Job 28:11 — Word Study
WLCמִ֭בְּכִי נְהָר֣וֹת חִבֵּ֑שׁ וְ֝תַעֲלֻמָ֗הּ יֹ֣צִא אֽוֹר׃ פ
BSAHe stops upchâbash■ [binds, dams] the sourcesBᵉkîy [floods, streams] ◂of the streamsnâhâr [rivers, flowing waters] to bringyâtsâʼ▸ [to cause to come out, to uncover] ◂what is hiddentaʻălummâh [secret, concealed] to lightʼôwr [enlightenment, understanding, spiritual illumination]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מִ֭בְּכִי | from weeping | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| נְהָר֣וֹת | rivers | Noun common, feminine plural absolute |
| חִבֵּ֑שׁ | he restrains | Verb, Piel, perfect third person masculine singular |
| וְ֝תַעֲלֻמָ֗הּ | and secret her | Conjunction, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| יֹ֣צִא | he brings out | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| אֽוֹר׃ פ | light | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light. |
| KJV | He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light. |
| ASV | He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; And the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light. |
| YLT | From overflowing floods he hath bound, And the hidden thing bringeth out [to] light. |
| WEB | He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light. |
| BBE | He keeps back the streams from flowing, and makes the secret things come out into the light. |
Translations agree on the meaning of חִבֵּשׁ — see How Translations Differ.
The main verb leads the sentence, with a purpose clause explaining the action's intent.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbחָבַשׁ
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 28:11
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 — The Search for Wisdomgenerated
Job 28:11 is part of a larger passage where Job contemplates the elusive nature of wisdom. He describes how God has control over the natural world, including the ability to stop up rivers and reveal hidden things. This reflects a broader theme in the book of Job regarding the relationship between divine wisdom and human understanding.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 26:8 | He wraps up the waters in His clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their own weight. |
| 2 | Isaiah 37:25 | I have dug wells and drunk foreign waters. With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.” |
| 3 | Isaiah 44:27 | who says to the depths of the sea, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your currents,’ |
| 4 | Isaiah 45:2–3 | “I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron. |
| 5 | 1 Corinthians 4:5 | Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חִבֵּשׁ, chi.Beshgenerated
The verb חָבַשׁ (*chabash*) means to bind or restrain, indicating an action of stopping or controlling. It is often used in contexts where something is firmly tied or held back, such as in the binding of wounds or stopping a flow.
In this verse, it conveys God's power to restrain the sources of rivers, symbolizing His authority over creation and the natural order. The action of binding also suggests a deliberate act of concealment, as God brings forth what is hidden.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the word stops up.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb חִבֵּשׁ governs the main action of the verse, with two objects linked to it: the sources of the rivers and what is hidden. The structure emphasizes God's control over nature and the revelation of secrets.
The sentence follows a clear order: the action of restraining is directly linked to the objects, showing the relationship between God's actions and the outcomes in the natural world.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates חִבֵּשׁ with ἀνεκάλυψεν, which means 'uncovered' or 'revealed'. This choice suggests an interpretation that emphasizes the act of revealing rather than merely binding or stopping.
This translation highlights the dual nature of God's actions: He both conceals and reveals, aligning with the themes of wisdom and understanding in the text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 28:11 describes how God stops up the sources of rivers to bring hidden things to light. This verse emphasizes God's control over nature and His ability to reveal secrets, reflecting on the nature of wisdom.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies God's authority over nature and His ability to control the flow of water, symbolizing His power to conceal and reveal.
These can refer to secrets or truths that are not immediately apparent, emphasizing God's role in revealing wisdom.
It illustrates the idea that true wisdom is found in understanding God's actions and the mysteries of creation.
Rivers often symbolize life and prosperity in the Bible, and God's control over them highlights His sovereignty over all aspects of existence.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen God reveal hidden truths in my own life?
- How can I seek wisdom in understanding the world around me?
- What does it mean for me to trust in God's control over the circumstances of my life?
- How can I apply the insights from this verse to my daily decision-making?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators, including Gregory the Dialogist, reflect on this verse to discuss God's revelation of hidden truths.
The depths also of the floods He hath searched, and the hidden things He hath brought to light. And because the teachers of the New Testament are brought to this,Early Church Fathers on Job 28 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 28:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe bindeth the floods from overflowing,.... As the miner finds ways and means of cutting through rocks, and draining and carrying off the waters in his mine; so he makes use of other methods of
Read John Gill on Job 28 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light. Floods.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 28 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHe restraineth the floods, and as it were bindeth them to their good behaviour, that they may not overflow the mine; and those metals which did lie hid in the secret parts of the earth, he discovers to himself and others.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 28 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 28:11 He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and [the thing that is] hid bringeth he forth to light.Ver. 11. He bindeth the floods from overflowing] Heb. From weeping; that is (by an elegant metaphor), from distilling and dropping, as those underground waters use to do; but the miner bindeth them; that is, he dammeth them up, and diverteth them, that they may not fall into his pit and mar his work. Thus he removes all blocks, and devours all difficulties, and all for a little pelf, which perisheth in the use, and will rather hinder from than help men to heaven. How much more should we labour for the true treasure, the pearl of price, the one thing necessary? &c. Si tanti vitreum…
Read John Trapp on Job 28 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 11. He bindeth the floods] Prevents the risings of springs from drowning the mines; and conducts rivers and streams from their wonted course, in order to bring forth to light what was hidden under their beds. The binding or restraining the water, which, at different depths, annoys the miner, is both difficult and expensive: in some cases it may be drawn off by pipes or canals into neighbouring water courses; in others, it is conducted to one receptacle or reservoir, and thence drawn off. In Europe it is generally done by means of steam-engines. What method the ancients had in mining countries, we cannot tell; but they dug deep in order to find out the riches of the earth. PLINY says…
Read AdamClarke on Job 28 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges11. he bindeth the floods from overflowing] Rather, he bindeth up the streams that they drip not, lit. that they weep not. The reference is to the use of lime or clay to prevent water percolating into the mine. “The picturesque phrase (‘that they weep not’) may have been a technical term among miners in ancient times, just as our colliers name the action of the water that percolates through and into their workings weeping, and our navvies call the fine sand which percolates through the sides of a tunnel crying sand” (Cox, Comm. on Job, p. 360). These references to mining operations shew that the Writer was familiar with them. The frequent allusions to Egypt indicate that the Author of the…
Read Cambridge on Job 28 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHe bindeth the floods from overflowing - Margin, Weeping The Hebrew also is “from weeping” מבכי mı̂bekı̂y; referring to the water which trickles down the shaft of the mine.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 28 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible11. From overflowing — From weeping, (margin.) A beautiful figure to represent the commonplace task of the miner, that of binding up the ever trickling subterranean rills.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 28 →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
He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
He binds the streams that they don’t trickle. The thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
He has searched the sources of the rivers and what was hidden he has brought into the light.
Tyndale line
He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; And the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
He bindeth the streams that they trickle not; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid he bringeth forth to light.
He bindeth the floods, that they doe not ouerflowe, and the thing that is hid, bringeth he to light.
Strictly literal
He bindeth the streams that they drip not, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
From overflowing floods he hath bound, And the hidden thing bringeth out [to] light.
He has bound overflowing rivers, || And the hidden thing brings out [to] light.
The various droppings of water he uniteth into streams, and what is hidden he bringeth forth to light.
He ties up the streams so they do not run; what is hidden there he brings out to the light.
From the Latin
The depths also of rivers he hath searched, and hidden things he hath brought forth to light.
Simplified
They dam the sources of the rivers, and bring to light what is hidden.
He keeps back the streams from flowing, and makes the secret things come out into the light.
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 largely agree in content, with five out of six words matched. The Septuagint, however, presents these words in a different order, reflecting its own stylistic choices.
מִ֭בְּכִי נְהָר֣וֹת חִבֵּ֑שׁ וְ֝תַעֲלֻמָ֗הּ יֹ֣צִא אֽוֹר׃ פ
5 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 28:11
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.
The Hebrew word בְּכִי (*bkiy*) means 'weeping' and is derived from a root that suggests a sense of dripping or overflowing. It covers the concept of continual weeping or sorrow. The entries consistently define it as a noun related to the act of weeping.
בְּכִי n.m. weeping
base
H1065 בְּכִי weeping
1065 Bkiy bek-ee'
from 1058; a weeping; by analogy, a dripping:--overflowing,
X sore, (continual) weeping, wept.
see HEBREW for 01058
בְּכִי (be.khi) — weeping.
a weeping, weeping
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
wep'-ing.
See BURIAL, IV, 4, 5, 6.
See FUNERAL.
נָהָר (nahar) means 'stream' or 'river' and can refer to various water bodies, including the Nile and Euphrates. It also has a figurative sense of prosperity. The word is derived from a root meaning related to flowing water and has an Aramaic equivalent, נְהַר (ne.har).
נָהָר 120 n.m. stream, river
base
H5104 נָהָר stream, river
5104 nahar naw-hawr'
from 5102; a stream (including the sea; expec. the Nile,
Euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity:--flood, river.
see HEBREW for 05102
נָהָר (na.har) — River.
This name means stream, river
Another name of pe.rat (פְּרָת "Euphrates" H6578)
נָהָר (na.har) — river.
1) stream, river
1a) stream, river
1b) (underground) streams
Aramaic equivalent: ne.har (נְהַר "river" H5103H)
N-mp — Noun common · feminine plural absoluteHNcfpa
חָבַשׁ (chabash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to bind, tie, or saddle. It covers a range of actions from physically binding something up to metaphorically governing or restraining. The word appears in various forms, including Qal (to bind) and Piel (to restrain). The entries consistently emphasize its meanings related to binding and governance.
[חָבַשׁ] vb. bind, bind on, bind up
Qal
bind, bind on
bind up
Pi. bind, restrain
Pu. be bound up
base
H2280 חָבַשׁ bind, bind on, bind up
2280 chabash khaw-bash'
a primitive root; to wrap firmly (especially a turban,
compress, or saddle); figuratively, to stop, to rule:--bind
(up), gird about, govern, healer, put, saddle, wrap about.
חָבַשׁ (cha.vash) — to saddle/tie.
1) to tie, bind, bind on, bind up, saddle, restrain, bandage, govern
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to bind, bind on
1a2) to bind up
1b) (Piel) to bind, restrain
1c) (Pual) to be bound up
V-Piel-Perf-3ms — Verb · Piel · perfect third person masculine singularHVpp3ms
תַּעֲלֻמָּהֿ (ta`alummah) refers to a hidden thing or secret. It is derived from the root meaning to hide, indicating something that is concealed or not easily seen. The entries consistently define it as a secret, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
תַּעֲלֻמָּהֿ n.f. hidden thing, secret
base
H8587 תַּעֲלֻמָּהֿ
8587 ta`alummah tah-al-oom-maw'
from 5956; a secret:--thing that is hid, secret.
see HEBREW for 05956
תַּעֲלֻמָּהֿ (ta.a.lum.mah) — secret.
hidden thing, secret, that which is hidden
Conj | N-fs — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHC/Ncfsc/Sp3fs
יָצָא (yatsa') is a Hebrew verb meaning to go or come out, with various applications including departure, escape, and emergence. It can refer to both animate and inanimate subjects and emphasizes the idea of origin or source. The verb appears in different forms, such as Qal, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating actions like leading out or being brought forth.
יָצָא 1068 vb. go or come out
Qal
go or come out or forth
from (מִן) a place
go forth from (the presence of) a person
in technical senses
of flight, involving escape
depart
of inanimate things
with especial emphasis on idea of origin, source
of children as going forth from loins (of father)
go forth to a place
go forward, proceed to or toward something
come or go forth, with esp. ref. to purpose or result
of combinations
Hiph.
cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out
fig. obj. persons, bring out of (מִן) distress, etc.
bring out animals
inanimate obj.
fig. subj. י׳, bring forth from (מִן)
Hoph. be brought forth
base
H3318 יָצָא go or come out .. go or come out or forth . from (מִן) a place
. go forth from (the presence of) a person
. in technical senses
. of flight, involving escape
. depart
. of inanimate things
. with especial emphasis on idea of origin, source
. of children as going forth from loins (of father)
. . go forth to a place
. go forward, proceed to or toward something
. come or go forth, with esp. ref. to purpose or result
. of combinations
. . cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out
. fig. obj. persons, bring out of (מִן) distress, etc.
. bring out animals
. inanimate obj.
. fig. subj. י׳, bring forth from (מִן)
. be brought forth
3318 yatsa' yaw-tsaw'
a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great
variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct
and proxim.:--X after, appear, X assuredly, bear out, X
begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come
(abroad, out, thereat, without), + be condemned,
depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact,
fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence,
out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out),
going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out,
lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, X
scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring
out, stand out, X still, X surely, take forth (out), at any
time, X to (and fro), utter.
יָצָא (ya.tsa) — to come out: come.
: come/go_out/escape
1) to go out, come out, exit, go forth
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to go or come out or forth, depart
1a2) to go forth (to a place)
1a3) to go forward, proceed to (to or toward something)
1a4) to come or go forth (with purpose or for result)
1a5) to come out of
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out
1b2) to bring out of
1b3) to lead out
1b4) to deliver
1c) (Hophal) to be brought out or forth
יָצָא (ya.tsa) — to come out: send.
: send/take_out/release
1) to go out, come out, exit, go forth
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to go or come out or forth, depart
1a2) to go forth (to a place)
1a3) to go forward, proceed to (to or toward something)
1a4) to come or go forth (with purpose or for result)
1a5) to come out of
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out
1b2) to bring out of
1b3) to lead out
1b4) to deliver
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine singularHVhi3ms
אוֹר (or) means 'light' and encompasses various forms of illumination, including daylight, dawn, and the light of heavenly bodies like the sun and stars. It can also refer to metaphorical concepts such as the light of life, prosperity, and instruction, as well as Yahweh as a source of light.
אוֹר 121 n.m. light
light as diffused in nature, light of day
morning light, dawn
light of the heavenly luminaries
daylight
lightning
light of lamp
light of life
light of prosperity
light of instruction
light of face
Yahweh
base
H216 אוֹר light . light as diffused in nature, light of day
. morning light, dawn
. light of the heavenly luminaries
. daylight
. lightning
. light of lamp
. light of life
. light of prosperity
. light of instruction
. light of face
. Yahweh
216 'owr ore
from 215; illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every
sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.):--bright, clear,
+ day, light (-ning), morning, sun.
see HEBREW for 0215
אוֹר (or) — light.
1) light
1a) light of day
1b) light of heavenly luminaries (moon, sun, stars)
1c) day-break, dawn, morning light
1d) daylight
1e) lightning
1f) light of lamp
1g) light of life
1h) light of prosperity
1i) light of instruction
1j) light of face (fig.)
1k) Jehovah as Israel's light
N-cs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
lit ('or, ma'or; phos; many other words):
1. Origin of Light
2. A Comprehensive Term
(1) Natural Light
(2) Artificial Light
(3) Miraculous Light
(4) Mental, Moral, Spiritual Light
3. An Attribute of Holiness
(1) God
(2) Christ
(3) Christians
(4) The Church
4. Symbolism
5. Expressive Terms
1. Origin of Light:
The creation of light was the initial step in the creation of life. "Let there be light" (Ge 1:3) was the first word of God spoken after His creative Spirit "moved" upon the primary material out of which He created the heavens and the earth, and which lay, until the utterance of that word, in the chaos of darkness and desolation. Something akin, possibly, to the all-pervasive electro-magnetic activity of the aurora borealis penetrated the chaotic night of the world. The ultimate focusing of light (on the 4th day of creation,
Light
The offspring of the divine command (Gen. 1:3). “All the more joyous emotions of the mind, all the pleasing sensations of the frame, all the happy hours of domestic intercourse were habitually described among the Hebrews under imagery derived from light” (1 Kings 11:36; Isa. 58:8; Esther 8:16; Ps. 97:11). Light came also naturally to typify true religion and the felicity it imparts (Ps. 119:105; Isa. 8:20; Matt. 4:16, etc.), and the glorious inheritance…
One of the most wonderful, cheering, and useful of all the works of God; called into being on the first of the six days of creation, by his voice: "Let there be light;" and there was light. No object better illustrates whatever is pure, glorious, spiritual, joyful, and beneficent. Hence the beauty and force of the expressions, "God is light," 1Jo 1:5, and "the Father of lights," Jas 1:17; Christ is the "Sun of righteousness," and "the light of the world," Joh 1:9 8:12. So also the word of God is "a light," Ps 119:105; truth and Christians are lights, Joh 3:19 12:36; prosperity is "light," Es 8:16; and heaven is full of…