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Job 30:25 — Word Study

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WLCאִם־ לֹ֣א בָ֭כִיתִי לִקְשֵׁה־ י֑וֹם עָֽגְמָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י לָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃

BSAHave I notlôʼ [certainly, truly] weptbâkâh [shed tears, cried out] for those in troubleqâsheh [the afflicted, oppressed, or distressed] Has my soulnephesh [living being, inner self] not grievedʻâgam [never, at no time, been sad, mourned, or felt sorrow] for the needyʼebyôwn [poor, impoverished, or destitute, those in need of help]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 30
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 25 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 (la.'ev.Yon) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 30:25quick helps
In a sentenceJob expresses his sorrow for those who suffer and questions whether he has not shown compassion for the needy.
Who is speakingJob, lamenting his situation and reflecting on his past actions.
Where we areIn a moment of personal anguish, Job contrasts his empathy with the indifference of others.
The hard wordעָגְמָ֥ה
Take awayJob's deep emotional connection to the suffering of others is highlighted.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbבָּכָה The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

1 of 8 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 30:25

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 Lamentgenerated

24Yet no one stretches out his hand to a ruined man when he cries for help in his distress.
25Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has my soul not grieved for the needy?
26But when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, darkness fell.
27I am churning within and cannot rest; days of affliction confront me.

Job 30:25 reveals Job's emotional turmoil as he reflects on his compassion for those in distress. He questions whether he has truly wept for the afflicted and mourned for the needy, contrasting his feelings with the lack of response from others. This verse is part of a broader lament where Job expresses his deep suffering and the apparent absence of support during his trials, as seen in the surrounding verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 35:13–14Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered.
2Jeremiah 13:17But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive.
3Jeremiah 18:20Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your wrath from them.
4Luke 19:41As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it
5John 11:35Jesus wept.

The Key Word בָ֭כִיתִי, Va.khi.tigenerated

The verb בָּכָה (bakah) means to weep or cry, often in response to grief or sorrow. Job uses this term to emphasize his emotional state and his empathy for those who suffer. The parsing indicates it is in the perfect tense, first person singular, which shows that Job is reflecting on his own actions.

Weeping is a profound expression of emotion in the biblical context, often associated with mourning and lamentation. Job's use of this word underscores his deep concern for those in trouble, highlighting his sensitivity to the plight of the needy.


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 verse contains two main clauses: אִם־ לֹ֣א בָ֭כִיתִי and עָֽגְמָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י. The first clause poses a rhetorical question about Job's weeping, while the second questions whether his soul has grieved for the needy. This structure emphasizes Job's emotional state and his plea for recognition of his compassion.

The word order places the conditional particle אִם at the beginning, setting the stage for Job's introspective questioning. The use of parallelism in the clauses enhances the emotional weight of his lament.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates בָ֭כִיתִי as κλαύσω (klausō), meaning 'I will weep.' This choice indicates a future aspect of Job's weeping, which may reflect a different interpretative angle on his emotional state.

The Greek word ἀδυνάτῳ (adunatō) for 'the needy' suggests a focus on the inability of the poor to help themselves, further emphasizing their plight.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 30:25 shows Job questioning if he has not wept for those who are suffering and if his soul has not grieved for the needy. This verse highlights Job's empathy and sorrow for others in distress, contrasting his feelings with the indifference he perceives around him.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Job mean by 'wept for those in trouble'?

Job is expressing his deep emotional connection to those who are suffering, indicating that he has shed tears for them in their distress.

Why does Job emphasize his grief for the needy?

Job emphasizes his grief to highlight his compassion and to question the lack of support he feels from others during his own suffering.

How does Job's lament reflect his situation?

Job's lament reflects his profound sense of isolation and despair, as he feels his empathy for others is not reciprocated in his time of need.

What can we learn from Job's expression of sorrow?

Job's expression of sorrow teaches us the importance of compassion for those who are suffering and the emotional weight that comes with witnessing the pain of others.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I shown compassion for those who are suffering around me?
  2. How can I better empathize with the needs of others in my community?
  3. What does Job's lament teach me about expressing my emotions during difficult times?
  4. How can I support those who are in distress, just as Job wished to?

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

Gregory the Dialogist quotes this verse to highlight the importance of compassion for those in trouble, illustrating the emotional connection between individuals in suffering.

Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XX c. 540–604
I wept of old over him that was in trouble; my soul suffered with the poor. Though it is true compassion to concur with the suffering of a fellow creature by bountifulness,
Early Church Fathers on Job 30 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 30:25 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Did not I weep for him that was in trouble?.... In outward trouble, whether personal in his own body, or in his family, or in his worldly affairs, or from wicked men, the men of the world; or in

Read John Gill on Job 30 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 30 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Whence is it that neither God nor man show any compassion to me, but both conspire to afflict me, and increase my torments? Doth God now mete out to me the same measure which I meted out to others? Have I now judgment without mercy, because I afforded no mercy nor pity to others in misery? No, my conscience acquits me from this inhumanity. I did not slightly resent, but bitterly mourn and weep over others in their miseries; and therefore I had reason to expect more compassion than I find. Was not my soul grieved for the poor, even for him who was not capable of requiting my kindness in case of his recovery? which shows that my sympathy was real, and not reigned, as it is in some who pretend…

Read Matthew Poole on Job 30 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 30:25 Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was [not] my soul grieved for the poor?Ver. 25. Did I not weep for him that was in trouble?] Rursum, per pathos, excandescit (Mercer). Here Job wondereth and is much moved again at his unpitied condition, since he was so full of pity for the afflicted. He could safely say with Cyprian, Cum singulis pectus meum copulo, maeroris et funeris pondera luctuosa participo, cum plangentibus plango, cum deflentibus defico. He had tears ready for the afflicted, and wept with those that weep; not for a compliment, as the Brazilians, who Ut flerent, oculos erudiere suos (Ovid), nor out of tender heartedness, as Gordian the emperor, who would weep for…

Read John Trapp on Job 30 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(25) Did not I weep for him?—Job declares that he has not withheld that sympathy with sorrow and suffering for which he himself has asked in vain.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 30 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 25. Did not I weep for him that was in trouble?] Mr. Good translates much nearer the sense of the original, לקשה יום liksheh yom. "Should I not then weep for the ruthless day?" May I not lament that my sufferings are only to terminate with my life? Or, Did I not mourn for those who suffered by times of calamity? Was not my soul grieved for the poor? Did I not relieve the distressed according to my power; and did I not sympathize with the sufferer?

Read AdamClarke on Job 30 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

25. The compassion which Job seeks in his affliction it was his practice and nature to bestow.

Read Cambridge on Job 30 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Did not I weep ... - Job here appeals to his former life, and says that it had been a characteristic of his life to manifest compassion to the afflicted and the poor.

Read Albert Barnes on Job 30 →

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

Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has my soul not grieved for the needy?

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Didn’t I weep for him who was in trouble? Wasn’t my soul grieved for the needy?

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has my soul not grieved for the needy?

NETBNew English Translation2006

Have I not wept for the unfortunate? Was not my soul grieved for the poor?

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the needy?

RVARevised Version, American1894

Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the needy?

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Did not I weepe with him that was in trouble? was not my soule in heauinesse for the poore?

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Did not I weep for him whose days were hard? was not my soul grieved for the needy?

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Did not I weep for him whose day is hard? Grieved hath my soul for the needy.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Did I not weep for him whose day is hard? My soul has grieved for the needy.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Did I not weep for him that was hard pressed by misfortune? was not my soul grieved for the needy?

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Did not I weep for him who was in trouble? Did I not grieve for the needy man?

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

I wept heretofore for him that was afflicted, and my soul had compassion on the poor.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Didn't I weep for those having hard times? Didn't I grieve at what the poor suffered?

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Have I not been weeping for the crushed? and was not my soul sad for him who was in need?

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.

clauseאִם(if)?clauseadverbialלֹ֣אnotverbבָ֭כִיתִיdid.I.weepprepositional phrase · prepositionalלִfor.[the]noun phraseקְשֵׁהhardי֑וֹםof.dayclauseverbעָֽגְמָ֥הwas.it.grieved?noun phrase · subjectנַ֝פְשִׁ֗selfיmyprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָfornoun phrasethe.needyאֶבְיֽוֹן[person]

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 show some alignment in their translations, though only three of the eight words match directly. The Septuagint's word order and articles differ, indicating a distinct interpretive approach.

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

אִם־ לֹ֣א בָ֭כִיתִי לִקְשֵׁה־ י֑וֹם עָֽגְמָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י לָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
לֹ֣אδὲלִקְשֵׁה־παντὶי֑וֹםἀδυνάτῳ

3 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 30:25אִם??אִםלֹאnotnotלֹאבָּכָהdid I weepdid I weepבָּכָהקָשֶׁהfor [the] hfor [the] hard קָשֶׁהיוֹםdaydayיוֹםעָגַםwas it griewas it grieved?עָגַםנֶ֫פֶשׁself myself myנֶ֫פֶשׁאֶבְיוֹןfor the neefor the needy [אֶבְיוֹןקָשָׁהto hardento hardenקָשָׁהנָפַשׁbe refreshbe refreshedנָפַשׁאָבָהbe willingbe willingאָבָהחֵןfavorfavorחֵןיֵשׁtherethereיֵשׁיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדבְּכִיweepingweepingבְּכִיעֹ֫רֶףneckneckעֹ֫רֶףחָזָקstrongstrongחָזָקשְׁבִיעִיseventhseventhשְׁבִיעִישַׁבָּתSabbathSabbathשַׁבָּתבָּקַשׁto seekto seekבָּקַשׁחַיalivealiveחַיעָנִיafflictedafflictedעָנִידַּלpoorpoorדַּל
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 30:25

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.

? not did I weep for [the] hard of day was it grieved? self my for the needy [person]
אִם־'im- ? H518 Particle
1,070× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is used to express conditions or questions, like if or whether. It can also be used to make oaths or express wishes, as in Oh that! It appears in various forms in the KJV, including if, though, and when.
Tyndale gloss
if
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אִם (im) is a Hebrew conjunction primarily meaning 'if' and is used in various contexts, including conditional clauses and interrogative situations. It can also express negation, alternatives, or exceptions, and appears frequently in the Old Testament. The lexicons note its use in oaths and its ability to connect different clauses, sometimes altering their meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִם conj.

hypoth. part. if

Interrog. part.

base

כִּי אם־

each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

that if

for if

(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

limiting the prec. clause, except

the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

after an oath, surely

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H518a אִם conj. . hypoth. part. if

. Interrog. part.

H518b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if

. for if

. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except

. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

. after an oath, surely

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

518 'im eem

a primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!;

interrog., whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh

that!, when; hence, as a negative, not:--(and, can-,

doubtless, if, that) (not), + but, either, + except, +

more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or,

+ save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, + surely (no more,

none, not), though, + of a truth, + unless, + verily, when,

whereas, whether, while, + yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִם (im) — if.

: if/whether_or/though

1) if

1a) conditional clauses

1a1) of possible situations

1a2) of impossible situations

1b) oath contexts

1b1) no, not

1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or

1d) when, whenever

1e) since

1f) interrogative particle

1g) but rather

[כִּי] אם (ki im) — if: except.

1) except if

1a) but if

אִם (im) — if: surely no.

: surely_no

1) if

1a) conditional clauses

1a1) of possible situations

1a2) of impossible situations

1b) oath contexts

1b1) no, not

1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or

1d) when, whenever

1e) since

1f) interrogative particle

1g) but rather

אִם (im) — if: surely yes.

: surely_yes

1) if

1a) conditional clauses

1a1) of possible situations

1a2) of impossible situations

1b) oath contexts

1b1) no, not

1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or

1d) when, whenever

1e) since

1f) interrogative particle

1g) but rather

אִם (im) — if: until.

: until/except

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTc — Particle
HTc
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
? not did I weep for [the] hard of day was it grieved? self my for the needy [person]
לֹ֣אlo' not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Amplified meaning
certainly, truly
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

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.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

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)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
? not did I weep for [the] hard of day was it grieved? self my for the needy [person]
בָ֭כִיתִיVa.khi.ti did I weep H1058 Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singular
114× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To weep means to cry or shed tears, often in grief or sadness. In the Bible, weeping is a common expression of emotion, as seen in the stories of David and Jeremiah, who both wept bitterly in times of sorrow and repentance.
Amplified meaning
shed tears, cried out
Tyndale gloss
to weep
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּכָה (bakah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to weep or bewail. It encompasses various forms of weeping, including expressions of grief, humiliation, or joy, and can denote lamentation or crying bitterly. The entries highlight its use in both the Qal and Piel stems, indicating different nuances of weeping.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּכָה 114 vb. weep, bewail

Qal

weep

weep bitterly

weep upon

bewail

in sense of burden, annoy with weeping

of penitent weeping

Pi. lament; bewail

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1058 בָּכָה weep, bewail

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1058 bakah baw-kaw'

a primitive root; to weep; generally to bemoan:--X at all,

bewail, complain, make lamentation, X more, mourn, X sore, X

with tears, weep.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּכָה (ba.khah) — to weep.

1) to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to weep (in grief, humiliation, or joy)

1a2) to weep bitterly (with cognate acc.)

1a3) to weep upon (embrace and weep)

1a4) to bewail

1b) (Piel) participle

1b1) lamenting

1b2) bewailing

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singular
HVqp1cs
? not did I weep for [the] hard of day was it grieved? self my for the needy [person]
לִקְשֵׁה־lik.sheh- for [the] hard of H7186 Preposition
36× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes something or someone as severe or cruel, like the harsh treatment of the Israelites by their enemies in Judges.
Amplified meaning
the afflicted, oppressed, or distressed
Tyndale gloss
severe
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קָשֶׁה (qasheh) means hard or severe, with applications ranging from physical hardness to emotional severity. It can describe someone as obstinate or cruel, and it is used in contexts like difficult situations or intense emotions. The entries indicate a range of meanings including rigorous and stiff-necked, but do not present any significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קָשֶׁה adj. hard, severe

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7186 קָשֶׁה hard, severe

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7186 qasheh kaw-sheh'

from 7185; severe (in various applications):--churlish,

cruel, grievous, hard((-hearted), thing), heavy, + impudent,

obstinate, prevailed, rough(-ly), sore, sorrowful,

stiff((necked)), stubborn, + in trouble.

see HEBREW for 07185

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָשֶׁה (qa.sheh) — severe.

1) hard, cruel, severe, obstinate

1a) hard, difficult

1b) severe

1c) fierce, intense, vehement

1d) stubborn, stiff of neck, stiff-necked

1e) rigorous (of battle)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Adj — Preposition
HR/Aamsc
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…

? not did I weep for [the] hard of day was it grieved? self my for the needy [person]
י֑וֹםYom day H3117 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
2,306× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
day
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

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.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

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

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

da (yom; hemera): This common word has caused some trouble to plain readers, because they have not noticed that the word is used in several different senses in the English Bible. When the different uses of the word are understood the difficulty of interpretation vanishes. We note several different uses of the word:

(1) It sometimes means the time from daylight till dark. This popular meaning is easily discovered by the context, e. g. Ge 1:5; 8:22, etc. The marked periods of this daytime were morning, noon and night, as with us. See Ps 55:17. The early hours were sometimes called "the cool of the day" (Ge 3:8). After the exile the day. or daytime was divided into twelve hours and the night into twelve (see

Day

The Jews reckoned the day from sunset to sunset (Lev. 23:32). It was originally divided into three parts (Ps. 55:17). “The heat of the day” (1 Sam. 11:11; Neh. 7:3) was at our nine o’clock, and “the cool of the day” just before sunset (Gen. 3:8). Before the Captivity the Jews divided the night into three watches, (1) from sunset to midnight (Lam. 2:19); (2) from midnight till the cock-crowing (Judg. 7:19); and (3) from the cock-crowing till sunrise (Ex.…

The variable length of the natural day at different seasons led in the very earliest times to the adoption of the civil day (or one revolution of the sun) as a standard of time. The Hebrews reckoned the day from evening to evening, (Leviticus 23:32) deriving it from (Genesis 1:5) "the evening and the morning were the first day." The Jews are supposed, like the modern Arabs, to have adopted from an early period minute specifications of the parts of the natural day. Roughly, indeed, they were content to divide it into "morning, evening and noonday," (Psalms 55:17) but when they wished for greater accuracy they pointed to six unequal parts, each of which was again subdivided. These are held to have been -- "the dawn." "Sunrise."…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The day is distinguished into natural, civil, and artificial. The natural day is one revolution of the earth on its axis. The civil day is that, the beginning and the end of which are determined by the custom of any nation. The Hebrews began their day in the evening, Le 23:32; the Babylonians at sunrise; and we begin at midnight. The artificial day is the time of the sun’s continuance above the horizon, which is unequal according to different seasons, on account of the obliquity of the equator. The sacred writers generally divide the day into twelve hours. The sixth hour always ends at noon throughout the year; and the twelfth hour is the last hour before sunset. But in summer, all the hours of the day were longer than in winter, while those of night were shorter. See HOURS, and THREE.

? not did I weep for [the] hard of day was it grieved? self my for the needy [person]
עָֽגְמָ֥ה'a.ge.Mah was it grieved? H5701 Verb · Qal · perfect third person feminine singular
1× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to be sad or grieved, and is used in the Bible to describe feelings of sorrow. The KJV translates it as grieve.
Amplified meaning
never, at no time, been sad, mourned, or felt sorrow
Tyndale gloss
be grieved
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָגַם (agam) is a primitive root meaning to be sad or grieved. It is noted in the Qal form, specifically referenced in Job 30:25. The entries consistently emphasize the emotional aspect of this word, focusing on grief.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[עָגַם] vb. be grieved;—Qal Jb 30:25

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5701 עָגַם

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5701 `agam aw-gam'

a primitive root; to be sad:--grieve.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָגַם (a.gam) — be grieved.

(Qal) to be grieved

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3fs — Verb · Qal · perfect third person feminine singular
HVqp3fs
? not did I weep for [the] hard of day was it grieved? self my for the needy [person]
נַ֝פְשִׁ֗יnaf.Shi self my H5315 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
754× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for soul or living being, used in the Bible to describe the essence of a person or animal. It encompasses the ideas of life, breath, and vitality, and is translated as 'soul' or 'creature' in the KJV. This word is central to biblical concepts of humanity and existence.
Amplified meaning
living being, inner self
Tyndale gloss
soul
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (*nephesh*) broadly means 'soul' or 'living being,' encompassing concepts like life, self, person, desire, and emotion. It is derived from the root meaning 'to breathe' and signifies both physical and mental aspects of existence. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, including as the seat of appetites and emotions, though its application to will and character is uncertain.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion

= that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

The נפשׁ becomes a living being

The נפשׁ is specif.

The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

נ׳ in D

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5315 נֶ֫פֶשׁ soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion . = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

. The נפשׁ becomes a living being

. The נפשׁ is specif.

. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

. נ׳ in D

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5315 nephesh neh'-fesh

from 5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of

(abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal,

accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any,

appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire,

X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y),

(hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me,

mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-,

thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they,

thing, (X she) will, X would have it.

see HEBREW for 05314

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

1g1) uncertain

1h) activity of the will

1h1) uncertain

1i) activity of the character

1i1) uncertain

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul: life.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp1bs
? not did I weep for [the] hard of day was it grieved? self my for the needy [person]
לָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃la.'ev.Yon for the needy [person] H34 Preposition
61× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word describes someone who is needy or poor, often oppressed and in need of help from God. It appears in the Bible to describe those who are vulnerable and in need of deliverance. In the KJV, it is translated as beggar, needy, or poor man.
Amplified meaning
poor, impoverished, or destitute, those in need of help
Tyndale gloss
needy
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶבְיוֹן (*ebyown*) means needy or poor, derived from a root indicating want. It describes individuals who are destitute, oppressed, or in need of help, particularly from God. This term appears in various contexts in the Old Testament, often referring to the lowest social class and the importance of caring for such individuals.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶבְיוֹן adj. in want, needy, poor,—so, alw. abs., Dt 15:4 + 40 t.; אֶבְיֹנְךָ Ex 23:6 Dt 15:11; אֶבְיוֹנִים Am 4:1 + 14 t.; אֶבְיוֹנֵי (אֶבְיֹנֵי) Ex 23:11 Is 29:19; אֶבְיוֹנֶיהָ ψ 132:15—(Hex. only JED; mostly poet., 23 t. ψ) needy, chiefly poor (in material things); as adj. Dt 15:7, 7, 9; 24:14 ψ 109:16 (both ∥ עָנִי); elsewhere subst.; ψ 49:3 (∥ עָשִׁיר); Dt 15:4, 11; subj. to oppression & abuse Am 2:6

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H34 אֶבְיוֹן in want, needy, poor

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

34 'ebyown eb-yone'

from 14, in the sense of want (especially in feeling);

destitute:--beggar, needy, poor (man).

see HEBREW for 014

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶבְיוֹן (ev.yon) — needy.

1) in want, needy, chiefly poor, needy person

2) subject to oppression and abuse

3) needing help, deliverance from trouble, especially as delivered by God

4) general reference to lowest class

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Adj — Preposition
HRd/Aamsa
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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