Job 12:1 — Word Study
WLCוַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
BSAThen JobʼÎyôwb [the patriarch famous for his patience] answeredʻânâh▸ [replied, made response, and said, to his friends, in response to their words]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֥עַן | and he answered | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| אִיּ֗וֹב | Job | Noun proper masculine |
| וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ | and he said | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Then Job answered: |
| KJV | And Job answered and said, |
| ASV | Then Job answered and said, |
| YLT | And Job answereth and saith: — |
| WEB | Then Job answered, |
| BBE | And Job made answer and said, |
Where they part company is in the amplification of Job's character.
The sentence is straightforward, with Job's answer as the focal point.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
subjectאִיּוֹב
verbעָנָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
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 12:1
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 Response to His Friendsgenerated
Job 12:1 finds Job replying to his friends who have questioned his integrity and wisdom. He asserts that their understanding is flawed and emphasizes his own knowledge and experience. This sets the stage for a deeper discourse on wisdom and suffering, as Job defends his position amidst their criticisms.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 6:24–25 | Teach me, and I will be silent. Help me understand how I have erred. |
| 2 | Job 8:8–10 | Please inquire of past generations and consider the discoveries of their fathers. |
| 3 | Job 11:2–6 | “Should this stream of words go unanswered and such a speaker be vindicated? |
| 4 | Job 15:2 | “Does a wise man answer with empty counsel or fill his belly with the hot east wind? |
| 5 | Job 17:4 | You have closed their minds to understanding; therefore You will not exalt them. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 11 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — עָנָה, vai.Ya.'angenerated
The verb עָנָה (*anah*) is built from a root meaning to heed or pay attention. It encompasses a range of meanings, including to answer, respond, testify, and even sing. In this context, it indicates Job's response to his friends, showing that he is actively engaging in the conversation.
The Qal form indicates a simple action, and the parsing as a sequential imperfect third person masculine singular suggests that Job is in the midst of an ongoing dialogue. This highlights his role as an active participant in the discussion, rather than a passive listener.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree here, all rendering the verse similarly as Job answering.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יַּ֥עַן governs the clause, indicating Job's action of answering. The structure is straightforward, with a subject followed by the verb, reflecting the typical Hebrew sentence order.
The main components are Job as the subject and the verbs 'answered' and 'said', which together create a cohesive response to his friends.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates עָנָה with ὑπολαβὼν (hypolabōn), meaning 'having taken up' or 'having answered'. This choice suggests a more active engagement in the dialogue, emphasizing Job's role in addressing his friends' claims.
This rendering indicates a slight shift in focus from merely answering to the act of taking up the conversation, which may imply a deeper level of interaction.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 12:1 shows Job responding to his friends who have questioned him. He asserts his own wisdom and understanding, highlighting that he is not inferior to them. This moment is crucial as it sets up Job's defense of his integrity amid their accusations.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job is asserting his own understanding and challenging the flawed wisdom of his friends.
Job's story illustrates enduring faith and patience in the face of immense suffering and loss.
Job's response is significant as it marks the beginning of a deeper exploration of wisdom and suffering within the text.
Job's answer reflects his integrity and determination to stand firm in his beliefs despite the pressure from his friends.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I respond to criticism or misunderstanding like Job?
- How do I discern wisdom in difficult conversations?
- What can I learn from Job's patience in the face of suffering?
- How can I support others who are going through trials, as Job's friends should have done?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers often referenced Job's patience and wisdom in their writings. Here are some insights from Hesychius of Jerusalem, who highlights Job's admirable questioning of his friends.
Job speaks in an admirable way. Instead of briefly saying, “You would not be able to be men,” he questions them, and what does he ask? “So are you really men, and shall wisdom die with you?” This means,Early Church Fathers on Job 12 →
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 12:1 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd Job answered and said. In reply to Zophar, and in defence of himself; what is recorded in this and the two following chapters.
Read John Gill on Job 12 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Job answered and said, No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 12 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 12:1 And Job answered and said,Ver. 1. And Job answered and said] Being nipped and nettled with his friends’ hard usage of him, and harsh language to him, but especially with Zophar’ s arrogant and lofty preface in the former chapter, he begins now to wax warm, and more roughly and roundly to shape them an answer.
Read John Trapp on Job 12 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersXII.(1) And Job answered and said.—Each of the friends has now supplied his quota, and Job proceeds to reply to the third, showing that he is far more conversant with the wisdom and majesty of God than they are themselves, though in their own esteem they alone are wise.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 12 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleCHAPTER XII Job reproves the boasting of his friends, and shows their uncharitableness towards himself, 1-5; asserts that even the tabernacles of robbers prosper; and that, notwithstanding, God is the Governor of the world; a truth which is proclaimed by all parts of the creation whether animate or inanimate, and by the revolutions which take place in states, 6-25. NOTES ON CHAP. XII
Read AdamClarke on Job 12 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleJOB’S THIRD REPLY, Job 12:12-14.1. Job answered — He scouts the pompous pretensions of the “friends” to superior wisdom, which, however, he remarks, do not prevent their treating misfortune with contempt.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 12 →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
Then Job answered:
Then Job answered,
Then Job answered:
Then Job answered:
Tyndale line
And Job answered and said,
Then Job answered and said,
Then Job answered and said,
And Job answered and said,
Then Iob answered, and sayde,
Strictly literal
And Job answered and said,
And Job answereth and saith: —
And Job answers and says:
Then answered Job, and said,
Then Job answered and said,
From the Latin
When Job answered, and said:
Simplified
Job replied,
And Job made answer and said,
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.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of Job's response. The Septuagint matches the Hebrew closely, confirming the integrity of the text across these traditions.
וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
3 of the 3 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.
Lexicons — every word in Job 12:1
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.
The Hebrew word עָנָה (*anah*) is built from a primitive root meaning to heed or pay attention, covering a range of meanings including to answer, respond, testify, and sing. It appears in contexts where one responds to speech or circumstances, and can also refer to singing. The lexicons indicate that it can imply both verbal responses and musical expression.
[עוּן] vb. dwell
base
עָנָה 316 vb. answer, respond
Qal
answer, respond to sthg. said, actual or implied
respond to an occasion, speak in view of circumstances
money meets all demands
specif. respond as a witness, testify
less oft. make response as one accused (respondent)
Niph.
make answer
be answered
Hiph. wholly dub.; causes all things to respond in the joy of his heart
base
עָנָה vb. sing
Qal sing, utter tunefully
Pi. sing sweetly of it
base
H6030a עוּן dwell H6030b עָנָה answer, respond .. answer, respond to sthg. said, actual or implied
. . respond to an occasion, speak in view of circumstances
. money meets all demands
. . specif. respond as a witness, testify
. less oft. make response as one accused (respondent)
. . make answer
. be answered
. wholly dub.; causes all things to respond in the joy of his heart
H6030c עָנָה sing
6030 `anah aw-naw'
a primitive root; properly, to eye or (generally) to heed,
i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extens. to
begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify,
announce:--give account, afflict (by mistake for 6031),
(cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for 6031), cry,
hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, X scholar, (give a) shout, sing
(together by course), speak, testify, utter, (bear) witness.
See also 1042, 1043.
see HEBREW for 06031
see HEBREW for 06031
see HEBREW for 01042
see HEBREW for 01043
עוּן (un) — to dwell.
(Qal) to dwell
עָנָה (a.nah) — to answer.
1) to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to answer, respond to
1a2) to testify, respond as a witness
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to make answer
1b2) to be answered, receive answer
Aramaic equivalent: a.nah (עֲנָה "to answer" H6032)
עָנָה (a.nah) — to sing.
(Qal) to sing, utter tunefully
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
אִיּוֹב (Iyowb) refers to Job, a patriarch known for his patience, as described in the book of Job. The name is associated with the meaning 'hated' or 'persecuted.' It is mentioned in the context of the Exile and Return, and its exact meaning remains uncertain.
אִיּוֹב n.pr.m. Job (meaning unknown)
base
H347 אִיּוֹב
347 'Iyowb ee-yobe'
from 340; hated (i.e. persecuted); Ijob, the patriarch famous
for his patience:--Job.
see HEBREW for 0340
אִיּוֹב (iy.yov) — Job.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Job.1.1
Also named: Iōb (Ἰώβ "Job" G2492)
§ Job = "hated"
a patriarch, the subject of the book of Job
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
job ('iyobh, meaning of name doubtful; some conjecturing "object of enmity," others "he who turns," etc., to God; both uncertain guesses; Iob): The titular hero of the Book of Job, represented as a wealthy and pious land-holder who lived in patriarchal times, or at least conditions, in the land of Uz, on the borders of Idumea. Outside of the Book of Job he is mentioned by Ezekiel (Eze 14:14,20) as one of 3 great personages whose representative righteousness would presumably avail, if that of any individuals could, to redeem the nation; the other two being Noah, an ancient patriarch, and Daniel, a contemporary of the prophet. It is difficult to determine whether Job was an actual personage or not. If known through legend, it must have been on account of some such experience as is narrated in the book, an experience unique enough to…
Job
Persecuted, an Arabian patriarch who resided in the land of Uz (q.v.). While living in the midst of great prosperity, he was suddenly overwhelmed by a series of sore trials that fell upon him. Amid all his sufferings he maintained his integrity. Once more God visited him with the rich tokens of his goodness and even greater prosperity than he had enjoyed before. He survived the period of trial for one hundred and forty years, and died in a good old age, an example to succeeding generations of integrity (Ezek. 14:14, 20) and of submissive patience under the sorest calamities (James 5:11). His history, so far as it is known, is recorded in his book.
the patriarch, from whom one of the books of the Old Testament is named. His residence in the land of Uz marks him as belonging to a branch of the Aramean race, which had settled in the lower part of Mesopatamia (Probably to the south or southeast of Palestine, in Idumean Arabia), adjacent to the Sabeans and Chaldeans. The opinions of Job and his friends are thus peculiarly interesting as exhibiting an aspect of the patriarchal religion outside of the family of Abraham, and as yet uninfluenced by the legislation of Moses. The form of worship belongs essentially to the early patriarchal type; with little of ceremonial ritual, without a separate priesthood, it is thoroughly domestic in form and spirit. Job is represented as a chieftain of immense wealth and high rank, blameless in all the relations of life. What we know of his history is given in the book that bears his name.
A patriarch distinguished for his integrity and piety, his wealth, honors, and domestic happiness, whom God permitted, for the trial of his faith, to be deprived of friends, property, and health, and at once plunged into deep affliction. He lived in the land of Uz, lying, it is generally thought, in Eastern Edom, probably not far from Bozrah.
THE BOOK OF JOB, has originated much criticism, and on many points a considerable diversity of opinion still exists. Sceptics have denied its inspiration, and called it a mere philosophical romance; but no one who respects revelation can entertain this notion, or doubt that Job was a real person. Inspired writers testify to both. See Eze 14:14 Jas 5:11, and compare 1Co 3:19 with
אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.
אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say
Qal
Say
Say in the heart (= think)
Promise
Command (esp. late)
Niph. be said, told
Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
Hithp. act proudly, boast
base
H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say
. Say in the heart (= think)
. Promise
. Command (esp. late)
. be said, told
. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
. act proudly, boast
559 'amar aw-mar'
a primitive root; to say (used with great
latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,
certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),
commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X
expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,
publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X
suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),
utter, X verily, X yet.
אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.
1) to say, speak, utter
1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend
1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called
1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly
1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch
Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
Hc/Vqw3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms