Job 20:2 — Word Study
WLCלָ֭כֵן שְׂעִפַּ֣י יְשִׁיב֑וּנִי וּ֝בַעֲב֗וּר ח֣וּשִׁי בִֽי׃
BSASokên [thus, in agreement] my anxious thoughtsçâʻiph [troubling, divided mind] compel me to answershûwb▸ becauseʻâbûwr of the turmoilchûwsh [for the sake of, due to, haste, inner turmoil]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לָ֭כֵן | therefore | Preposition, adverb |
| שְׂעִפַּ֣י | disquieting thoughts my | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| יְשִׁיב֑וּנִי | they make respond me | Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine plural, suffix |
| וּ֝בַעֲב֗וּר | and in order | Conjunction, preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| ח֣וּשִׁי | to agitate I | Verb qal infinitive construct common, suffix |
| בִֽי׃ | in me | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | “So my anxious thoughts compel me to answer, because of the turmoil within me. |
| KJV | Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste. |
| ASV | Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, Even by reason of my haste that is in me. |
| YLT | Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me. |
| WEB | “Therefore my thoughts answer me, even by reason of my haste that is in me. |
| BBE | For this cause my thoughts are troubling me and driving me on. |
Where they part company is in the interpretation of ח֣וּשִׁי — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has a main clause followed by a reason, clearly outlining Zophar's emotional state and motivation.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
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 20:2
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 — Zophar's Response to Jobgenerated
Job 20:2 presents Zophar the Naamathite replying to Job, expressing his inner turmoil and the necessity to respond to Job's previous statements. This moment is part of a larger dialogue where Job's friends attempt to explain his suffering, reflecting their own understanding of righteousness and divine justice.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 20:3 | I have heard a rebuke that insults me, and my understanding prompts a reply. |
| 2 | Job 4:2 | “If one ventures a word with you, will you be wearied? Yet who can keep from speaking? |
| 3 | Job 13:19 | Can anyone indict me? If so, I will be silent and die. |
| 4 | Job 32:13–20 | So do not claim, ‘We have found wisdom; let God, not man, refute him.’ |
| 5 | Psalm 39:2–3 | I was speechless and still; I remained silent, even from speaking good, and my sorrow was stirred. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 14 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שְׂעִפַּי, se.'i.Paigenerated
The word שְׂעִפַּי (*se'ifah*) refers to troubling or disquieting thoughts, indicating a divided mind or sentiment. It is derived from a root meaning to divide, which suggests ambivalence or conflicting feelings. In this context, Zophar's thoughts are not just anxious but are also characterized by a sense of turmoil, driving him to respond.
This noun is in the construct form, indicating possession, which in this case means 'my disquieting thoughts.' The use of this word emphasizes Zophar's inner conflict and the urgency he feels to articulate his response.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations generally agree on the meaning of Zophar's thoughts as anxious or disquieting.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb יְשִׁיב֑וּנִי (*they make respond me*) governs the sentence, indicating Zophar's compulsion to answer. The structure includes a prepositional phrase indicating the reason for his response, emphasizing the turmoil within him.
The sentence begins with a conjunction, leading with Zophar's thoughts as the subject, followed by a clause that elaborates on the reason for his response, showing a clear flow of thought from cause to effect.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, Zophar's thoughts are rendered with the Greek word ἀντερεῖν, which means 'to respond' or 'to answer.' This choice highlights the urgency in Zophar's need to articulate his feelings, paralleling the Hebrew sense of compulsion.
The Greek translation captures the essence of Zophar's troubled state, though it does not include a direct equivalent for the emotional turmoil expressed in the Hebrew.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 20:2 shows Zophar feeling anxious and compelled to answer Job due to the turmoil within him. His thoughts are troubled, leading him to speak out in response to Job's earlier statements.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Zophar is expressing that his mind is troubled and divided, causing him to feel the need to respond to Job.
He feels an inner turmoil that drives him to articulate his thoughts, reflecting his emotional state.
Zophar's response is part of a larger conversation where Job's friends attempt to explain his suffering and defend their understanding of divine justice.
It indicates that Zophar is experiencing conflicting emotions and uncertainty, which adds to the urgency of his response.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some moments in my life when my thoughts have compelled me to speak out?
- How can I better understand the emotions of others when they express turmoil?
- In what ways do I experience inner conflict, and how do I address it?
- What lessons can I learn from Zophar's response about the importance of communication in times of distress?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 20:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleTherefore do my thoughts cause me to answer,.... Or "to return" (a) and appear upon the stage again, and enter the lists once more with his antagonist; he suggests as if he had intended to have said
Read John Gill on Job 20 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryTherefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste. Therefore - the more excited I feel by Job's speech, the more, for that very reason, shall my reply be supplied by my calm consideration.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 20 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleTherefore; for this thy severe sentence and denunciation of God’ s judgments against us, , which much more justly belongs to thyself and is actually executed upon thee; and because of thy reproaches, as it followeth, . My thoughts cause me to answer: I thought to have troubled myself and thee with no further discourses, considering how exceptious and incorrigible thou art; but my thoughts or consideration of thy reproachful words force me to break silence, and to answer thee as the matter requires. For this I make haste; I speak sooner than I intended, because I am not able to contain myself longer, and fear lest I should forget what is in my mind. Possibly he interrupted Job when he was…
Read Matthew Poole on Job 20 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 20:2 Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for [this] I make haste.Ver. 2. Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer] q.d. Whereas I had thought, O Job, to have spoke no more to thee (for I see I do but lose my sweet words), thy last comminatory expressions have altered my resolution. So nettled I am that I must needs interrupt thee. And yet think not that I shall speak whatsoever lieth uppermost; for I have dipped and dyed my words in my thoughts, which do now prompt me what to answer, and bid me make haste. And for this I make haste] Lest I should forget the particulars of thy speech, whereto I am to answer. Munster rendereth it thus, Et ob id promptitudo mea est intra…
Read John Trapp on Job 20 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(2) Therefore.—That is, because of the eagerness that is in him. His spirit is stirred in him, and impels him to reply.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 20 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 2. Therefore do my thoughts] It has already been observed that Zophar was the most inveterate of all Job's enemies, for we really must cease to call them friends. He sets no bounds to his invective, and outrages every rule of charity. A man of such a bitter spirit must have been, in general, very unhappy. With him Job is, by insinuation, every thing that is base, vile, and hypocritical. Mr. Good translates this verse thus: "Whither would my tumult transport me? And how far my agitation within me?" This is all the modesty that appears in Zophar's discourse. He acknowledges that he is pressed by the impetuosity of his spirit to reply to Job's self-vindication. The original is variously…
Read AdamClarke on Job 20 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges2, 3. Zophar is roused to indignation by Job’s perverse blindness to unalterable principles experienced since the world was. The verses should perhaps read, 2. Therefore do my thoughts make answer to me, And because of this have I haste within me: 3. I hear the rebuke that putteth me to shame— But the spirit out of my understanding answereth me. The words “therefore” and “because of this” refer to the first clause of Job 20:3.—I hear the rebuke that puts me to shame (i. e. Job’s last words), therefore do my thoughts make answer to me, and because of this have I inward haste, i. e. strong feeling. The speaker means that he feels driven to answer Job by the exasperating words of the latter…
Read Cambridge on Job 20 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleTherefore - לכן lākên, “certainly, truly.” In view of what has been just said. Or perhaps the word means merely certainly, truly. Do my thoughts cause me to answer - This is variously rendered.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 20 →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
“So my anxious thoughts compel me to answer, because of the turmoil within me.
“Therefore my thoughts answer me, even by reason of my haste that is in me.
“So my anxious thoughts compel me to answer, because of the turmoil within me.
“This is why my troubled thoughts bring me back – because of my feelings within me.
Tyndale line
Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.
Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, Even by reason of my haste that is in me.
Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, even by reason of my haste that is in me.
Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.
Doubtlesse my thoughts cause me to answere, and therefore I make haste.
Strictly literal
Therefore do my thoughts give me an answer, and for this is my haste within me.
Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me.
“Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, || And because of my sensations in me.
Even therefore do my inmost thoughts give me an answer, and for this reason do I feel a strong excitement within me.
“My thoughts make me answer quickly because of the worry that is in me.
From the Latin
Therefore various thoughts succeed one another in me, and my mind is hurried away to different things.
Simplified
“I'm forced to reply because I'm really upset!
For this cause my thoughts are troubling me and driving me on.
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 largely agree in content, with five of the six Hebrew words matched in the Greek translation. The differences in word order and structure reflect the translators' choices rather than significant variations in meaning.
לָ֭כֵן שְׂעִפַּ֣י יְשִׁיב֑וּנִי וּ֝בַעֲב֗וּר ח֣וּשִׁי בִֽי׃
5 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 20:2
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 כֵּן (*ken*) is built from the root meaning 'set upright.' It functions as an adjective meaning 'right,' 'veritable,' or 'honest,' and as an adverb meaning 'so,' 'therefore,' or 'thus.' It appears in various contexts, often indicating manner or relation, and is used in phrases like 'forasmuch as.'
כֵּן adj. right, veritable, honest
right
veritable, true
pl. concr. honest (men)
base
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
כֵּן adv. so
base
H3651a כֵּן adj. right, veritable, honest H3651b כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as H3651c כֵּן so
3651 ken kane
from 3559; properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as
adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction)
rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and
relation; often with other particles):--+ after that
(this, -ward, -wards), as ... as, + (for-)asmuch as yet, + be
(for which) cause, + following, howbeit, in (the) like
(manner, -wise), X the more, right, (even) so, state,
straightway, such (thing), surely, + there (where)-fore, this,
thus, true, well, X you.
see HEBREW for 03559
כֵּן (ken) — right.
adv
adj
1) right, just, honest, true, veritable
1a) right, just, honest
1b) correct
1c) true, veritable
[כִּי עַל] כֵּן ([ki al] ken) — as.
adv
forasmuch as, since
כֵּן (ken) — so.
adv
1) so, therefore, thus
1a) thus, so
1b) just so
1c) therefore
1d) so...as (paired with adv)
1e) then
1f) forasmuch as (in phrase)
1g) (with prep)
1g1) therefore, this being so (specific)
1g2) hitherto
1g3) therefore, on this ground (general)
1g4) afterwards
1g5) in such case
Aramaic equivalent: ken (כֵּן "thus" H3652)
Prep | Adv — Preposition · adverbHR/D
סְעִפָּה (sa'ifah) primarily refers to a division or divided opinion, while שְׂעִפִּים (se'ifim) denotes disquieting thoughts. The word is derived from a root meaning to divide, indicating ambivalence or conflicting sentiments. It appears in 1 Kings 18:21, highlighting its use in contexts of uncertainty or disagreement.
[סְעִפָּה] n.f. division, divided opinion;—pl. abs. 1 K 18:21
ref
שְׂעִפִּים n.[m.]pl. disquietings, = disquieting or excited thoughts
base
H5587a סְעִפָּה division, divided opinion H5587b שְׂעִפִּים disquietings, = disquieting or excited thoughts
5587 ca`iph saw-eef'
or samiph {saw-eef'}; from 5586; divided (in mind), i.e.
(abstractly) a sentiment:--opinion.
see HEBREW for 05586
סְעִפָּה (sa.iph) — division.
ambivalence, division, divided opinion
שְׂעִפִּים (se.i.pim) — disquietings.
disquietings
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word שׁוּב (shuwb) means to turn back or return, covering a wide range of contexts including physical, spiritual, and relational. It can denote returning to a previous state, repenting, or even apostatizing. The entries describe various forms and uses, including bringing back, restoring, and refreshing. Notably, it can also imply a change in course of action.
שׁוּב 1056 vb. turn back, return
Qal 683;—turn back, return:
turn back
return, come or go back
esp. return unto
of dying
of revival from death
fig. of human relations:
return to leader, king
= change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)
turn, i.e. resort to
return to a physical condition
abs. = change course of action
fig., specif. of spiritual relations:
turn back from God = apostatize
of י׳, turn away
turn back to God (= seek penitently)
abs. repent
turn back from evil
of י׳
of י׳, return (to shew favour)
of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):
denoting repetition, etc.
trans.
Pō‛l.
bring back
fig. restore, refresh
restore, repair
lead away (enticingly)
shew turning = apostatize
Hiph. 353 cause to return, bring back
bring back into bondage
put back
= draw back
= give back, restore
= relinguish
= give in payment, requital
bring one back (from dead)
bring back heart
= refresh
H7725 שׁוּב turn back, return .—turn back, return: . turn back
. return, come or go back
. esp. return unto
. . of dying
. of revival from death
. fig. of human relations: . return to leader, king
. = change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)
. turn, i.e. resort to
. return to a physical condition
. abs. = change course of action
. fig., specif. of spiritual relations: . turn back from God = apostatize
. of י׳, turn away
. turn back to God (= seek penitently)
. abs. repent
. turn back from evil
. of י׳
. of י׳, return (to shew favour)
. of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):
. denoting repetition, etc.
. trans.
. . bring back
. . fig. restore, refresh
. restore, repair
. lead away (enticingly)
. shew turning = apostatize
. cause to return, bring back . . bring back into bondage
. put back
. = draw back
. = give back, restore
. = relinguish
. = give in payment, requital
7725 shuwb shoob
a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or
intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily
with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to
retreat; often adverbial, again:--((break, build, circumcise,
dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge,
make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) X again, (cause to) answer
(+ again), X in any case (wise), X at all, averse, bring
(again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back),
cease, X certainly, come again (back), X consider, +
continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back,
fetch home again, X fro, get (oneself) (back) again, X give
(again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see)
more, X needs, be past, X pay, pervert, pull in again, put
(again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh,
relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve,
שׁוּב (shuv) — to return: return.
: return
1) to return, turn back
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to turn back, return
1a1a) to turn back
1a1b) to return, come or go back
1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back
1a1d) of dying
1a1e) of human relations (fig)
1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig)
1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise
1a1f2) to turn away (of God)
1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent
1a1f4) turn back (from evil)
1a1g) of inanimate things
1a1h) in repetition
1b) (Polel)
1b1) to bring back
1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig)
1b3) to lead away (enticingly)
1b4) to show turning, apostatise
1c) (Pual) restored (participle)
1d) (Hiphil) to cause to return, bring back
1d1) to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, restore, relinquish, give in payment
1d2) to bring back, refresh, restore
1d3) to bring back, report to, answer
1d4) to bring back, make requital, pay (as recompense)
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3mp | Suff — Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine plural · suffixHVhi3mp/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word עָבוּר (*'abuwr*) is used only in the forms בַּעֲבוּר and בַּעֲבֻר, functioning as a preposition and conjunction. It conveys meanings such as 'for the sake of,' 'on account of,' and 'in order that.' The entries indicate it derives from the root related to crossing or transit.
[עָבוּר] n. only in בַּעֲבוּר 47, בַּעֲבֻר, prep. and conj. for the sake of, on account of, in order that
base
H5668 עָבוּר only in בַּעֲבוּר, בַּעֲבֻר, prep. and conj. for the sake of, on account of, in order that
5668 `abuwr aw-boor'
or rabur {aw-boor'}; passive participle of 5674; properly,
crossed, i.e. (abstractly) transit; used only adverbially, on
account of, in order that:--because of, for (...'s sake),
(intent) that, to.
see HEBREW for 05674
עָבוּר (a.vur) — for the sake of.
prep
1) for the sake of, on account of, because of, in order to
conj
2) in order that
Conj | Prep | Prep — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/R/Ncmsa
or'-der (`arakh, "to arrange"; tassein ( diatassein, taxis, tagma)): "Order" in Biblical phrases may indicate
(1) arrangement in rows,
(2) sequence in time,
(3) classification and organization,
(4) likeness or manner,
(5) regulation, direction or command, or
(6) the declaring of a will.
In many passages it is difficult if not impossible to determine from the English text alone in which of these senses the word is used.
1. Arrangement in Rows:
חוּשׁ (chush) is a Hebrew verb that primarily means to hurry or make haste. It can also imply eagerness or enjoyment. The entries indicate two main uses: one related to hastening actions and the other to feelings of enjoyment. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
חוּשׁ vb. haste, make haste
Qal make haste
Hiph.
shew haste, act quickly
transit. I will hasten it
base
[חוּשׁ] vb. feel, enjoy
base
H2363a חוּשׁ haste, make haste .make haste
. . shew haste, act quickly
. transit. I will hasten it
H2363b חוּשׁ feel, enjoy
2363 chuwsh koosh
a primitive root; to hurry; figuratively, to be eager with
excitement or enjoyment:--(make) haste(-n), ready.
חוּשׁ (chush) — to hasten.
1) to haste, make haste, hurry
1a) (Qal) to make haste
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to show haste, act quickly, hasten, come quickly
חוּשׁ (chush) — to enjoy.
to feel, enjoy
V-Qal-Inf-a | Suff — Verb qal infinitive construct common · suffixHVqcc/Sp1bs
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bs