Job 42:1–6
Job answers that now his own eye has seen God
Study it word by word1And Job answered YHWH and said:
2“I know that you can do all things, and that no plan is beyond reach for you.
3‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I declared what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4‘Hear, please, and I will speak; I will ask you, and you make known to me.’
5By the hearing of the ear I had heard of you, but now my eye has seen you.
6Therefore I despise what I said, and I repent on dust and ashes.”
In its context
…
7And it happened, after YHWH had spoken these words to Job, that YHWH said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My anger burns against you and against your two companions, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.
8And now, take for yourselves seven young bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves; and Job my servant will pray for you, for only him will I accept, so as not to deal with you according to your folly; for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”
Its words in the original
- יַּעַןyaan· answer
Answer, reply; also speak up, testify, or sing in response.
- אִיּוֹבiyov· Job
Job: the man of the land of Uz, blameless and upright, whose story of suffering and of questions to God is told in the book that bears his name. Ezekiel 14:14 and James 5:11 also mention him.
- יְהוָהyehva· 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.
- יֹּאמַרyomar· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- יָדַעְתִּיyadati· 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").
- תּוּכָלtuchal· be able, can
Be able, can; also prevail, overcome.
- יִבָּצֵרyibatser· be impossible; fortify
Be impossible, out of reach. Elsewhere, fortify; also gather grapes.
- מְזִמָּהmezima· plan, scheme, discretion
A plan, a thought-out purpose; often an evil plan, a plot; sometimes good judgment.
- מַעְלִיםmalim· hide, be hidden
Be hidden, escape notice; hide, conceal.
- עֵצָהetsa· counsel
Counsel: good judgment for deciding; also a plan.
- בְּלִיbeli· without; not
Without; not; nothing.
- דָעַתdaat· knowledge
Knowledge: knowing something, and also knowing it by experience.
- הִגַּדְתִּיhigadti· tell, declare
Tell, make known, report, declare; also explain.
- אָבִיןavin· understand, discern
Understand, discern: perceive clearly, distinguish, see what ought to be done.
- נִפְלָאוֹתniflaot· be wonderful, too hard
Be extraordinary, beyond what one can do; be wonderful. "Is anything too hard for YHWH?"
- שְׁמַעshema· 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.
- אֲדַבֵּרadaber· speak
Speak, talk, say; also promise or command.
- אֶשְׁאָלְeshal· ask
Ask, inquire; request.
- שֵׁמַעshema· report, news
Report, news, what is heard said about someone.
- אֹזֶןozen· ear
Ear. "Speak in someone's ears" is to tell him something directly.
- עֵינִeni· 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.
- רָאָתְraat· see
See. Also look, observe, notice, consider; in some forms, "appear" or "show".
- אֶמְאַסemas· reject, despise
Despise, reject, refuse something.
- נִחַמְתִּיnichamti· relent, be sorry, comfort
A verb of deep feeling, with two uses: "comfort" someone, and "be sorry" for something or "relent". Said of God, it expresses his grief at evil or that he does not carry out a punishment he had announced; not that he had made a mistake (compare Numbers 23:19).
- עָפָרafar· dust
Dust, loose dry earth; also the plaster that covers walls. It recalls what the human being is made of: "you are dust, and to dust you will return" (Genesis 3:19).
- אֵפֶרefer· ashes
Ashes. "Dust and ashes" is a way of saying one is of very little account.