Job 8:14 — Word Study
WLCאֲשֶׁר־ יָק֥וֹט כִּסְל֑וֹ וּבֵ֥ית עַ֝כָּבִ֗ישׁ מִבְטַחֽוֹ׃
BSAHisʼăsher confidencekeçel [trust, assurance, security] is fragileqâṭaṭ△▸ [easily broken, cut off] his securitymibṭâch [refuge, trust] is in a spider’sʻakkâbîysh [insect that weaves a web] webbayith [a network of threads, a fragile foundation]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אֲשֶׁר־ | [the one] who | Particle |
| יָק֥וֹט | it snaps | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| כִּסְל֑וֹ | confidence his | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וּבֵ֥ית | and [is the] house of | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct |
| עַ֝כָּבִ֗ישׁ | a spider | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| מִבְטַחֽוֹ׃ | trust his | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | His confidence is fragile; his security is in a spider’s web. |
| KJV | Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider’s web. |
| ASV | Whose confidence shall break in sunder, And whose trust is a spider’s web. |
| YLT | Whose confidence is loathsome, And the house of a spider his trust. |
| WEB | whose confidence will break apart, whose trust is a spider’s web. |
| BBE | Whose support is cut off, and whose hope is no stronger than a spider's thread. |
Translations agree on the meaning of יָקֹוט — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence presents a main clause followed by a predicate that elaborates on the nature of the confidence described.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbיָקֹוט
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 6 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 8:14
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 — The Fate of the Godlessgenerated
Job 8:14 illustrates the precarious nature of the confidence of those who forget God. The verse emphasizes that their trust is as fragile as a spider's web, highlighting the futility of relying on something so easily broken. This is part of a broader discussion in Job about the consequences of turning away from God, as seen in the surrounding verses, which depict the ultimate fate of the godless and their false hopes.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 59:5–6 | They hatch the eggs of vipers and weave a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die; crack one open, and a viper is hatched. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יָקֹוט, ya.Kotgenerated
The verb יָקֹוט (*ya.kot*) is in the imperfect tense, indicating an action that can happen or will happen. It conveys the idea of something being cut off or destroyed, suggesting that the confidence being described is not only weak but also subject to sudden failure.
This term is used to illustrate the consequences of misplaced trust, particularly in the context of the godless. The imagery of snapping or breaking serves to reinforce the idea that such confidence is inherently unstable.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations generally agree on the meaning of יָקֹוט, with most opting for phrases like snaps or is cut off.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יָקֹוט (*ya.kot*) governs the main clause, indicating the action of snapping. The structure is straightforward, with the subject being the confidence and the predicate describing its state and foundation.
The sentence order emphasizes the fragility of confidence, with the verb placed prominently to highlight the action of breaking, followed by the description of the confidence and its insecure foundation.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the corresponding Greek word is ἔσται (*estai*), which means 'will be.' This choice indicates a future certainty about the fragility of confidence, aligning with the Hebrew's implication of an inevitable outcome.
The translation reflects a broader understanding of the consequences of misplaced trust, emphasizing that such confidence is not only fragile but also destined to fail.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 8:14 compares a person's confidence to a spider's web, indicating that it is weak and easily broken. This verse is part of a discussion about the fate of those who forget God, illustrating the consequences of misplaced trust.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job is illustrating that trust placed in anything other than God is fragile and can easily fail, much like a spider's web.
This verse emphasizes the theme of the consequences of forgetting God and the instability of relying on worldly things for security.
The imagery serves as a reminder to place our trust in something solid and dependable, rather than in fragile and temporary things.
Describing confidence as fragile highlights its vulnerability and the ease with which it can be broken or lost.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life might I be placing my trust in fragile things?
- How can I strengthen my confidence in God rather than in temporary circumstances?
- What does it mean to rely on God as my refuge and security?
- How can I help others understand the importance of placing their trust in something stable?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers referenced this verse to discuss the folly of misplaced trust, as seen in the writings of Gregory the Dialogist.
His own folly shall not satisfy him, and whose trust shall be a spider's web. For it is infinite folly to labour painfully, and pant after the breath of applause, to apply one's self to the heavenly precepts with hard toil,Early Church Fathers on Job 8 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 8:14 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWhose hope shall be cut off,.... The same thing as before, expressed in different words, and repeated for the certainty of it; signifying that it should be of no manner of use, should be wholly lost,
Read John Gill on Job 8 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWhose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web. Cut off - so Gesenius. Or, to accord with the metaphor of the spider's house (Hebrew for "web").
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 8 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Biblei.e. Whose wealth and outward glory, which is the matter of his hope and trust, shall be cut off, i.e. suddenly and violently taken away from him. Whose hope shall be irksome or tedious to him, by the succession of earnest expectation and great disappointment. A spider’ s web; which though it be formed with great art and industry, and may do much mischief to others, yet is most slender and feeble, and easily swept down or pulled in pieces, and unable to defend the spider that made it. The application is obvious.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 8 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 8:14 Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust [shall be] a spider’ s web. Ver. 14. Whose hope (or whose folly, that is, whose foolish hope) shall be cut off] The Latin translation hath it, his folly shall not please him, sc. when once he seeth, by the disappointment of his high hopes, what a fool’ s paradise he had wrought himself into, what pains he hath taken to go to hell, his hope shall be cut off; and that is the greatest cut in the world, Hypocritis nihil stupidius. This Bildad telleth the hypocrite twice over; because he will hardly be drawn to believe it. But that he telleth Job so, as if he were this hopeless hypocrite, he is quite beside the cushion, as we say. And whose…
Read John Trapp on Job 8 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 14. Whose hope shall be cut off] Such persons, subdued by the strong habits of sin, hope on fruitlessly, till the last thread of the web of life is cut off from the beam; and then they find no more strength in their hope than is in the threads of the spider's web. Mr. Good renders, Thus shall their support rot away. The foundation on which they trust is rotten, and by and by the whole superstructure of their confidence shall tumble into ruin.
Read AdamClarke on Job 8 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges14. shall be cut off] Perhaps rather, goeth in sunder, though the meaning is not quite certain. One would have expected a noun here parallel to “spider’s web” in the second clause, but no efforts to find a noun have been successful. Saadia in his Arabic Translation rendered gossamer, the filmy thread-like substance that floats in the air, or the thread-like shimmer of the air itself when sultry and moist. This is a very suitable sense but is without sufficient support. a spider’s web] lit. spider’s house, cf. “house” in Job 8:15. The flimsiness of the spider’s house is proverbial in the East. Mohammed compares idolaters to the spider: The likeness of those who take to themselves patrons…
Read Cambridge on Job 8 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWhose hope shall be cut off - Schultens supposes that the quotation from the ancients closes with Job 8:13, and that these are the comments of Bildad on the passage to which he had referred.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 8 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible14. A spider’s web — Rather, house. Comp. Isaiah 59:5. A favourite Oriental figure.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 8 →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
His confidence is fragile; his security is in a spider’s web.
whose confidence will break apart, whose trust is a spider’s web.
His confidence is fragile; his security is in a spider’s web.
whose trust is in something futile, whose security is a spider’s web.
Tyndale line
Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider’s web.
Whose confidence shall break in sunder, And whose trust is a spider’s web.
Whose confidence shall break in sunder, and whose trust is a spider’s web.
Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web.
His confidence also shalbe cut off, and his trust shalbe as the house of a spyder.
Strictly literal
Whose confidence shall be cut off, and his reliance is a spider's web.
Whose confidence is loathsome, And the house of a spider his trust.
Whose confidence is loathsome, || And the house of a spider his trust.
[It is he] whose trust will be cut off, and but a spider's web is that in which he confideth.
His confidence will break apart, and his trust is as weak as a spider's web.
From the Latin
His folly shall not please him, and his trust shall be like the spider’s web.
Simplified
Their confidence is like holding on to a flimsy spider's web.
Whose support is cut off, and whose hope is no stronger than a spider's thread.
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 agreement in the core message of the verse, although the Septuagint's wording differs slightly in structure. The key concepts of fragility and insecurity remain consistent across both texts.
אֲשֶׁר־ יָק֥וֹט כִּסְל֑וֹ וּבֵ֥ית עַ֝כָּבִ֗ישׁ מִבְטַחֽוֹ׃
4 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 8:14
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.
The Hebrew word אֲשֶׁר (*asher*) is a relative pronoun that can mean 'who,' 'which,' or 'that.' It serves various grammatical functions, including as an adverb or conjunction, indicating relationships between clauses, places, or conditions. Variants like בַאֲשֶׁר (*ba-asher*), מֵאֲשֶׁר (*me-asher*), and כַּאֲשֶׁר (*ka-asher*) expand its usage to specific contexts such as location, causation, and time.
אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.
base
בַאֲשֶׁר
in (that) which
adv. in (the place) where
conj. in that, inasmuch as
on account of whom?
base
מֵאֲשֶׁר
from (or than) that which
adv. from (the place) where
conj. from (the fact) that …, since
base
כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when
according to that which, according as, as
with a causal force, in so far as, since
with a temporal force, when
base
H834a אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause. H834b בַאֲשֶׁר . in (that) which
. adv. in (the place) where
. conj. in that, inasmuch as
. on account of whom?
H834c מֵאֲשֶׁר . from (or than) that which
. adv. from (the place) where
. conj. from (the fact) that …, since
H834d כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when . according to that which, according as, as
. with a causal force, in so far as, since
. with a temporal force, when
834 'aher ash-er'
a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction)
when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X
alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, +
from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which,
wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where
(+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, +
whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is
indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun
expletively, used to show the connection.
אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) — which.
A: 1) (relative part.)
1a) which, who
1b) that which
2) (conj)
2a) that (in obj clause)
2b) when
2c) since
2d) as
2e) conditional if
B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which
2) (adv)
2a) where
3) (conj)
3a) in that, inasmuch as
3b) on account of
C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which
2) from (the place) where
3) from (the fact) that, since
D: Kaph+
1) (conj.), according as, as, when
1a) according to that which, according as, as
1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since
1c) with a temporal force: when
בַאֲשֶׁר (ba.a.sher) — in which.
1) in (that) which
2) (adv)
2a) where
3) (conj)
3a) in that, inasmuch as
3b) on account of
מֵאֲשֶׁר (me.a.sher) — whence.
1) from (or than) that which
2) from (the place) where
3) from (the fact) that, since
כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka.a.sher) — as which.
conj
1) according as, as, when
1a) according to that which, according as, as
Rel — ParticleHTr
קוֹט (qatat) is a primitive root meaning to clip off or destroy. It covers the idea of being cut off or breaking, though its exact meaning is uncertain. The word appears in contexts such as Job 8:14, where it may relate to the concept of destruction.
[קוֹט] dub. vb.intrans., assumed mng. break, snap, to account for Jb 8:14
ref
H6990 קוֹט, קָטַט
6990 qatat kaw-tat'
a primitive root; to clip off, i.e. (figuratively)
destroy:--be cut off.
קוֹט (qa.tat) — to cut off.
1) (Qal) to be cut off, break, snap
1a) meaning uncertain
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
כֶּ֫סֶל (kecel) primarily refers to the loins or flank, but it also encompasses meanings related to folly or stupidity, as well as confidence or hope. The word is built from the root related to fatness and can imply both physical and figurative concepts. It appears in contexts that highlight these varying meanings.
כֶּ֫סֶל n.m. 1. loins, 2. stupidity, 3. confidence
base
H3689 כֶּ֫סֶל
3689 kecel keh'-sel
from 3688; properly, fatness, i.e. by implication (literally)
the loin (as the seat of the leaf fat) or (generally) the
viscera; also (figuratively) silliness or (in a good sense)
trust:--confidence, flank, folly, hope, loin.
see HEBREW for 03688
כֶּ֫סֶל (ke.sel) — loin.
1) loins, flank
2) stupidity, folly
3) confidence, hope
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3ms
The Hebrew word בַּיִת (*bayith*) means 'house' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including dwelling, family, and place. It can refer to physical structures, such as homes and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like the body or household affairs. The word is built from the root related to 'between' and appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.
בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between
base
בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house
house
place
receptacle
of house as containing a family
household, family (592 t.)
house, including household affairs
lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards
מִבַּיִת
adv. on the inside
prep. within
base
H1004a בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between H1004b בַּ֫יִת house
1004 bayith bah'-yith
probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest
variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court,
daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as
would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold),
inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet,
temple, web, + within(-out).
see HEBREW for 01129
בֵּית (bet) — place.
nm
place, origin, between
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — house: home.
: home/temple/building
nm
1) house
1a) house, dwelling habitation
1b) shelter or abode of animals
1c) human bodies (fig.)
1d) of Sheol
1e) of abode of light and darkness
1f) of land of Ephraim
2) place
3) receptacle
4) home, house as containing a family
5) household, family
5a) those belonging to the same household
5b) family of descendants, descendants as organized body
6) household affairs
7) inwards (metaph.)
8) (TWOT) temple
adv
9) on the inside
prep
10) within
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(ashbea).
nm
This name is used for a house, habitation
Combined with ash.be.a (אַשְׁבֵּעַ "Ashbea" H0791)
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth (Haggan).
nm
This name is used for a house, habitation
Combined with hag (גַּן "Haggan" H1588)
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(togarmah).
nm
This name is used for a house, habitation
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular constructHC/Ncmsc
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…
עַכָּבִישׁ (akkabiysh) means 'spider' in Hebrew. It likely comes from a root meaning 'entangling,' reflecting the spider's web-making behavior. The word can also refer to a spider's web. The entries consistently define it as a spider without significant disagreement.
עַכָּבִישׁ n.m. spider
base
H5908 עַכָּבִישׁ spider
5908 `akkabiysh ak-kaw-beesh'
probably from an unused root in the literal sense of
entangling; a spider (as weaving a network):--spider.
עַכָּבִישׁ (ak.ka.vish) — spider.
1) spider
1a) spider
1b) web (house of spider)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
spi'-der
(1) `akkabhish; compare Arabic `ankabut, English Versions of the Bible "spider"; Septuagint arachne (Job 8:14; Isa 59:5);
(2) semamith, "lizard," the King James Version "spider"; Septuagint kalabotes (Pr 30:28)): Semamith of Pr 30:28 is probably the gecko, a kind of lizard, as Septuagint and the Revised Version (British and American) have it. See LIZARD.
Spider
The trust of the hypocrite is compared to the spider’s web or house (Job 8:14). It is said of the wicked by Isaiah that they “weave the spider’s web” (59:5), i.e., their works and designs are, like the spider’s web, vain and useless. The Hebrew word here used is ’akkabish, “a swift weaver.”
In Prov. 30:28 a different Hebrew word (semamith) is used. It is rendered in the Vulgate by stellio, and in the Revised Version by “lizard.” It may, however, represent the spider, of which there are, it is said, about seven hundred species in Palestine.
The Hebrew word ’accabish in (Job 8:24; Isaiah 59:5) is correctly rendered "spider." Put semamith is wrongly translated "spider" in (Proverbs 30:28) it refers probably to some kind of lizard. (But "there are many species of spider in Palestine: some which spin webs, like the common garden spider; some which dig subterranean cells and make doors in them, like the well-known trap-door spider of southern Europe; and some which have no web, but chase their prey upon the ground, like the hunting-and the wolf-spider." --Wood’s Bible Animals.)
A well-known insect, remarkable for the thread which it spins, and with which it forms a web of curious texture, but so frail that it is exposed to be broken and destroyed by the slightest accident. To the slenderness of this filmy workmanship Job compares the hope of the wicked, Job 8:14. So also in Isa 59:5, it is shown that the works of sinners are utterly inadequate to cover or protect them. In Pr 30:28, it is said in our version that "the spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces;" but the Hebrew employs here a different word, which signifies, according to the best interpreters, a species of lizard frequent in Palestine.
מִבְטָח (mibtach) refers to confidence, encompassing both the act of confiding and the state of security or assurance. It is derived from a root meaning 'refuge' and can denote trust or hope. The entries consistently highlight its use in contexts related to security and assurance.
מִבְטָח n.[m.] confidence
the act of confiding
the object of confidence
the state of confidence, security.
base
H4009 מִבְטָח confidence . the act of confiding
. the object of confidence
. the state of confidence, security.
4009 mibtach mib-tawkh'
from 982; properly, a refuge, i.e. (objective) security, or
(subjective) assurance:--confidence, hope, sure, trust.
see HEBREW for 0982
מִבְטָח (miv.tach) — confidence.
1) trust, confidence, refuge
1a) act of confiding
1b) object of confidence
1c) state of confidence, security
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3ms