Job 13:17 — Word Study
WLCשִׁמְע֣וּ שָׁ֭מוֹעַ מִלָּתִ֑י וְ֝אַֽחֲוָתִ֗י בְּאָזְנֵיכֶֽם׃
BSAListen carefullyshâmaʻ [hear diligently, pay attention] to my wordsmillâh [speech, declaration] let my declarationʼachvâh△ [utterance, statement] ring in your earsʼôzen [be heard, resonate, with your ears, giving heed]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| שִׁמְע֣וּ | listen | Verb, Qal, imperative second person masculine plural |
| שָׁ֭מוֹעַ | completely [to] | Verb, Qal, infinitive absolute |
| מִלָּתִ֑י | speech my | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| וְ֝אַֽחֲוָתִ֗י | and declaration my | Conjunction, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| בְּאָזְנֵיכֶֽם׃ | [be] in ears your | Preposition, noun common feminine dual construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Listen carefully to my words; let my declaration ring in your ears. |
| KJV | Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears. |
| ASV | Hear diligently my speech, And let my declaration be in your ears. |
| YLT | Hear ye diligently my word, And my declaration with your ears. |
| WEB | Listen carefully to my speech. Let my declaration be in your ears. |
| BBE | Give ear with care to my words, and keep what I say in your minds. |
Where they part company is וְ֝אַֽחֲוָתִ֗י — see How Translations Differ.
The main verb commands attention, with two phrases elaborating on what Job wants his listeners to focus on.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׁמַע
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 5 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
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 13:17
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 Defense Against His Friendsgenerated
Job 13:17 finds Job in a moment of deep reflection, urging his friends to listen carefully to his words. He feels the weight of his situation and wants them to understand his declaration fully. This passage is part of Job's broader defense, where he articulates his innocence and seeks to clarify his relationship with God amidst his suffering.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 13:6 | Hear now my argument, and listen to the plea of my lips. |
| 2 | Job 33:1 | “But now, O Job, hear my speech, and listen to all my words. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שִׁמְע֣וּ, shim.'Ugenerated
The Hebrew word שָׁמַע (shama`) means 'to hear' and encompasses a range of meanings including listening, obeying, and proclaiming. It is often used in contexts where attention and obedience are required, particularly in relation to God's words to His people.
In this verse, the imperative form שִׁמְע֣וּ commands the listeners to actively engage with what Job is saying. This highlights the importance of not just hearing, but truly listening with intent.
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 verb שִׁמְע֣וּ, listen, governs the entire verse, with two phrases following: an infinitive phrase that emphasizes the act of listening and a noun phrase that specifies what Job wants to communicate. The structure indicates a direct command followed by the content of that command.
The word order places the imperative verb first, emphasizing the urgency of Job's request for his listeners to pay attention to his words.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint uses the Greek word ἀκούσατε to render שִׁמְע֣וּ, which means 'to hear' or 'to listen.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the imperative call for attentive listening.
The use of ἀναγγελῶ for וְ֝אַֽחֲוָתִ֗י suggests a focus on the act of declaring or announcing, which underscores the significance of Job's message.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 13:17 urges his friends to listen carefully to his words and to let his declaration resonate in their ears. Job is defending himself and wants them to understand his perspective on his suffering.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job is emphasizing the importance of truly hearing and understanding his perspective and declaration regarding his situation.
He wants his message to be memorable and impactful, ensuring that his friends grasp the seriousness of his words.
It shows Job's frustration and desire for them to truly listen and understand his plight, rather than jumping to conclusions.
We can learn the importance of active listening and understanding others' perspectives, especially in difficult conversations.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what situations do I need to listen more carefully to others, just as Job asks his friends to do?
- How can I ensure that I am truly hearing and understanding the words of those around me?
- What steps can I take to communicate my thoughts and feelings more clearly, like Job is trying to do?
- How does the act of listening relate to my relationships with others, especially during conflicts?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators have reflected on Job's call to listen. The quotations here illustrate their interpretations and insights regarding the significance of Job's words.
Hear my speech, and take in my riddles with your ears. Herein, that he names 'riddles,' he shews that he has parts of his speech framed in figures. Whence too it is fitly added by the voice of the faithful People.Early Church Fathers on Job 13 →
The Lord is near those, it is said, who invoke him, and therefore God is kindly disposed toward them. So listen, Job says, to what I am about to say: I will maintain my kindly disposed judgment upon God, who is just and speaks truthfully;Early Church Fathers on Job 13 →
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 13:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHear diligently my speech,.... Or, "in hearing hear" (s); meaning, not only that his friends would attentively hear him, but continue to hear him; that they would hear him out what he had to say
Read John Gill on Job 13 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears. My declaration - namely, that I wish to be permitted to justify myself immediately before God. With your ears - i:e., attentively.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 13 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThis he desired before, , and now repeateth, either because they manifested some neglect or dislike of his speech, and some desire to interrupt him; or because he now comes more closely to his business, the foregoing verses being mostly in way of preface to it. My declaration, i.e. the words whereby I declare my mind.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 13 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 13:17 Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.Ver. 17. Hear diligently my speech] Heb. Hearing hear, that is, incline your ears and hear, as Isaiah 55:3. Mark and attend; hear me not only, but heed me too; interrupt me not, neither give me the slip, as it may seem they were ready to do, when they heard him profess such a deal of faith and hope under so many and heavy afflictions; wherein they thought that either he was beside himself, or, at least, beside the cushion, as we say, and utterly out. See Job 13:6, and observe, that it is but needful often to stir up our auditors to attention. Job makes more prefaces than one to be heard; so do the prophets often. Hear…
Read John Trapp on Job 13 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges13–22. Job now turns from his friends, whom he commands to be silent, to his great plea with God, resuming the intention expressed in Job 13:3. The passage has two parts, one preliminary, Job 13:13-16, exhibiting a singular picture of the conflict between resolution and fear in Job’s mind. He will go before God come upon him what will (Job 13:13). Yet he cannot hide from himself that it may be at the hazard of his life. Yet he will not be deterred; he will defend his ways to God’s face (Job 13:14-15). And yet again, this very courage which he has, arising from his sense of innocence, is a token to him that he shall be victorious (Job 13:16). The second part, Job 13:17-22. Feeling that the…
Read Cambridge on Job 13 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHear diligently my speech - That which I have made; that is, the declaration which I have made of my innocence.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 13 →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
Listen carefully to my words; let my declaration ring in your ears.
Listen carefully to my speech. Let my declaration be in your ears.
Listen carefully to my words; let my declaration ring in your ears.
Listen carefully to my words; let your ears be attentive to my explanation.
Tyndale line
Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.
Hear diligently my speech, And let my declaration be in your ears.
Hear diligently my speech, and let my declaration be in your ears.
Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.
Heare diligently my wordes, and marke my talke.
Strictly literal
Hear attentively my speech and my declaration with your ears.
Hear ye diligently my word, And my declaration with your ears.
Hear my word diligently, || And my declaration with your ears.
Listen well to my word, and to my demonstration with your ears.
God, listen carefully to my speech; let my declaration come to your ears.
From the Latin
Hear ye my speech, and receive with Sour ears hidden truths.
Simplified
Listen carefully to what I say, pay attention to my explanation.
Give ear with care to my words, and keep what I say in your minds.
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 their wording for this verse, with all five words matched. This consistency suggests a shared understanding of Job's imperative to listen attentively.
שִׁמְע֣וּ שָׁ֭מוֹעַ מִלָּתִ֑י וְ֝אַֽחֲוָתִ֗י בְּאָזְנֵיכֶֽם׃
5 of the 5 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 13:17
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.
The Hebrew word שָׁמַע (shama`) means 'to hear' and encompasses a range of meanings including listening, obeying, and proclaiming. It is built from a primitive root and can imply attention and understanding. The entries highlight various grammatical forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of hearing and obeying. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
שָׁמַע 1152 vb. hear
Qal 1052
subj. pers. hum.
י׳ (God) subj.
Niph. 42 be heard, of voice, sound
be heard of
be regarded, obeyed
= (favourable) hearing was granted to their voice.
Pi. he caused the people to hear
Hiph. 63
of man
י׳ subj.
base
H8085 שָׁמַע hear
8085 shama` shaw-mah'
a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with
implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to
tell, etc.):--X attentively, call (gather) together, X
carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content,
declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make
to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be)
obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish,
regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell,
understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.
שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: hear.
: hear
v
1) to hear, listen to, obey
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)
1a2) to hear of or concerning
1a3) to hear (have power to hear)
1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to
1a5) to understand (language)
1a6) to hear (of judicial cases)
1a7) to listen, give heed
1a7a) to consent, agree
1a7b) to grant request
1a8) to listen to, yield to
1a9) to obey, be obedient
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound)
1b2) to be heard of
1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed
1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound
1d2) to sound aloud (musical term)
1d3) to make proclamation, summon
1d4) to cause to be heard
n m
2) sound
שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: obey.
: obey
v
1) to hear, listen to, obey
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)
1a2) to hear of or concerning
1a3) to hear (have power to hear)
V-Qal-Impv-2mp — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine pluralHVqv2mp
The Hebrew word שָׁמַע (shama`) means 'to hear' and encompasses a range of meanings including listening, obeying, and proclaiming. It is built from a primitive root and can imply attention and understanding. The entries highlight various grammatical forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of hearing and obeying. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
שָׁמַע 1152 vb. hear
Qal 1052
subj. pers. hum.
י׳ (God) subj.
Niph. 42 be heard, of voice, sound
be heard of
be regarded, obeyed
= (favourable) hearing was granted to their voice.
Pi. he caused the people to hear
Hiph. 63
of man
י׳ subj.
base
H8085 שָׁמַע hear
8085 shama` shaw-mah'
a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with
implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to
tell, etc.):--X attentively, call (gather) together, X
carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content,
declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make
to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be)
obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish,
regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell,
understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.
שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: hear.
: hear
v
1) to hear, listen to, obey
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)
1a2) to hear of or concerning
1a3) to hear (have power to hear)
1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to
1a5) to understand (language)
1a6) to hear (of judicial cases)
1a7) to listen, give heed
1a7a) to consent, agree
1a7b) to grant request
1a8) to listen to, yield to
1a9) to obey, be obedient
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound)
1b2) to be heard of
1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed
1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound
1d2) to sound aloud (musical term)
1d3) to make proclamation, summon
1d4) to cause to be heard
n m
2) sound
שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: obey.
: obey
v
1) to hear, listen to, obey
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)
1a2) to hear of or concerning
1a3) to hear (have power to hear)
HVqaa — Verb · Qal · infinitive absoluteHVqaa
מִלָּה (millah) means 'word' or 'speech' and can refer to a discourse or topic. It is derived from a root that suggests collective speech or utterance. The term encompasses various forms of communication, including answers and by-words. The Aramaic equivalent is also מִלָּה.
מִלָּה n.f. word, speech, utterance
base
H4405 מִלָּה
4405 millah mil-law'
from 4448 (plural masculine as if from milleh {mil-leh'}; a
word; collectively, a discourse; figuratively, a topic:--+
answer, by-word, matter, any thing (what) to say, to
speak(-ing), speak, talking, word.
see HEBREW for 04448
מִלָּה (mil.lah) — speech.
word, speech, utterance
Aramaic equivalent: mil.lah (מִלָּה "word" H4406)
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp1bs
אַחְוָה (achvah) means 'declaration' and is derived from the root associated with utterance. It appears in the Old Testament only in Job 13:17. The Aramaic equivalent is noted as אַחֲוָיָה (achavayah), meaning 'explanation'.
[אַחְוָה] n.f. declaration—only sf. Jb 13:17
ref
H262 אַחְוָה
262 'achvah akh-vaw'
from 2331 (in the sense of 2324); an utterance:--
declaration.
see HEBREW for 02331
see HEBREW for 02324
אַחְוָה (ach.vah) — declaration.
declaration
Aramaic equivalent: a.cha.vah (אַחֲוָיָה "explanation" H0263)
Conj | N-fs | Suff — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHC/Ncfsc/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word אֹ֫זֶן (*ozen*) means 'ear' and is derived from a root that suggests broadness. It refers to the physical ear as well as the organ of hearing, and can also imply the act of revealing or receiving divine revelation. The term appears in contexts such as Exodus 29:20.
אֹ֫זֶן 188 n.f. Ex 29:20 ear
ear, as part of body
especially as organ of hearing
open ears of, reveal to
base
H241 אֹ֫זֶן ear
241 'ozen o'-zen
from 238; broadness. i.e. (concrete) the ear (from its form
in man):--+ advertise, audience, + displease, ear, hearing, +
show.
see HEBREW for 0238
אֹ֫זֶן (o.zen) — ear.
: ear
1) ear, as part of the body
2) ear, as organ of hearing
3) (subjective) to uncover the ear to reveal; the receiver of divine revelation
אֹ֫זֶן (o.zen) — ear: hearing.
: hearing
1) ear, as part of the body
2) ear, as organ of hearing
3) (subjective) to uncover the ear to reveal; the receiver of divine revelation
אֹ֫זֶן (o.zen) — ear: to ears.
: to[ears_of](PERSON)
1) ear, as part of the body
2) ear, as organ of hearing
3) (subjective) to uncover the ear to reveal; the receiver of divine revelation
Prep | N-fd | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine dual construct · suffixHR/Ncfdc/Sp2mp