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Job 9:35 — Word Study

Depth

WLCאַֽ֭דַבְּרָה וְלֹ֣א אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־ כֵ֥ן אָ֝נֹכִ֗י עִמָּדִֽי׃

BSAThen I would speakdâbar [as a humble speaker, declare openly, express my thoughts] withoutlôʼ fear of Himyârêʼ [dread, reverence, the Almighty, my Creator] Butkîy as it islôʼ [in reality] Iʼânôkîy am on my ownʻimmâd [exist, stand, alone, by myself, without accompaniment]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 9
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 35 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 ('i.ma.Di) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 9:35quick helps
In a sentenceJob expresses a desire to speak freely to God without fear, yet acknowledges his solitude.
Who is speakingJob, reflecting on his inability to confront God directly.
Where we areA moment of deep introspection in Job's discourse on divine justice.
The hard wordאִירָאֶ֑נּוּ
Take awayJob feels alone and without a mediator to bridge the gap to God.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectאָנֹכִי verbדָבַר The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

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 9:35

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 Reflection on Divine Justicegenerated

32For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.
33Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.
34Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.
35Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.

Job 9:35 captures Job's struggle with his relationship with God, expressing a desire to speak openly without fear, yet recognizing his isolation. This verse is part of a larger discourse where Job contemplates the nature of God and the absence of a mediator, as seen in the preceding verses. Job's reflections highlight the tension between divine authority and human vulnerability.


Cross References


The Key Word אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ, 'i.ra.'E.nugenerated

The verb יָרֵא (yare') means to fear or revere. It encompasses a range of meanings from awe and respect to outright terror. In this context, Job expresses a desire to speak without the dread that typically accompanies the divine presence, indicating a longing for a more approachable relationship with God.

The parsing as a qal imperfect first person common singular suggests an ongoing state of fear that Job wishes to overcome. The suffix indicates that this fear is directed towards God, emphasizing the personal nature of Job's struggle.


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 verse comprises two main clauses linked by the conjunction כִּ֥י (ki), which introduces the reason for Job's feelings. The first clause expresses Job's desire to speak freely, while the second clause reveals his acknowledgment of his solitude.

The finite verbs אַֽ֭דַבְּרָה ('A.da.be.rah) and אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ ('i.ra.'E.nu) serve as the backbone of the sentence, with the adverbial and predicate phrases providing additional context.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ with φοβηθῶ (phobēthō), which carries a similar meaning of fear. This choice reflects a direct engagement with the concept of fear before God, emphasizing the emotional weight of Job's expression.

The LXX does not preserve the full structure of the Hebrew but captures the essence of Job's plea, indicating a consistent understanding of the fear of God across translations.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 9:35 shows Job's desire to speak to God without fear, but he recognizes that he is alone in his struggle. He longs for a way to communicate openly, reflecting on the absence of a mediator between himself and God.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Job mean by wanting to speak without fear?

Job expresses a desire for an open dialogue with God, free from the dread that typically accompanies divine encounters.

Why does Job feel he is on his own?

Job feels isolated because he believes there is no mediator to represent him before God, highlighting his sense of vulnerability.

How does Job's fear of God differ from reverence?

Job's fear encompasses both reverence for God's power and a sense of dread due to his own unworthiness.

What can we learn from Job's struggle?

Job's struggle illustrates the human desire for connection with the divine, even amidst feelings of isolation and fear.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I feel alone in my struggles, and how can I seek connection with God during those times?
  2. How can I approach God with honesty about my fears and doubts, as Job did?
  3. What does it mean to me to speak openly with God, and how can I cultivate that relationship?
  4. How can I support others who may feel isolated in their spiritual journeys?

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

The early church father Gregory the Dialogist comments on Job's desire to speak without fear, interpreting it as a reflection of the holy man's relationship with God.

Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book IX c. 540–604
Then would I speak, and not fear Him. For the holy man, because he beholds the Redeemer of the world coming in meekness, does not assume fear towards a Master, but affection towards a Father.
Early Church Fathers on Job 9 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 9:35 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

[Then] would I speak, and not fear him,.... With a servile fear, though with reverence and godly fear; meaning either at the throne of grace, having liberty of access, boldness of spirit, and freedom

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

Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

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

i.e. I would speak freely for myself, being freed from the dread of his majesty, which takes away my spirit and courage, and stoppeth my mouth. But it is not so with me, i.e. I am not free from his terror, and therefore cannot and dare not plead my cause boldly with him; and so have no thing else to do but to case myself by renewing my complaints; as he doth in the next words. Others thus, but I am not so with myself, i.e. I am in a manner beside myself, distracted with the terrors of God upon me. Or rather thus, for I am not so with myself, or in my own conscience, as I perceive I am in your eyes, to wit, a hypocrite and ungodly man. So this is a reason why he could speak to God without…

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

Job 9:35 [Then] would I speak, and not fear him; but [it is] not so with me.Ver. 35. Then would I speak, and not fear him] I would come boldly to the throne of grace, and freely pour out my soul into his bosom. If he meant that he would maintain his own cause against God’ s proceedings (as some understand it, grounding upon Job 33:6-7), he was questionless in a very great error, and the flesh had got the hill of the spirit. But it is not so with me] So, how? so as you imagine, Non sum talis, qualem me esse putatis (Vatablus). I am no such one as you take me for, viz. a hypocrite; I am not so self-guilty, say the Septuagint: or thus, It is not so with me; that is, I do not find God answering…

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

(35) It is not so with me.—Literally, I am not so with me. The words are variously understood: “It is not so with me,” i.e., “I am not thus without fear,” as the former part of the verse supposes; or, “I am not so as ye suppose,” i.e., guilty, but innocent; or, “Am I not right with myself?” i.e., inwardly conscious of my integrity and innocence (Job 10:1).

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

Verse 35. But it is not so with me.] I am not in such circumstances as to plead with my Judge. I believe the sense of these words is nearly as Coverdale has expressed it: - For as longe as I am in soch fearfulnesse, I can make no answere. A natural picture of the state of a penitent soul, which needs no additional colouring. ON the names of the constellations mentioned Job 9:9, and again Job 38:31, c., much has been written, and to little effect. I have already, in the notes, expressed my doubts whether any constellation be intended. Dr. Hales, however, finds in these names, as he thinks, astronomical data, by which he ascertains the time of Job. I shall give his words: - "The cardinal…

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

35. If God would meet Job as a man, removing His afflicting rod and laying aside His awful majesty, Job would speak out his innocence and plead his own cause without fear. but it is not so with me] Rather, for I am not so in myself—in my own consciousness I am not so, or such, that I should fear Him. “In myself” is lit. with myself, cf. ch. Job 10:13, Job 23:14, Job 27:11, and St Paul’s by myself, 1 Corinthians 4:4.

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

Then would I speak, and not fear him - I should then be able to maintain my cause on equal terms, and with equal advantages. But it is not so with me - Margin, I am not so with myself.

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

Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

then I would speak, and not fear him, for I am not so in myself.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Then would I speak and not fear him, but it is not so with me.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Then would I speak, and not fear him; For I am not so in myself.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Then would I speak, and not fear him; for I am not so in myself.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Then will I speake, and feare him not: but because I am not so, I holde me still.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

[Then] I will speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

I speak, and do not fear Him, But I am not right with myself.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

I speak, and do not fear Him, but I am not right with myself.”

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Then would I speak, and not fear him; for the like I feel not within me.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Then would I speak up and not fear him. But as things are now, I cannot do that.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

I will speak, and will not fear him: for I cannot answer while I am in fear.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Then I could speak up without being afraid—but since I am, I can't!”

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Then I would say what is in my mind without fear of him; for there is no cause of fear in myself.

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.

clauseverbאַֽ֭דַבְּרָהI.will.speakוְandclauseadverbialלֹ֣אnotverbאִירָאֶ֑Iobjectנּוּwill.fear.himכִּ֥י(dm)clauseadverbialלֹאnotpredicateכֵ֥ן[am].thussubjectאָ֝נֹכִ֗יIprepositional phrase · prepositionalעִמָּדִֽwithיmyself

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


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

The Masoretic Text reads אַֽ֭דַבְּרָה וְלֹ֣א אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־ כֵ֥ן אָ֝נֹכִ֗י עִמָּדִֽי׃, while the Septuagint matches only 4 of the 8 words, indicating some divergence in word choice and structure. However, the core message remains intact across both texts.

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

אַֽ֭דַבְּרָה וְלֹ֣א אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־ כֵ֥ן אָ֝נֹכִ֗י עִמָּדִֽי׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְלֹ֣אοὐאִירָאֶ֑נּוּφοβηθῶלֹא־οὐכֵ֥ןοὕτω

4 of the 8 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 9:35דָבַרI will speaI will speakדָבַרלֹאand notand notלֹאיָרֵאI will fearI will fear himיָרֵאכִּיforforכִּילֹאnotnotלֹאכֵּן[am] thus[am] thusכֵּןאָֽנֹכִ֫יIIאָֽנֹכִ֫יעִםwith myselfwith myselfעִםכּוּןto establito establish: pכּוּןעִםwithwithעִםיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדמֹשֶׁהMosesMosesמֹשֶׁהלָשׁוֹןtonguetongueלָשׁוֹןחָתַתto to be dto to be dismayחָתַתאַלnotnotאַליָדַעto knowto knowיָדַעכֹּהthusthusכֹּהאָדוֹןLordLordאָדוֹןצָוָהto commandto commandצָוָהמִצְוָהcommandmencommandmentמִצְוָהרִיבto contendto contendרִיבחֶ֫סֶדkindnesskindnessחֶ֫סֶד
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 9:35

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.

I will speak and not I will fear him for not [am] thus I with myself
אַֽ֭דַבְּרָה'A.da.be.rah I will speak H1696 Verb · Piel · infinitive construct first person common singular
1,142× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To speak or communicate, like God speaking to Moses in Exodus or a king commanding his people. It can also mean to promise or warn someone.
Amplified meaning
as a humble speaker, declare openly, express my thoughts
Tyndale gloss
to speak: speak
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָבַר (dabar) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning 'to speak.' It encompasses a range of actions including declaring, commanding, and conversing. The root suggests a figurative use of words, with some entries noting a rare destructive sense of subduing. Various forms of the verb indicate different nuances, such as speaking with one another or making promises.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[דָבַר] 1142 vb. speak (original mng. dub.)

Qal speak

Niph. reciprocal sense, speak with one another, talk

Pi. speak

Pu. in the day when she may be spoken for

Hithp. speaking this word

Hiph. either leads subject, or puts to flight, fig. for subdues

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1696 דָבַר speak (original mng. dub.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1696 dabar daw-bar'

a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used

figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive

sense) to subdue:--answer, appoint, bid, command, commune,

declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse,

say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think,

use (entreaties), utter, X well, X work.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: speak.

: speak/tell/command

1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing

1a) (Qal) to speak

1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to speak

1c2) to promise

1d) (Pual) to be spoken

1e) (Hithpael) to speak

1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight

דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: subdue.

: subdue

1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing

1a) (Qal) to speak

1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to speak

1c2) to promise

1d) (Pual) to be spoken

1e) (Hithpael) to speak

1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight

דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: promise.

: promise/declare

1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing

1a) (Qal) to speak

1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to speak

1c2) to promise

1d) (Pual) to be spoken

1e) (Hithpael) to speak

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-1cs — Verb · Piel · infinitive construct first person common singular
HVpc1cs
I will speak and not I will fear him for not [am] thus I with myself
וְלֹ֣אve.Lo' and not H3808 Conjunction · 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.
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
Conj | Part — Conjunction · particle
HC/Tn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
I will speak and not I will fear him for not [am] thus I with myself
אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ'i.ra.'E.nu I will fear him H3372 Verb qal imperfect first person common singular · suffix
315× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to fear or revere, and is used to describe being afraid or standing in awe of something, like God's power. It appears in the Bible to convey a sense of respect or reverence. In the KJV, it's translated as 'affright' or 'reverence'.
Amplified meaning
dread, reverence, the Almighty, my Creator
Tyndale gloss
to fear
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָרֵא (yare') is a Hebrew verb meaning to fear or be afraid, encompassing a range of meanings from reverence and honor to causing terror. It appears in various forms, including Qal (to fear), Niphal (to be fearful), and Piel (to terrify). The entries highlight its moral and emotional dimensions, emphasizing awe and respect, particularly in relation to the divine.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָרֵא vb. fear

Qal

fear, be afraid

stand in awe of

fear, reverence, honour

Niph.

be fearful, dreadful

cause astonishment and awe

inspire reverence, godly fear, and awe

Piel. make afraid, terrify

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3372 יָרֵא fear .. fear, be afraid

. stand in awe of

. fear, reverence, honour

. . be fearful, dreadful

. cause astonishment and awe

. inspire reverence, godly fear, and awe

. make afraid, terrify

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3372 yare' yaw-ray'

a primitive root; to fear; morally, to revere; caus. to

frighten:--affright, be (make) afraid, dread(-ful), (put in)

fear(-ful, -fully, -ing), (be had in) reverence(-end), X see,

terrible (act, -ness, thing).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָרֵא (ya.re) — to fear.

: frightening(DANGER)

1) to fear, revere, be afraid

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fear, be afraid

1a2) to stand in awe of, be awed

1a3) to fear, reverence, honour, respect

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be fearful, be dreadful, be feared

1b2) to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe

1b3) to inspire reverence or godly fear or awe

1c) (Piel) to make afraid, terrify

2) (TWOT) to shoot, pour

יָרֵא (ya.re) — to fear: revere.

: awesome(god)

1) to fear, revere, be afraid

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fear, be afraid

1a2) to stand in awe of, be awed

1a3) to fear, reverence, honour, respect

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be fearful, be dreadful, be feared

1b2) to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe

1b3) to inspire reverence or godly fear or awe

1c) (Piel) to make afraid, terrify

2) (TWOT) to shoot, pour

Also means: ya.re (יָרֵא ": frightening" H3372)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs | Suff — Verb qal imperfect first person common singular · suffix
HVqi1cs/Sp3ms
I will speak and not I will fear him for not [am] thus I with myself
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
I will speak and not I will fear him for not [am] thus I with myself
לֹא־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
in reality
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
I will speak and not I will fear him for not [am] thus I with myself
כֵ֥ןkhen [am] thus H3651 Adverb
771× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means 'so' or 'thus', often used to show agreement or confirmation, like in the book of Genesis. It can also mean 'rightly' or 'justly', as in doing something the correct way. It appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
Tyndale gloss
right
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word כֵּן (*ken*) is built from the root meaning 'set upright.' It functions as an adjective meaning 'right,' 'veritable,' or 'honest,' and as an adverb meaning 'so,' 'therefore,' or 'thus.' It appears in various contexts, often indicating manner or relation, and is used in phrases like 'forasmuch as.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֵּן adj. right, veritable, honest

right

veritable, true

pl. concr. honest (men)

base

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

כֵּן adv. so

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3651a כֵּן adj. right, veritable, honest H3651b כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as H3651c כֵּן so

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3651 ken kane

from 3559; properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as

adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction)

rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and

relation; often with other particles):--+ after that

(this, -ward, -wards), as ... as, + (for-)asmuch as yet, + be

(for which) cause, + following, howbeit, in (the) like

(manner, -wise), X the more, right, (even) so, state,

straightway, such (thing), surely, + there (where)-fore, this,

thus, true, well, X you.

see HEBREW for 03559

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֵּן (ken) — right.

adv

adj

1) right, just, honest, true, veritable

1a) right, just, honest

1b) correct

1c) true, veritable

[כִּי עַל] כֵּן ([ki al] ken) — as.

adv

forasmuch as, since

כֵּן (ken) — so.

adv

1) so, therefore, thus

1a) thus, so

1b) just so

1c) therefore

1d) so...as (paired with adv)

1e) then

1f) forasmuch as (in phrase)

1g) (with prep)

1g1) therefore, this being so (specific)

1g2) hitherto

1g3) therefore, on this ground (general)

1g4) afterwards

1g5) in such case

Aramaic equivalent: ken (כֵּן "thus" H3652)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HD — Adverb
HD
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
I will speak and not I will fear him for not [am] thus I with myself
אָ֝נֹכִ֗י'a.no.Khi I H595 Pronoun
359× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This simple Hebrew word just means 'I', referring to the speaker, like in Genesis 27 where Esau says 'I' when talking to his father Isaac.
Tyndale gloss
I
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אָֽנֹכִ֫י (*anokiy*) is a first-person singular pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me.' It is a variant spelling of אֲנִי (*ani*), which also means 'I.' The entries confirm its use as a personal pronoun without significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָֽנֹכִ֫י, אָנֹ֑כִי pron. 1s. comm. I

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H595 אָֽנֹכִ֫י, אָנֹ֑כִי I

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

595 'anokiy aw-no-kee'

sometimes {aw-no'-kee}; a primitive pro.; I:--I, me, X

which.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָֽנֹכִ֫י (a.no.khi) — I.

I (first pers. sing.)

Another spelling of a.ni (אֲנִי, אָֽנֹכִ֫י "I" H0589)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp1bs
I will speak and not I will fear him for not [am] thus I with myself
עִמָּדִֽי׃'i.ma.Di with myself H5978 Preposition · suffix
42× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means 'with me', showing accompaniment, like in Psalm 23:4 where David says God is with him even in difficult times.
Amplified meaning
exist, stand, alone, by myself, without accompaniment
Tyndale gloss
with me
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עִם (*im*) means 'with' and is used to indicate companionship, aid, or joint actions. It can also imply opposition in contexts of contest or combat. The entries suggest a range of meanings, including proximity, possession, and metaphorical uses, such as 'in spite of.' There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִם prep. with

of fellowship and companionship

of aid

Of actions done jointly with another

If the common action be of the nature of a contest or combat, with in the sense of against

Of dealing with a person, or of the relation in which one stands with, or towards, another

Of a common lot together with the wicked

Of equality or resemblance generally aid

Of time, as long as

Of a locality, close to, beside

Of persons, עִם is spec.

in the house or family or service of

In possession of

In the custody or care of

Beside = except

With = friendly with

Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one

Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5978 עִם with

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5978 `immad im-mawd'

prol. for 5973; along with:--against, by, from, + me, +

mine, of, + that I take, unto, upon, with(-in.)

see HEBREW for 05973

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִמָּדִי (im.mad) — with me.

with

A grammatical form of im (עִם "with" H5973A)

§ 1) with

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp1bs
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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