Job 19:18 — Word Study
WLCגַּם־ עֲ֭וִילִים מָ֣אֲסוּ בִ֑י אָ֝ק֗וּמָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ־ בִֽי׃
BSAEvengam [young, insignificant] little boysʻăvîyl [sucklings, young children] scornmâʼaç■ [despise, reject] when I appearqûwm [rise, stand up] they deridedâbar▸ [speak against, ridicule]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| גַּם־ | also | Adverb |
| עֲ֭וִילִים | young boys | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| מָ֣אֲסוּ | they reject | Verb, Qal, perfect third person common plural |
| בִ֑י | me | Preposition, suffix |
| אָ֝ק֗וּמָה | I arise | Verb, Qal, infinitive construct first person common singular |
| וַיְדַבְּרוּ־ | and they spoke | Verb, Piel, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| בִֽי׃ | against me | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Even little boys scorn me; when I appear, they deride me. |
| KJV | Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me. |
| ASV | Even young children despise me; If I arise, they speak against me. |
| YLT | Also sucklings have despised me, I rise, and they speak against me. |
| WEB | Even young children despise me. If I arise, they speak against me. |
| BBE | Even young children have no respect for me; when I get up their backs are turned on me. |
Where they part company is מָ֣אֲסוּ — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is structured around the main action of scorn, with a temporal clause indicating the condition under which this scorn occurs.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbמָאַס
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 19:18
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 Lamentationgenerated
Job 19:18 captures Job's profound sense of isolation and ridicule as he laments his condition. He feels rejected not only by adults but even by young boys, highlighting the depth of his despair. This verse is situated within a broader context of Job's suffering, as he reflects on the scorn from friends and family, seen in Job 19:17 and Job 19:19.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 30:1–12 | “But now they mock me, men younger than I am, whose fathers I would have refused to entrust with my sheep dogs. |
| 2 | 2 Kings 2:23 | From there, Elisha went up to Bethel, and as he was walking up the road, a group of boys came out of the city and jeered at him, chanting, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” |
| 3 | Isaiah 3:5 | The people will oppress one another, man against man, neighbor against neighbor; the young will rise up against the old, and the base against the honorable. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מָ֣אֲסוּ, Ma.'a.sugenerated
The verb מָאַס (ma'ac) means 'to reject' or 'to despise'. It conveys a strong sense of spurning or dismissing something or someone. In this context, Job feels the sting of rejection from those who should be innocent and untainted by malice.
The parsing indicates it is a perfect form in the third person plural, showing that this action of rejection is completed and ongoing, emphasizing the depth of Job's isolation.
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 main verb מָ֣אֲסוּ governs the sentence, with a subject noun phrase and two clauses following. The structure emphasizes the action of scorn and derision directed at Job.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the subject, עֲ֭וִילִים (young boys), highlighting the unexpected source of ridicule.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew מָ֣אֲסוּ is rendered as ἀπεποιήσαντο, which conveys a similar meaning of rejection. This choice reflects a consistent interpretation of Job's experience of being scorned.
The Greek translation captures the essence of Job's lament, though it may introduce nuances in tone or emphasis that differ from the Hebrew.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 19:18 reveals Job's deep sense of rejection as he laments that even young boys mock him. This adds to his feelings of despair and isolation, as he feels scorned by those who should be innocent and untainted by malice.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job is expressing his profound sense of humiliation and rejection, feeling mocked even by the youngest in society, which emphasizes his total isolation.
By mentioning young boys, Job highlights the depth of his humiliation; it is particularly painful to be scorned by those who are innocent and should not harbor malice.
Job's lament illustrates the extent of his suffering and rejection, reflecting a broader theme of isolation in his experience of loss and despair.
This verse encapsulates Job's feelings of abandonment and scorn, which are central to his struggle throughout the book as he seeks understanding and vindication.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I respond when I feel rejected or scorned by others?
- In what ways can I show compassion to those who are suffering and feeling isolated?
- What can I learn from Job's experience about enduring hardship and maintaining integrity?
- How does understanding Job's lament help me relate to my own struggles?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early commentary on Job's lament highlights the universal experience of scorn and rejection, as seen in the reflections of Gregory the Dialogist.
The foolish too despised me. The wise falling away from faith in the truth, there is an addition rightly made concerning 'fools' as well;Early Church Fathers on Job 19 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 19:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleYea, young children despised me,.... Having related what he met with within doors from those in his own house, the strangers and proselytes in it, his maidens and menservants, and even from his own
Read John Gill on Job 19 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryYea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me. Young children. So the Hebrew [ `ªwiyliym (H5759), from `uwl (H5763), to suck] means (Job 21:11). Reverence for age is a chief duty in the East.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 19 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleYoung children; or, fools; the most contemptible persons. I arose, to wit, from my seat, to show my respect to them, though they were my inferiors; to show my readiness to comply with that mean and low condition, into which God had now brought me. Or, I stood up; for so this word sometimes signifies. I did not disoblige or provoke them by any uncivil and uncomely carriage towards them, but was very courteous to them; and yet they make it their business to rail against me, as you also do.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 19 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 19:18 Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.Ver. 18. Yea, young children despised me] Fools, saith the Vulgate, who are never more pleasant than when they play the buffoons at my expense. Ungodly men, some render it, as Job 16:11. Others, the baser sort of people. And surely none so base as they that deride virtue, especially because forsaken of fortune, as one phraseth it. What a bitter jeer was that of Tobiah, the servant, or slave, the Ammonite! Nehemiah 4:3. The basest can mock, as the abjects did David, Psalms 44:15-16, and the alestakes also, Psalms 69:12. But it is a happiness to do well, and yet hear ill. All God’ s people must be ready to pass…
Read John Trapp on Job 19 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges18. Another affecting touch—the little children mock his ineffectual attempts to rise from the ground. children despised] Better, despise. I arose, and they spake] Better, if I would arise they speak—they jeer at his painful efforts to rise.
Read Cambridge on Job 19 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleYea, young children - Margin, or “the wicked.” This difference between the text and the margin arises from the ambiguity of the original word - עוילים ‛ăvı̂ylı̂ym.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 19 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible18. I arose — The original intimates difficulty in so doing. The boys ridicule the efforts he makes to arise.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 19 →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
Even little boys scorn me; when I appear, they deride me.
Even young children despise me. If I arise, they speak against me.
Even little boys scorn me; when I appear, they deride me.
Even youngsters have scorned me; when I get up, they scoff at me.
Tyndale line
Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.
Even young children despise me; If I arise, they speak against me.
Even young children despise me; if I arise, they speak against me.
Yes, young children despised me; I arose, and they spoke against me.
The wicked also despised mee, and when I rose, they spake against me.
Strictly literal
Even young children despise me; I rise up, and they speak against me.
Also sucklings have despised me, I rise, and they speak against me.
Also sucklings have despised me, I rise, and they speak against me.
Yea, children even despise me: I rise up, but they speak against me.
Even young children despise me; if I rise to speak, they speak against me.
From the Latin
Even fools despise me; and when I gone from them, they spoke against me.
Simplified
Even young children despise me; when I stand up they ridicule me.
Even young children have no respect for me; when I get up their backs are turned on me.
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 reads גַּם־ עֲ֭וִילִים מָ֣אֲסוּ בִ֑י אָ֝ק֗וּמָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ־ בִֽי׃, while the Septuagint matches only two of the seven words directly. This indicates some divergence in translation choices, particularly in how the scorn is expressed.
גַּם־ עֲ֭וִילִים מָ֣אֲסוּ בִ֑י אָ֝ק֗וּמָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ־ בִֽי׃
2 of the 7 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 19:18
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.
גַּם (gam) is an adverb meaning 'also' or 'moreover,' indicating addition or emphasis. It can express various nuances, such as 'even,' 'indeed,' or 'but.' The term is often used in a correlational manner, as in 'both...and.' It appears in contexts that require clarification or reinforcement of a statement.
גַּם 768 adv. denoting addition, also, moreover, yea
base
H1571 גַּם denoting addition, also, moreover, yea
1571 gam gam
by contraction from an unused root meaning to gather;
properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea,
though; often repeated as correl. both...and:--again, alike,
also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and , but, either...or,
even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover,
nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea.
גַּם (gam) — also.
1) also, even, indeed, moreover, yea
1a) also, moreover (giving emphasis)
1b) neither, neither...nor (with negative)
1c) even (for stress)
1d) indeed, yea (introducing climax)
1e) also (of correspondence or retribution)
1f) but, yet, though (adversative)
1g) even, yea, yea though (with 'when' in hypothetical case)
2) (TWOT) again, alike
DirObjM — AdverbHD
ol'-so: In the Greek kai, when it is equivalent to "also" or "even," is always placed before the word or phrase which it is intended to emphasize (e.g. Ac 12:3; 1 Joh 4:21). Mt 6:14 should therefore read, "Your heavenly Father will forgive you also"; Lu 6:13, "Whom also he named apostles"; Heb 8:6, "The mediator of a better covenant also"; and 1Th 4:14, `If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also (we believe that) those who are fallen asleep in Jesus, God will bring with Him.'
עֲוִיל (aviyl) refers to a young boy or child. It is derived from a root meaning 'babe' and is used to describe a young male. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to youth without significant disagreement.
[עֲוִיל] n.m. young boy
base
H5759 עֲוִיל
5759 `aviyl av-eel'
from 5764; a babe:--young child, little one.
see HEBREW for 05764
עֲוִיל (a.vil) — boy.
young male or man or boy, boy
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
מָאַס (ma'ac) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning to reject or despise. It can also denote the action of flowing or running in its Niph'al form. The entries highlight its usage in contexts of refusal and disdain, with no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.
[מָאַס] vb. reject
Qal
reject, refuse
despise
Niph. be rejected
base
[מָאַס] vb. Niph. flow, run
base
H3988a מָאַס reject H3988b מָאַס Niph. flow, run
3988 ma'ac maw-as'
a primitive root; to spurn; also (intransitively) to
disappear:--abhor, cast away (off), contemn, despise, disdain,
(become) loathe(some), melt away, refuse, reject, reprobate, X
utterly, vile person.
מָאַס (ma.as) — to reject.
1) to reject, despise, refuse
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to reject, refuse
1a2) to despise
1b) (Niphal) to be rejected
מָאַס (ma.as) — to flow.
(Niphal) to flow, run
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common pluralHVqp3cp
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word קוּם (qum) is a primitive root meaning 'to rise' and encompasses a range of actions such as standing, becoming powerful, and establishing. It can imply a sudden or hostile rise, as well as the act of fulfilling or confirming something. The entries also note various grammatical forms, indicating its use in different contexts, including raising up or causing to stand.
לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash Je 51:1.
ref
קוּם 628 vb. arise, stand up, stand
Qal 460
arise
arise, in hostile sense (oft. with idea of suddenness)
arise, abs., = become powerful
arise = come on the scene, appear, of leader, prophet
arise for, i.e. to become
arise for action
arise (out of inaction), introducing some specific deed
esp. arise = start, make a move, to go somewhere
stand
Pi.
fulfil
confirm, ratify
confirm, establish
impose, an obligation
Pō‛l. raise up
Hithpō‛l. raise oneself, = rise up
Hiph.
146cause to arise, raise
raise, set up, stones
erect, build
fig, of setting up law
raise up = bring on the scene
raise up = rouse, stir up
instigate, build
fig, of setting up law
raise up = constitute
cause to stand
Hoph. be raised up
base
H6965a לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash H6965b קוּם arise, stand up, stand .. arise
. arise, in hostile sense (oft. with idea of suddenness)
. arise, abs., = become powerful
. arise = come on the scene, appear, of leader, prophet
. arise for, i.e. to become
. . arise for action
. arise (out of inaction), introducing some specific deed
. esp. arise = start, make a move, to go somewhere
. stand
. . fulfil
. . confirm, ratify
. confirm, establish
. impose, an obligation
. raise up
. raise oneself, = rise up
. . cause to arise, raise
. . raise, set up, stones
. erect, build
. fig, of setting up law
. raise up = bring on the scene
. . raise up = rouse, stir up
. instigate, build
. fig, of setting up law
. raise up = constitute
. cause to stand
. be raised up
6965 quwm koom
a primitive root; to rise (in various applications, literal,
figurative, intensive and causative):--abide, accomplish, X
be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, X be dim, endure, X
enemy, enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift
up (again), make, X but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise
(up), rear (up), remain, (a-)rise (up) (again, against), rouse
up, set (up), (e-)stablish, (make to) stand (up), stir up,
strengthen, succeed, (as-, make) sure(-ly), (be) up(-hold, -
rising).
קָמָי (qa.may) — (Leb)-kamai.
Combined with lev (לֵב "Leb" H3820B)
§ -Kamai = "my adversary"
Leb-kamai, i.e., people of Gambulai
קוּם (qum) — to arise: rise.
: rise/get_going
1) to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to arise
1a2) to arise (hostile sense)
1a3) to arise, become powerful
1a4) to arise, come on the scene
1a5) to stand
1a5a) to maintain oneself
1a5b) to be established, be confirmed
1a5c) to stand, endure
1a5d) to be fixed
1a5e) to be valid
1a5f) to be proven
1a5g) to be fulfilled
1a5h) to persist
1a5i) to be set, be fixed
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to fulfil
1b2) to confirm, ratify, establish, impose
1c) (Polel) to raise up
1d) (Hithpael) to raise oneself, rise up
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to cause to arise, raise
1e2) to raise, set up, erect, build
1e3) to raise up, bring on the scene
1e4) to raise up, rouse, stir up, investigate
1e5) to raise up, constitute
V-Qal-1cs — Verb · Qal · infinitive construct first person common singularHVqc1cs
דָבַר (dabar) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning 'to speak.' It encompasses a range of actions including declaring, commanding, and conversing. The root suggests a figurative use of words, with some entries noting a rare destructive sense of subduing. Various forms of the verb indicate different nuances, such as speaking with one another or making promises.
[דָבַר] 1142 vb. speak (original mng. dub.)
Qal speak
Niph. reciprocal sense, speak with one another, talk
Pi. speak
Pu. in the day when she may be spoken for
Hithp. speaking this word
Hiph. either leads subject, or puts to flight, fig. for subdues
base
H1696 דָבַר speak (original mng. dub.)
1696 dabar daw-bar'
a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used
figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive
sense) to subdue:--answer, appoint, bid, command, commune,
declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse,
say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think,
use (entreaties), utter, X well, X work.
דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: speak.
: speak/tell/command
1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing
1a) (Qal) to speak
1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to speak
1c2) to promise
1d) (Pual) to be spoken
1e) (Hithpael) to speak
1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight
דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: subdue.
: subdue
1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing
1a) (Qal) to speak
1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to speak
1c2) to promise
1d) (Pual) to be spoken
1e) (Hithpael) to speak
1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight
דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: promise.
: promise/declare
1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing
1a) (Qal) to speak
1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to speak
1c2) to promise
1d) (Pual) to be spoken
1e) (Hithpael) to speak
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine pluralHc/Vpw3mp
spok (1Ki 7:33).
See SEA, THE MOLTEN.
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bs