Job 6:12 — Word Study
WLCאִם־ כֹּ֣חַ אֲבָנִ֣ים כֹּחִ֑י אִֽם־ בְּשָׂרִ֥י נָחֽוּשׁ׃
BSAIs my strengthkôach [power, might, ability] like thatkôach of stoneʼeben [as strong as, comparable to, rock, a hard and unyielding substance] orʼim my fleshbâsâr [body, physical being] made of bronzenâchûwsh△ [composed of, resembling, brass, a hard and coppery metal]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אִם־ | ? | Particle |
| כֹּ֣חַ | [the] strength of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| אֲבָנִ֣ים | stones | Noun common, feminine plural absolute |
| כֹּחִ֑י | [is] strength my | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| אִֽם־ | or? | Particle |
| בְּשָׂרִ֥י | [is] flesh my | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| נָחֽוּשׁ׃ | bronze | Adj |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Is my strength like that of stone, or my flesh made of bronze? |
| KJV | Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass? |
| ASV | Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh of brass? |
| YLT | Is my strength the strength of stones? Is my flesh brazen? |
| WEB | Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh of bronze? |
| BBE | Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh brass? |
Where they part company is נָחֽוּשׁ — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured as a question, emphasizing Job's comparisons of his strength and flesh to inanimate objects.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 7 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 6:12
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
Job 6:12 is part of Job's response to his friends, where he laments his suffering and questions the nature of his strength. He feels overwhelmed and compares his physical and emotional state to inanimate objects, emphasizing his fragility in the face of adversity. This verse highlights Job's struggle and his desire for understanding amidst his trials.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 40:18 | His bones are tubes of bronze; his limbs are rods of iron. |
| 2 | Job 41:24 | His chest is as hard as a rock, as hard as a lower millstone! |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נָחֽוּשׁ, na.Chushgenerated
The word נָחֽוּשׁ (naChush) refers to bronze, a strong and durable metal. It is used here to illustrate the idea of resilience or toughness, contrasting with Job's own feelings of weakness. The parsing indicates that it is an adjective, describing the quality of being composed of or resembling bronze.
In this context, Job is questioning whether his flesh can be compared to the strength of bronze, suggesting a sense of inadequacy. The lexicons emphasize its metallic quality, which aligns with Job's inquiry about his own strength.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the term bronze. The KJV and several other versions use brass, reflecting a difference in the translation of נָחֽוּשׁ.
Where translations differ is in the rendering of נָחֽוּשׁ — brass (ASV, KJV) versus bronze (BSB, NETB). This distinction highlights the translators' choices regarding the material's connotation.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse contains two main clauses connected by the particle אִם־ ('im-), which introduces a conditional question. The first clause compares Job's strength to stone, while the second compares his flesh to bronze.
The structure emphasizes Job's questioning nature, with the finite verb implied in the comparisons. The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the comparisons themselves, highlighting Job's feelings of inadequacy.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נָחֽוּשׁ as χαλκὸς (chalkos), which means 'copper' or 'brass'. This choice may suggest a broader interpretation of the material's strength and durability, indicating a slight shift in emphasis from the original Hebrew.
This translation choice reflects the translators' understanding of the material's properties, aligning with the context of strength and resilience in Job's lament.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 6:12 shows Job questioning the nature of his strength. He asks if his strength is like stone or if his flesh is made of bronze, expressing feelings of weakness and despair in the face of suffering.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job is expressing doubt about his own resilience, questioning whether he possesses the unyielding strength of stone.
Bronze represents durability and strength, contrasting with Job's feelings of fragility during his suffering.
The word 'if' introduces a conditional question, highlighting Job's uncertainty about his own strength.
This verse illustrates Job's deep despair and feelings of inadequacy as he grapples with his suffering.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I respond when I feel weak or inadequate, like Job?
- In what ways can I find strength during difficult times?
- What does it mean to compare my struggles to something strong and unyielding?
- How can I support others who are feeling weak or overwhelmed?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early church fathers, including Gregory the Dialogist, referenced this verse to discuss the nature of human strength and resilience in the face of suffering.
Neither is my strength the strength of stones, nor is my flesh of brass? For what have we here denoted by 'brass' and 'stones' save the hearts of the insensate, who oftentimes even receive the strokes of the Most High,Early Church Fathers on Job 6 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 6:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible[Is] my strength the strength of stones?.... Is it like such especially which are foundation and corner stones that support a building? or like a stone pillar, that will bear a prodigious weight?
Read John Gill on Job 6 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryIs my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass? My strength. Disease had so attacked him that his strength would need to be hard as a stone, and his flesh like brass, not to sink under it.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 6 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleI am not made of stone or brass, but of flesh and blood, as others are; and therefore I am utterly unable to endure these miseries longer, and can neither hope for nor desire any continuance of my life, or restoration of my former happiness, but only wish for that death which is the common refuge of all miserable persons, as I said, ,18.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 6 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 6:12 [Is] my strength the strength of stones? or [is] my flesh of brass?Ver. 12. Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass?] Is it made of marble, or of the hardest metal? as it is said of one in Homer, that he was χαλκεντερος, of brazen bowels, and of Julius Scaliger, that he had a golden soul in an iron body; he was a very iron sides: but so was not Job; he had neither a body of brass, nor sinews of iron, to stand out against so many storms, and bear so many batteries; he felt what he endured, and could not long endure what he felt. As for the damned in hell, they are by the power of God upheld for ever, that they may suffer his fierce wrath for ever; which else…
Read John Trapp on Job 6 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 12. Is my strength the strength of stones?] I am neither a rock, nor is my flesh brass, that I can endure all these calamities. This is a proverbial saying, and exists in all countries. Cicero says, Non enim est e saxo sculptus, aut e ROBORE dolatus HOMO; habet corpus, habet animum; movetur mente, movetur sensibus. "For man is not chiselled out of the rock, nor hewn out of the oak; he has a body, and he has a soul; the one is actuated by intellect, the other by the senses." Quaest. Acad. iv. 31. So Homer, where he represents Apollo urging the Trojans to attack the Greeks: - Νεμεσησεδ' Απολλων, Περγαμουεκκατιδων·Τρωεσσιδεκεκλετ' αυσας· Ορνυσθ', ἱπποδαμοιΤρωες, μηδ' εικετεχαρμης…
Read AdamClarke on Job 6 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges12. Unless his strength were that of stones or his flesh brass he could not hold out against the exhausting afflictions which he has to bear, or recover from them.
Read Cambridge on Job 6 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleIs my strength the strength of stones? - That is, like a rampart or fortification made of stones, or like a craggy rock that can endure assaults made upon it.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 6 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible12. Is my flesh of brass — That is, invulnerable? Brass is used sometimes as the symbol of incorrigible pride and wanton immorality, and sometimes as an emblem of durability and strength.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 6 →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
Is my strength like that of stone, or my flesh made of bronze?
Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh of bronze?
Is my strength like that of stone, or my flesh made of bronze?
Is my strength like that of stones? or is my flesh made of bronze?
Tyndale line
Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass?
Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh of brass?
Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass?
Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass?
Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brasse?
Strictly literal
Is my strength the strength of stones? is my flesh of brass?
Is my strength the strength of stones? Is my flesh brazen?
Is my strength the strength of stones? Is my flesh bronze?
Is the strength of stones my strength? or is my flesh brazen?
Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh made of bronze?
From the Latin
My strength is not the strength of stones, nor is my flesh of brass.
Simplified
Am I as strong as rock? Am I made out of bronze?
Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh brass?
Word by word, the decisions they made
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in this verse, with six of the seven words matched. However, the Septuagint's word order and articles differ from the Hebrew text, which may affect the nuance of the translation.
אִם־ כֹּ֣חַ אֲבָנִ֣ים כֹּחִ֑י אִֽם־ בְּשָׂרִ֥י נָחֽוּשׁ׃
6 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 6:12
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
Conj — ParticleHTc
כֹּחַ (koach) refers to both a small reptile, likely a type of lizard, and the concepts of strength and power. The entries highlight its use in contexts of human and divine strength, as well as its association with wealth and capacity. Notably, it appears in Leviticus 11:30 regarding unclean animals.
כֹּחַ n.[m.] a small reptile, prob. a kind of lizard, in list of unclean creeping things Lv 11:30; chameleon
ref
כֹּחַ and כּוֹחַ n.m. strength, power
base
H3581a כֹּחַ a small reptile, prob. a kind of lizard, in list of unclean creeping things; chameleon H3581b כֹּחַ and כּוֹחַ strength, power
3581 koach ko'-akh
or (Dan. 11:6) kowach {ko'-akh}; from an unused root meaning
to be firm; vigor, literally (force, in a good or a bad sense)
or figuratively (capacity, means, produce); also (from its
hardiness) a large lizard: -ability, able, chameleon, force,
fruits, might, power(-ful), strength, substance, wealth.
כֹּחַ (ko.ach) — reptile.
1) a small reptile, probably a kind of lizard, which is unclean
1a) perhaps an extinct animal, exact meaning is unknown
כֹּחַ (ko.ach) — strength.
1) strength, power, might
1a) human strength
1b) strength (of angels)
1c) power (of God)
1d) strength (of animals)
1e) strength, produce, wealth (of soil)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
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.
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…
The Hebrew word אֶ֫בֶן (*eben*) means 'stone' and encompasses various types, including common stones, precious stones, and stones used as weights or tools. It can also refer to metaphorical uses, such as a hardened heart or sinking in water. The entries highlight its physical and symbolic significance, with no notable disagreements among lexicons.
אֶ֫בֶן 274 n.f. stone
in natural state
stone, as material
precious stone, gen. with modifying word
stone containing metal, = ore
a weight, as orig. stone
plummet
objects like stone
in sim. (mostly poet.) of sinking in water
In topogr. terms
base
H68 אֶ֫בֶן stone . in natural state
. stone, as material
. precious stone, gen. with modifying word
. stone containing metal, = ore
. a weight, as orig. stone
. plummet
. objects like stone
. in sim. (mostly poet.) of sinking in water
. In topogr. terms
68 'eben eh'-ben
from the root of 1129 through the meaning to build; a
stone:--+ carbuncle, + mason, + plummet, (chalk-, hail-,
head-, sling-)stone(-ny), (divers) weight(-s).
see HEBREW for 01129
אֶ֫בֶן (e.ven) — stone.
: stone
1) stone (large or small)
1a) common stone (in natural state)
1b) stone, as material
1b1) of tablets
1b2) marble, hewn stones
1c) precious stones, stones of fire
1d) stones containing metal (ore), tool for work or weapon
1e) weight
1f) plummet (stones of destruction) also made of metal
1g) stonelike objects, eg hailstones, stony heart, ice
1h) sacred object, as memorial Samuel set up to mark where God helped Israel to defeat the Philistines
1i) (simile)
1i1) sinking in water, motionlessness
1i2) strength, firmness, solidity
1i3) commonness
1j) (metaph)
1j1) petrified with terror
1j2) perverse, hard heart
אֶ֫בֶן (e.ven) — stone: weight.
: weight
1) stone (large or small)
1a) common stone (in natural state)
1b) stone, as material
1b1) of tablets
1b2) marble, hewn stones
1c) precious stones, stones of fire
1d) stones containing metal (ore), tool for work or weapon
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural absoluteHNcfpa
Besides the ordinary uses to which stones were applied, we may mention that large stones were set up to commemorate any remarkable event. (Genesis 28:18; 35:14; 31:45; Joshua 4:9; 1 Samuel 7:12) Such stones were occasionally consecrated By anointing. (Genesis 28:18) Heaps of stones were piled up on various occasions, as in token of a treaty, (Genesis 31:47) or over the grave of some notorious offender. (Joshua 7:26; 8:29; 2 Samuel 18:17) The "white stone" noticed in (
כֹּחַ (koach) refers to both a small reptile, likely a type of lizard, and the concepts of strength and power. The entries highlight its use in contexts of human and divine strength, as well as its association with wealth and capacity. Notably, it appears in Leviticus 11:30 regarding unclean animals.
כֹּחַ n.[m.] a small reptile, prob. a kind of lizard, in list of unclean creeping things Lv 11:30; chameleon
ref
כֹּחַ and כּוֹחַ n.m. strength, power
base
H3581a כֹּחַ a small reptile, prob. a kind of lizard, in list of unclean creeping things; chameleon H3581b כֹּחַ and כּוֹחַ strength, power
3581 koach ko'-akh
or (Dan. 11:6) kowach {ko'-akh}; from an unused root meaning
to be firm; vigor, literally (force, in a good or a bad sense)
or figuratively (capacity, means, produce); also (from its
hardiness) a large lizard: -ability, able, chameleon, force,
fruits, might, power(-ful), strength, substance, wealth.
כֹּחַ (ko.ach) — reptile.
1) a small reptile, probably a kind of lizard, which is unclean
1a) perhaps an extinct animal, exact meaning is unknown
כֹּחַ (ko.ach) — strength.
1) strength, power, might
1a) human strength
1b) strength (of angels)
1c) power (of God)
1d) strength (of animals)
1e) strength, produce, wealth (of soil)
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp1bs
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.
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
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
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.
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
HTc — ParticleHTc
or: The word is used once for either (1Sa 26:10), and is still in poetic use in this sense; as in, "Without or wave or wind" (Coleridge); "Or the bakke or some bone he breketh in his dzouthe" (Piers Plowman (B), VII, 93; compare Merchant of Venice, III, ii, 65). It is also used with "ever" for before (Ps 90:2; Ecclesiasticus 18:19), which the American Standard Revised Version substitutes in Ec 12:6 (compare 12:1,2); So 6:12; Da 6:24.
בָּשָׂר (basar) means 'flesh' and encompasses various meanings, including the physical body, kinship, and a euphemism for male genitalia. It can refer to humans, animals, and all living things, highlighting the frailty of man in relation to God. The entries consistently emphasize its bodily and relational aspects.
בָּשָׂר 266 n.m. flesh
of the body
flesh for the body itself
male organ of generation (euphemism)
flesh for kindred, blood-relations
man over against God as frail or erring
base
H1320 בָּשָׂר flesh . of the body
. flesh for the body itself
. male organ of generation (euphemism)
. flesh for kindred, blood-relations
. man over against God as frail or erring
1320 basar baw-sawr'
from 1319; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body,
person; also (by euphem.) the pudenda of a man:--body, (fat,
lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-)kind, + nakedness, self, skin.
see HEBREW for 01319
בָּשָׂר (ba.sar) — flesh.
1) flesh
1a) of the body
1a1) of humans
1a2) of animals
1b) the body itself
1c) male organ of generation (euphemism)
1d) kindred, blood-relations
1e) flesh as frail or erring (man against God)
1f) all living things
1g) animals
1h) mankind
Aramaic equivalent: be.shar (בְּשַׁר "flesh" H1321)
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp1bs
נָחוּשׁ (nachuwsh) refers to bronze or brass, suggesting a hard, metallic quality. The term may derive from the sound of hissing associated with serpents or the ringing of bell-metal. It appears in Job 6:12, where its meaning aligns with the idea of strength or durability.
נָחוּשׁ adj. of bronze;—Jb 6:12
ref
H5153 נָחוּשׁ
5153 nachuwsh naw-khoosh'
apparently passive participle of 5172 (perhaps in the sense
of ringing, i.e. bell-metal; or from the red color of the
throat of a serpent (5175, as denominative) when hissing);
coppery, i.e. (figuratively) hard:--of brass.
see HEBREW for 05172
see HEBREW for 05175
נָחוּשׁ (na.chush) — bronze.
bronze
Adj — AdjHAamsa