Job 10:11 — Word Study
WLCע֣וֹר וּ֭בָשָׂר תַּלְבִּישֵׁ֑נִי וּֽבַעֲצָמ֥וֹת וְ֝גִידִ֗ים תְּסֹכְכֵֽנִי׃
BSAYou clothed melâbash▸ [wrapped, covered] with skinʻôwr [human skin, animal hide] and fleshbâsâr [body, living thing] and knit me togetherçâkak▸ [wove, fenced] with bonesʻetsem [substance, essence] and sinewsgîyd [tendons, connective tissue]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| ע֣וֹר | skin | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וּ֭בָשָׂר | and flesh | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| תַּלְבִּישֵׁ֑נִי | did you clothe? me | Verb hiphil imperfect second person masculine singular, suffix |
| וּֽבַעֲצָמ֥וֹת | and with bones | Conjunction, preposition, noun common feminine plural absolute |
| וְ֝גִידִ֗ים | and sinews | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| תְּסֹכְכֵֽנִי׃ | did you weave together? me | Verb piel imperfect second person masculine singular, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews. |
| KJV | Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews. |
| ASV | Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews. |
| YLT | Skin and flesh Thou dost put on me, And with bones and sinews dost fence me. |
| WEB | You have clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews. |
| BBE | By you I was clothed with skin and flesh, and joined together with bones and muscles. |
Where they part company is תַּלְבִּישֵׁ֑נִי — see How Translations Differ.
The main verb leads with additional phrases detailing the elements of Job's creation, emphasizing the protective and formative actions of God.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 10:11
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Job's Reflection on Creationgenerated
Job 10:11 is part of Job's lament, where he contemplates the nature of his existence and the way God has formed him. Job expresses a deep sense of vulnerability and dependence on God, highlighting the intimate relationship between the Creator and His creation. This verse is situated in a larger discourse where Job questions his suffering and seeks understanding from God regarding his condition.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Corinthians 5:2–3 | For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, |
| 2 | Job 40:17–18 | His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. |
| 3 | Ezekiel 37:4–8 | And He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and tell them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! |
| 4 | Ephesians 4:16 | From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תַּלְבִּישֵׁ֑נִי, tal.bi.She.nigenerated
The verb תַּלְבִּישֵׁ֑נִי (tal.bi.She.ni) is a Hiphil imperfect form meaning 'did you clothe me?' It indicates an action of wrapping or covering, suggesting a protective aspect of God's creation.
This word is derived from a root that implies wrapping around, which can be used literally for clothing or figuratively for encompassing with care. In this context, it underscores the notion of being enveloped in God's design.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs תַּלְבִּישֵׁ֑נִי and תְּסֹכְכֵֽנִי govern the verse, with the phrases detailing what Job is clothed and knit together with. The structure emphasizes the action of God in forming Job's being.
The Hebrew word order places the actions first, highlighting the significance of God's creative work before the objects of that work, which are the skin, flesh, bones, and sinews.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew תַּלְבִּישֵׁ֑נִי is rendered as με (me), which indicates a direct address to God, maintaining the personal nature of the plea.
This choice reflects a close alignment with the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing the intimate relationship between Job and God in the act of creation.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 10:11 expresses Job's acknowledgment of how God has formed him with skin, flesh, bones, and sinews, illustrating the intimate and protective nature of God's creation. Job reflects on his existence and the care involved in his formation.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job is recognizing that God has intricately formed him, wrapping him in skin and flesh, which signifies both physical existence and protection.
Bones and sinews represent the structural and connective aspects of the body, emphasizing the complexity and care involved in his creation.
Job's reflection on his creation highlights his vulnerability and dependence on God, contrasting his current suffering with the care God took in forming him.
Job's acknowledgment of God's role in his creation invites us to reflect on our own existence and the divine care that underlies our lives.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I recognize God's hand in my own creation and existence?
- How can I appreciate the complexity of my body as a gift from God?
- What does it mean for me to be 'clothed' by God in my daily life?
- How does understanding my creation help me navigate times of suffering?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 10:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThou hast clothed me with skin and flesh,.... The bones with flesh, which is the under garment, and the flesh with skin, which is the upper; which is artificially composed of intricate little
Read John Gill on Job 10 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews. Fenced - or 'inlaced,' 'woven together' [ cokªkeeniy (H5526)] (Umbreit).
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 10 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleClothed me, i.e. covered my inward and more noble parts; which, as philosophers and physicians observe, are first formed. So he proceeds in describing man’ s formation gradually. With bones and sinews; which are the stay and strength of the body; and some of them, as the skull and ribs, enclose and defend its vital and most noble parts.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 10 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 10:11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.Ver. 11. Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh] Out of that soft and liquid substance (the slime of my parents’ loins), grossed first into a rude fleshy mass, and consolidated, thou hast made not only a thin skin and firm flesh, but also hard bones and knitting nerves; and all this for a garment or guardment to those more noble inward parts, the brain, heart, liver, &c., which Job here accounts to be the man, when he saith, "Thou hast clothed me," that is, my vital parts, with the upper garment of skin, and with the under garment of flesh, all which, and the rest of the parts, both similar and…
Read John Trapp on Job 10 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges11. fenced me] Rather, woven, or, knit me.
Read Cambridge on Job 10 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThou hast clothed me with skin and flesh - This refers, undoubtedly, to the formation of man in his foetal existence, and is designed to denote that the whole organization of the human frame was to be traced to God.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 10 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible11. Fenced me — Interwoven me. Just as we speak of muscular tissues, or the texture (texere, to weave) of a physical organ.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 10 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.
You have clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.
You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.
You clothed me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews.
Tyndale line
Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.
Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews.
Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.
Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.
Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and ioyned me together with bones and sinewes.
Strictly literal
Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews;
Skin and flesh Thou dost put on me, And with bones and sinews dost fence me.
Skin and flesh You put on me, || And fence me with bones and sinews.
With skin and flesh didst thou clothe me, and with bones and sinews didst thou cover me.
You have clothed me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews.
From the Latin
Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh: thou hast put me together with bones and sinews:
Simplified
You clothed me with skin and flesh; you wove my body together with bones and muscles.
By you I was clothed with skin and flesh, and joined together with bones and muscles.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree in the wording of this verse, with all six words matched directly. This consistency suggests a strong preservation of the text across these traditions.
ע֣וֹר וּ֭בָשָׂר תַּלְבִּישֵׁ֑נִי וּֽבַעֲצָמ֥וֹת וְ֝גִידִ֗ים תְּסֹכְכֵֽנִי׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 10:11
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
עוֹר (owr) means skin or hide, specifically referring to the skin of humans and the hides of animals. It is derived from a root that implies nakedness. The term appears frequently in the Old Testament, with 55 occurrences related to human skin and 44 to animal hides.
עוֹר 99 n.m. skin
of men (55 t.)
hide of animals (44 t.)
base
H5785 עוֹר skin . of men (55 t.)
. hide of men (44 t.)
5785 `owr ore
from 5783; skin (as naked); by implication, hide,
leather:--hide, leather, skin.
see HEBREW for 05783
עוֹר (or) — skin.
1) skin, hide
1a) skin (of men)
1b) hide (of animals)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
(`or, geledh, "human skin" (Job 16:15), basar, "flesh," in the sense of "nakedness" (Ps 102:5 the King James Version); derma):
Literal:
The word `or designates the skin of both men and animals, the latter both raw and in tanned condition: "Yahweh God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins (`or), and clothed them" (Ge 3:21); "She put the skins (`or) of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck" (Ge 27:16); "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?" (Jer 13:23). The Hebrew geledh is found in the sense of human skin: "I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and have laid…
בָּשָׂר (basar) means 'flesh' and encompasses various meanings, including the physical body, kinship, and a euphemism for male genitalia. It can refer to humans, animals, and all living things, highlighting the frailty of man in relation to God. The entries consistently emphasize its bodily and relational aspects.
בָּשָׂר 266 n.m. flesh
of the body
flesh for the body itself
male organ of generation (euphemism)
flesh for kindred, blood-relations
man over against God as frail or erring
base
H1320 בָּשָׂר flesh . of the body
. flesh for the body itself
. male organ of generation (euphemism)
. flesh for kindred, blood-relations
. man over against God as frail or erring
1320 basar baw-sawr'
from 1319; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body,
person; also (by euphem.) the pudenda of a man:--body, (fat,
lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-)kind, + nakedness, self, skin.
see HEBREW for 01319
בָּשָׂר (ba.sar) — flesh.
1) flesh
1a) of the body
1a1) of humans
1a2) of animals
1b) the body itself
1c) male organ of generation (euphemism)
1d) kindred, blood-relations
1e) flesh as frail or erring (man against God)
1f) all living things
1g) animals
1h) mankind
Aramaic equivalent: be.shar (בְּשַׁר "flesh" H1321)
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
@basar, she'er):
1. Etymology:
Used in all senses of the word, the latter, however, most frequently in the sense of kin, family, relationship (compare sha'arah, "kins-woman," Le 18:17): Le 18:6; 25:49; Pr 11:17; Jer 51:35, and probably Ps 73:26. In all other places she'er means "flesh" = body (Pr 5:11) or = food (Ps 78:20,27; Mic 3:2,3). Tibhchah, is "(slaughtered) flesh for food," "butcher's meat" (1Sa…
Flesh
In the Old Testament denotes (1) a particular part of the body of man and animals (Gen. 2:21; 41:2; Ps. 102:5, marg.); (2) the whole body (Ps. 16:9); (3) all living things having flesh, and particularly humanity as a whole (Gen. 6:12, 13); (4) mutability and weakness (2 Chr. 32:8; comp. Isa. 31:3; Ps. 78:39). As suggesting the idea of softness it is used in the expression “heart of flesh” (Ezek. 11:19). The expression “my flesh and bone” (
[FLOOD]
The substance of which the bodies of men and animals are composed. In the Bible, besides the ordinary sense, Job 33:25, it denotes mankind as a race, Ge 6:12 Ps 145:21 Isa 40:5-6; and all living creatures on the earth, Ge 6:17,19. It is often used in opposition to "spirit," as we use body and soul, Job 14:22; and sometimes means the body as animated and sensitive, Mt 26:41, and the seat of bodily appetites, Pr 5:11
The Hebrew word לָבֵשׁ (*labash*) means to put on or wear clothing, and it can refer to both literal and figurative clothing. It is built from a primitive root meaning to wrap around. The entries cover various forms, including Qal, Pual, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of dressing or being clothed. The word is also noted for its use in a figurative sense, such as being clothed with a spirit.
לָבֵשׁ, לָבַשׁ vb. put on (a garment), wear, clothe, be clothed
Qal
lit. put on (one’s own) garment; = wear (more or less habitually)
very oft. fig., put on, be clothed with
lit. put on
once
clothed with
and the spirit of י׳ clothed itself with Gideon
Pu. arrayed
Hiph. clothe, array with
base
H3847 לָבֵשׁ, לָבַשׁ put on (a garment), wear, clothe, be clothed
3847 labash law-bash'
or labesh {law-bashe'}; a primitive root; properly, wrap
around, i.e. (by implication) to put on a garment or clothe
(oneself, or another), literally or figuratively:--(in)
apparel, arm, array (self), clothe (self), come upon, put (on,
upon), wear.
לָבֵשׁ (la.vash) — to clothe.
1) to dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put on clothes, be clothed, wear
1a2) to put on, be clothed with (fig.)
1b) (Pual) to be fully clothed
1c) (Hiphil) to clothe, array with, dress
Aramaic equivalent: le.vash (לְבֵשׁ "to clothe" H3848)
V-Hiphil-Imperf-2ms | Suff — Verb hiphil imperfect second person masculine singular · suffixHVhi2ms/Sp1bs
עֶ֫צֶם (etsem) primarily means 'bone' but extends to concepts of substance and self. It can refer to the physical body, limbs, or essence. The word is derived from a root related to strength, indicating a connection between physicality and identity.
עֶ֫צֶם 125 n.f. bone, substance, self
base
H6106 עֶ֫צֶם bone, substance, self
6106 `etsem eh'tsem
from 6105; a bone (as strong); by extension, the body;
figuratively, the substance, i.e. (as pron.) selfsame:--body,
bone, X life, (self-)same, strength, X very.
see HEBREW for 06105
עֶ֫צֶם (e.tsem) — bone.
: bone/limb
1) bone, essence, substance
1a) bone
1a1) body, limbs, members, external body
1b) bone (of animal)
1c) substance, self
עֶ֫צֶם (e.tsem) — bone: same.
: same/very
1) bone, essence, substance
1a) bone
1a1) body, limbs, members, external body
1b) bone (of animal)
1c) substance, self
עֶ֫צֶם (e.tsem) — bone: body.
: body
1) bone, essence, substance
1a) bone
1a1) body, limbs, members, external body
1b) bone (of animal)
1c) substance, self
Conj | Prep | N-fp — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine plural absoluteHC/R/Ncfpa
→ Vision of the dry Eze 37:1-14
גִּיד (gid) refers to a sinew or tendon, suggesting a connection to strength and support in the body. The word is built from the root associated with compressing or binding, indicating its physical function. The entries consistently define it as sinew without significant variation.
גִּיד n.m. sinew
base
H1517 גִּיד sinew
1517 giyd gheed
probably from 1464; a thong (as compressing); by analogy, a
tendon:--sinew.
see HEBREW for 01464
גִּיד (gid) — sinew.
sinew
Conj | N-mp — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural absoluteHC/Ncmpa
The Hebrew word סוּךְ (*sukh*) and its variants relate to the concepts of covering, protecting, and weaving together. It encompasses meanings such as to hedge in, overshadow, and screen, with implications of defense and joining. The entries reference various forms and usages, including a noun for 'protector' and verbs that describe actions of covering and weaving. Notably, the word appears in Exodus 33:22.
[סוּךְ, סִיךְ] vb. hedge, or fence about, shut in
base
[סָכַךְ] vb. overshadow, screen, cover
Qal
screen, cover
reflex. cover oneself
Hiph. screen, cover
Pilp. denom.
base
[סָכַךְ] vb. weave together;—Qal ψ 139:13
ref
סֹכֵךְ n. [m.] protector;—term. techn. of structure shielding stormers of city Na 2:6
H5526a סוּךְ, סִיךְ hedge, or fence about, shut in H5526b סָכַךְ overshadow, screen, cover H5526c סָכַךְ weave together H5526d סֹכֵךְ n. [m.] protector H5526e שָׂכַךְ cover, lay over, so as to screen H5526f שָׂכַךְ weave
5526 cakak saw-kak'
or sakak (Exod. 33:22) {saw-kak'}; a primitive root;
properly, to entwine as a screen; by implication, to fence in,
cover over, (figuratively) protect:--cover, defence, defend,
hedge in, join together, set, shut up.
סוּךְ (sukh) — to fence.
(Qal) to hedge, fence about, shut in
סָכַךְ (sa.khakh) — to cover.
1) to block, overshadow, screen, stop the approach, shut off, cover
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to screen, cover
1a2) to cover oneself
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to screen, cover
סָכַךְ (sa.khakh) — to weave.
1) to weave together
4a) (Qal) to weave together
1b) (Pilpel) to weave, weave together
סֹכֵךְ (so.kh) — protector.
protector (participle)
שָׂכַךְ (sa.khakh) — to cover.
(Qal) to cover, lay over
שָׂכַךְ (sa.khakh) — to weave.
1) to weave together
1a) (Qal) to weave together
1b) (Pilpel) to weave, weave together
V-m-Imperf-2ms | Suff — Verb piel imperfect second person masculine singular · suffixHVpi2ms/Sp1bs