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The SatanהַשָּׂטָןansweredוַיַּעַןYHWHאֶת יְהוָהand said,וַיֹּאמַר“Skinעוֹרforבְּעַדskin;עוֹרand allוְכֹלthatאֲשֶׁרa manאִישׁhasלָhe will giveיִתֵּןforבְּעַדhis life.נַפְשׁוֹ
Job 2:4
Study it in the app“The Satan answered YHWH and said, “Skin for skin; and all that a man has he will give for his life.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Job 2:4, word by word
- The Satanשָּׂטָןsatan
Satan
A being who appears before YHWH as the accuser of people.
Where else “satan” appears- answeredיַּעַןyaan
answer
To reply to what was said.
Where else “yaan” appears- YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- and saidיֹּאמַרyomar
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomar” appears- “Skinעוֹרor
skin, leather
Skin, hide; leather.
Where else “or” appears- a manאִישׁish
man
An adult male person; also each man of a people, a trade or a place.
Where else “ish” appears- he will giveיִתֵּןyiten
give
To hand something over to someone: a gift, a payment, a charge or a land.
Where else “yiten” appears- his lifeנַפְשׁnafsh
life
Life, when it is at stake.
Where else “nafsh” appears
Translation note
“Skin for skin”: a saying whose exact sense is uncertain; the next sentence explains it: a man gives everything as long as he saves his life.
The context
3YHWH said to the Satan, “Have you set your heart on my servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth, a man blameless and upright, fearing Elohim and turning away from evil; and he still holds fast to his integrity, though you incited me against him to swallow him up for nothing.”
4 · This verse (above)
5But stretch out, please, your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and see if he does not curse you to your face.”