Job 28:20–28

In its context

Its words in the original

• חָכְמָהchachma· wisdom, skill

  Wisdom: knowing how to live and act well; also the skill of a good craftsman.

• אַיִןayin· where from?

  Where from? From what place?

• תָּבוֹאtavo· come, go in, bring

  Come, arrive, go in, enter. In the causative form, "bring" or "carry in". "Go in to" a woman is to have marital relations with her.

• מְקוֹםmekom· place

  Place, spot; the space someone or something occupies; also a home or a holy place.

• בִּינָהbina· understanding

  Understanding: the ability to comprehend and to tell one thing from another.

• נֶעֶלְמָהneelma· hide, be hidden

  Be hidden, escape notice; hide, conceal.

• עֵינֵיene· eye

  Eye. "In someone's eyes" means "in his opinion"; "find favor in the eyes of" is to please him. Also a spring of water.

• חָיchay· living, animal, life

  Living, alive; also fresh (of water). As a noun, "living thing" or "animal" (above all wild animals); in the plural, "life".

• עוֹףof· bird

  Bird; any creature that flies. It is usually singular with a collective sense: "the birds".

• שָּׁמַיִםshamayim· heavens, sky

  The heavens: what is above, where the clouds, the sun and the stars are seen; also the dwelling of God. In Hebrew it is always plural. With birds, "the sky".

• נִסְתָּרָהnistara· hide

  Hide, conceal; be hidden.

• אֲבַדּוֹןavadon· Abaddon, destruction

  Abaddon: "destruction, ruin." A name of the place of the dead, alongside "Sheol." In the New Testament the name appears again in Revelation 9:11.

• מָוֶתmavet· death

  Death; also the realm of the dead, or a deadly plague.

• אָמְרוּamru· say

  Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".

• אָזְנֵיazne· ear

  Ear. "Speak in someone's ears" is to tell him something directly.

• שָׁמַעְנוּshamanu· hear, listen, obey

  Hear, listen. In the Bible listening truly includes paying heed; so it often means "obey". In the causative form, make heard, proclaim.

• שִׁמְעָshima· report, news

  Report, news, what is heard said about someone.

• אֱלֹהִיםelohim· Elohim, God, gods

  The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.

• הֵבִיןhevin· understand, discern

  Understand, discern: perceive clearly, distinguish, see what ought to be done.

• דַּרְכָּdarka· way

  Way, road, journey. Figuratively, the way one lives or acts.

• יָדַעyada· know

  Know. Not only having a fact: it is knowing by experience and closely; also recognize, care for, make known. So Hebrew also uses it for the intimate union of a man and his wife ("he knew his wife").

• קְצוֹתketsot· end, edge

  End, edge, tip of something.

• אָרֶץarets· earth, land

  The earth, in two senses: the whole world in contrast with the heavens, or a particular country or region ("the land of Egypt").

• יַבִּיטyabit· look

  Look intently, gaze; regard, pay attention to.

• יִרְאֶהyire· see

  See. Also look, observe, notice, consider; in some forms, "appear" or "show".

• עֲשׂוֹתasot· do, make

  Do, make, in the widest sense: build, produce, carry out, keep (a command), prepare.

• רוּחַruach· spirit, wind, breath

  The basic idea is "air in motion". The same word can be "wind"; "breath", the air that is breathed and keeps life; or "spirit": the mood or inner strength of a person, or the Spirit of God, his presence and power at work.

• מִשְׁקָלmishkal· weight

  Weight; weighing.

• מַיִםmayim· water

  Water. In Hebrew it is always plural ("waters").

• תִּכֵּןtiken· weigh, measure

  To weigh, to measure exactly; to examine something to give it its right value.

• מִדָּהmida· measure, size

  Measure, size; also a measured portion or a garment.

• מָּטָרmatar· rain

  Rain.

• חֹקchok· statute, allotted portion

  What is fixed: an allotted portion, a rule, a statute; a limit.

• חֲזִיזchaziz· thunderbolt, lightning flash

  A flash of lightning, the bolt of a storm.

• קֹלוֹתkolot· voice, sound

  Voice or sound: what is heard, from a person, an animal or a thing (thunder, steps).

• יְסַפְּרָyesapra· count, tell

  Count (numbers) and also tell (relate, recount). From here comes the word for "scribe".

• הֱכִינָhechina· be firm, prepare

  Be firm, be set, be ready; in the causative form, set up, establish, prepare, make ready.

• חֲקָרָchakara· search out, examine

  Search out: examine something thoroughly.

• אָדָםadam· human being, man, Adam

  The Hebrew word "adam". It has three uses: (1) humanity in general, men and women alike: "human beings" (Genesis 1:27); (2) a particular man; in Genesis 2-4, the first man, "the man"; (3) the personal name of that first man, "Adam". In Hebrew "adam" sounds like "adamah", the ground he was formed from (Genesis 2:7).

• יִרְאַתyirat· fear

  Fear. "The fear of God" is deep reverence that leads one to obey him and avoid evil.

• אֲדֹנָadona· Adonai, Lord

  "Adonai": "my Lord", said only to God. It is a title of respect that acknowledges his authority. It is not another god besides YHWH: often it goes with his name, "Adonai YHWH", Lord YHWH.

• סוּרsur· turn aside, remove

  Turn aside, turn away; remove, take away.

• רָעra· evil, bad, harm

  Bad; evil. It includes what is morally wrong and also what does harm: misfortune, disaster, distress.