Job 15:32 — Word Study
WLCבְּֽלֹא־ י֭וֹמוֹ תִּמָּלֵ֑א וְ֝כִפָּת֗וֹ לֹ֣א רַעֲנָֽנָה׃
BSA◂It will be paid in fullmâlêʼ▸ [accomplished, fulfilled, completely, totally] beforelôʼ his timeyôwm [appointed, designated, day, season] and his branchkippâh [leaf, limb] will notlôʼ [never, under no circumstances] flourishraʻănân■ [be fresh, be green, be luxuriant]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּֽלֹא־ | on not | Preposition, particle |
| י֭וֹמוֹ | day his | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| תִּמָּלֵ֑א | it will be completed | Verb, Niphal, imperfect third person feminine singular |
| וְ֝כִפָּת֗וֹ | and palm branch his | Conjunction, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| לֹ֣א | not | Particle |
| רַעֲנָֽנָה׃ | it will grow luxuriant | Verb, Piel, perfect third person feminine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not flourish. |
| KJV | It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green. |
| ASV | It shall be accomplished before his time, And his branch shall not be green. |
| YLT | Not in his day is it completed, And his bending branch is not green. |
| WEB | It will be accomplished before his time. His branch will not be green. |
| BBE | His branch is cut off before its time, and his leaf is no longer green. |
Where they part company is on the nuances of the fulfillment and timing — see How Translations Differ.
One main verb with two modifying phrases, emphasizing the certainty of the fulfillment and the negation of flourishing.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbמָלֵא
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 15:32
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 — The Discourse on the Fate of the Wickedgenerated
Job 15:32 is part of Eliphaz's speech, where he discusses the consequences of wickedness and the ultimate fate awaiting those who oppose God. Eliphaz emphasizes that the wicked will not prosper, and their time will be cut short, illustrating a theme of divine justice that runs throughout the book of Job. This passage is a warning that aligns with the broader context of the discourse, which addresses the nature of suffering and righteousness.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 22:16 | They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood. |
| 2 | Psalm 55:23 | But You, O God, will bring them down to the Pit of destruction; men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You. |
| 3 | Ecclesiastes 7:17 | Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time? |
| 4 | Job 8:16–19 | He is a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden. |
| 5 | Job 14:7–9 | For there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender shoots will not fail. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 12 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תִּמָּלֵ֑א, ti.ma.Le'generated
The verb מָלֵא (male') means 'to fill' or 'be full,' indicating completion or fulfillment. In this context, it suggests that something will be fulfilled or completed, but with a sense of urgency or precociousness, as it will happen before its due time.
The Niphal form indicates a passive or reflexive action, suggesting that the fulfillment is not merely an event but is also subject to divine timing, highlighting the inevitability of the outcome as determined by God.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses paid in full to convey the sense of completion.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb תִּמָּלֵ֑א governs the sentence, indicating the action of fulfillment, with two phrases modifying the subject: a negation phrase and a description of the branch's fate. The structure emphasizes the certainty of the outcome, as well as the conditions surrounding it.
The word order places the negation לֹא before the subject, highlighting the emphatic assertion that the branch will not flourish, which serves to underscore the consequences of the preceding fulfillment.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates תִּמָּלֵ֑א with φθαρήσεται, which conveys a sense of decay or perish, suggesting a different nuance than simply being filled. This choice indicates a broader interpretation of the consequences faced by the wicked.
The use of οὐ for the negation aligns with the Hebrew's emphatic denial, reinforcing the idea that the branch will not thrive.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 15:32 warns that the fulfillment of a person's life will come too soon, and their vitality will not thrive. This reflects the broader theme of divine justice and the fate of the wicked.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This indicates that the fulfillment or consequence of one's actions will occur prematurely, emphasizing the lack of control over timing in divine matters.
The branch symbolizes vitality and prosperity; its failure to flourish signifies the ultimate demise of the wicked and their inability to thrive.
This verse contributes to the theme of divine justice in Job, illustrating that the wicked will face consequences for their actions, reinforcing the idea that righteousness is ultimately rewarded.
Eliphaz refers to the appointed time for a person's life, suggesting that God's timing for fulfillment is sovereign and cannot be altered by human actions.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen the consequences of actions unfold in unexpected timing in my life?
- How can I ensure that I am living in a way that aligns with God's timing and purposes?
- What does it mean to me that my vitality is tied to my relationship with God?
- How can I encourage others to recognize the importance of living righteously?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early interpretations of this verse, such as from Gregory the Dialogist, highlight the themes of divine timing and justice.
Ver. 32. Before his days are fulfilled he shall perish, and his hands shall wither. The days foreordained to each individual by the Divine Prescience can neither be increased nor lessened,Early Church Fathers on Job 15 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 15:32 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleIt shall be accomplished before his time, Either the recompence or reward of his trusting vanity, in vain persons or things, the punishment of such a trust, the sorrows and troubles following upon
Read John Gill on Job 15 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryIt shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 15 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleIt shall be accomplished, to wit, that which was last mentioned, that vanity should be his recompence. Or, it, i.e. his branch, mentioned in the next clause of the verse, from which it is understood in this former clause, as is very usual in the Holy Scripture, shall be consumed, or cut off. Before his time, i.e. when by the course of nature and common providence it might have continued and flourished much longer. His branch; either, 1. His glory and prosperity. Or rather, 2. His children, by comparing , where the desolation is said to fall upon all the congregation and tabernacles of these men; and so he reflects upon Job, who lost his children. Shall not be green, i.e. shall not continue…
Read Matthew Poole on Job 15 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 15:32 It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.Ver. 32. It shall be accomplished before his time] Heb. In not his day. That recompense before mentioned of calamity and death shall be hastened, so that they shall not live out half their days, Psalms 55:22, but die tempore non suo, Ecclesiastes 7:15, then when it were better for them to do anything rather than to die, since they perish in their corruptions, they are killed with death, Revelation 2:23; see Proverbs 7:27. Death ever taketh a wicked man unprovided, Haec enim vena nobis ab Adam agnata est, ut nullam arborem ad suspendium aptam invenire possimus: neque unquam caro mortem eligit, nisi pressa…
Read John Trapp on Job 15 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(32) It shall be accomplished.—That is, paid in full before its time. The remainder of this chapter calls for little explanation. In it the speaker only repeats the orthodox and familiar saw that the wicked are punished in life, and therefore, by implication, the good rewarded: a maxim which fails utterly in the face of afflictions like those of Job, unless, as his friends insinuated, he was one of the wicked. After stating the doom of the ungodly, Eliphaz, in the last verse, sums up the character of those he has been denouncing. Not only are they evil in themselves, but they hatch evil; but it is evil that recoils on themselves.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 15 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 32. It shall be accomplished before his time] I believe the Vulgate gives the true sense: Antequam dies ejus impleantur, peribit; "He shall perish before his time; before his days are completed." 8. He shall be removed by a violent death, and not live out half his days. 9. And his branch shall not be green - there shall be no scion from his roots; all his posterity shall fail.
Read AdamClarke on Job 15 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges32. Before his time] lit. before his day, that is, the natural day of his death, cf. ch. Job 22:16; and the clause means, in the midst of his years (Psalms 55:23) his recompence, or exchange, is fulfilled and goes into accomplishment—he is cut off. The words might also mean that his recompence accrues to him in its fulness. In the second clause “branch” is the palm-branch, or crowning tuft (Isaiah 9:14), and the figure is that of such a tree withered and dead.
Read Cambridge on Job 15 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleIt shall be accomplished before his time - Margin, “cut off.” The image here is that of a tree, which had been suggested in Job 15:30.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 15 →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
It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not flourish.
It will be accomplished before his time. His branch will not be green.
It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not flourish.
Before his time he will be paid in full, and his branches will not flourish.
Tyndale line
It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
It shall be accomplished before his time, And his branch shall not be green.
It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
His branch shall not be greene, but shall be cut off before his day.
Strictly literal
It shall be complete before his day, and his branch shall not be green.
Not in his day is it completed, And his bending branch is not green.
It is not completed in his day, || And his bending branch is not green.
Even before his time will it be overfull, and his branches will not be green.
It will happen before his time should come to die; his branch will not be green.
From the Latin
Before his days be full he shall perish: and his hands shall wither away.
Simplified
This will be paid in full before their time has come. They are like tree branches that wither,
His branch is cut off before its time, and his leaf is no longer green.
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 on the wording of בְּֽלֹא־ י֭וֹמוֹ תִּמָּלֵ֑א וְ֝כִפָּת֗וֹ לֹ֣א רַעֲנָֽנָה׃, with no significant variations noted. The Septuagint's word order differs but retains the core meaning of the original text.
בְּֽלֹא־ י֭וֹמוֹ תִּמָּלֵ֑א וְ֝כִפָּת֗וֹ לֹ֣א רַעֲנָֽנָה׃
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 15:32
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.
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
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)
Prep | Part — Preposition · particleHR/Tn
יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.
יוֹם 2285 n.m. day
day, opp. night
Day as division of time
יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
Pl. days of anyone
Days
יוֹם = time
Phrases
base
H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night
. Day as division of time
. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
. Pl. days of anyone
. Days
. יוֹם = time
. Phrases
3117 yowm yome
from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm
hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one
sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by
an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +
chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)
day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +
(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as
(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,
presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,
then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,
weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole
(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.
יוֹם (yom) — day.
: day/when/time/period
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: old.
: old/(full/many)[days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: year.
: year[of_days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3ms
מָלֵא (male') means 'to fill' or 'be full,' with applications ranging from literal filling to figurative uses like accomplishing or completing something. It appears in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hithpael, indicating different nuances such as being satisfied or confirming. Notably, it can also refer to massing against someone.
מָלֵא 249 vb. be full, fill
Qal 99
be full, usu. c. acc. material
trans. fill
Niph.
be filled
be accomplished, ended
Pi.
fill
special uses are:
fulfil, accomplish, complete, obj. week, year, day
Pu. filled
Hithp. mass themselves against me
base
H4390 מָלֵא be full, fill .. be full, usu. c. acc. material
. trans. fill
. . be filled
. be accomplished, ended
. . fill
. special uses are:
. fulfil, accomplish, complete, obj. week, year, day
. filled
. mass themselves against me
4390 male' maw-lay'
or malae (Esth. 7:5) {maw-law'}; a primitive root, to fill or
(intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally
and figuratively):--accomplish, confirm, + consecrate, be at
an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, X
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, + have
wholly.
מָלֵא (ma.le) — to fill.
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)
V-Niphal-Imperf-3fs — Verb · Niphal · imperfect third person feminine singularHVNi3fs
כִּפָּה (kippah) refers to a branch or frond, likely from a palm tree. The entries consistently describe it as a feminine noun related to the leaf of a palm tree, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
כִּפָּה n.f. branch, frond (prob. of palm-tree)
base
H3712 כִּפָּה branch, frond (prob. of palm-tree)
3712 kippah kip-paw'
feminine of 3709; a leaf of a palm-tree:--branch.
see HEBREW for 03709
כִּפָּה (kip.pah) — branch.
branch, leaf, frond, palm frond, palm branch
Conj | N-fs | Suff — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
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)
Part — ParticleHTn
The Hebrew word רָעַן (*ra`an*) is a verb meaning to be or grow luxuriant, fresh, or green, while רַעֲנָן (*ra`anan*) is an adjective describing something as luxuriant or fresh. It is derived from an unused root meaning to be green and can also imply prosperity. The verb appears in Job 15:32.
[רָעַן] vb. only Pa‛lel be or grow luxuriant, fresh, green;—Jb 15:32
ref
רַעֲנָן adj. luxuriant, fresh
base
H7488a רָעַן only Pa‛lal be or grow luxuriant, fresh, green H7488b רַעֲנָן luxuriant, fresh
7488 ra`anan rah-an-awn'
from an unused root meaning to be green; verdant; by analogy,
new; figuratively, prosperous:--green, flourishing.
רָעַן (ra.an) — be fresh.
v
(Palel) to be or grow luxuriant or fresh or green
רַעֲנָן (ra.a.nan) — luxuriant.
adj
luxuriant, fresh
Aramaic equivalent: ra.a.nan (רַעֲנַן "luxuriant" H7487)
V-k-Perf-3fs — Verb · Piel · perfect third person feminine singularHVpp3fs