strong, with a body that is well taken care of. It's a picture of what it means to be blessed with good health, as seen in Psalm 103:2-5. However, as the surrounding verses show, physical health is not the only measure of a person's worth or God's favor, as also seen in Luke 12:15. We can learn to be thankful for the blessings we have, while also recognizing that our true strength comes from God, as expressed in Jeremiah 31:25.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for someone's body to be well nourished and their bones to be rich with marrow?
This phrase, found in Job 21:24, describes a person who is physically healthy and strong, with a body that is well taken care of, as seen in the example of King Solomon's prosperity in First Kings 3:13.
Is this verse saying that physical health is a guarantee of God's favor?
No, this verse is not making that claim, as evidenced by the contrast in Job 21:25, which describes someone who dies in bitterness, and the equalizing fact of death in Job 21:26, which shows that both the healthy and the bitter alike will face the same end, as also seen in Ecclesiastes 9:2.
How does this verse fit into the larger context of the book of Job?
This verse is part of Job's argument that the wicked often seem to prosper, while the righteous suffer, a theme also explored in Psalms 73:3-12, and is meant to highlight the complexity of God's ways, as seen in Isaiah 55:9.
What can we learn from the image of a body being well nourished and bones being rich with marrow?
We can learn that physical health is a gift from God, as seen in Psalm 139:14, and that we should be thankful for the blessings we have, while also recognizing that our true strength and nourishment come from God, as expressed in Matthew 4:4.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I can cultivate a sense of gratitude for the physical blessings I have, like good health and nourishment?
- How can I balance my desire for physical well-being with the recognition that true strength comes from God, as seen in Philippians 4:13?
- What does it mean for me to 'taste and see that the Lord is good', as described in Psalm 34:8, in the context of my own life and experiences?
- How can I use my own experiences of physical health or struggle to minister to others and point them to God's goodness, as seen in Second Corinthians 1:3-4?
Gill's Exposition on Job 21:24
His breasts are full of milk,.... As this is not literally true of men, some versions read the words otherwise; his bowels or intestines are full of fat, as the Vulgate Latin and Septuagint; and
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 21:24
His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow. Breasts - rather, skins or vessels for fluids (Lee).
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 21:24
His breasts: the Hebrew word is not elsewhere used, and therefore it is diversely translated; either, 1. Breasts. But that seems very improper here, because men’ s breasts do not use to be filled with milk. Or, 2. Milk-pails. But their fulness is common, and no sign of eminent plenty, which is here designed. Besides, the following branch, which in Job and elsewhere frequently explains the former, implies that it signifies some part of man’ s body, as all the ancient interpreters render it; either the sides, as some of them have it; or the bowels, as others. But for the following milk they read fat; the Hebrew letters being exactly the same in both words; and the Hebrews by the name of milk do oft understand fat. His bones are moistened with marrow; which is opposed to the dryness of the bones, , which is caused by old age, or grievous distempers or calamities.
Trapp's Commentary on Job 21:24
Job 21:24 His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.Ver. 24. His breasts are full of milk, and his bones, &c.] He is well lined within, as we say, having abundance of good blood and fresh spirits in his body; fat and plump, and well liking. He is enclosed in his own fat, Psalms 17:10. His back is well larded, and his bones are moistened with marrow; which, Plato saith, is not only the source and seminary of generation, but the very seat of life (Plat. in Timaeo). Now such a state of body as is here described is no defence at all against death, saith Job; nay, it is a presage and a forerunner of it many times. For ultimus sanitaria gradus est morbo proximus, say physicians; the highest degree of health is nearest to sickness; we many times chop into the earth before we are aware; like a man, walking in a field covered with snow, who falleth into a pit suddenly.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 21:24
(24) His breasts.—This is an uncertain word, occurring only here. Some understand it literally of milk-pails, others of the lacteals of the human body, which certainly suits the parallelism better.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 21:24
Verse 24. His breasts are full of milk] The word עטיניו atinaiv, which occurs nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible, is most likely an Arabic term, but probably so provincial as to be now lost. [Arabic] atana signifies to macerate hides so as to take off the hair: hence Mr. Good thinks it means here, that sleekness of skin which is the effect of fatness both in man and beast. But as the radical idea signifies to stink, as leather does which is thus macerated, I cannot see how this meaning can apply here. Under the root עטן atan, Mr. Parkhurst gives the following definitions:" עטן occurs, not as a verb, but as a noun masculine plural, in construction, עטיני atiney, the bowels, intestines; once Job 21:24, עטיניו atinaiv, his bowels or intestines, are full of, or abound with, חלב chalab, fat. So the LXX.: Ταδεεγκατααυτουπληρηστεατος. The VULGATE: Viscera, ejus plena sent adipe, 'his intestines are full of fat.' May not עטינים atinim be a noun masculine plural from עטה atah, to involve, formed as גליונים gailyonim, mirrors, from גלה galah, to reveal? And may nor the intestines, including those fatty parts, the mesentery and omentum, be so called on account of their wonderful involutions?" I think this conjecture to be as likely as any that has yet been formed.
Cambridge Bible on Job 21:24
24. His breasts are full of milk] Perhaps, his vessels are full of milk; but the meaning is uncertain, the word rendered “breasts” not occurring again. The word however has analogies in the cognate languages, and may mean vessels, or troughs, marg. milk-pails, the reference being to the plenty and richness of the man’s herds and possessions, though this is a figure for plenty in general. By a slight alteration in spelling the word “milk” means fat, and the ancient versions so read, translating, his inwards, or sides, are full of fat. his bones are moistened with marrow] Rather, and the marrow of his bones is moistened, lit. watered, i. e. made fresh and strong. If the first clause be translated with the ancient Versions this clause is parallel in sense; otherwise, it describes the effect of his plenty on the man himself.
Barnes' Notes on Job 21:24
His breasts - Margin, “milk pails.” The marginal translation is much the most correct, and it is difficult to understand why so improbable a statement has been introduced into our common version.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 21:24
24. His breasts — The Vulgate followed the Septuagint in rendering this troublesome word, òùׂ ?éï, thus: “His inwards are full of fat.” Furst and Rodwell, among others, conceive that the parallelism