Job 39:3 — Word Study
WLCתִּ֭כְרַעְנָה יַלְדֵיהֶ֣ן תְּפַלַּ֑חְנָה חֶבְלֵיהֶ֥ם תְּשַׁלַּֽחְנָה׃
BSAThey crouch downkâraʻ▸ [bow themselves, sink down in reverence] and bring forthpâlach▸ [bear, deliver] their youngyeled [offspring, children] they delivershâlach▸ [cast out, send forth] their newbornchebel [young ones, infants, with ease, safely]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| תִּ֭כְרַעְנָה | they kneel down | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person feminine plural |
| יַלְדֵיהֶ֣ן | young their | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| תְּפַלַּ֑חְנָה | they cleave open | Verb, Piel, imperfect third person feminine plural |
| חֶבְלֵיהֶ֥ם | labor-pains their | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| תְּשַׁלַּֽחְנָה׃ | they send forth | Verb, Piel, imperfect third person feminine plural |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | They crouch down and bring forth their young; they deliver their newborn. |
| KJV | They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows. |
| ASV | They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, They cast out their pains. |
| YLT | They bow down, Their young ones they bring forth safely, Their pangs they cast forth. |
| WEB | They bow themselves. They bear their young. They end their labor pains. |
| BBE | They are bent down, they give birth to their young, they let loose the fruit of their body. |
The translations agree on the actions described in the verse, with no significant variations noted.
The sentence has a main verb with two phrases that describe the actions related to childbirth, creating a clear sequence of events.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbכָּרַע
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 39:3
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 Behavior of Wild Animalsgenerated
Job 39:3 illustrates the instinctual behavior of animals during childbirth, emphasizing their natural actions and the cycle of life. This passage is part of a broader discourse where God points out the wonders of creation and the unique attributes of various creatures, contrasting them with human understanding and control.
Cross References
The Key Word — תִּ֭כְרַעְנָה, Tikh.ra'.nahgenerated
The verb כָּרַע (kara`) means to bow down or kneel, indicating a physical act of submission or reverence. In this context, it describes how animals bow before giving birth, highlighting their instinctual behavior.
The parsing as a third person feminine plural imperfect indicates that this action is ongoing and characteristic of the subject, which in this case refers to female animals. The act of kneeling is portrayed as a natural response during the birthing process.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as well as the KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE, with all translations agreeing on the essential actions described.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse is composed of multiple clauses, with the main actions centered around three finite verbs: תִּ֭כְרַעְנָה, תְּפַלַּ֑חְנָה, and תְּשַׁלַּֽחְנָה. Each verb describes a distinct action related to the birthing process.
The verbs are organized in a way that emphasizes the sequence of actions: kneeling, cleaving open, and sending forth, which collectively depict the natural process of childbirth.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates the Hebrew verbs with αὐτῶν, indicating a focus on the subjects involved in the actions. This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew text, emphasizing the continuity of the actions described.
The Greek rendering does not alter the meaning but rather maintains the focus on the instinctual behaviors of animals during childbirth.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 39:3 describes how animals kneel down to give birth, emphasizing their instinctual behavior. They bring forth their young and send them out into the world. This verse highlights the natural process of childbirth in the animal kingdom.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Kneeling down signifies a natural instinct in animals when they are about to give birth, showing a reverence for the process.
The term 'cleave open' metaphorically describes the physical act of giving birth, emphasizing the effort involved in bringing forth new life.
Sending forth the newborn signifies the moment of release into the world, highlighting the continuation of life.
This verse illustrates God's design in the natural world, showcasing the instinctual behaviors of animals and their role in the cycle of life.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn about the natural processes of life from this verse?
- How does understanding animal behavior enhance our appreciation for creation?
- In what ways can we reflect on the instinctual actions in our own lives?
- How does this verse challenge our understanding of control over nature?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The verse has been referenced by early commentators, including Gregory the Dialogist, who discusses the significance of the actions described in relation to spiritual birth and reverence.
They bow themselves for the birth, and bring forth, and utter roarings. 47. For they roar in truth, whilst by bending themselves down, they bring forth the souls of their hearers in the conversation of light;Early Church Fathers on Job 39 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 39:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThey bow themselves,.... That they may bring forth their young with greater ease and more safety: for it seems the hinds bring forth their young with great difficulty; and there are provisions in
Read John Gill on Job 39 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThey bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows. Bow themselves - in parturition: bend on their knees (1 Samuel 4:19).
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 39 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThey bow themselves; being taught by a Divine instinct to dispose themselves in such a posture as may be fittest for their safe and easy bringing forth. They bring forth their young ones, to wit, with great pain, being almost torn or rent asunder with the birth, as the word signifies; or, without any of that help which tame beasts oft have. Their sorrows, i.e. their young ones, and their sorrows together. Or, though (which particle is oft understood) they remit or put away their sorrows, i.e. though instead of cherishing and furthering their sorrows, which for their own ease and safety they should do, they foolishly hinder them, and so increase their own danger; yet by God’ s good…
Read Matthew Poole on Job 39 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 39:3 They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.Ver. 3. They bow themselves] sc. By an instinct of nature, whether it be the pain they suffer, which compelleth them to it, or the fear of hurting their calves, which obligeth them to it. They bring forth their young] Diffindunt: fissa sc. et aperta tandem matrice; they bring forth with a great deal of difficulty, to the crushing of their young, which yet escape and grow up. Let good women learn, sperare a Deo faciles et faelices partus, to trust in God for a happy delivery, though it go hard with them, sometimes to the making of some Medea say, Millies in acie mori mallem quam semel parere, I had…
Read John Trapp on Job 39 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 3. They bow themselves] In order to bring forth their young ones. They cast out their sorrows.] חבליהם chebleyhem; the placenta, afterbirth, or umbilical cord. So this word has been understood.
Read AdamClarke on Job 39 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges3. cast out their sorrows] That is, their pains; with the birth of their young they are rid of their pains also. Or “their pains” may mean “their young,” by a figure common in all poetry.
Read Cambridge on Job 39 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThey bow themselves - literally, they curve or bend themselves; that is, they draw their limbs together. They cast out their sorrows - That is, they cast forth the offspring of their pains, or the young which cause their pains.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 39 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible3. Their sorrows — Used figuratively for the foetus. In like manner Arab poets call the human foetus “pangs.” Euripides uses exactly the same expression as that of the text, ριψαιωδινα.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 39 →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
They crouch down and bring forth their young; they deliver their newborn.
They bow themselves. They bear their young. They end their labor pains.
They crouch down and bring forth their young; they deliver their newborn.
They crouch, they bear their young, they bring forth the offspring they have carried.
Tyndale line
They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.
They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, They cast out their pains.
They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, they cast out their sorrows.
They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.
Who prepareth for the rauen his meate, when his birdes crie vnto God, wandering for lacke of meate?
Strictly literal
They bow themselves, they give birth to their young ones, they cast out their pains;
They bow down, Their young ones they bring forth safely, Their pangs they cast forth.
They bow down, || They bring forth their young ones safely, || They cast forth their pangs.
They bend themselves: they drop their young ones; throw off their pains.
They crouch down and birth their young, and then they finish their labor pains.
From the Latin
They bow themselves to bring forth young, and they cast them, and send forth roarings.
Simplified
They crouch down in labor to deliver their offspring.
They are bent down, they give birth to their young, they let loose the fruit of their body.
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 presents the verse as תִּ֭כְרַעְנָה יַלְדֵיהֶ֣ן תְּפַלַּ֑חְנָה חֶבְלֵיהֶ֥ם תְּשַׁלַּֽחְנָה׃, while the Septuagint matches three of the five words, showing a degree of consistency between the two texts.
תִּ֭כְרַעְנָה יַלְדֵיהֶ֣ן תְּפַלַּ֑חְנָה חֶבְלֵיהֶ֥ם תְּשַׁלַּֽחְנָה׃
3 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 39:3
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.
כָּרַע (kara`) means to bow down or bend the knee. It encompasses actions like kneeling in reverence, crouching, or sinking down, and can also imply causing someone or something to bow. The term appears in various contexts, including expressions of grief and submission.
כָּרַע bow down
Qal
bow
bow down, of the crouching lion
bow down over (in order to lie with) a woman
bow down, of a woman in childbirth
Hiph.
cause to bow in grief
cause to bow down in death
base
H3766 כָּרַע bow down
3766 kara` kaw-rah'
a primitive root; to bend the knee; by implication, to sink,
to prostrate:--bow (down, self), bring down (low), cast down,
couch, fall, feeble, kneeling, sink, smite (stoop) down,
subdue, X very.
כָּרַע (ka.ra) — to bow.
1) to bend, kneel, bow, bow down, sink down to one's knees, kneel down to rest (of animals), kneel in reverence
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to bow
1a2) to bow down, crouch
1a3) to bow down over
1a4) to tilt, lean
1b) (Hiphil) to cause to bow
V-Qal-Imperf-3fp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine pluralHVqi3fp
יֶ֫לֶד (yeled) refers to a child, son, or youth, encompassing meanings like offspring and young man. It can also figuratively denote apostate Israelites. The word is derived from a root meaning something born, indicating its connection to birth and lineage.
יֶ֫לֶד 89 n.m. child, son, boy, youth
base
H3206 יֶ֫לֶד child, son, boy, youth
3206 yeled yeh'-led
from 3205; something born, i.e. a lad or offspring:--boy,
child, fruit, son, young man (one).
see HEBREW for 03205
יֶ֫לֶד (ye.led) — youth.
1) child, son, boy, offspring, youth
1a) child, son, boy
1b) child, children
1c) descendants
1d) youth
1e) apostate Israelites (fig.)
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3fp
פָּלַח (palach) is a Hebrew verb meaning to cleave or slice. It encompasses actions like breaking open, piercing, and plowing. The word is built from a primitive root and appears in various forms, including Qal and Piel, indicating different nuances of cleaving or cutting.
[פָּלַח] vb. cleave
Qal of cleaving, ploughing
Pi.
cleave open, through
cause to cleave open
base
H6398 פָּלַח
6398 palach paw-lakh'
a primitive root; to slice, i.e. break open or
pierce:--bring forth, cleave, cut, shred, strike through.
פָּלַח (pa.lach) — to cleave.
1) to cleave, slice
1a) (Qal) to cleave, plow
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to cleave open or through
1b2) to cause to cleave open
1b3) to slice, pierce
V-Piel-Imperf-3fp — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person feminine pluralHVpi3fp
o'-p'-n: In the Old Testament represents chiefly pathach, but also other words, as galah, "to uncover"; of the opening of the eyes in vision, etc. (thus Balaam, Nu 22:31; 24:4; compare Job 33:16; 36:10; Ps 119:18; Jer 32:11,14). In the New Testament the usual word is anoigo (of opening of mouth, eyes, heavens, doors, etc.). A peculiar word, trachelizomai (literally, to have the neck bent back, to be laid bare), is used for "laid open" before God in Heb 4:13.
The Hebrew word חֶ֫בֶל (*chevel*) encompasses meanings related to a cord or rope, territory, and pain or pangs. It can refer to a measuring line, a company or band, and even destruction. The entries indicate a range of uses, from physical objects like cords to abstract concepts like sorrow. Notably, it is associated with both physical and emotional contexts.
חֶ֫בֶל n.m. f. cord, territory, band
cord, rope
measuring-cord, line
measured portion, lot, part, region
band, company of prophets
base
חֵ֫בֶל n.m. pain, pang
pains of travail
of other than birth-pangs
base
חֹבְלִים n.[m.]pl. union (lit. binders) name of Zec.’s second symbolic staff
base
חֶ֫בֶל n.m. destruction—Mi 2:10
ref
H2256a חֶ֫בֶל cord, territory, band H2256b חֵ֫בֶל pain, pang H2256c חֹבְלִים union H2256d חֶ֫בֶל destruction
2256 chebel kheh'-bel
or chebel {khay'-bel}; from 2254; a rope (as twisted),
especially a measuring line; by implication, a district or
inheritance (as measured); or a noose (as of cords);
figuratively, a company (as if tied together); also a throe
(especially of parturition); also ruin:--band, coast, company,
cord, country, destruction, line, lot, pain, pang, portion,
region, rope, snare, sorrow, tackling.
see HEBREW for 02254
חֶ֫בֶל (che.vel) — Mahalab.
This name means a cord, territory, region
Another name of ach.lav (אַחְלָב "Ahlab" H0303)
חֵ֫בֶל (che.vel) — pain.
1) pain, sorrow, travail, pang
1a) pains of travail
1b) pains, pangs, sorrows
חֹבְלִים (chov.lim) — union.
union
חֶ֫בֶל (che.vel) — destruction.
destruction
חֶ֫בֶל (che.vel) — cord.
1) a cord, rope, territory, band, company
1a) a rope, cord
1b) a measuring-cord or line
1c) a measured portion, lot, part, region
1d) a band or company
§ destruction
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3mp
The Hebrew word שָׁלַח (shalach) is a primitive root meaning 'to send' with a wide range of applications. It can refer to sending away, stretching out (especially a hand), or letting go. The entries indicate various forms, including sending off, casting out, and setting free. Notably, it can also imply divorce or being sent away in a marital context.
שָׁלַח 814 vb. send
Qal
send: human subj.
send: subj. י׳ (God)
stretch out, esp. acc. hand
rarely send away: human subj.
let loose
Niph. letters were sent
Pi.
send off, away, human subj.
send away, subj. י׳
give over
cast out
send out, forth
let go, set free
shoot forth branches
let down
shoot
Phrases
Pu. be sent off (started on journey); be put away, divorced, of wife; be impelled(?)
Hiph. and I (י׳) will send
base
H7971 שָׁלַח send .. send: human subj.
. send: subj. י׳ (God)
. stretch out, esp. acc. hand
. rarely send away: human subj.
. let loose
. letters were sent
. . send off, away, human subj.
. . send away, subj. י׳
. give over
. cast out
. send out, forth
. let go, set free
. shoot forth branches
. let down
. shoot
. Phrases
. be sent off (started on journey); be put away, divorced, of wife; be impelled(?)
. and I (י׳) will send
7971 shalach shaw-lakh'
a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great
variety of applications):--X any wise, appoint, bring (on the
way), cast (away, out), conduct, X earnestly, forsake, give
(up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose),
push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send
(away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread,
stretch forth (out).
שָׁלַח (sha.lach) — to send: depart.
: depart/send
1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to send
1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct
1a3) to send away
1a4) to let loose
1b) (Niphal) to be sent
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out
1c2) to let go, set free
1c3) to shoot forth (of branches)
1c4) to let down
1c5) to shoot
1d) (Pual) to be sent off, be put away, be divorced, be impelled
1e) (Hiphil) to send
שָׁלַח (sha.lach) — to send: let go.
: let_go/free
1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to send
1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct
1a3) to send away
1a4) to let loose
1b) (Niphal) to be sent
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out
1c2) to let go, set free
1c3) to shoot forth (of branches)
1c4) to let down
1c5) to shoot
V-Piel-Imperf-3fp — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person feminine pluralHVpi3fp
forth: "Forth," adverb (from "for"), signifies movement
(1) forward,
(2) out of,
(3) beyond a certain boundary.
In a few instances in the Old Testament it is the translation of the preposition `al, properly "above," "upon" (2Ki 11:15; 2Ch 23:14; Am 7:17 the King James Version), and of chuts, "without" (Ge 39:13; Jud 19:25). "Forth" is often used as an expletive of various verbs, as "break (forth)," "bring (forth)," "call (forth)," etc. In the Gospel of John it is the translation of exo, "without," as "Lazarus, come forth" (11:43; so 15:6; 19:4 the King James Version…