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Job 20:22 — Word Study

Depth

WLCבִּמְלֹ֣אות שִׂ֭פְקוֹ יֵ֣צֶר ל֑וֹ כָּל־ יַ֖ד עָמֵ֣ל תְּבוֹאֶֽנּוּ׃

BSAIn the midstmâlêʼ [center, heart] of his plentyçêpheq [abundance, wealth] he will be distressedyâtsar [straitened, in a tight spot] the fullkôl forceyâd [every hand, complete power] of miseryʻâmêl [sorrow, trouble] will come upon himbôwʼ [overtake, meet, against him, to his harm]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 20
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 22 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (te.vo.'E.nu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 20:22quick helps
In a sentenceJob describes the fate of the wicked, who despite their abundance, will face distress and misery.
Who is speakingJob, reflecting on the nature of the wicked's experience.
Where we areIn a discourse on the transient nature of the wicked's prosperity.
The hard wordעָמֵ֣ל
Take awayEven in plenty, trouble can strike unexpectedly.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbצרר The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

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 20:22

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 Fate of the Wickedgenerated

21Nothing is left for him to consume; thus his prosperity will not endure.
22In the midst of his plenty, he will be distressed; the full force of misery will come upon him.
23When he has filled his stomach, God will vent His fury upon him, raining it down on him as he eats.
24Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow will pierce him.

Job 20:22 presents a vivid picture of the wicked's downfall, emphasizing that their apparent prosperity will not shield them from impending distress. Job argues that despite their abundance, they will ultimately face overwhelming misery, as illustrated in the surrounding verses that discuss the futility of their wealth and the certainty of divine judgment.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 15:29He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land.
2Job 18:7His vigorous stride is shortened, and his own schemes trip him up.
3Psalm 39:5You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah
4Ecclesiastes 2:18–20I hated all for which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
5Revelation 18:7As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

wickedJob 3:17

The Key Word עָמֵ֣ל, 'a.Melgenerated

The word עָמֵל (amel) describes a laborer or sufferer, emphasizing toil and hardship. It can refer to both a concrete worker and a figurative sense of sorrow or misery, indicating that the wicked will experience profound suffering despite their wealth.

This term appears in contexts highlighting labor and suffering, suggesting that the wicked's labor will not lead to lasting joy but rather to distress. In this verse, it underscores the irony that those who seem to thrive will ultimately find themselves in a state of anguish.


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. The BSB uses distressed and misery, which align closely with the original Hebrew meanings.

Where others part company with the BSB they part company over the word עָמֵ֣לtrouble (BBE, FBV, ULB) and sorrow (DRA) reflect different nuances of suffering, with the BSB maintaining a focus on distress.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is יֵ֣צֶר, it will be distress, which governs the entire sentence. The structure includes a prepositional phrase indicating the condition of the subject (in the midst of plenty) and a noun phrase that specifies the subject experiencing the distress.

The Hebrew word order emphasizes the contrast between the subject's abundance and the impending distress, highlighting the theme of unexpected consequences.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates עָמֵ֣ל with the Greek word ἀνάγκη, meaning 'necessity' or 'distress.' This choice reflects a narrowing of the Hebrew's broader implications of labor and suffering, focusing instead on the inevitability of hardship.

This translation shows that the translators understood the wicked's experience as one of unavoidable distress, aligning with the overall message of Job's discourse.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 20:22 shows that even when the wicked seem to have plenty, they will still face distress and misery. This verse warns that their wealth will not protect them from suffering, as they will ultimately encounter hardship.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that he will be distressed in the midst of plenty?

It indicates that despite having abundance, the wicked will experience turmoil and trouble, reflecting the fleeting nature of their prosperity.

How does this verse relate to the overall message of Job?

This verse illustrates Job's argument about the fate of the wicked, emphasizing that outward success does not guarantee inner peace or security.

Why is the word 'misery' significant here?

The use of 'misery' highlights the depth of suffering that will come upon the wicked, contrasting sharply with their current abundance.

What can we learn from the fate of the wicked described in this verse?

We learn that true security and fulfillment do not come from material wealth but from a righteous life, as the wicked will ultimately face consequences for their actions.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I seen people struggle despite their apparent success?
  2. How does this verse challenge my understanding of wealth and prosperity?
  3. What does it mean for me to find true security outside of material possessions?
  4. How can I apply the lessons from this verse to my own life and choices?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

The commentary from early Church Fathers often reflects on the themes of suffering and divine justice found in Job. Here, quotations are provided to illustrate their interpretations of this verse.

Olympiodorus of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON Job 20:21-23 6th c.
Perhaps not even his goods will flourish, but they will become corrupted while still in bloom. In fact, if he appears to be full and abundant in all goods, then every need and affliction will assault him, so that he fills his belly,
Early Church Fathers on Job 20 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 20:22 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits,.... For though he may not only have a sufficient competency to live upon, but even a fulness of temporal blessings, have as much as heart can

Read John Gill on Job 20 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him. Shall be - rather, 'he is (feeleth) straitened' (Umbreit). The next clause explains in what respect.

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 20 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits; i.e. the height of prosperity and abundance he shall be distressed and tormented, either by the horrors of an unquiet mind and guilty conscience, which makes him every moment expect Divine vengeance to fall upon his head; or rather, because of the sudden and unexpected assault of other men combining against him, and spoiling all his goods, as it follows. Every hand of the wicked, who lives by injury and the spoiling of others, and by God’ s providence are directed to fall upon him. Or, of the labourer, whose wages possibly he hath detained; or, of such as are in trouble or misery, as this word signifies, , who may jointly invade him…

Read Matthew Poole on Job 20 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 20:22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.Ver. 22. In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits] The covetous man never hath a sufficiency (but is as greedily gasping still after more, as if he were not worth a halfpenny), much less a fulness of sufficiency, a superfluity, a superabundance. Whatsoever Esau pretended in his, "I have enough, my brother," Genesis 33:9, Jacob could indeed say truly, I have enough, Genesis 33:11, for godliness only hath an autarchy, 1 Timothy 6:6. True piety hath true plenty, and is never without a well contenting sufficiency, wherein the good man is, when in the fulness of…

Read John Trapp on Job 20 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(22) The hand of every one that is in misery shall come upon him: i.e., in retaliation, or possibly, but less probably, every blow of a miserable man, which can render a man miserable, shall come upon him.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 20 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 22. In the fullness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits] This is a fine saying, and few of the menders of Job's text have been able to improve the version. It is literally true of every great, rich, wicked man; he has no God, and anxieties and perplexities torment him, notwithstanding he has his portion in this life. Every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.] All kinds of misery shall be his portion. Coverdale translates: Though he had plenteousnesse of every thinge, yet was he poore; and, therefore, he is but a wretch on every syde.

Read AdamClarke on Job 20 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

22. In the moment of his great abundance his straitness comes suddenly upon him. every hand of the wicked] Rather, of the wretched (ch. Job 3:20, him that is in misery). All those in destitution, and the lawless, both those whom he has oppressed and those perhaps who make common cause with them, shall rise up against him and make him their prey. The picture is similar to that drawn by Eliphaz, ch. Job 5:5.

Read Cambridge on Job 20 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In the fulness of his sufficiency - When he seems to have an abundance. He shall be in straits - Either by the dread of calamity, or because calamity shall come suddenly upon him, and his property shall be swept away.

Read Albert Barnes on Job 20 →

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

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

In the midst of his plenty, he will be distressed; the full force of misery will come upon him.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress will overtake him. The hand of everyone who is in misery will come on him.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

In the midst of his plenty, he will be distressed; the full force of misery will come upon him.

NETBNew English Translation2006

In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress overtakes him. the full force of misery will come upon him.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: The hand of every one that is in misery shall come upon him.

RVARevised Version, American1894

In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: the hand of every one that is in misery shall come upon him.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

In the fullness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

When he shalbe filled with his abundance, he shalbe in paine, and the hand of all the wicked shall assaile him.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits; every hand of the wretched shall come upon him.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

In the fulness of his sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet him.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

In the fullness of his sufficiency he is constricted. Every perverse hand meets him.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

In the fulness of his abundance will distress assail him: every hand of [those he] troubled will come against him.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

In the abundance of his wealth he will fall into trouble; the hand of everyone who is in poverty will come against him.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

When he shall be filled, he shall be straitened, he shall burn, and every sorrow shall fall upon him.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Even when the wicked have all that they want they run into trouble; all kinds of misery will fall upon them.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Even when his wealth is great, he is full of care, for the hand of everyone who is in trouble is turned against him.

Word by word, the decisions they made

עָמֵ֣ל'a.Mel a sufferer H6001 2 different renderings
troubleBBE FBV ULB
sorrowDRA

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.

clauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalבִּwhenclauseverbמְלֹ֣אותis.fullnoun phrase · subjectשִׂ֭פְקsufficiencyוֹhisverbיֵ֣צֶרit.will.be.distressprepositional phrase · prepositionalל֑toוֹhimclausenoun phrase · subjectכָּלeverynoun phraseיַ֖דhandעָמֵ֣לof.a.suffererverbתְּבוֹאֶֽitadverbialנּוּwill.come.to.him

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text presents the verse as בִּמְלֹ֣אות שִׂ֭פְקוֹ יֵ֣צֶר ל֑וֹ כָּל־ יַ֖ד עָמֵ֣ל תְּבוֹאֶֽנּוּ׃. The Septuagint matches five of the eight words, indicating a significant agreement in meaning, though the word order and specific articles differ.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

בִּמְלֹ֣אות שִׂ֭פְקוֹ יֵ֣צֶר ל֑וֹ כָּל־ יַ֖ד עָמֵ֣ל תְּבוֹאֶֽנּוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
בִּמְלֹ֣אותδὲשִׂ֭פְקוֹἤδηכָּל־πᾶσαעָמֵ֣לἀνάγκηתְּבוֹאֶֽנּוּ׃αὐτὸν

5 of the 8 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.

Job 20:22מָלֵאwhen is fulwhen is fullמָלֵאשֶׂ֫פֶקsufficiencysufficiency hisשֶׂ֫פֶקצָרַרit will be it will be distצָרַרוֹto himto himוֹכֹּלeveryeveryכֹּליָדhand ofhand ofיָדעָמֵלa sufferera suffererעָמֵלבּוֹאit will comit will come toבּוֹאסָפַקto slapto slapסָפַקכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלכַּףpalmpalmכַּףעָמַלto toilto toilעָמַלשֶׁ֫מֶשׁsunsunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁחָמָסviolenceviolenceחָמָסעָנָןcloudcloudעָנָןצַ֫עַדstepstepצַ֫עַדמְאֹדmuchmuchמְאֹדעֵדָהcongregaticongregationעֵדָהעֲבֹדָהserviceserviceעֲבֹדָהחָזָקstrongstrongחָזָקנָצַלto rescueto rescueנָצַלעָמָלtroubletroubleעָמָל
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Job 20:22

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.

when is full sufficiency his it will be distress to him every hand of a sufferer it will come to him
בִּמְלֹ֣אותbim.Lot when is full H4390 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
249× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
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.
Amplified meaning
center, heart
Tyndale gloss
to fill
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

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.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

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)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
HR/Vqcc
when is full sufficiency his it will be distress to him every hand of a sufferer it will come to him
שִׂ֭פְקוֹSif.kov sufficiency his H5607 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
2× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This noun means sufficiency or having enough of something. It can also refer to chastisement or punishment. The KJV translates it as 'stroke, sufficiency'.
Amplified meaning
abundance, wealth
Tyndale gloss
mockery
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שֶׂ֫פֶק (*se.pheq*) has two main meanings: it can refer to mockery or scorn, often associated with hand-clapping, and it can also mean sufficiency or plenty. The word is derived from a root that suggests chastisement or satiety. Job 20:22 is a notable verse where the term appears.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שֶׂ֫פֶק] n.[m.] doubtful word; hand-clapping, i.e. mockery

base

[שֵׂ֫פֶק] n.[m.] sufficiency, plenty;—sf. Jb 20:22

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5607a שֶׂ֫פֶק doubtful word; hand-clapping, i.e. mockery H5607b שֵׂ֫פֶק sufficiency, plenty

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5607 cepheq say'-fek

or sepheq (Job 20:22; 36:18) {seh'-fek}; from 5606;

chastisement; also satiety:--stroke, sufficiency.

see HEBREW for 05606

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֶׂ֫פֶק (se.pheq) — mockery.

handclapping, mocking, mockery, scorn

שֵׂ֫פֶק (se.pheq) — sufficiency.

sufficiency, plenty

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

when is full sufficiency his it will be distress to him every hand of a sufferer it will come to him
יֵ֣צֶרYe.tzer it will be distress H3334 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
10× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes being in distress or a tight spot, like being narrow or cramped. It's used in the Bible to describe difficult situations, such as in Psalm 119:143.
Amplified meaning
straitened, in a tight spot
Tyndale gloss
be distressed
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word צָרַר (tsarar) encompasses meanings related to binding, being restricted, and experiencing distress. It is derived from a primitive root that suggests pressing or narrowing, and can describe both physical and emotional states of being cramped or in straits. The entries highlight its usage in various forms, including Qal and Hiphil, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צָרַר vb. bind, tie up, be restricted, narrow, scant, cramped

trans.

Qal bind or tie up

Pu. tied up (mended by tying)

intrans.

Qal be scant, cramped, in straits

Hiph. make narrow for, press hard upon, cause distress to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3334 צָרַר bind, tie up, be restricted, narrow, scant, cramped

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3334 yatsar yaw-tsar'

a primitive root; to press (intransitive), i.e. be narrow;

figuratively, be in distress:--be distressed, be narrow, be

straitened (in straits), be vexed.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָצַר (ya.tsar) — be distressed.

1) to bind, be distressed, be in distress, be cramped, be narrow, be scant, be in straits, make narrow, cause distress, beseige

1a) (Qal) to suffer distress

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
when is full sufficiency his it will be distress to him every hand of a sufferer it will come to him
ל֑וֹlo to him H9033 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

וֹ (o) — him.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp3ms
when is full sufficiency his it will be distress to him every hand of a sufferer it will come to him
כָּל־kol- every H3605 Noun common · masculine singular construct
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
when is full sufficiency his it will be distress to him every hand of a sufferer it will come to him
יַ֖דyad hand of H3027 Noun common · both singular construct
1,619× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, 'yad' refers to an open hand, symbolizing power or direction. It can also mean strength or a part of something, like a side or a share. The word is used in many contexts, including anatomy and everyday life.
Amplified meaning
every hand, complete power
Tyndale gloss
hand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָד (yad) means 'hand' and can also refer to strength or power in a figurative sense. It encompasses various technical uses, such as a sign or monument, parts or shares, and even specific components in construction, like axle-trees and supports for the laver. The word is versatile, appearing in both literal and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָד 1604 n.f. hand

hand

Fig. = strength, power

Fig. = side

יָד is used in various special, technical senses:—

sign, monument

part, fractional part or share

time, repetition

axle-trees

stays, supports for laver

tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle

a (beckoning) hand

יַד with prep.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3027 יָד hand . hand

. Fig. = strength, power

. Fig. = side

. יָד is used in various special, technical senses:— . sign, monument

. part, fractional part or share

. time, repetition

. axle-trees

. stays, supports for laver

. tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle

. a (beckoning) hand

. יַד with prep.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3027 yad yawd

a primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power,

means, direction, etc.), in distinction from 3709, the closed

one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of

applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate

and remote (as follows):--(+ be) able, X about, + armholes,

at, axletree, because of, beside, border, X bounty, + broad,

(broken-)handed, X by, charge, coast, + consecrate, +

creditor, custody, debt, dominion, X enough, + fellowship,

force, X from, hand(-staves, -y work), X he, himself, X in,

labour, + large, ledge, (left-)handed, means, X mine,

ministry, near, X of, X order, ordinance, X our, parts, pain,

power, X presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay,

draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, X thee, X by

them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X throwing,

+ thumb, times, X to, X under, X us, X wait on, (way-)side,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָד (yad) — hand.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)

1d) (various special, technical senses)

1d1) sign, monument

1d2) part, fractional part, share

1d3) time, repetition

1d4) axle-trees, axle

1d5) stays, support (for laver)

1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)

1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)

1d8) wrists

יָד (yad) — hand: power.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)

1d) (various special, technical senses)

1d1) sign, monument

1d2) part, fractional part, share

1d3) time, repetition

1d4) axle-trees, axle

1d5) stays, support (for laver)

1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)

1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)

1d8) wrists

יָד (yad) — hand: themselves.

: hand/arm[anatomy]

1) hand

1a) hand (of man)

1b) strength, power (fig.)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs — Noun common · both singular construct
HNcbsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

when is full sufficiency his it will be distress to him every hand of a sufferer it will come to him
עָמֵ֣ל'a.Mel a sufferer H6001 Adj
9× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes someone who is laboring or sorrowful, like a worker or a person in misery. It appears in the Bible to describe people who are struggling or suffering.
Amplified meaning
sorrow, trouble
Tyndale gloss
labour(er)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָמֵל (amel) refers to a laborer or sufferer, emphasizing toil and hardship. The word can denote both a concrete worker and a figurative sense of sorrow or misery. It is derived from a root that implies toiling, and it appears in contexts that highlight labor and suffering.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָמֵל n.m. laborer, sufferer

base

עָמֵל adj.verb. toiling, only Ec, as pred.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6001a עָמֵל laborer, sufferer H6001b עָמֵל adj. verb. toiling

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6001 `amel aw-male'

from 5998; toiling; concretely, a laborer; figuratively,

sorrowful:--that laboureth, that is a misery, had taken

(labour), wicked, workman.

see HEBREW for 05998

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָמֵל (a.mel) — labour(er).

1) labourer, sufferer, wretched one

1a) labourer, workman

1b) sufferer

עָמֵל (a.mel) — laborious.

adj v

toiling

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAamsa
when is full sufficiency his it will be distress to him every hand of a sufferer it will come to him
תְּבוֹאֶֽנּוּ׃te.vo.'E.nu it will come to him H935 Verb qal imperfect third person feminine singular · suffix
2,573× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to go or come, and is used in many contexts, such as entering a place or approaching someone, as seen in the book of Genesis. It can also mean to abide or apply, and is translated in various ways in the KJV Bible. This term is related to the name Lebo Hamath.
Amplified meaning
overtake, meet, against him, to his harm
Tyndale gloss
Lebo
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go

Qal

come in

come (approach, arrive)

go, i.e. walk, associate with

go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

Hoph.

be brought in (of pers. and things)

be brought

be introduced, put

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in

. come (approach, arrive)

. go, i.e. walk, associate with

. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

. . be brought in (of pers. and things)

. be brought

. be introduced, put

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

935 bow' bo

a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of

applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +

besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X

certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,

upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,

(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be

fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),

grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,

pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken

(in age), X surely, take (in), way.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.

: come/go_in

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

1a5) to go

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to lead in

1b2) to carry in

1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon

1b4) to bring to pass

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought, brought in

1c2) to be introduced, be put

לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).

This name means to go in, enter

Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.

: towards/entrance

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3fs | Suff — Verb qal imperfect third person feminine singular · suffix
HVqi3fs/Sp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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