Job 12:25 — Word Study
WLCיְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ־ חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וְלֹא־ א֑וֹר וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם כַּשִּׁכּֽוֹר׃
BSAThey gropemâshash▸ [in the dark, without direction] in the darknesschôshek [a state of spiritual or moral gloom] withoutlôʼ lightʼôwr [the absence of spiritual illumination] He makes them staggertâʻâh▸ [to go astray] like drunkardsshikkôwr [intoxicated, lacking spiritual sobriety]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| יְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ־ | they grope | Verb, Piel, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| חֹ֥שֶׁךְ | darkness | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וְלֹא־ | and not | Conjunction, particle |
| א֑וֹר | light | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם | and he made wander them | Verb hiphil sequential imperfect third person masculine singular, suffix |
| כַּשִּׁכּֽוֹר׃ | like drunkard | Preposition |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards. |
| KJV | They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man. |
| ASV | They grope in the dark without light; And he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man. |
| YLT | They feel darkness, and not light, He causeth them to wander as a drunkard. |
| WEB | They grope in the dark without light. He makes them stagger like a drunken man. |
| BBE | They go feeling about in the dark without light, wandering without help like those overcome with wine. |
Where they part company is מָשַׁשׁ — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has a main clause with a prepositional phrase and a second main clause that follows, illustrating a clear structure of cause and effect.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectאוֹר
verbמָשַׁשׁ
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 12:25
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 Reflection on Darknessgenerated
Job 12:25 illustrates the plight of those who are spiritually lost, groping in darkness without light. Job emphasizes the consequences of rejecting God, leading to confusion and moral failure. This verse fits within a broader discourse about God's power over humanity and the folly of the wicked, as seen in the preceding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 5:14 | They encounter darkness by day and grope at noon as in the night. |
| 2 | Genesis 19:11 | And they struck the men at the entrance, young and old, with blindness, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the door. |
| 3 | Deuteronomy 28:29 | and at noon you will grope about like a blind man in the darkness. You will not prosper in your ways. Day after day you will be oppressed and plundered, with no one to save you. |
| 4 | Isaiah 59:10 | Like the blind, we feel our way along the wall, groping like those without eyes. We stumble at midday as in the twilight; among the vigorous we are like the dead. |
| 5 | Acts 13:11 | Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מָשַׁשׁ, ye.mash.shu-generated
The verb מָשַׁשׁ (*mashash*) is a Piel imperfect form meaning 'to feel' or 'to grope.' This word conveys the action of searching or exploring in darkness, often depicting a lack of clarity or understanding. Its usage here underscores the desperation of those lost in spiritual darkness.
The Piel stem indicates an intensive action, suggesting an active search or struggle. The context of groping in darkness reflects a state of confusion and moral disorientation, highlighting the absence of divine guidance.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ (*ye.mash.shu-*) governs the main clause, indicating the action of groping. This is followed by a prepositional phrase describing the condition of darkness and a second clause that introduces the consequence of staggering.
The structure emphasizes the progression from the act of groping in darkness to the resulting state of staggering, illustrating a cause-and-effect relationship in the verse.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates מָשַׁשׁ as ψηλαφήσαισαν, which carries a similar meaning of groping or feeling around. This choice reflects a direct connection to the idea of searching in darkness, maintaining the original intent.
The Greek word σκότος for חֹשֶׁךְ emphasizes the absence of light, consistent with the Hebrew's connotation of spiritual and moral gloom.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 12:25 describes people who are lost in darkness, unable to find their way. They stumble and stagger like drunkards because they lack light and direction. This verse highlights the consequences of being spiritually lost and disconnected from God.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To grope in darkness means to search for understanding or direction in a state of confusion or moral failure, lacking spiritual insight.
God allows those who reject Him to wander aimlessly, leading to a loss of clarity and purpose, much like the disorientation experienced by intoxicated individuals.
Darkness symbolizes a state of spiritual or moral gloom, representing the absence of God's guidance and the confusion that ensues.
This verse serves as a reminder of the importance of seeking God's light and guidance to avoid the pitfalls of confusion and moral ambiguity.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I feel like I am groping in darkness?
- How can I seek God's light in times of confusion or uncertainty?
- What steps can I take to avoid spiritual disorientation?
- How does understanding the consequences of darkness motivate me to seek clarity in my life?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 12:25 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThey grope in the dark without light,.... Like blind men, as the men of Sodom, when they were struck with blindness; or "they grope", or "feel the dark, and not light" (g), as the Targum; as the
Read John Gill on Job 12 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThey grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man. They grope in the dark without light. "Thou shalt grope at, noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness" (Deuteronomy 28:29). Psalms 107:27.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 12 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThey grope, like men that cannot see their way. In the dark without light; two phrases expressing the same thing, emphatically to express their profound darkness. Like a drunken man, who reels hither and thither without any certainty. So they sometimes take one course, and sometimes another, as resolving to try all experiments, and indeed not knowing what to do.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 12 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 12:25 They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like [a] drunken [man].Ver. 25. They grope in the dark without light] This is the second simile, setting forth this judiciary act of God in taking away the heart of the heads of the earth; grope they do, and would fain find out a way by feeling, but they feel darkness, and not light (so the Hebrew); they try to help themselves and their people out of misery, as the last Greek emperor did notably; but it would not be (Turk. Hist. 345). And he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man] Who, having lost the use of reason, knoweth neither where he is nor what he was, but reeleth and falleth oft, and cannot rise again…
Read John Trapp on Job 12 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 25. They grope in the dark] The writer seems to have had his eye on those words of Moses, Deuteronomy 28:28-29: The Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart; and thou shalt GROPE AT NOONDAY, as the BLIND GROPETH IN DARKNESS. And this also may refer to the unaccountable errors, transgressions, and judicial blindness of the Israelites in their journeying to the promised land: but it will apply also to the state of wicked nations under judicial blindness. The writer is principally indebted for his imagery, and indeed for the chief expressions used here, to Psalms 107:27: They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man. Psalms 107:39-40: Again…
Read AdamClarke on Job 12 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges25. Further description of their perplexity. Cf. ch. Job 5:14. maketh them to stagger] Or, to wander. Cf. Isaiah 19:14; Psalms 107:27; Psalms 107:40.
Read Cambridge on Job 12 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThey grope in the dark - They are like persons who attempt to feel their way along in the dark; compare the notes at Isaiah 59:10.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 12 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible25. They grope, etc. — They feel the darkness and not light. — Gesenius. The reading of the Septuagint is nearly the same. Their blindness must be intense, when the sense of feeling is their sight.
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
They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.
They grope in the dark without light. He makes them stagger like a drunken man.
They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.
They grope about in darkness without light; he makes them stagger like drunkards.
Tyndale line
They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
They grope in the dark without light; And he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man .
They grope in the darke without light: and he maketh the to stagger like a drunken man.
Strictly literal
They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunkard.
They feel darkness, and not light, He causeth them to wander as a drunkard.
They feel darkness, and not light, || He causes them to wander as a drunkard.”
They grope in the dark without light, and he causeth them to wander astray like a drunken man.
They grope in the dark without light; he makes them stagger like a drunk man.
From the Latin
They shall grope as in the dark, and not in the light, and he shall make them stagger like men that are drunk.
Simplified
They grope around in the dark without a light. He makes them stagger like drunk people.”
They go feeling about in the dark without light, wandering without help like those overcome with wine.
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 in the wording of this verse, with all six words matched in meaning. This indicates a consistent understanding of the text across these ancient witnesses.
יְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ־ חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וְלֹא־ א֑וֹר וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם כַּשִּׁכּֽוֹר׃
6 of the 6 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 12:25
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 מָשַׁשׁ (*mashash*) is a primitive root meaning to feel or grope. It covers actions like searching or feeling through something, with different forms indicating various nuances of touching or exploring. The entries reference its use in contexts such as feeling for someone or searching in darkness.
[מָשַׁשׁ] vb. feel, grope
Qal perhaps my father will feel me; and he felt of him
Pi. feel over or through, grope
Hiph. that one may feel (the) darkness
base
H4959 מָשַׁשׁ feel, grope
4959 mashash maw-shash'
a primitive root; to feel of; by implication, to
grope:--feel, grope, search.
מָשַׁשׁ (ma.shash) — to feel.
1) to feel, grope
1a) (Qal) to feel, grope
1b) (Piel) to feel over or through, grope
1b1) to feel through
1b2) to grope
1c)(Hiphil) to feel
V-Piel-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVpi3mp
חֹ֫שֶׁךְ (choshek) refers to darkness or obscurity, both in a literal sense and in various figurative contexts such as distress, ignorance, and evil. It can also denote secret or hiding places. The word is built from a root meaning 'dark' and encompasses a range of meanings related to judgment and confusion.
חֹ֫שֶׁךְ n.m. darkness, obscurity
darkness (opp. אוֹר)
= secret place(s); = hiding-place
fig.
= distress
= dread, terror, symbol. of judgment
= mourning
= perplexity; confusion
= ignorance
= evil, sin
= obscurity
base
H2822 חֹ֫שֶׁךְ darkness, obscurity . darkness (opp. אוֹר)
. = secret place(s); = hiding-place
. fig. . = distress
. = dread, terror, symbol. of judgment
. = mourning
. = perplexity; confusion
. = ignorance
. = evil, sin
. = obscurity
2822 choshek kho-shek'
from 2821; the dark; hence (literally) darkness;
figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow,
wickedness:--dark(-ness), night, obscurity.
see HEBREW for 02821
חֹ֫שֶׁךְ (cho.shekh) — darkness.
1) darkness, obscurity
1a) darkness
1b) secret place
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
Darkness
The plague (the ninth) of darkness in Egypt (Ex. 10:21) is described as darkness “which may be felt.” It covered “all the land of Egypt,” so that “they saw not one another.” It did not extend to the land of Goshen (ver. 23).
When Jesus hung upon the cross (Matt. 27:45; Luke 23:44), from the “sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.”
is spoken of as encompassing the actual presence of God, as that out of which he speaks, --the envelope, as it were, of divine glory. (Exodus 20:21; 1 Kings 8:12) The plague of darkness in Egypt was miraculous. The darkness "over all the land," (Matthew 27:45) attending the crucifixion has been attributed to an eclipse, but was undoubtedly miraculous, as no eclipse of the sun could have taken place at that time, the moon being at the full at the time of the passover. Darkness is also, as in the expression "land of darkness," used for the state of the dead, (Job 10:21,22) and frequently, figuratively, for ignorance and unbelief, as the privation of spiritual light. (
The absence of natural light, Ge 1:2, and hence figuratively a state of misery and adversity, Job 18:6 Ps 107:10 Isa 8:22 9:1; also the absence of the sun and stars, and hence the fall of chief men and national convulsions, Isa 13:10 Ac 2:20. "Works of darkness," are the impure mysteries practiced in heathen worship, Eph 5:11. "Outer darkness" illustrates the gloom of those on whom the gates of heaven are closed, Mt 8:12. The darkness in Egypt,
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
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)
Conj | Part — Conjunction · particleHC/Tn
אוֹר (or) means 'light' and encompasses various forms of illumination, including daylight, dawn, and the light of heavenly bodies like the sun and stars. It can also refer to metaphorical concepts such as the light of life, prosperity, and instruction, as well as Yahweh as a source of light.
אוֹר 121 n.m. light
light as diffused in nature, light of day
morning light, dawn
light of the heavenly luminaries
daylight
lightning
light of lamp
light of life
light of prosperity
light of instruction
light of face
Yahweh
base
H216 אוֹר light . light as diffused in nature, light of day
. morning light, dawn
. light of the heavenly luminaries
. daylight
. lightning
. light of lamp
. light of life
. light of prosperity
. light of instruction
. light of face
. Yahweh
216 'owr ore
from 215; illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every
sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.):--bright, clear,
+ day, light (-ning), morning, sun.
see HEBREW for 0215
אוֹר (or) — light.
1) light
1a) light of day
1b) light of heavenly luminaries (moon, sun, stars)
1c) day-break, dawn, morning light
1d) daylight
1e) lightning
1f) light of lamp
1g) light of life
1h) light of prosperity
1i) light of instruction
1j) light of face (fig.)
1k) Jehovah as Israel's light
N-cs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
lit ('or, ma'or; phos; many other words):
1. Origin of Light
2. A Comprehensive Term
(1) Natural Light
(2) Artificial Light
(3) Miraculous Light
(4) Mental, Moral, Spiritual Light
3. An Attribute of Holiness
(1) God
(2) Christ
(3) Christians
(4) The Church
4. Symbolism
5. Expressive Terms
1. Origin of Light:
The creation of light was the initial step in the creation of life. "Let there be light" (Ge 1:3) was the first word of God spoken after His creative Spirit "moved" upon the primary material out of which He created the heavens and the earth, and which lay, until the utterance of that word, in the chaos of darkness and desolation. Something akin, possibly, to the all-pervasive electro-magnetic activity of the aurora borealis penetrated the chaotic night of the world. The ultimate focusing of light (on the 4th day of creation,
Light
The offspring of the divine command (Gen. 1:3). “All the more joyous emotions of the mind, all the pleasing sensations of the frame, all the happy hours of domestic intercourse were habitually described among the Hebrews under imagery derived from light” (1 Kings 11:36; Isa. 58:8; Esther 8:16; Ps. 97:11). Light came also naturally to typify true religion and the felicity it imparts (Ps. 119:105; Isa. 8:20; Matt. 4:16, etc.), and the glorious inheritance…
One of the most wonderful, cheering, and useful of all the works of God; called into being on the first of the six days of creation, by his voice: "Let there be light;" and there was light. No object better illustrates whatever is pure, glorious, spiritual, joyful, and beneficent. Hence the beauty and force of the expressions, "God is light," 1Jo 1:5, and "the Father of lights," Jas 1:17; Christ is the "Sun of righteousness," and "the light of the world," Joh 1:9 8:12. So also the word of God is "a light," Ps 119:105; truth and Christians are lights, Joh 3:19 12:36; prosperity is "light," Es 8:16; and heaven is full of…
תָּעָה (ta`ah) is a Hebrew verb that means to wander or go astray, both physically and ethically. It can refer to being led astray, as in a moral sense, or to the effects of intoxication. The word has various forms, including Qal (to err), Niphal (to be made to wander), and Hiphil (to cause to wander).
תָּעָה vb. err
Qal
physically wander about
of intoxication
ethically
Niph.
be made to wander about, as a drunkard
ethically: be led astray
Hiph.
physically cause to wander about
of intoxication
mentally and morally, cause to err, mislead
base
H8582 תָּעָה err .. physically wander about
. of intoxication
. ethically
. . be made to wander about, as a drunkard
. ethically: be led astray
. . physically cause to wander about
. of intoxication
. mentally and morally, cause to err, mislead
8582 ta`ah taw-aw'
a primitive root; to vacillate, i.e. reel or stray (literally
or figuratively); also causative of both:--(cause to) go
astray, deceive, dissemble, (cause to, make to) err, pant,
seduce, (make to) stagger, (cause to) wander, be out of the
way.
תָּעָה (ta.ah) — to go astray.
1) to err, wander, go astray, stagger
1a) (Qal) to err
1a1) to wander about (physically)
1a2) of intoxication
1a3) of sin (ethically)
1a4) wandering (of the mind)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be made to wander about, be made to stagger (drunkard)
1b2) to be led astray (ethically)
1c) (Hiphil) to cause to wander
1c1) to cause to wander about (physically)
1c2) to cause to wander (of intoxication)
1c3) to cause to err, mislead (mentally and morally)
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3ms | Suff — Verb hiphil sequential imperfect third person masculine singular · suffixHc/Vhw3ms/Sp3mp
שִׁכֹּר (shikkor) means 'drunken' and refers to a state of intoxication or a habitual drunkard. The word is built from the root associated with drunkenness and is used in various contexts to describe someone who is intoxicated.
שִׁכֹּר, שִׁכּוֹר adj. drunken
base
H7910 שִׁכֹּר, שִׁכּוֹר drunken
7910 shikkowr shik-kore'
or shikkor {shik-kore'}; from 7937; intoxicated, as a state
or a habit:--drunk(-ard, -en, -en man).
see HEBREW for 07937
שִׁכֹּר (shik.kor) — drunken.
1) drunken
1a) drunken
1b) drunkard, drunken one (subst)
Prep | Adj — PrepositionHRd/Aamsa