Job 41:17 — Word Study
WLCאִישׁ־ בְּאָחִ֥יהוּ יְדֻבָּ֑קוּ יִ֝תְלַכְּד֗וּ וְלֹ֣א יִתְפָּרָֽדוּ׃
BSAelevationsᵉʼêth to sojourngûwr godʼêl breakingsheber to sinchâṭâʼ
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אִישׁ־ | each | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| בְּאָחִ֥יהוּ | on brother its | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| יְדֻבָּ֑קוּ | they are joined together | Verb, Pual, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| יִ֝תְלַכְּד֗וּ | they grasp one another | Verb, Hithpael, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| וְלֹ֣א | and not | Conjunction, particle |
| יִתְפָּרָֽדוּ׃ | they are separated | Verb, Hithpael, imperfect third person masculine plural |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | They are joined to one another; they clasp and cannot be separated. |
| KJV | They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered. |
| ASV | They are joined one to another; They stick together, so that they cannot be sundered. |
| YLT | One unto another they adhere, They stick together and are not separated. |
| WEB | They are joined to one another. They stick together, so that they can’t be pulled apart. |
| BBE | They take a grip of one another; they are joined together, so that they may not be parted. |
Where they part company is in the rendering of יְדֻבָּ֑קוּ.
The structure consists of a main clause followed by two phrases that elaborate on the actions and the negation, creating a cohesive thought.






7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbאַיִל
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 41:17
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 Description of a Powerful Creaturegenerated
Job 41:17 describes the scales of a creature that are tightly bound together, emphasizing their strength and unity. This verse is part of a larger passage that portrays the creature's formidable nature, illustrating how its features are designed to withstand separation and maintain cohesion. The imagery serves to highlight the creature's invulnerability and power, akin to the themes of divine creation and control found throughout the Book of Job.
Cross References
The Key Word — יְדֻבָּ֑קוּ, ye.du.Ba.kugenerated
The verb דָּבַק (dabaq) means to cling or adhere closely. It indicates a strong bond or connection, suggesting that the scales are not merely touching but are intimately joined, emphasizing their inseparability.
In this context, the Pual form indicates a passive action, meaning the scales are acted upon to be joined together. This highlights the creature's design and the intentionality behind its creation, where the scales work in harmony to protect and maintain the creature's integrity.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations generally agree on the meaning of the verse, with all versions conveying the idea of the scales being joined and unable to be separated.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs govern the structure of the verse: יְדֻבָּ֑קוּ (they are joined) and יִ֝תְלַכְּד֗וּ (they grasp) form the main actions, while the conjunction וְלֹ֣א (and not) introduces the negation of separation.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the actions of joining and grasping, followed by the negation of separation, creating a rhythm that underscores the unity of the scales.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יְדֻבָּ֑קוּ as στραφέντος, which suggests a sense of being turned or twisted together, broadening the idea of their connection beyond mere adhesion.
This choice indicates an interpretation that emphasizes the complexity of the bond, suggesting that the scales are not just stuck together but are intricately intertwined.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 41:17 describes a creature whose scales are tightly joined together, illustrating their strong connection and inability to be separated. This imagery emphasizes the creature's power and the design of its features, which work in harmony to maintain its integrity.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that the scales are tightly connected, emphasizing their strength and the creature's resilience.
It highlights the creature's formidable nature and the effectiveness of its protective features.
This verse contributes to the vivid portrayal of the creature's invulnerability, emphasizing its powerful design.
The imagery teaches about the strength of bonds and the intentionality behind creation, reflecting themes of divine power.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does the imagery of the scales being joined together speak to the concept of unity in creation?
- What other examples in the Bible illustrate strong bonds or connections?
- In what ways can we see the themes of strength and resilience reflected in our own lives?
- How can understanding the design of creation deepen our appreciation for the Creator?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The verse has been referenced by early commentators, such as Gregory the Dialogist, who discusses the implications of unity and adherence in the context of correction and perseverance.
They will adhere one to another, and holding each other they will not be separated. 55. For they who might be corrected, if divided, persevere, when united,Early Church Fathers on Job 41 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 41:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThey are joined one to another,.... One scale to another, or "a man in his brother" (h): which may seem to favour the notion of the whale's teeth in the sockets, which exactly answer to one another;
Read John Gill on Job 41 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryOne is so near to another, that no air can come between them. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 41 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleIt is exceeding difficult, and almost impossible by any power of art, to sever them one front another.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 41 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 41:17 They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.Ver. 17. They are joined one to another, &c.] They are lapped over one another, like tiles on a house.
Read John Trapp on Job 41 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges12–34. Description of the parts of Leviathan.
Read Cambridge on Job 41 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThey are joined one to another - literally, “A man with his brother;” that is, each one is connected with another.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 41 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible17. Joined one to another — The beauty of the original is lost.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 41 →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 are joined to one another; they clasp and cannot be separated.
They are joined to one another. They stick together, so that they can’t be pulled apart.
They are joined to one another; they clasp and cannot be separated.
They lock tightly together, one to the next; they cling together and cannot be separated.
Tyndale line
They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
They are joined one to another; They stick together, so that they cannot be sundered.
They are joined one to another; they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
When the sword doeth touch him, he will not rise vp, nor for the speare, dart nor habergeon.
Strictly literal
They are joined each to its fellow; they stick together, and cannot be sundered.
One unto another they adhere, They stick together and are not separated.
They adhere to one another, || They stick together and are not separated.
(41:9) They are fitted closely one to another: they are interlocked, that they cannot be severed.
They are joined to each other; they stick together, so that they cannot be pulled apart.
From the Latin
When a sword shall lay at him, it shall not be able to hold, nor a spear, nor a breastplate.
Simplified
Each scale attaches to the next; they lock together and nothing can penetrate them.
They take a grip of one another; they are joined together, so that they may not be parted.
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 show some alignment, with three of the six words matched. However, the Septuagint's word order and articles differ from the Hebrew text, indicating a variation in interpretation.
אִישׁ־ בְּאָחִ֥יהוּ יְדֻבָּ֑קוּ יִ֝תְלַכְּד֗וּ וְלֹ֣א יִתְפָּרָֽדוּ׃
3 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 41:17
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 אִישׁ (iysh) means 'man' and can refer to an individual male, a husband, or a human being in general. It encompasses various meanings, including champion and great man, and can also imply 'whosoever' or 'each.' The word is built from a root suggesting existence and is used throughout the Old Testament.
אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)
base
H376 אִישׁ man (= vir)
376 'iysh eesh
contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root
meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male
person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and
in such cases frequently not expressed in
translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, +
champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-,
husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree),
him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people,
person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.
Compare 802.
see HEBREW for 0582
see HEBREW for 0802
אִישׁ (ish) — man.
: man
1) man
1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)
1b) husband
1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)
1d) servant
1e) mankind
1f) champion
1g) great man
2) whosoever
3) each (adjective)
אִישׁ (ish) — man: husband.
: husband
1) man
1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)
1b) husband
1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)
1d) servant
1e) mankind
1f) champion
1g) great man
2) whosoever
3) each (adjective)
אִישׁ (ish) — man: anyone.
: anyone/someone
1) man
1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)
1b) husband
1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)
1d) servant
1e) mankind
1f) champion
1g) great man
2) whosoever
3) each (adjective)
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
אָח (ach) means 'brother' and encompasses a broad range of relationships, including literal siblings, half-brothers, and metaphorical kinship. It can refer to any male relative or compatriot, and it may also imply resemblance or reciprocal relationships. The term is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, highlighting both familial and figurative connections.
אָח 630 n.m. brother
brother, born of same mother (& father)
indef. = relative
fig. of resemblance
in phr. one … another
base
H251 אָח brother
251 'ach awkh
a primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of
literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance
(like 1)):--another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other.
Compare also the proper names beginning with "Ah-" or "Ahi-".
see HEBREW for 01
אָח (ach) — brother: male-sibling.
: male-sibling
1) brother
1a) brother of same parents
1b) half-brother (same father)
1c) relative, kinship, same tribe
1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)
1e) (fig.) of resemblance
אָח (ach) — brother: male-relative.
: male-relative
1) brother
1a) brother of same parents
1b) half-brother (same father)
1c) relative, kinship, same tribe
1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)
1e) (fig.) of resemblance
אָח (ach) — brother: compatriot.
: compatriot
1) brother
1a) brother of same parents
1b) half-brother (same father)
1c) relative, kinship, same tribe
1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)
1e) (fig.) of resemblance
HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms
דָּבַק, transliterated as dabaq, is a Hebrew verb meaning to cling or cleave. It encompasses a range of actions such as adhering closely, pursuing, and being joined together. The word appears in various forms, including Qal, Pual, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating different nuances of the action. Notably, it can describe both physical and metaphorical closeness.
דָּבַק, דָּבֵק vb. cling, cleave, keep close
Qal
cling, cleave to
cling, cleave to
Pu. of crocodile’s scales, they are joined together
Hiph.
cause to cling or cleave to
pursue closely
overtake
Hoph. and my tongue is made to cleave (to) my gums
base
H1692 דָּבַק, דָּבֵק cling, cleave, keep close
1692 dabaq daw-bak'
a primitive root; properly, to impinge, i.e. cling or adhere;
figuratively, to catch by pursuit:--abide fast, cleave (fast
together), follow close (hard after), be joined (together),
keep (fast), overtake, pursue hard, stick, take.
דָּבַק (da.vaq) — to cleave.
1) to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to cling, cleave to
1a2) to stay with
1b) (Pual) to be joined together
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to cleave to
1c2) to pursue closely
1c3) to overtake
1d) (Hophal) to be made to cleave
Aramaic equivalent: de.vaq (דְּבֵק "to cleave" H1693)
HVPi3mp — Verb · Pual · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVPi3mp
לָכַד (lakad) means to capture, seize, or take, often by lot. It can refer to catching in a net or trap, as well as figuratively to describe things sticking together. The verb appears in various forms, including Qal (to capture), Niphal (to be captured), and Hithpael (to grasp each other).
לָכַד 121 vb. capture, seize, take (by lot)
Qal
capture, seize
fig. of entrapping men
of taking by lot
Niph.
be captured in war
of men, be caught
be taken by lot
Hithp. they grasp each other, and cannot be separated
base
H3920 לָכַד capture, seize, take (by lot)
3920 lakad law-kad'
a primitive root; to catch (in a net, trap or pit);
generally, to capture or occupy; also to choose (by lot);
figuratively, to cohere:--X at all, catch (self), be frozen,
be holden, stick together, take.
לָכַד (la.khad) — to capture.
1) to capture, take, seize
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to capture, seize
1a2) to capture (of men) (fig.)
1a3) to take (by lot)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be captured
1b2) to be caught (of men in trap, snare) (fig.)
1c) (Hithpael) to grasp each other
HVti3mp — Verb · Hithpael · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVti3mp
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.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
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.
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)
HC/Tn — Conjunction · particleHC/Tn
פָּרַד (parad) is a Hebrew verb meaning to divide or separate. It encompasses various forms, including making a separation and being divided. The entries detail its use in different grammatical aspects, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, Pual, Hiphil, and Hithpael, indicating a range of meanings from dividing to being separated.
[פָּרַד] vb. divide
Qal Pt. pass. divided
Niph.
divide, separate (intrans.)
be divided, separated
Pi. make a separation
Pu. Pt. divided
Hiph.
divide, separate
make a division, separation, between
Hithp. be divided, separated, from each other
base
H6504 פָּרַד divide .Pt. pass. divided
. . divide, separate (intrans.)
. be divided, separated
. make a separation
. Pt. divided
. . divide, separate
. make a division, separation, between
. be divided, separated, from each other
6504 parad paw-rad'
a primitive root; to break through, i.e. spread or separate
(oneself):--disperse, divide, be out of joint, part, scatter
(abroad), separate (self), sever self, stretch, sunder.
פָּרַד (pa.rad) — to separate.
1) to separate, divide
1a) (Qal) to divide
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to divide, separate
1b2) to be divided, be separated
1c) (Piel) to be separated
1d) (Pual) to be divided
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to divide, separate
1e2) to make a division, make a separation
1f) (Hithpael) to be divided, be separated, get separated
Aramaic equivalent: be.dar (בְּדַר "to scatter" H0921)
HVti3mp — Verb · Hithpael · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVti3mp
