Job 6:21
Job 6:21 in Multiple Translations
For now you are of no help; you see terror, and you are afraid.
For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid.
For now ye are nothing; Ye see a terror, and are afraid.
So have you now become to me; you see my sad condition and are in fear.
Now you are no help, just like that —you see my trouble and you're afraid.
Surely nowe are ye like vnto it: ye haue seene my fearefull plague, and are afraide.
Surely now ye have become the same! Ye see a downfall, and are afraid.
For now you are nothing. You see a terror, and are afraid.
For now ye are nothing: ye see my casting down, and are afraid.
Now you are come: and now seeing my affliction you are afraid.
Similarly, you friends have not helped me at all! You have seen that terrible things have happened to me, and you are afraid that God might do similar things to you.
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 6:21
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Job 6:21 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
כִּֽי
עַ֭תָּה
הֱיִ֣יתֶם
לא
ל֑/וֹ
תִּֽרְא֥וּ
חֲ֝תַ֗ת
וַ/תִּירָֽאוּ
כִּֽי
kîy
H3588
for
Conj
עַ֭תָּה
ʻattâh
H6258
now
Adv
הֱיִ֣יתֶם
hâyâh
H1961
to be
V-Qal-Perf-2mp
לא
lôʼ
H3808
not
Part
ל֑/וֹ
Prep | Suff
תִּֽרְא֥וּ
râʼâh
H7200
Provider
V-Qal-Imperf-2mp
חֲ֝תַ֗ת
chăthath
H2866
terror
N-ms
וַ/תִּירָֽאוּ
yârêʼ
H3372
to fear
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-2mp
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Job 6:21
כִּֽי
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj
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'.
Definition: 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
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: 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. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
עַ֭תָּה
ʻattâh
H6258
"now"
Adv
This word means now or at this time, like in Exodus when God says now is the time to act. It can also be used to connect ideas or show a change in time, as seen in the book of Isaiah.
Definition: 1) now 1a) now 1b) in phrases
Usage: Occurs in 422 OT verses. KJV: henceforth, now, straightway, this time, whereas. See also: Genesis 3:22; Joshua 24:23; 2 Samuel 24:13.
הֱיִ֣יתֶם
hâyâh
H1961
"to be"
V-Qal-Perf-2mp
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Definition: 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about 1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Usage: Occurs in 3131 OT verses. KJV: beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 17:4; Genesis 36:11.
לא
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Part
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.
Definition: 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)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
ל֑/וֹ
""
Prep | Suff
תִּֽרְא֥וּ
râʼâh
H7200
"Provider"
V-Qal-Imperf-2mp
The Hebrew word for provider means to see or look after, and is used to describe God's care for his people. It appears in various forms throughout the Bible, including in Genesis and other books.
Definition: (Lord will) Provide, cause to be seen. This name means to see, look at, inspect, look after
Usage: Occurs in 1206 OT verses. KJV: advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, [idiom] be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), [idiom] sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, [idiom] surely, [idiom] think, view, visions. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 41:41; Exodus 33:13.
חֲ֝תַ֗ת
chăthath
H2866
"terror"
N-ms
A state of terror or dismay, like being cast down or scared, as described in the book of Job.
Definition: terror
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: casting down. See also: Job 6:21.
וַ/תִּירָֽאוּ
yârêʼ
H3372
"to fear"
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-2mp
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'.
Definition: : 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
Usage: Occurs in 318 OT verses. KJV: affright, be (make) afraid, dread(-ful), (put in) fear(-ful, -fully, -ing), (be had in) reverence(-end), [idiom] see, terrible (act, -ness, thing). See also: Genesis 3:10; 1 Samuel 12:18; Psalms 3:7.
Study Notes — Job 6:21
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 6:21 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 6:21
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 6:21
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 6:21
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 6:21
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 6:21
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 6:21
- Cambridge Bible on Job 6:21
- Barnes' Notes on Job 6:21
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 6:21
- Sermons on Job 6:21
Context — Job Replies: My Complaint Is Just
19The caravans of Tema look for water; the travelers of Sheba hope to find it.
20They are confounded because they had hoped; their arrival brings disappointment.
21For now you are of no help; you see terror, and you are afraid.
22Have I ever said, ‘Give me something; offer me a bribe from your wealth; 23deliver me from the hand of the enemy; redeem me from the grasp of the ruthless’?Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalms 38:11 | My beloved and friends shun my disease, and my kinsmen stand at a distance. |
| 2 | 2 Timothy 4:16 | At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them. |
| 3 | Jeremiah 17:5–6 | This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes the flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD. He will be like a shrub in the desert; he will not see when prosperity comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. |
| 4 | Matthew 26:56 | But this has all happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled. |
| 5 | Jeremiah 51:9 | “We tried to heal Babylon, but she could not be healed. Abandon her! Let each of us go to his own land, for her judgment extends to the sky and reaches to the clouds.” |
| 6 | Proverbs 19:7 | All the brothers of a poor man hate him— how much more do his friends avoid him! He may pursue them with pleading, but they are nowhere to be found. |
| 7 | Job 6:15 | But my brothers are as faithless as wadis, as seasonal streams that overflow, |
| 8 | Isaiah 2:22 | Put no more trust in man, who has only the breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he? |
| 9 | Psalms 62:9 | Lowborn men are but a vapor, the exalted but a lie. Weighed on the scale, they go up; together they are but a vapor. |
| 10 | Matthew 26:31 | Then Jesus said to them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of Me. For it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ |
Job 6:21 Summary
In this verse, Job is saying that his friends are not helping him at all, but instead are afraid and focused on their own terror. This is similar to what the Bible says in Proverbs 17:17, where it says that 'a friend loves at all times', but Job's friends are not showing him that kind of love and support. Job is feeling disappointed and frustrated with his friends, and we can learn from his experience that true friends will stand by us even in difficult times, as seen in Job 2:11. We should strive to be the kind of friends who provide genuine support and comfort, rather than just being afraid or focused on our own problems, as encouraged in Galatians 6:2.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Job saying to his friends in this verse?
Job is expressing his disappointment and frustration with his friends, saying that they are not providing the help and support he needs, as seen in Job 6:21, and instead are fearful and focused on their own terror, much like the fear and dread described in Psalms 55:5.
Why are Job's friends afraid, according to this verse?
The verse does not explicitly state why Job's friends are afraid, but it can be inferred that they are intimidated by the severity of Job's suffering and the potential consequences of associating with him, as mentioned in Job 19:19, where his friends and acquaintances are afraid to get involved with him.
Is Job being too harsh with his friends in this verse?
Job's words may seem harsh, but he is simply expressing his honest feelings and frustrations with his friends, who have failed to provide the comfort and support he needs, as seen in Job 16:2, where he describes their words as 'trouble' rather than comfort.
What can we learn from Job's experience in this verse?
We can learn that true friends will stand by us even in the midst of suffering and terror, as seen in Job 2:11, where three of Job's friends come to comfort him, and that we should strive to be the kind of friends who provide genuine support and comfort, as encouraged in Hebrews 10:24-25.
Reflection Questions
- How do I respond when my friends or loved ones are going through a difficult time, and what can I learn from Job's experience in this verse?
- What are some ways that I can provide genuine support and comfort to those around me, rather than just being afraid or focused on my own problems?
- How can I balance honesty and tact when expressing my feelings and frustrations to others, as Job does in this verse?
- What are some potential consequences of failing to provide support and comfort to those in need, and how can I avoid making the same mistakes as Job's friends?
Gill's Exposition on Job 6:21
For now ye are nothing,.... Once they seemed to be something to him; he thought them men wise, good, and religious, kind, bountiful, and tenderhearted; but now he found them otherwise, they were
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 6:21
They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed. They had hoped - literally, each had hoped-namely, that their companions would find water.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 6:21
He gives the reason why he charged them with deceitfulness, and compared them to these deceitful brooks. Nothing, or, as nothing; the note of similitude being oft understood. Heb. as not, i.e. you are to me as if you had not been, or as if you had never come to me, for I have no benefit nor comfort from you and your discourse, but only an increase of my misery. Ye see my casting down, and are afraid: when you come near to me, and perceive my great and manifold calamities, you stand as it were at a distance; you are shy of me, and afraid for yourselves, either lest my sores or breath should infect you; or lest some further plagues-should come upon me, wherein yourselves for my sake, or because you are in my company, should be involved; or lest I should be burdensome to you, and need and call for your charitable contribution to support myself and the small remainders of my poor family, or for your helping hand to assist and save me from mine enemies, who may possibly fall upon me in this place, as the Chaldeans and Sabeans did upon my servants and cattle elsewhere; which is implied in the next verses. So far are you from being true friends and comforts to me, as you would seem to be.
Trapp's Commentary on Job 6:21
Job 6:21 For now ye are nothing; ye see [my] casting down, and are afraid.Ver. 21. For now ye are nothing] i.e. To me nothing worth; I have no more joy of you than if you were not at all; ye are not unlike him who said to his friend, I am all yours, except body and goods; ye are not so much as friends at a sneeze, who will come out with a God bless you; or as those great benefactors in St James, James 2:15-16, that were free of their mouth mercy; ye are mere mutes and ciphers, nullities, as to me just nothing; that is, ye are no such thing as I expected. And here Job brings the foregoing similitude home to his friends by close application. And according to the Hebrew margin called keri, it may be rendered, Fuistis ei similes, sc. torrenti; ye are like to it, that is, to the brook before mentioned; ye fail me as much as it did the thirsty passengers (Drus.). For ye see my casting down, and are afraid] There is an elegance in the original that cannot be Englished; your eyes see what you had before heard of only by the hearing of the ear, that I am at a great under, dejected and impovershed; you are therefore afraid of me, lest I should ask you something for the supply of my wants; or else you keep at a distance, as more afraid of catching mine evil than desirous of curing it; ye visit me, but are not moved with any compassion towards me, Horrore perculsi resiluistis a me veluti si quispiam viperam calcasset (Lay.). So the Septuagint.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 6:21
(21) For now ye are nothing.—“Surely now ye are become like it” i.e., that wady; or, according to another reading followed in the text of the Authorised Version, “Ye have become nothing: ye have seen an object of terror, and are terrified: ye have seen my broken-down condition, and are dismayed at it.”
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 6:21
Verse 21. For now ye are nothing] Ye are just to me as those deceitful torrents to the caravans of Tema and Sheba; they were nothing to them; ye are nothing to me. Ye see my casting down] Ye see that I have been hurried from my eminence into want and misery, as the flood from the top of the mountains, which is divided, evaporated, and lost in the desert. And are afraid.] Ye are terrified at the calamity that has come upon me; and instead of drawing near to comfort me, ye start back at my appearance.
Cambridge Bible on Job 6:21
21. ye are nothing] Or, are become nothing. Job applies his comparison. Another reading is: ye are become it, i. e. the deceitful, disappointing brook. The general sense remains the same. my casting down] lit. ye see a terror. Job’s comparison of his friends to the brook is graphic and telling. In winter these brooks are full, but in summer when the thirsty caravan needs them and looks for them they are found to have disappeared before the heat. And Job’s friends may have been effusive in their offers of friendship when friendships were abundant, but now when he needs their aid, the sight of his terrible affliction, like the summer heat, dissipates their sympathy and makes them “nothing,” without power to help. In the words “ye see a terror and are afraid” Job insinuates more than that his friends are paralysed at the sight of his calamity, he means probably that, judging his calamity to be from God, they have not courage to shew him sympathy, cf. Job 13:7 seq.
Barnes' Notes on Job 6:21
For now ye are as nothing - Margin, “or, Ye are like to it, or them.” In the margin also the word “nothing” is rendered “not.” This variety arises from a difference of reading in the Hebrew text, many MSS.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 6:21
Third long strophe — A FURTHER OF THE OF HIS FRIENDS, Job 6:21-30.First strophe — Job proceeds to apply the preceding illustration, Job 6:21-23.21. Ye are nothing — Like the streams the perishing host looked for.
Sermons on Job 6:21
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
The Dejected Believer's Soliloquy. a Discourse Occasioned by the Decease of Mrs. Ann Button. by John Gill | John Gill preaches on the theme of the dejected believer's struggle with despair, drawing from Psalm 40:11. He reflects on the Psalmist's longing for God's presence amidst trials a |
|
Psalms - Part 1 by Zac Poonen | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of filling one's heart with the Word of God rather than simply avoiding evil. He references the story of a demon being cast ou |
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(Hebrews) 1-Overview-2 by Leonard Ravenhill | In this sermon, the preacher addresses the feeling of God's hiddenness and the darkness that comes when God withdraws his favor. He emphasizes the need for God's truth to set us fr |
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Importance of Right Spiritual Climate by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the concept of being captive to various things in life. He shares a personal story about feeling captive to the responsibility of raising his |
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Whatever Happened to Joy by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the various forms of sadness and tragedy that people experience in life, such as illness, death, and uncertainty. However, the speaker emphasi |
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(Depressed Disciples) Loneliness by Willie Mullan | In this sermon, Pastor Mullen discusses the theme of being alone in different situations. He starts by mentioning how the Lord did a good job for him and Pastor Mullen. He then tal |
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Error Is Pervasive, Subtle, and Damning by Tom Chantry | In this sermon, the speaker addresses the issue of Christians promoting a Roman Catholic movie as a witnessing opportunity. He warns against the movie's intent to elevate Mary to t |