Job 9:18
Job 9:18 in Multiple Translations
He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.
He will not suffer me to take my breath, But filleth me with bitterness.
He would not let me take my breath, but I would be full of bitter grief.
He doesn't give me a chance even to catch my breath; instead he fills my life with bitter suffering.
He wil not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitternesse.
He permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things.
He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness.
He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.
He alloweth not my spirit to rest, and he filleth me with bitterness.
It is as though he will not let me get/catch my breath, because he causes me to suffer all the time.
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 9:18
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 9:18 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
לֹֽא
יִ֭תְּנֵ/נִי
הָשֵׁ֣ב
רוּחִ֑/י
כִּ֥י
יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗/נִי
מַמְּרֹרִֽים
לֹֽא
lôʼ
H3808
not
Part
יִ֭תְּנֵ/נִי
nâthan
H5414
to give
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms | Suff
הָשֵׁ֣ב
shûwb
H7725
to return
V-Hiphil-Ptc
רוּחִ֑/י
rûwach
H7307
spirit
N-cs | Suff
כִּ֥י
kîy
H3588
for
Conj
יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗/נִי
sâbaʻ
H7646
to satisfy
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms | Suff
מַמְּרֹרִֽים
mamrôr
H4472
bitterness
N-mp
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
Use ← → arrow keys to navigate between words.
Hebrew Word Reference — Job 9:18
לֹֽא
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
יִ֭תְּנֵ/נִי
nâthan
H5414
"to give"
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms | Suff
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Definition: : give/deliver/send/produce 1) to give, put, set 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend 1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate 1a3) to make, constitute 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned 1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up 1c2) to be put upon
Usage: Occurs in 1816 OT verses. KJV: add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield. See also: Genesis 1:17; Genesis 40:21; Exodus 30:12.
הָשֵׁ֣ב
shûwb
H7725
"to return"
V-Hiphil-Ptc
This Hebrew word means to return or turn back, and can be used literally or figuratively. It is often used to describe someone returning to God or repenting from sin, as seen in the book of Psalms and the prophets.
Definition: : return 1) to return, turn back 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn back, return 1a1a) to turn back 1a1b) to return, come or go back 1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back 1a1d) of dying 1a1e) of human relations (fig) 1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig) 1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise 1a1f2) to turn away (of God) 1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent 1a1f4) turn back (from evil) 1a1g) of inanimate things 1a1h) in repetition 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to bring back 1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig) 1b3) to lead away (enticingly) 1b4) to show turning, apostatise 1c) (Pual) restored (participle) 1d) (Hiphil) to cause to return, bring back 1d1) to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, restore, relinquish, give in payment 1d2) to bring back, refresh, restore 1d3) to bring back, report to, answer 1d4) to bring back, make requital, pay (as recompense) 1d5) to turn back or backward, repel, defeat, repulse, hinder, reject, refuse 1d6) to turn away (face), turn toward 1d7) to turn against 1d8) to bring back to mind 1d9) to show a turning away 1d10) to reverse, revoke 1e) (Hophal) to be returned, be restored, be brought back 1f) (Pulal) brought back
Usage: Occurs in 953 OT verses. KJV: ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, [idiom] certainly, come again (back), [idiom] consider, [phrase] continually, convert, deliver (again), [phrase] deny, draw back, fetch home again, [idiom] fro, get (oneself) (back) again, [idiom] give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, [idiom] needs, be past, [idiom] pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, [phrase] say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, [idiom] surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw. See also: Genesis 3:19; Numbers 8:25; Judges 8:13.
רוּחִ֑/י
rûwach
H7307
"spirit"
N-cs | Suff
In the Bible, this word for spirit refers to the breath of life, the wind, or a person's mind and emotions, as seen in the book of Ezekiel.
Definition: : spirit 1) wind, breath, mind, spirit 1a) breath 1b) wind 1b1) of heaven 1b2) quarter (of wind), side 1b3) breath of air 1b4) air, gas 1b5) vain, empty thing 1c) spirit (as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation) 1c1) spirit, animation, vivacity, vigour 1c2) courage 1c3) temper, anger 1c4) impatience, patience 1c5) spirit, disposition (as troubled, bitter, discontented) 1c6) disposition (of various kinds), unaccountable or uncontrollable impulse 1c7) prophetic spirit 1d) spirit (of the living, breathing being in man and animals) 1d1) as gift, preserved by God, God's spirit, departing at death, disembodied being 1e) spirit (as seat of emotion) 1e1) desire 1e2) sorrow, trouble 1f) spirit 1f1) as seat or organ of mental acts 1f2) rarely of the will 1f3) as seat especially of moral character 1g) Spirit of God, the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son 1g1) as inspiring ecstatic state of prophecy 1g2) as impelling prophet to utter instruction or warning 1g3) imparting warlike energy and executive and administrative power 1g4) as endowing men with various gifts 1g5) as energy of life 1g6) as manifest in the Shekinah glory 1g7) never referred to as a depersonalised force
Usage: Occurs in 348 OT verses. KJV: air, anger, blast, breath, [idiom] cool, courage, mind, [idiom] quarter, [idiom] side, spirit(-ual), tempest, [idiom] vain, (whirl-) wind(-y). See also: Genesis 1:2; Job 6:26; Psalms 1:4.
כִּ֥י
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗/נִי
sâbaʻ
H7646
"to satisfy"
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms | Suff
To satisfy means to fill someone with enough of something, like food or desire, and can also mean to have too much of something.
Definition: 1) to be satisfied, be sated, be fulfilled, be surfeited 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be sated (with food) 1a2) to be sated, be satisfied with, be fulfilled, be filled, have one's fill of (have desire satisfied) 1a3) to have in excess, be surfeited, be surfeited with 1a3a) to be weary of (fig) 1b) (Piel) to satisfy 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to satisfy 1c2) to enrich 1c3) to sate, glut (with the undesired)
Usage: Occurs in 93 OT verses. KJV: have enough, fill (full, self, with), be (to the) full (of), have plenty of, be satiate, satisfy (with), suffice, be weary of. See also: Exodus 16:8; Proverbs 12:11; Psalms 17:14.
מַמְּרֹרִֽים
mamrôr
H4472
"bitterness"
N-mp
This word describes a bitter or calamitous event, conveying a sense of difficulty or hardship. It is used figuratively to describe a painful situation. The KJV translates it as bitterness.
Definition: bitter thing, bitterness
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: bitterness. See also: Job 9:18.
Study Notes — Job 9:18
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 9:18 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 9:18
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 9:18
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 9:18
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 9:18
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 9:18
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 9:18
- Cambridge Bible on Job 9:18
- Barnes' Notes on Job 9:18
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 9:18
- Sermons on Job 9:18
Context — Job: How Can I Contend with God?
16If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.
17For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
18He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
19If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him ? 20Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 7:19 | Will You never look away from me, or leave me alone to swallow my spittle? |
| 2 | Lamentations 3:15 | He has filled me with bitterness; He has intoxicated me with wormwood. |
| 3 | Psalms 88:15–18 | From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair. Your wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me. All day long they engulf me like water; they enclose me on every side. You have removed my beloved and my friend; darkness is my closest companion. |
| 4 | Lamentations 3:18–19 | So I say, “My strength has perished, along with my hope from the LORD.” Remember my affliction and wandering, the wormwood and the gall. |
| 5 | Job 27:2 | “As surely as God lives, who has deprived me of justice— the Almighty, who has embittered my soul— |
| 6 | Hebrews 12:11 | No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it. |
| 7 | Job 3:20 | Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul, |
| 8 | Psalms 88:7 | Your wrath weighs heavily upon me; all Your waves have submerged me. Selah |
| 9 | Psalms 39:13 | Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may again be cheered before I depart and am no more.” |
| 10 | Lamentations 3:3 | Indeed, He keeps turning His hand against me all day long. |
Job 9:18 Summary
This verse, Job 9:18, means that Job feels like God is constantly pouring out troubles on him without giving him a break, like he can't even catch his breath. It's a feeling of being overwhelmed by difficulties, similar to what the Psalmist describes in Psalms 42:7. Just like Job, we may face times when we feel crushed by our circumstances, but even in those moments, we can cry out to God for help, as the Bible encourages us to do in Psalms 34:17-20. By being honest about our struggles, we can begin to trust God's goodness and care for us, even when we don't understand what's happening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean that God 'does not let me catch my breath' in Job 9:18?
This phrase suggests that God's afflictions are relentless, not giving Job a moment to rest or recover, much like the Psalmist's cry in Psalms 38:9 where he feels overwhelmed by his sufferings.
How can God be just if He overwhelms Job with bitterness?
This question gets to the heart of the age-old problem of evil, and while the Bible doesn't give easy answers, it does affirm God's justice and righteousness, as seen in Deuteronomy 32:4, even when we can't understand His ways.
Is Job's experience unique, or can others relate to feeling overwhelmed by God?
Many biblical figures, including the Prophet Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:1-20, experienced similar feelings of being overwhelmed by God's discipline, reminding us that we're not alone in our struggles with God's sovereignty.
How does this verse relate to the broader theme of suffering in the book of Job?
Job 9:18 is part of Job's lament, expressing his deep pain and confusion over his suffering, which is a central theme throughout the book, as seen in Job 1:1-22 and Job 42:1-6, where Job ultimately comes to trust God despite his questions and doubts.
Reflection Questions
- What are some times in your life when you felt like God was overwhelming you with difficulties, and how did you respond?
- How does Job's expression of being overwhelmed by bitterness challenge or comfort you in your own experiences of suffering?
- In what ways can you relate to Job's feeling of not being able to 'catch my breath' in the midst of trials, and what does this reveal about your need for God's presence and comfort?
- How might this verse encourage you to be honest with God about your struggles and doubts, even when you don't understand what He's doing in your life?
Gill's Exposition on Job 9:18
He will not suffer me to take my breath,.... Which some think refers to Job's disease, which was either an asthma, or a quinsy in his throat, which occasioned great difficulty in breathing: I should
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 9:18
He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness. He will not suffer me to take my breath - cf. Job 7:19, "How long wilt thou not-let me alone until I swallow down my spittle."
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 9:18
My pains and miseries are continual, and I have not so much as a breathing time free from them. My afflictions are not only long and uninterrupted, but also exceeding sharp and violent, contrary to the common course of God’ s providence.
Trapp's Commentary on Job 9:18
Job 9:18 He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.Ver. 18. He will not suffer me to take my breath] I am so far from a period, that I have no pause of my troubles. I cannot get any interspirias, or free breathing space. See Job 7:19. And in the former verse he had complained that God had stormed him. Interim per Pathos, saith Mercer; here he returns to his old practice of expostulating about the greatness of his grief, and spares not to hyperbolize. Beda and others understand this text to be a bodily distemper upon Job, which had made him short winded. And Lavater hath this good note here, Hoc cogitandum nobis est, &c. Let this text be thought upon when our spirits begin to sink; as also when by reason of the phthisic, or any other like disease, we feel a difficulty of breathing, and a straitening of our pectorals, or be otherwise compassed about with great sorrows. But filleth me with bitterness] Heb.
He satiateth me with bitternesses, i.e. with sore and sharp afflictions, which are in no way joyous, but grievous to the flesh, Hebrews 12:11. Job had his belly full of gall and wormwood; he had not only a draught or two, but a diet drink made for him of most bitter ingredients. Of this he complaineth heavily; what then will the wicked do, that must suck up the dregs of God’ s cup, Psalms 78:8, which hath eternity to the bottom?
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 9:18
(18) Take my breath.—The action being that of breathing again after complete exhaustion—recovering breath and the power to breathe, &c. “If I say I am perfect, it also shall prove me perverse by the very act of saying so; because for man to maintain his righteousness before God is at once to proclaim his iniquity. The finite cannot come into competition with the Infinite, nor measure itself therewith.”
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 9:18
Verse 18. He will not suffer me to take my breath] I have no respite in my afflictions; I suffer continually in my body, and my mind is incessantly harassed.
Cambridge Bible on Job 9:18
18. will not suffer] Rather, would not suffer. And so, but fill.
Barnes' Notes on Job 9:18
He will not suffer me to take my breath; - see the notes at Job 7:19.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 9:18
18. Take my breath — So incessant is the sorrow with which God visits him. See Job 7:19.
Sermons on Job 9:18
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Wine for Gospel wantons... by Thomas Shepard | Thomas Shepard preaches on the consequences of spiritual drunkenness as described in Jeremiah 13:12-15, where God fills the inhabitants of the land with a spirit of drunkenness, le |
|
(Through the Bible) Job 21-30 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, the speaker reflects on the psalmist's lamentation of his tragic condition and the bitterness he experiences. The psalmist questions why the wicked prosper while th |
|
(Hebrews - Part 17): Faithful in Truth and Love by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of Christians actively engaging in their faith. He criticizes those who are hesitant to put effort into their Christianity, c |
|
|
(Hebrews - Part 42): Discipleship by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of discipleship and the discipline of the cross in preparing believers for heaven. He explains that God puts us under discipli |
|
|
(Hebrews - Part 43): The Justice of God on the Side of the Sinner by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on Hebrews 12:11, which talks about the temporary pain of chastening but the ultimate fruit of righteousness that it produces. The preacher emp |
|
(Genesis) Genesis 39:21-23 by J. Vernon McGee | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the story of Joseph from the Bible. He highlights how despite the challenging circumstances Joseph faced, the Lord was with him and showed h |
|
America's Last Call (Part 6 of 6) by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the preacher begins by expressing their devotion to Jesus and thanking Him for His faithfulness and love. They then discuss the arrogance, greed, and covetousness t |