Job 9:17 — Word Study
WLCאֲשֶׁר־ בִּשְׂעָרָ֥ה יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְהִרְבָּ֖ה פְצָעַ֣י חִנָּֽם׃
BSAForʼăsher He would crush meshûwph▸ [pound, overwhelm] with a tempestsᵉʻârâh [storm, whirlwind] and multiplyrâbâh [increase, grow] my woundspetsaʻ [injuries, bruises] without causechinnâm [for nothing, without reason]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אֲשֶׁר־ | [he] who | Particle |
| בִּשְׂעָרָ֥ה | with a storm | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי | he crushes me | Verb qal imperfect third person masculine singular, suffix |
| וְהִרְבָּ֖ה | and he increases | Verb, Hiphil, sequential perfect third person masculine singular |
| פְצָעַ֣י | wounds my | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| חִנָּֽם׃ | without cause | Adverb |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause. |
| KJV | For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause. |
| ASV | For he breaketh me with a tempest, And multiplieth my wounds without cause. |
| YLT | Because with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought. |
| WEB | For he breaks me with a storm, and multiplies my wounds without cause. |
| BBE | For I would be crushed by his storm, my wounds would be increased without cause. |
Where they part company is חִנָּֽם — see How Translations Differ.
The structure consists of a main clause followed by two subordinate phrases, emphasizing the crushing action and its unjust nature.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbרָבָה
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 9:17
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 — Job's Lamentgenerated
Job 9:17 captures Job's despair as he contemplates his suffering and the seeming indifference of God. He feels crushed by a storm, symbolizing overwhelming force, and laments that his wounds are multiplied without reason, reflecting a deep sense of injustice and helplessness in his plight. This passage is part of Job's broader discourse on suffering and divine justice, where he grapples with the nature of God's actions in the world.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 16:14 | He breaks me with wound upon wound; He rushes me like a mighty warrior. |
| 2 | Psalm 29:5 | The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon. |
| 3 | Psalm 42:7 | Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and waves have rolled over me. |
| 4 | Psalm 83:15 | so pursue them with Your tempest, and terrify them with Your storm. |
| 5 | Isaiah 28:17 | I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will flood your hiding place. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 17 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי, ye.shu.Fe.nigenerated
The verb יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי (*ye.shu.Fe.ni*) is in the imperfect tense, indicating an ongoing action. It means 'he crushes me' and conveys a sense of being overwhelmed or bruised. This word is often used to describe the forceful action of God, emphasizing Job's perception of divine power as oppressive.
The parsing as a third person masculine singular verb indicates that Job attributes this crushing action directly to God. The emotional weight of this word highlights Job's feelings of vulnerability and fear in the face of divine judgment.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against. The BSB has crush and multiply, which are also used in the KJV and ASV, maintaining the sense of overwhelming force and injury.
Where others part company with the BSB they part company over the rendering of חִנָּֽם. The BSB, KJV, and others choose without cause, while the LSV opts for for nothing, reflecting a slight variation in interpretation of Job's sense of injustice.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי governs the main clause, with a prepositional phrase בִּשְׂעָרָ֥ה describing the manner of the action. The structure emphasizes Job's feeling of being crushed by an external force, represented by the storm, and the subsequent multiplication of his wounds without justification.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the action of crushing, followed by the description of the storm and the resulting wounds, creating a vivid image of Job's suffering.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי is rendered as με (me), indicating a direct and personal impact of the action. This choice underscores the intimate nature of Job's suffering and his feeling of being personally targeted by divine might.
The Greek translation employs γνόφῳ for the storm, which carries connotations of darkness and chaos, further enhancing the imagery of Job's tumultuous emotional state.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 9:17 expresses Job's feeling of being crushed by God like a storm. He feels that his wounds are multiplied without any reason, highlighting his sense of injustice and suffering. This verse captures the essence of Job's lament as he struggles with his relationship with God in the midst of his pain.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job uses the imagery of a tempest to convey the overwhelming and destructive nature of his suffering, suggesting that he feels powerless against God's might.
Job feels that his suffering is unjust and without reason, indicating a deep sense of betrayal and confusion about God's actions.
This verse illustrates Job's struggle to understand God's justice and power, as he grapples with the reality of his suffering and the perceived silence of God.
Job's lament teaches us about the complexity of suffering and faith, encouraging us to bring our honest feelings and questions to God.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I respond to feelings of being overwhelmed or crushed by life's circumstances?
- What does it mean to me that Job felt his wounds were multiplied without cause?
- In what ways can I relate to Job's struggle with understanding God's actions in my life?
- How can I find hope and comfort in my own times of suffering, like Job sought?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church commentators reflect on Job's suffering and God's justice, drawing insights from this poignant verse.
These words mean two different things, either that Job had not sinned, even though he was, nevertheless, undergoing a punishment;Early Church Fathers on Job 9 →
For He shall break me with a tempest. In every case that sinner is 'broken with a tempest,' who seemed to be stablished in tranquillity, in that the man whom the long-suffering Above bears with for long, the last strict Judgment destroys.Early Church Fathers on Job 9 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 9:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleFor he breaketh me with a tempest,.... Which rises suddenly, comes powerfully, and carries all before it irresistibly; hereby signifying the nature of his present sore afflictions, which came upon
Read John Gill on Job 9 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryIf I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 9 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThis is the reason of his foregoing diffidence, that even when God seemed to answer him in words, yet the course of his actions towards him was of a quite contrary nature and tendency. With a tempest; as with a tempest, i.e. unexpectedly, violently, and irrecoverably. Without cause; not simply without any desert of his, or as if he had no sin in him, for he oft declares the contrary; but without any evident or special cause of such singular afflictions, i.e. any peculiar and extraordinary guilt, such as my friends charge me with.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 9 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 9:17 For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.Ver. 17. For he breaketh me with a tempest] q.d. This is one thing also that maketh me think I am not heard, because I am not helped; but after my prayer I am in as bad a case as before and seem to have a repulse from God. Afflictions continued are no evidence that prayer is not heard; yet usually it is very inevident to an afflicted person that his prayer is heard. The Hebrew (and so the Vulgate) hath it, He will break me, that is, saith one, If I should plead before him as pure, although I might temporally, or for a time, be delivered, yet I should not finally escape destruction, although I should give him…
Read John Trapp on Job 9 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(17) He breaketh me . . .—This is one of the three passages in which this word is found, the other two being Genesis 3:15, “It shall bruise,” &c., and Psalms 139:11, “If I say the darkness shall cover me.”
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 9 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 17. He breaketh me with a tempest] The Targum, Syriac, and Arabic have this sense: He powerfully smites even every hair of my head and multiplies my wounds without cause. That is, There is no reason known to myself, or to any man, why I should be thus most oppressively afflicted. It is, therefore, cruel, and inconsequent to assert that I suffer for my crimes.
Read AdamClarke on Job 9 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges11–24. From the operation of this terrible force in the physical world Job passes on to describe its display among creatures, and to shew how it paralyses and crushes them.
Read Cambridge on Job 9 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleFor he breaketh me - He is overwhelming me with a tempest; that is, with the storms of wrath. He shows me no mercy.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 9 →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
For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
For he breaks me with a storm, and multiplies my wounds without cause.
For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
he who crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds for no reason.
Tyndale line
For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.
For he breaketh me with a tempest, And multiplieth my wounds without cause.
For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.
For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.
For he destroyeth mee with a tempest, and woundeth me without cause.
Strictly literal
He, who crusheth me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.
Because with a tempest He bruiseth me, And hath multiplied my wounds for nought.
Because He bruises me with a storm, || And has multiplied my wounds for nothing.
He that bruiseth me with [his] tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without a cause.
For he breaks me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause.
From the Latin
For he shall crush me in a whirlwind, and multiply my wounds even without cause.
Simplified
He pounds me with the winds of a storm; he wounds me time and again, without giving a reason.
For I would be crushed by his storm, my wounds would be increased without cause.
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 show significant agreement in the core message of the verse, with five out of six words matched. However, the Septuagint's word order and choice of articles reflect its own interpretative style rather than a direct translation.
אֲשֶׁר־ בִּשְׂעָרָ֥ה יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְהִרְבָּ֖ה פְצָעַ֣י חִנָּֽם׃
5 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 9:17
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 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
שְׂעָרָה (se'arah) is a feminine noun meaning 'storm' or 'hurricane.' It is derived from the root word שָׁעַר (sha'ar), which relates to tumultuous weather. The entries consistently define it as a storm or tempest, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
שְׂעָרָה n.f. id. [u.bt.ab]
base
H8183 שְׂעָרָה
8183 s`arah seh-aw-raw'
feminine of 8178; a hurricane:--storm, tempest.
see HEBREW for 08178
שְׂעָרָה (se.a.rah) — storm.
storm
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHR/Ncfsa
שׁוּף (shuwph) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning 'to bruise' or 'to crush.' It can also imply actions like snapping at or overwhelming. The entries suggest a range of meanings, including to fall upon or strike out, but the primary focus remains on the concept of bruising.
[שׁוּף] vb. bruise
base
H7779 שׁוּף bruise
7779 shuwph shoof
a primitive root; properly, to gape, i.e. snap at;
figuratively, to overwhelm:--break, bruise, cover.
שׁוּף (shuph) — to bruise.
1) to bruise, crush, gape upon, desire?, seize?, strike out?
1a) (Qal) to fall upon, bruise
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms | Suff — Verb qal imperfect third person masculine singular · suffixHVqi3ms/Sp1bs
רָבָה (rabah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to increase or multiply, encompassing ideas of becoming great, numerous, or abundant. It has various forms, including Qal (to become many), Piel (to make large), and Hiphil (to make much). The word also appears in a context related to shooting in Genesis 21:20. There is a noted Aramaic equivalent, רְבָה.
[רָבָה] 225 vb. be, or become, much, many, great
Qal 59
become many, numerous
be great
grow great (Aramaism)
Pi. 4 make large, increase
Hiph. 162
H7235a רָבָה be, or become, much, many, great .. become many, numerous
. . be great
. grow great (Aramaism)
. make large, increase
. . make much or many
. make great, obj. pers.
H7235b רָבָה shoot
7235 rabah raw-baw'
a primitive root; to increase (in whatever respect):--(bring
in) abundance (X -antly), + archer (by mistake for 7232), be
in authority, bring up, X continue, enlarge, excel,
exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly,
X -ness), grow up, heap, increase, be long, (be, give, have,
make, use) many (a time), (any, be, give, give the, have) more
(in number), (ask, be, be so, gather, over, take, yield) much
(greater, more), (make to) multiply, nourish, plenty(-eous), X
process (of time), sore, store, thoroughly, very.
see HEBREW for 07232
רָבָה (ra.vah) — to multiply.
1) be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to become many, become numerous, multiply (of people, animals, things)
1a2) to be or grow great
1b) (Piel) to make large, enlarge, increase, become many
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to make much, make many, have many
1c1a) to multiply, increase
1c1b) to make much to do, do much in respect of, transgress greatly
1c1c) to increase greatly or exceedingly
1c2) to make great, enlarge, do much
Aramaic equivalent: re.vah (רְבָה "to grow great" H7236)
רָבָה (ra.vah) — to shoot.
(Qal) to shoot
Conj | V-Hiphil-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · sequential perfect third person masculine singularHc/Vhq3ms
פֶּ֫צַע (petsah) refers to a bruise or wound. It is derived from the root word for 'wound' and is consistently used in this context across the lexicons.
פֶּ֫צַע n.m. bruise, wound
base
H6482 פֶּ֫צַע bruise, wound
6482 petsa` peh'-tsah
from 6481; a wound:--wound(-ing).
see HEBREW for 06481
פֶּ֫צַע (pe.tsa) — wound.
bruise, wound
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp1bs
חִנָּם (chinnam) means 'for nothing' or 'gratis,' indicating something given without cost or reason. It conveys ideas of being free, undeserved, or in vain. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to be devoid of advantage.' Various lexicons emphasize its use in contexts that highlight lack of purpose or cause.
חִנָּם subst., used chiefly in the accus. as adv.—lit. out of favour; i.e.
gratis, gratuitously, for nothing
for no purpose, in vain
gratuitously, without cause, undeservedly
base
H2600 חִנָּם lit. out of favour; i.e. . gratis, gratuitously, for nothing
. for no purpose, in vain
. gratuitously, without cause, undeservedly
2600 chinnam khin-nawm'
from 2580; gratis, i.e. devoid of cost, reason or
advantage:--without a cause (cost, wages), causeless, to cost
nothing, free(-ly), innocent, for nothing (nought, in vain.
see HEBREW for 02580
חִנָּם (chin.nam) — for nothing.
1) freely, for nothing, without cause
1a) gratis, gratuitously, for nothing
1b) for no purpose, in vain
1c) gratuitously, without cause, undeservedly
Adv — AdverbHD
kos: In both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) "for this cause" (the King James Version "cause") occurs in Ex 9:16 as the rendering of ba`abhur zo'th = "in order that"; "to the end that"; so also in Da 2:12 for kol-qebhel denah, and in 2Ch 32:20 the King James Version for `al-zo'th, where RVS read "because of." In the New Testament the word is used adverbially in the translation of several Greek phrases: heneka toutou (Mt 19:5; Mr 10:7); dia touto, Joh 12:27; Ro 1:26; 13:6; 15:9…
→ See ACTIONS AT LAW