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Job 9:18 — Word Study

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WLCלֹֽא־ יִ֭תְּנֵנִי הָשֵׁ֣ב רוּחִ֑י כִּ֥י יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗נִי מַמְּרֹרִֽים׃

BSAHe does notlôʼ [will not suffer, permit] let menâthan catchshûwb my breathrûwach [take my breath, refresh my spirit] butkîy overwhelms mesâbaʻ with bitternessmamrôr [filleth me with, causes me to suffer, bitter grief, calamitous events]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 9
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 18 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (ma.me.ro.Rim) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 9:18quick helps
In a sentenceJob expresses a feeling of being suffocated by his suffering.
Who is speakingJob, lamenting his condition.
Where we areIn a discourse about the overwhelming nature of his afflictions.
The hard wordמַמְּרֹרִֽים
Take awayJob feels crushed under the weight of his bitterness.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbשׁוּב The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

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 9:18

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

17For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.
18He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
19If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him ?
20Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.

Job 9:18 reflects Job's deep anguish as he feels that God does not allow him any relief from his suffering. This verse is part of a larger lament where Job expresses his feelings of being overwhelmed by calamity and bitterness, echoing sentiments found throughout the book of Job, where he grapples with his undeserved suffering and seeks understanding of his plight.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 7:19Will You never look away from me, or leave me alone to swallow my spittle?
2Psalm 39:13Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may again be cheered before I depart and am no more.”
3Psalm 88:7–15Your wrath weighs heavily upon me; all Your waves have submerged me. Selah
4Lamentations 3:3–18Indeed, He keeps turning His hand against me all day long.
5Job 3:20Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul,

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word מַמְּרֹרִֽים, ma.me.ro.Rimgenerated

The Hebrew word מַמְרוֹר (mamror) refers to bitterness or calamity. It suggests a painful experience, often used to describe situations of deep distress or grief. The plural form here indicates that Job feels inundated with multiple bitter experiences.

This word is significant in the context of Job's suffering, as it encapsulates the emotional and spiritual turmoil he is enduring. The use of this term highlights the intensity of his affliction, as he feels not just a moment of bitterness, but a continuous state of overwhelming grief.


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.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb יִ֭תְּנֵנִי (he permits me) governs the main clause, with a second verb יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗נִי (he surfeits me) creating a parallel structure. The sentence is constructed to show Job's lack of relief from his suffering, emphasizing the verbs that describe his condition.

The structure of the verse highlights the contrast between Job's desire for relief and the reality of his overwhelming bitterness, with the verbs leading the thought and the objects following to clarify the extent of his distress.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew מַמְּרֹרִֽים is rendered as πικρίας (bitterness), which reflects a similar understanding of Job's experience but may carry slightly different connotations in Greek literature. This choice emphasizes the emotional weight of Job's suffering.

The Greek word used suggests not just bitterness but a broader sense of grief, aligning with the overall theme of lament found in Job's discourse.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 9:18 shows Job feeling that God does not allow him any relief from his suffering. He feels overwhelmed by bitterness, suggesting that his pain is not just a single event but a series of calamitous experiences.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Job mean by 'He does not let me catch my breath'?

Job is expressing that he feels suffocated by his suffering, unable to find relief or peace.

How does Job describe his suffering?

He describes it as overwhelming bitterness, indicating a deep emotional and spiritual distress.

What is the significance of the word 'bitterness' in this context?

The term 'bitterness' signifies not only emotional pain but also the calamities that have beset Job, reflecting his overall state of despair.

How does this verse relate to the overall themes in the book of Job?

This verse encapsulates the central theme of suffering and the quest for understanding amidst affliction, which is prevalent throughout the book.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I experienced feelings of being overwhelmed in my own life?
  2. How can I find moments of relief or refreshment when facing difficult circumstances?
  3. What does it mean to me to be filled with bitterness, and how can I address those feelings?
  4. How can I support others who are going through their own times of suffering?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

The early Church Fathers also reflected on Job's suffering. Here is a quotation from John Chrysostom, who discusses the depth of Job's afflictions as expressed in this verse.

John ChrysostomCOMMENTARY ON Job 9:18-19 c. 347–407
“He will not let me catch my breath.” That is, I am filled with a multitude of afflictions. “He has filled me with bitterness, for indeed he is superior in power.
Early Church Fathers on Job 9 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 9:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

He will not suffer me to take my breath,.... Which some think refers to Job's disease, which was either an asthma, or a quinsy in his throat, which occasioned great difficulty in breathing: I should

Read John Gill on Job 9 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness. He will not suffer me to take my breath - cf. Job 7:19, "How long wilt thou not-let me alone until I swallow down my spittle."

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 9 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

My pains and miseries are continual, and I have not so much as a breathing time free from them. My afflictions are not only long and uninterrupted, but also exceeding sharp and violent, contrary to the common course of God’ s providence.

Read Matthew Poole on Job 9 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 9:18 He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.Ver. 18. He will not suffer me to take my breath] I am so far from a period, that I have no pause of my troubles. I cannot get any interspirias, or free breathing space. See Job 7:19. And in the former verse he had complained that God had stormed him. Interim per Pathos, saith Mercer; here he returns to his old practice of expostulating about the greatness of his grief, and spares not to hyperbolize. Beda and others understand this text to be a bodily distemper upon Job, which had made him short winded. And Lavater hath this good note here, Hoc cogitandum nobis est, &c. Let this text be thought upon when our…

Read John Trapp on Job 9 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(18) Take my breath.—The action being that of breathing again after complete exhaustion—recovering breath and the power to breathe, &c. “If I say I am perfect, it also shall prove me perverse by the very act of saying so; because for man to maintain his righteousness before God is at once to proclaim his iniquity. The finite cannot come into competition with the Infinite, nor measure itself therewith.”

Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 9 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 18. He will not suffer me to take my breath] I have no respite in my afflictions; I suffer continually in my body, and my mind is incessantly harassed.

Read AdamClarke on Job 9 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

18. will not suffer] Rather, would not suffer. And so, but fill.

Read Cambridge on Job 9 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He will not suffer me to take my breath; - see the notes at Job 7:19.

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

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

He will not allow me to catch my breath, but fills me with bitterness.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.

NETBNew English Translation2006

He does not allow me to recover my breath, for he fills me with bitterness.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

He will not suffer me to take my breath, But filleth me with bitterness.

RVARevised Version, American1894

He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

He wil not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitternesse.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

He suffereth me not to take my breath, for he filleth me with bitternesses.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

He permitteth me not to refresh my spirit, But filleth me with bitter things.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

He does not permit me to refresh my spirit, || But fills me with bitter things.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

He suffereth me not to recover my breath; but feedeth me overmuch with bitter things.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

He does not allow me to regain my breath; but he fills me with bitterness.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

He alloweth not my spirit to rest, and he filleth me with bitterness.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

He doesn't give me a chance even to catch my breath; instead he fills my life with bitter suffering.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

He would not let me take my breath, but I would be full of bitter grief.

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.

clauseadverbialלֹֽאnotverbיִ֭תְּנֵheobjectנִיpermits.meclause · second objectverbהָשֵׁ֣בto.bring.backnoun phrase · objectרוּחִ֑breathיmyכִּ֥י(dm)clauseverbיַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗heobjectנִיsurfeits.mesecond objectמַמְּרֹרִֽיםbitter.things

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint share significant agreement in the translation of this verse, with four of the seven words matching directly. This indicates a consistent understanding of Job's expression of suffering across these ancient texts.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

לֹֽא־ יִ֭תְּנֵנִי הָשֵׁ֣ב רוּחִ֑י כִּ֥י יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗נִי מַמְּרֹרִֽים׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
לֹֽא־οὐκיִ֭תְּנֵנִיἐᾷיַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗נִיἐνέπλησενמַמְּרֹרִֽים׃πικρίας

4 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Job 9:18לֹאnotnotלֹאנָתַןhe permits he permits meנָתַןשׁוּבto bring bato bring backשׁוּברוּחַbreath mybreath myרוּחַכִּיforforכִּישָׂבֵעַhe surfeitshe surfeits meשָׂבֵעַמַמְרוֹרbitter thinbitter thingsמַמְרוֹררִיחַto smellto smellרִיחַמָרַרto provoketo provokeמָרַריָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדנַחֲלָהinheritancinheritanceנַחֲלָהזֶ֫רַעseedseedזֶ֫רַעשְׁבִיתcaptivitycaptivityשְׁבִיתחָרוֹןburning anburning angerחָרוֹןנְשָׁמָהbreathbreathנְשָׁמָהקָדִיםeasteastקָדִיםיָדַעto knowto knowיָדַעלֶ֫חֶםfoodfoodלֶ֫חֶםפֶּן־lestlestפֶּן־
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Job 9:18

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.

not he permits me to bring back breath my for he surfeits me bitter things
לֹֽא־lo'- not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Amplified meaning
will not suffer, permit
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

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.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

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)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
not he permits me to bring back breath my for he surfeits me bitter things
יִ֭תְּנֵנִיYi.te.ne.ni he permits me H5414 Verb qal imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
2,011× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Tyndale gloss
to give: give
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set

Qal 1917

give

Put, set

Make, constitute

Niph.

82be given

Be put, set

Hoph.

be given, bestowed

= be given to one for wife

be put upon

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give

. Put, set

. Make, constitute

. . be given

. Be put, set

. . . be given, bestowed

. = be given to one for wife

. be put upon

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5414 nathan naw-than'

a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of

application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,

assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,

hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +

cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X

without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),

grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),

(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,

occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X

pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send

(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,

strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,

turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)

God, yield.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.

: give/deliver/send/produce

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend

1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate

1a3) to make, constitute

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned

1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up

1c2) to be put upon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.

: put/set/apppoint

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms | Suff — Verb qal imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
HVqi3ms/Sp1bs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
not he permits me to bring back breath my for he surfeits me bitter things
הָשֵׁ֣בha.Shev to bring back H7725 Verb · Hiphil · infinitive absolute
1,057× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to return or turn back, and can be used literally or figuratively. It is often used to describe someone returning to God or repenting from sin, as seen in the book of Psalms and the prophets.
Tyndale gloss
to return: return
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שׁוּב (shuwb) means to turn back or return, covering a wide range of contexts including physical, spiritual, and relational. It can denote returning to a previous state, repenting, or even apostatizing. The entries describe various forms and uses, including bringing back, restoring, and refreshing. Notably, it can also imply a change in course of action.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שׁוּב 1056 vb. turn back, return

Qal 683;—turn back, return:

turn back

return, come or go back

esp. return unto

of dying

of revival from death

fig. of human relations:

return to leader, king

= change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)

turn, i.e. resort to

return to a physical condition

abs. = change course of action

fig., specif. of spiritual relations:

turn back from God = apostatize

of י׳, turn away

turn back to God (= seek penitently)

abs. repent

turn back from evil

of י׳

of י׳, return (to shew favour)

of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):

denoting repetition, etc.

trans.

Pō‛l.

bring back

fig. restore, refresh

restore, repair

lead away (enticingly)

shew turning = apostatize

Hiph. 353 cause to return, bring back

bring back into bondage

put back

= draw back

= give back, restore

= relinguish

= give in payment, requital

bring one back (from dead)

bring back heart

= refresh

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7725 שׁוּב turn back, return .—turn back, return: . turn back

. return, come or go back

. esp. return unto

. . of dying

. of revival from death

. fig. of human relations: . return to leader, king

. = change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)

. turn, i.e. resort to

. return to a physical condition

. abs. = change course of action

. fig., specif. of spiritual relations: . turn back from God = apostatize

. of י׳, turn away

. turn back to God (= seek penitently)

. abs. repent

. turn back from evil

. of י׳

. of י׳, return (to shew favour)

. of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):

. denoting repetition, etc.

. trans.

. . bring back

. . fig. restore, refresh

. restore, repair

. lead away (enticingly)

. shew turning = apostatize

. cause to return, bring back . . bring back into bondage

. put back

. = draw back

. = give back, restore

. = relinguish

. = give in payment, requital

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7725 shuwb shoob

a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or

intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily

with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to

retreat; often adverbial, again:--((break, build, circumcise,

dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge,

make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) X again, (cause to) answer

(+ again), X in any case (wise), X at all, averse, bring

(again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back),

cease, X certainly, come again (back), X consider, +

continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back,

fetch home again, X fro, get (oneself) (back) again, X give

(again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see)

more, X needs, be past, X pay, pervert, pull in again, put

(again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh,

relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שׁוּב (shuv) — to return: return.

: return

1) to return, turn back

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to turn back, return

1a1a) to turn back

1a1b) to return, come or go back

1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back

1a1d) of dying

1a1e) of human relations (fig)

1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig)

1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise

1a1f2) to turn away (of God)

1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent

1a1f4) turn back (from evil)

1a1g) of inanimate things

1a1h) in repetition

1b) (Polel)

1b1) to bring back

1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig)

1b3) to lead away (enticingly)

1b4) to show turning, apostatise

1c) (Pual) restored (participle)

1d) (Hiphil) to cause to return, bring back

1d1) to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, restore, relinquish, give in payment

1d2) to bring back, refresh, restore

1d3) to bring back, report to, answer

1d4) to bring back, make requital, pay (as recompense)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Ptc — Verb · Hiphil · infinitive absolute
HVhaa
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
not he permits me to bring back breath my for he surfeits me bitter things
רוּחִ֑יru.Chi breath my H7307 Noun common both singular construct · suffix
378× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word for spirit refers to the breath of life, the wind, or a person's mind and emotions, as seen in the book of Ezekiel.
Amplified meaning
take my breath, refresh my spirit
Tyndale gloss
spirit
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רוּחַ (ruach) means breath, wind, or spirit. It encompasses various meanings, including the breath of life, emotional disposition, and the spirit of God. The term can refer to both physical phenomena, like wind, and abstract concepts, such as moral character or mental acts. Notably, it is used frequently in the context of divine inspiration and the Holy Spirit.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רוּחַ 378 n.f. (less oft. m.) breath, wind, spirit

breath of mouth or nostrils (33 t.)

wind (117 t.)

spirit, as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation = temper, disposition (76 t.)

spirit of the living, breathing being

spirit as seat of emotion

occasionally (and late) = seat or organ of mental acts

rarely of the will

רוּחַ esp. of moral character

spirit of God (94 t.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7307 רוּחַ breath, wind, spirit . breath of mouth or nostrils (33 t.)

. wind (117 t.)

. spirit, as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation = temper, disposition (76 t.)

. spirit of the living, breathing being

. spirit as seat of emotion

. occasionally (and late) = seat or organ of mental acts

. rarely of the will

. רוּחַ esp. of moral character

. spirit of God (94 t.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7307 ruwach roo'-akh

from 7306; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or

even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger,

unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by

resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including

its expression and functions):--air, anger, blast, breath, X

cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit((-ual)),

tempest, X vain, ((whirl-))wind(-y).

see HEBREW for 07306

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רוּחַ (ru.ach) — spirit.

: spirit

1) wind, breath, mind, spirit

1a) breath

1b) wind

1b1) of heaven

1b2) quarter (of wind), side

1b3) breath of air

1b4) air, gas

1b5) vain, empty thing

1c) spirit (as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation)

1c1) spirit, animation, vivacity, vigour

1c2) courage

1c3) temper, anger

1c4) impatience, patience

1c5) spirit, disposition (as troubled, bitter, discontented)

1c6) disposition (of various kinds), unaccountable or uncontrollable impulse

1c7) prophetic spirit

1d) spirit (of the living, breathing being in man and animals)

1d1) as gift, preserved by God, God's spirit, departing at death, disembodied being

1e) spirit (as seat of emotion)

1e1) desire

1e2) sorrow, trouble

1f) spirit

1f1) as seat or organ of mental acts

1f2) rarely of the will

1f3) as seat especially of moral character

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs | Suff — Noun common both singular construct · suffix
HNcbsc/Sp1fs
not he permits me to bring back breath my for he surfeits me bitter things
כִּ֥יki for H3588 Particle
4,483× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Tyndale gloss
for
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כִּי (ki) is a conjunction primarily meaning 'that,' 'for,' or 'when.' It indicates causal relationships and can express conditions like 'if' or 'though.' The word is versatile, appearing in various contexts to convey certainty, exception, or concession. Notably, it can combine with other particles to modify its meaning, such as in the phrase כִּי אם־ (ki im), meaning 'that if.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי conj. that, for, when

that

Of time, when, of the past

elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

Because, since

base

כִּי אם־

each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

that if

for if

(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

limiting the prec. clause, except

the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

after an oath, surely

base

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3588a כִּי that, for, when . that

. . Of time, when, of the past

. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

. Because, since

H3588b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if

. for if

. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except

. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

. after an oath, surely

H3588c כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3588 kiy kee

a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional

prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent

or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative

conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by

other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch,

where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else,

even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, +

nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then,

therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when,

whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כִּי (ki) — for.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if

1f) but rather, but

1g) except that

1h) only, nevertheless

1i) surely

1j) that is

1k) but if

1l) for though

1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

כִּי [אם] (ki im) — that if: except.

1) except if

1a) but if

1b) even though

כִּי [עַל כֵּן] (ki [al ken]) — for as that: since.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj — Particle
HTc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

for (ki (conjunction), le, from 'el (preposition), and various other words. In the New Testament also the words are various, chiefly gar, kai gar, hoti (conjunctions); anti apo eis dia (accusative), epi (dative and accusative), peri (genitive), pros (genitive and accusative), huper (genitive) (prepositions)): the English Revised Version and the American Standard Revised Version give in many cases more literal or more accurate renderings than those in the King James Version.

In the New Testament the most important preps. from a doctrinal point of view are anti, "face to face," "over against," "instead," "on behalf of," peri, "around," "about," "concerning," huper, "over," "on behalf of." The first has been claimed as stating the substitutionary nature of Christ's sacrifice as contrasted with huper and peri, more frequently used of it. But, although anti in the New Testament often means…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
not he permits me to bring back breath my for he surfeits me bitter things
יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗נִיyas.bi.'A.ni he surfeits me H7646 Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
97× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To satisfy means to fill someone with enough of something, like food or desire, and can also mean to have too much of something.
Tyndale gloss
to satisfy
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׂבֵעַ (saba`) means to be sated or satisfied, particularly in relation to food. It can also imply having one's desires fulfilled or being surfeited with excess. The verb has various forms, including Qal, Piel, and Hiphil, which cover meanings from simply being full to enriching or satisfying others. The entries indicate a focus on both literal and figurative senses of satisfaction.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׂבֵעַ], שָׂבַע 96 vb. be sated, satisfied, surfeited

Qal 79

be sated (with food), esp. human subj.

more gen., be sated, have desire satisfied

have in excess, be surfeited with

Niph. Pt. sated

Pi. satisfy

Hiph.

satisfy (esp. with material blessings), subj. י׳

c. acc. of food pers., י׳ subj.

י׳ subj.

י׳ subj., c. acc. of beasts

enrich

sate, glut (with the undesired)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7646 שָׂבֵעַ, שָׂבַע be sated, satisfied, surfeited .. be sated (with food), esp. human subj.

. more gen., be sated, have desire satisfied

. have in excess, be surfeited with

. Pt. sated

. satisfy

. . . satisfy (esp. with material blessings), subj. י׳

. c. acc. of food + pers., י׳ subj.

. י׳ subj.

. י׳ subj., c. acc. of beasts

. enrich

. sate, glut (with the undesired)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7646 saba` saw-bah'

or sabeay {saw-bay'-ah}; a primitive root; to sate, i.e. fill

to satisfaction (literally or figuratively):--have enough,

fill (full, self, with), be (to the) full (of), have plenty

of, be satiate, satisfy (with), suffice, be weary of.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׂבֵעַ (sa.va) — to satisfy.

1) to be satisfied, be sated, be fulfilled, be surfeited

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be sated (with food)

1a2) to be sated, be satisfied with, be fulfilled, be filled, have one's fill of (have desire satisfied)

1a3) to have in excess, be surfeited, be surfeited with

1a3a) to be weary of (fig)

1b) (Piel) to satisfy

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to satisfy

1c2) to enrich

1c3) to sate, glut (with the undesired)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms | Suff — Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
HVhi3ms/Sp1bs
not he permits me to bring back breath my for he surfeits me bitter things
מַמְּרֹרִֽים׃ma.me.ro.Rim bitter things H4472 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
1× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes a bitter or calamitous event, conveying a sense of difficulty or hardship. It is used figuratively to describe a painful situation. The KJV translates it as bitterness.
Amplified meaning
filleth me with, causes me to suffer, bitter grief, calamitous events
Tyndale gloss
bitterness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַמְרוֹר (mamror) refers to a concept of bitterness or calamity, derived from the root meaning of bitterness. It appears in the plural form in Job 9:18, where it signifies a bitter experience.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַמְרוֹר [n.m.] bitter thing;—only pl. Jb 9:18

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4472 מַמְרוֹר, מַמְרֹר

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4472 mamror mam-rore'

from 4843; a bitterness, i.e. (figuratively)

calamity:--bitterness.

see HEBREW for 04843

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַמְרוֹר (mam.ror) — bitterness.

bitter thing, bitterness

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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