Job 40:14 — Word Study
WLCוְגַם־ אֲנִ֥י אוֹדֶ֑ךָּ כִּֽי־ תוֹשִׁ֖עַ לְךָ֣ יְמִינֶֽךָ׃
BSAThengam ◂Iʼănîy [even I, personally] will confess to youyâdâh▸ [give thanks, praise] thatkîy your own right handyâmîyn [personal, inherent, strength, ability] can saveyâshaʻ▸ [deliver, rescue]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְגַם־ | and also | Conjunction, adverb |
| אֲנִ֥י | I | Pronoun |
| אוֹדֶ֑ךָּ | I will praise you | Verb hiphil imperfect first person common singular, suffix |
| כִּֽי־ | that | Particle |
| תוֹשִׁ֖עַ | it will save | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect third person feminine singular |
| לְךָ֣ | you | Preposition, suffix |
| יְמִינֶֽךָ׃ | right [hand] your | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Then I will confess to you that your own right hand can save you. |
| KJV | Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee. |
| ASV | Then will I also confess of thee That thine own right hand can save thee. |
| YLT | And even I — I do praise thee, For thy right hand giveth salvation to thee. |
| WEB | Then I will also admit to you that your own right hand can save you. |
| BBE | Then I will give praise to you, saying that your right hand is able to give you salvation. |
The translations agree on the essence of Job's acknowledgment of God's saving power.
The sentence has a main clause followed by a subordinate clause that explains the reason for Job's confession.







8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectאֲנִי
verbיָשַׁע
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 40:14
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 — God's Challenge to Jobgenerated
Job 40:14 occurs in a section where God speaks to Job, challenging him to consider the wonders of creation and his own limitations. Job's response reflects his understanding of God's sovereignty and the futility of human strength compared to divine power. This dialogue highlights the theme of humility before God's greatness and the recognition of His ability to save.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 44:3–6 | For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because You favored them. |
| 2 | Isaiah 40:29 | He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. |
| 3 | Romans 5:6 | For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. |
| 4 | Ephesians 2:4–9 | But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אוֹדֶךָּ, 'o.De.kagenerated
The verb יָדָה (yadah) means 'to give thanks' or 'to praise', originally implying the act of throwing or casting. In this context, it expresses Job's intention to acknowledge God's power and to offer thanks, emphasizing a personal confession.
The use of the first-person pronoun אֲנִי (aniy) adds emphasis to Job's statement, indicating a personal commitment to recognize God's strength. This personal touch underscores the sincerity of his acknowledgment.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree that Job expresses a personal confession of praise to God, emphasizing His saving power.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is אוֹדֶךָּ, I will praise you, which governs the entire clause. The structure indicates Job's personal commitment to acknowledge God's power, followed by a clause that explains the reason for this praise.
The sentence is structured with a main clause and a subordinate clause that elaborates on the subject of Job's confession, highlighting the relationship between Job's recognition of God's strength and the act of praise.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אוֹדֶךָּ as ὁμολογήσω, which means 'I will confess.' This choice reflects a direct acknowledgment of God's power, aligning closely with Job's intent to express gratitude and recognition of divine strength.
This translation choice emphasizes the act of confession, indicating a deeper understanding of the relationship between Job and God, as well as the importance of acknowledging God's role in salvation.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 40:14 shows Job acknowledging that only God's own strength can save him. He expresses a personal commitment to praise God for His ability to deliver, recognizing the limits of human power.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job is recognizing that only God's inherent strength and ability can bring salvation or deliverance.
This emphasizes Job's personal acknowledgment of God's power and his commitment to praise Him for it.
Job's statement reveals his recognition of God's sovereignty and the futility of relying on human strength.
It highlights the theme of humility before God and the importance of recognizing His saving power in contrast to human limitations.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen God's strength at work in my life?
- How can I, like Job, acknowledge my limitations and rely on God's power?
- What does it mean for me to confess God's saving ability in my daily life?
- How can I express gratitude for God's deliverance in my own experiences?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators, such as Gregory the Dialogist, have interpreted this verse to highlight God's sovereignty and the acknowledgment of His power in salvation.
And I will confess that thy right hand can save thee. 14. As if He were openly saying, If thou art able to do these terrible things, which I Myself have displayed, I attribute to thee, and not to Myself, all the good things thou hast done.Early Church Fathers on Job 40 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 40:14 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThen will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.
Read John Gill on Job 40 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThen will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee. Confess - rather extol: 'I also,' who now censure thee, 'will extol thee, because thine own hand saves thee,' without requiring my help.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 40 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Biblei.e. That thou art mine equal, and mayst venture to contend with me. But since thou canst do none of these things, it behoves thee to submit to me, and to acquiesce in my dealings with thee.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 40 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 40:14 Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.Ver. 14. Then will I also confess unto thee, &c.] Or, I will give praise unto thee, as thou by right shouldest do to me; not for my goodness only, but for my greatness and majesty also, in destroying the wicked. See David doing it, Psalms 18:27, and Moses, Exodus 15:1, and the whole choir of heaven, Revelation 19:1-2. And that thine own right hand can save thee] That thou art self sufficient, and my peer; strong enough to maintain thine own cause, and that thou hast some show of reason to withstand me, Et ego quoque praedicabo te heroa (Tig.). This is that which we all naturally, but foolishly, fancy, viz.…
Read John Trapp on Job 40 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 14. Thine own right hand can save thee.] It is the prerogative of God alone to save the human soul. Nothing less than unlimited power, exerted under the direction and impulse of unbounded mercy, can save a sinner. This is most clearly asserted in this speech of Jehovah: When thou canst extend an arm like God, i.e., an uncontrollable power - when thou canst arm thyself with the lightning of heaven, and thunder with a voice like God - when thou canst deck thyself with the ineffable glory, beauty, and splendour of the supreme majesty of Jehovah - when thou canst dispense thy judgments over all the earth, to abase the proud, and tread down the wicked - when thou canst as having the keys…
Read AdamClarke on Job 40 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges14. The verse reads, Then will I also praise thee, That thine own right hand can save thee. If Job will shew himself worthy of that place to which he aspires when he reproves the rule of God in the universe, then even Jehovah Himself, who elsewhere says, “Is there a God beside me? yea there is no God; I know not any” (Isaiah 44:8), will admit his independent might, and laud him as one whose own right hand can save him, comp. Psalms 98:1; Isaiah 59:16; Isaiah 63:5. 15—ch. Job 41:34. Description of two monsters, Behemoth and Leviathan. Many writers consider the two passages, ch. Job 40:15-24 and ch. 41, in which Behemoth and Leviathan are described, to be interpolations (see the…
Read Cambridge on Job 40 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThen will I also confess unto thee ... - If you can do all this, it will be full proof that you can save yourself, and that you do not need the divine interposition.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 40 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible14. Confess unto — The Hebrew also means praise, and is thus rendered by Ewald, Delitzsch, etc.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 40 →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
Then I will confess to you that your own right hand can save you.
Then I will also admit to you that your own right hand can save you.
Then I will confess to you that your own right hand can save you.
Then I myself will acknowledge to you that your own right hand can save you.
Tyndale line
Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.
Then will I also confess of thee That thine own right hand can save thee.
Then wilt I also confess of thee that thine own right hand can save thee.
Then will I also confess to thee that thy own right hand can save thee.
He is the chiefe of the wayes of God: he that made him, will make his sworde to approch vnto him.
Strictly literal
Then will I also praise thee, because thy right hand saveth thee.
And even I — I do praise thee, For thy right hand giveth salvation to thee.
And even I praise you, || For your right hand gives salvation to you.
Then will I also myself praise thee, when thy own right hand hath helped thee.
Then will I also acknowledge about you that your own right hand can save you.
From the Latin
He is the beginning of the ways of God, who made him, he will apply his sword.
Simplified
Then I will also agree that your own strength can save you.
Then I will give praise to you, saying that your right hand is able to give you salvation.
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 share a significant degree of correspondence, with four out of seven words matched. The Septuagint's translation reflects the essence of Job's statement, though its word order differs from the Hebrew.
וְגַם־ אֲנִ֥י אוֹדֶ֑ךָּ כִּֽי־ תוֹשִׁ֖עַ לְךָ֣ יְמִינֶֽךָ׃
4 of the 7 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 40:14
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.
גַּם (gam) is an adverb meaning 'also' or 'moreover,' indicating addition or emphasis. It can express various nuances, such as 'even,' 'indeed,' or 'but.' The term is often used in a correlational manner, as in 'both...and.' It appears in contexts that require clarification or reinforcement of a statement.
גַּם 768 adv. denoting addition, also, moreover, yea
base
H1571 גַּם denoting addition, also, moreover, yea
1571 gam gam
by contraction from an unused root meaning to gather;
properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea,
though; often repeated as correl. both...and:--again, alike,
also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and , but, either...or,
even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover,
nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.
גַּם (gam) — also.
1) also, even, indeed, moreover, yea
1a) also, moreover (giving emphasis)
1b) neither, neither...nor (with negative)
1c) even (for stress)
1d) indeed, yea (introducing climax)
1e) also (of correspondence or retribution)
1f) but, yet, though (adversative)
1g) even, yea, yea though (with 'when' in hypothetical case)
2) (TWOT) again, alike
Conj | DirObjM — Conjunction · adverbHC/D
ol'-so: In the Greek kai, when it is equivalent to "also" or "even," is always placed before the word or phrase which it is intended to emphasize (e.g. Ac 12:3; 1 Joh 4:21). Mt 6:14 should therefore read, "Your heavenly Father will forgive you also"; Lu 6:13, "Whom also he named apostles"; Heb 8:6, "The mediator of a better covenant also"; and 1Th 4:14, `If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also (we believe that) those who are fallen asleep in Jesus, God will bring with Him.'
אֲנִי, transliterated as aniy, is a first-person singular pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me.' It is often used for emphasis and can also imply possession, as in 'mine' or 'myself.' The word is derived from a form that indicates self-reference, and it appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.
אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי pron. 1s. comm. I
base
H589 אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי I
589 'aniy an-ee'
contracted from 595; I:--I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, X
which, X who.
see HEBREW for 0595
אֲנִי (a.ni) — I.
I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis)
Pron — PronounHPp1bs
יָדָה (yadah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to throw or cast, particularly in the context of shooting arrows or stones. It also encompasses the meanings of giving thanks, praising, and confessing, especially in a ritual context. The word is built from a primitive root and has various forms, including Qal, Piel, Hiphil, and Hithpael, indicating different nuances of action.
[יָדָה] vb. throw, cast
Qal shoot (arrows) at
Pi. and they cast (stones) on me
Hiph.
give thanks, laud, praise
confess
Hithp.
confess
give thanks, in ritual worship
base
H3034 [יָדָה] throw, cast .shoot (arrows) at
. and they cast (stones) on me
. . give thanks, laud, praise
. confess
. . confess
. give thanks, in ritual worship
3034 yadah yaw-daw'
a primitive root; used only as denominative from 3027;
literally, to use (i.e. hold out) the hand; physically, to
throw (a stone, an arrow) at or away; especially to revere or
worship (with extended hands); intensively, to bemoan (by
wringing the hands):--cast (out), (make) confess(-ion),
praise, shoot, (give) thank(-ful, -s, -sgiving).
see HEBREW for 03027
יָדָה (ya.dah) — to give thanks.
1) to throw, shoot, cast
1a) (Qal) to shoot (arrows)
1b) (Piel) to cast, cast down, throw down
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to give thanks, laud, praise
1c2) to confess, confess (the name of God)
1d) (Hithpael)
1d1) to confess (sin)
1d2) to give thanks
Aramaic equivalent: ye.da (יְדָא "to praise" H3029)
V-Hiphil-Imperf-1cs | Suff — Verb hiphil imperfect first person common singular · suffixHVhi1cs/Sp2ms
כִּי (ki) is a conjunction primarily meaning 'that,' 'for,' or 'when.' It indicates causal relationships and can express conditions like 'if' or 'though.' The word is versatile, appearing in various contexts to convey certainty, exception, or concession. Notably, it can combine with other particles to modify its meaning, such as in the phrase כִּי אם־ (ki im), meaning 'that if.'
כִּי conj. that, for, when
that
Of time, when, of the past
elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם
when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though
Because, since
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
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
H3588a כִּי that, for, when . that
. . Of time, when, of the past
. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם
. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though
. Because, since
H3588b 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
H3588c כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
3588 kiy kee
a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional
prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent
or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative
conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by
other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch,
where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else,
even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, +
nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then,
therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when,
whether, while, whom, yea, yet.
כִּי (ki) — for.
1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since
1a) that
1a1) yea, indeed
1b) when (of time)
1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)
1c) because, since (causal connection)
1d) but (after negative)
1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if
1f) but rather, but
1g) except that
1h) only, nevertheless
1i) surely
1j) that is
1k) but if
1l) for though
1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
כִּי [אם] (ki im) — that if: except.
1) except if
1a) but if
1b) even though
כִּי [עַל כֵּן] (ki [al ken]) — for as that: since.
1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since
1a) that
1a1) yea, indeed
1b) when (of time)
1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)
1c) because, since (causal connection)
1d) but (after negative)
Conj — ParticleHTc
יָשַׁע (yasha`) is a Hebrew root meaning to save or deliver. It encompasses various forms of salvation, including liberation from physical and moral troubles, victory in battle, and general safety. The word can appear in different grammatical forms, such as Niph. (to be saved) and Hiph. (to save).
[יָשַׁע] vb. Hiph. deliver; Niph. intrans. and pass.
Niph.
be liberated, saved (prop. placed in freedom)
be saved in battle, victorious
Hiph.
deliver, save (prop. give width and breadth to, liberate)
save from moral troubles
give victory to
base
H3467 [יָשַׁע] Hiph. deliver; Niph. intrans. and pass. . . be liberated, saved (prop. placed in freedom)
. be saved in battle, victorious
. . deliver, save (prop. give width and breadth to, liberate)
. save from moral troubles
. give victory to
3467 yasha` yaw-shah'
a primitive root; properly, to be open, wide or free, i.e.
(by implication) to be safe; causatively, to free or
succor:--X at all, avenging, defend, deliver(-er), help,
preserve, rescue, be safe, bring (having) salvation,
save(-iour), get victory.
יָשַׁע (ya.sah) — to save.
1) to save, be saved, be delivered
1a) (Niphal)
1a1) to be liberated, be saved, be delivered
1a2) to be saved (in battle), be victorious
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to save, deliver
1b2) to save from moral troubles
1b3) to give victory to
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3fs — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person feminine singularHVhi3fs
sav: In the sense "except," the word came into English through the French (sauf) and is fairly common (38 times, in addition to "saving," the King James Version Ec 5:11; Am 9:8; Mt 5:32; Lu 4:27; Re 2:17). It represents no particular Hebrew or Greek terms but is employed wherever it seems useful. It is still in good (slightly archaic) use, and the Revised Version (British and American) has few modifications (De 15:4 the King James Version; Ps 18:31, etc.), but the English Revised Version has dropped "saving" in
ךָּ (ka) — you.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine singular
HR/Sp2ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp2ms
The Hebrew word יָמִין (*yamiyn*) means 'right hand' or 'right side,' and it can also refer to the direction south, as the right hand points south when facing east. It is derived from the root word for 'to be strong' and covers various contexts, including body parts and directional references.
יָמִין 137 n.f. right hand
right hand
of situation on, or direction toward the right
of other parts of the body
= south, because when facing east the right hand is toward the south
base
H3225 יָמִין right hand . right hand
. of situation on, or direction toward the right
. of other parts of the body
. = south, because when facing east the right hand is toward the south
3225 yamiyn yaw-meen'
from 3231; the right hand or side (leg, eye) of a person or
other object (as the stronger and more dexterous); locally,
the south:--+ left-handed, right (hand, side), south.
see HEBREW for 03231
יָמִין (ya.min) — right.
1) right, right hand, right side
1a) right hand
1b) right (of direction)
1c) south (the direction of the right hand when facing East)
Also means: ya.min (יָמִין ": south" H3225H)
יָמִין (ya.min) — right: south.
1) right, right hand, right side
1a) right hand
1b) right (of direction)
1c) south (the direction of the right hand when facing East)
יָמִין (ya.min) — [Ben]jamin.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.35.18;
son of: Israel (H3478) and Rachel (H7354);
brother of: Joseph (H3130);
half-brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp2ms
