Job 21:34 — Word Study
WLCוְ֭אֵיךְ תְּנַחֲמ֣וּנִי הָ֑בֶל וּ֝תְשֽׁוּבֹתֵיכֶ֗ם נִשְׁאַר־ מָֽעַל׃ ס
BSASo howʼêyk [in what way] can you comfort menâcham▸ [show pity or sympathy] with empty wordshebel [vain, transitory, speech, conversation] For your answerstᵉshûwbâh [responses] remainshâʼar■ [are left] [full of] falsehoodmaʻal [nothing but, deceit, lies]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְ֭אֵיךְ | and how? | Conjunction, particle |
| תְּנַחֲמ֣וּנִי | will you comfort me | Verb piel imperfect second person masculine plural, suffix |
| הָ֑בֶל | vanity | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וּ֝תְשֽׁוּבֹתֵיכֶ֗ם | and answers your | Conjunction, noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| נִשְׁאַר־ | it remains | Verb, Niphal, perfect third person masculine singular |
| מָֽעַל׃ ס | unfaithfulness | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.” |
| KJV | How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood? |
| ASV | How then comfort ye me in vain, Seeing in your answers there remaineth only falsehood? |
| YLT | And how do ye comfort me [with] vanity, And in your answers hath been left trespass? |
| WEB | So how can you comfort me with nonsense, because in your answers there remains only falsehood?” |
| BBE | Why then do you give me comfort with words in which there is no profit, when you see that there is nothing in your answers but deceit? |
Translations agree in their interpretation of Job's plea for comfort, focusing on the emptiness of the words spoken to him.
The sentence is structured around a main clause followed by supporting phrases that elaborate on the nature of the comfort Job seeks.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectמַעַל
verbשָׁאַר
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 21:34
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 21:34 presents Job's lament as he challenges his friends' ability to provide genuine comfort. He critiques their words as empty and devoid of truth, reflecting his deep anguish and the inadequacy of their attempts to console him. This passage is part of a larger discourse where Job grapples with his suffering and the responses he receives, highlighting the tension between human understanding and divine justice.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 16:2 | “I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all. |
| 2 | Job 13:4 | You, however, smear with lies; you are all worthless physicians. |
| 3 | Job 32:3 | and he burned with anger against Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute Job, and yet had condemned him. |
| 4 | Job 42:7 | After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends. For you have not spoken about Me accurately, as My servant Job has. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תְּנַחֲמ֣וּנִי, te.na.cha.Mu.nigenerated
The verb נָחַם (nacham) means to comfort or show pity, indicating a desire to alleviate pain. In this context, it is a plea for genuine sympathy rather than hollow words.
Job's use of the second person plural implies he is addressing multiple friends, emphasizing the collective failure of their responses. The parsing indicates an ongoing action, suggesting that Job is still in need of comfort, which his friends have not provided.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses comfort and empty words to reflect Job's plea for genuine sympathy.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb תְּנַחֲמ֣וּ governs the entire verse, with a series of phrases elaborating on the nature of the comfort Job seeks. The structure highlights Job's direct challenge to his friends' ability to provide meaningful support.
The sentence flows from Job's question about the nature of their comfort to a stark assertion about the falsehood of their responses, emphasizing the contrast between his need and their failure.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates תְּנַחֲמ֣וּנִי with με, indicating a direct address to the comforter, which maintains the personal plea Job makes.
The choice of κενά for הָ֑בֶל suggests a focus on emptiness, aligning with the Hebrew meaning while also conveying a sense of void in the context of Job's suffering.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 21:34 expresses Job's frustration with his friends, questioning how they can comfort him with words that lack meaning. He asserts that their responses are full of falsehood, highlighting his deep sense of betrayal and the inadequacy of their attempts to console him.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job refers to the meaningless and hollow statements made by his friends, which fail to provide true comfort in his time of suffering.
Job's plea underscores his isolation and the depth of his suffering, as he seeks genuine sympathy that he feels is absent from his friends.
By calling their words falsehood, Job emphasizes the betrayal he feels, as their responses not only lack truth but also deepen his pain.
Job's friends fail to provide the comfort he desperately needs, instead offering empty platitudes that do not address the reality of his suffering.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced empty words from others during difficult times?
- How can I ensure that my words offer genuine comfort to those who are suffering?
- What does it mean to provide true sympathy, and how can I practice this in my relationships?
- How can I respond to those who are in pain without resorting to empty platitudes?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The commentary from Ishodad of Merv interprets Job's lament, arguing that his friends' responses are devoid of substance and only add to his suffering.
“There is nothing left of your answers but emptiness,” that is, you, he says, have brought me suffering and torments instead of consolation; and what I gain from speaking a great deal is only emptiness.Early Church Fathers on Job 21 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 21:34 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHow then comfort ye me in vain,.... This is the conclusion Job draws from the above observations: his friends came to comfort him, and they took methods for it, as they thought, but miserable
Read John Gill on Job 21 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHow then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood? Falsehood - literally, wickedness.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 21 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWhy then do you seek to comfort me with vain hopes of recovering my prosperity if I repent, seeing your grounds are manifestly false, and common experience showeth that good men are very oft in great tribulation, while the vilest of men thrive and prosper in the world?
Read Matthew Poole on Job 21 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 21:34 How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?Ver. 34. How then comfort ye me in vain] Since ye apply nothing rightly to me, nor affirm nothing rightly of me, but, instead of comforting me, which you came for, ye trouble me. And such are all those consolatiunculae, creaturulae (as Luther finely phraseth it), petty creature comforts, waterish and empty businesses; an unsubstantial substance, as one saith of the bulrush. Seeing in your answers remaineth falsehood?] Or prevarication, or double dealing; foul mistakes, and little less than malice.
Read John Trapp on Job 21 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(34) There remaineth falsehood.—Or, all that is left of them is transgression, that is to say, it is not only worthless, but yet more, it is even harmful and wrong.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 21 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 34. How then comfort ye me in vain] Mr. Good translates: "How vainly then would ye make me retract!" See the note on Job 21:2. I cannot retract any thing I have said, as I have proved by fact and testimony that your positions are false and unfounded. Your pretensions to comfort me are as hollow as the arguments you bring in support of your exceptionable doctrines. THIS chapter may be called Job's triumph over the insinuated calumnies, and specious but false doctrines, of his opponents. The irritability of his temper no longer appears: from the time he got that glorious discovery of his Redeemer, and the JOYOUS hope of an eternal inheritance, Job 19:25, c., we find no more murmurings…
Read AdamClarke on Job 21 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges34. Job feels he has refuted the theories of his friends in regard to the pretended calamities and misery of the wicked man, whether in life or death. Hence their attempts to comfort him by this line of thinking are vain. there remaineth falsehood] i. e. there is left (only) falsehood. When Job’s proofs to the contrary are subtracted from the answers of his friends, there is left in them only the wrongful, false disposition they shew towards him.
Read Cambridge on Job 21 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHow then comfort ye me in vain ... - That is, how can you be qualified to give me consolation in my trials, who have such erroneous views of the government and dealings of God?
Read Albert Barnes on Job 21 →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 how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.”
So how can you comfort me with nonsense, because in your answers there remains only falsehood?”
So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.”
So how can you console me with your futile words? Nothing is left of your answers but deception!”
Tyndale line
How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?
How then comfort ye me in vain, Seeing in your answers there remaineth only falsehood?
How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth only falsehood?
How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?
How then comfort ye me in vaine, seeing in your answeres there remaine but lyes?
Strictly literal
How then comfort ye me in vain? Your answers remain perfidious.
And how do ye comfort me [with] vanity, And in your answers hath been left trespass?
And how do you comfort me [with] vanity, || And trespass has been left in your answers?”
How then will ye comfort me with vanity? and of your answers there remaineth only deception.
How then do you comfort me with nonsense, since in your answers there is nothing but falsehood?”
From the Latin
How then do ye comfort me in vain, whereas your answer is shewn to be repugnant to truth?
Simplified
Why do you try to comfort me with worthless nonsense? Your answers are just a pack of lies!”
Why then do you give me comfort with words in which there is no profit, when you see that there is nothing in your answers but deceit?
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 their wording, with the Septuagint providing a direct translation that captures the essence of Job's lament. The differences in word order and articles reflect the stylistic choices of the translators rather than substantive variations in meaning.
וְ֭אֵיךְ תְּנַחֲמ֣וּנִי הָ֑בֶל וּ֝תְשֽׁוּבֹתֵיכֶ֗ם נִשְׁאַר־ מָֽעַל׃ ס
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 21:34
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.
אֵיךְ (*'eyk*) and its variants express the concept of 'how?' in various contexts, functioning as both interrogative and exclamatory forms. The entries indicate that it can also imply 'where' and is used in expressions of lamentation or satisfaction. The word appears in different spellings, reflecting its usage in the Old Testament.
אֵיךְ 69 adv.
interrog. How?
as an exclam. How!
base
אֵיכָה adv.
interrog. In what manner?
exclam. How!
Where?
base
אֵיכָ֫כָה (Ct) אֵֽיכָכָ֫ה (Est) How?
base
H349a אֵיךְ . interrog. How?
. as an exclam. How!
H349b אֵיכָה . interrog. In what manner?
. as an exclam. How!
H349c אֵיכָ֫כָה (Ct) אֵֽיכָכָ֫ה (Est) How?
349 'eyk ake
also eykah {ay-kaw'}; and teykakah {ay-kaw'-kah}; prolonged
from 335; how? or how!; also where:--how, what.
see HEBREW for 0335
אֵיךְ (ekh) — how?.
interrog adv
how?
אֵיכָה (e.khah) — how?.
interrog adv
1) how?
interj
2) how! (in lamentation)
3) expression of satisfaction
אֵיכָ֫כָה (e.kha.khah) — how?.
how?
Another spelling of ekh (אֵיךְ "how?" H0349A)
Conj | Part — Conjunction · particleHC/Ti
Represents various Hebrew and Greek words, interrogative, interjectional and relative. Its different uses refer to
(1) the manner or way, e.g. Ge 44:34, "How shall I go up to my father?" ('ekh); Mt 6:28, "how they grow" (pos); 1Co 15:35, "How are the dead raised?";
(2) degree, extent, frequently, "how great" (Da 4:3, mah; Mr 5:19, hosos, "how much"); "how many" (Mt 27:13, posos); "how much" (Ac 9:13, hosos); "how much more" (Mt 7:11, posos;
נָחַם (nacham) is a Hebrew root that conveys a range of meanings related to feelings of sorrow, compassion, and comfort. It can signify being sorry, repenting, or consoling oneself, as well as avenging oneself in a more negative context. The verb appears in various forms, including Niph., Piel, Pual, and Hithpael, each reflecting different nuances of comfort and regret.
[נחם] vb. Niph. be sorry, console oneself, etc.
Niph.
be sorry, moved to pity, have compassion, for others
be sorry, rue, suffer grief, repent, of one’s own doings
comfort oneself, be comforted
comfort oneself, ease oneself, by taking vengeance
Piel—comfort, console
Pual; be comforted, consoled
Hithpa.—
be sorry, have compassion
rue, repent of
comfort oneself, be comforted
ease oneself, by taking vengeance
base
H5162 נחם Niph. be sorry, console oneself, etc. .comfort, console
. be comforted, consoled
.— . be sorry, have compassion
. rue, repent of
. comfort oneself, be comforted
. ease oneself, by taking vengeance
5162 nacham naw-kham'
a primitive root; properly, to sigh, i.e. breathe strongly;
by implication, to be sorry, i.e. (in a favorable sense) to
pity, console or (reflexively) rue; or (unfavorably) to avenge
(oneself):--comfort (self), ease (one's self),
repent(-er,-ing, self).
נָחַם (na.cham) — to be sorry: comfort.
: comfort
1) to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted
1a) (Niphal)
1a1) to be sorry, be moved to pity, have compassion
1a2) to be sorry, rue, suffer grief, repent
1a3) to comfort oneself, be comforted
1a4) to comfort oneself, ease oneself
1b) (Piel) to comfort, console
1c) (Pual) to be comforted, be consoled
1d) (Hithpael)
1d1) to be sorry, have compassion
1d2) to rue, repent of
1d3) to comfort oneself, be comforted
1d4) to ease oneself
Also means: na.cham (נָחַם ": relent" H5162H)
נָחַם (na.cham) — to be sorry: relent.
: relent
1) to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted
1a) (Niphal)
1a1) to be sorry, be moved to pity, have compassion
1a2) to be sorry, rue, suffer grief, repent
1a3) to comfort oneself, be comforted
1a4) to comfort oneself, ease oneself
1b) (Piel) to comfort, console
V-Piel-Imperf-2mp | Suff — Verb piel imperfect second person masculine plural · suffixHVpi2mp/Sp1bs
הֶ֫בֶל (hevel) refers to vapour or breath, and is often associated with concepts of emptiness or vanity, indicating something transitory and unsatisfactory. The word can function as an adverb meaning 'vainly.' It is derived from a root meaning 'to breathe' and appears in contexts discussing the fleeting nature of life.
הֶ֫בֶל 73 n.m. vapour, breath
base
H1892 הֶ֫בֶל vapour, breath
1892 hebel heh'bel
or (rarely in the abs.) habel {hab-ale'}; from 1891;
emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and
unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb:--X altogether, vain,
vanity.
see HEBREW for 01891
הֶ֫בֶל (he.vel) — vanity.
1) vapour, breath
1a) breath, vapour
1b) vanity (fig.)
adv
2) vainly
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
Does not usually denote, in Scripture, self-conceit or personal pride, 2Pe 2:18, but sometimes emptiness and fruitlessness, Job 7:3 Ps 144:4 Ec 1:1-18. It often denotes wickedness, particularly falsehood, De 32:21 Ps 4:2 24:4 119:37, and sometimes idols and idol-worship, 2Ki 17:15 Jer 2:5 18:15 Jon 2:8. Compare Paul’s expression, "they turned the truth of God into a lie,"
תְּשׁוּבָה (tshuwbah) refers to concepts of return and answer, indicating a recurrence in time or place. It can denote the completion of a year or simply an answer or reply. The entries consistently emphasize these themes without significant disagreement.
[תְּשׁוּבָה] n.f. return, answer
base
H8666 תְּשׁוּבָה
8666 tshuwbah tesh-oo-baw'
or tshubah {tesh-oo-baw'}; from 7725; a recurrence (of time
or place); a reply (as returned):--answer, be expired,
return.
see HEBREW for 07725
תְּשׁוּבָה (te.shu.vah) — turn.
1) a recurrence, an answer, return
1a) return
1a1) completion of a year, return of a year
1b) at the return (construct)
1c) answer, reply
Conj | N-fp | Suff — Conjunction · noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHC/Ncfpc/Sp2mp
שָׁאַר (sha'ar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to remain or be left over. It encompasses various nuances, including being left behind, surviving, or leaving something as a gift. The entries indicate its use in different forms, such as Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, highlighting its versatility in contexts like remnants or spare items.
שָׁאַר 133 vb. remain, be left over
Qalthe youngest still remains
Niph.
be left over
be left behind
Hiph.
leave over, spare
leave or keep over
the city shall have 100 left
leave as a gift
base
H7604 שָׁאַר remain, be left over .he youngest still remains
. . be left over
. be left behind
. . leave over, spare
. leave or keep over
. the city shall have 100 left
. leave as a gift
7604 sha'ar shaw-ar'
a primitive root; properly, to swell up, i.e. be
(causatively, make) redundant:--leave, (be) left, let,
remain, remnant, reserve, the rest.
שָׁאַר (sha.ar) — to remain.
1) to remain, be left over, be left behind
1a) (Qal) to remain
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be left over, be left alive, survive
1b1a) remainder, remnant (participle)
1b2) to be left behind
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to leave over, spare
1c2) to leave or keep over
1c3) to have left
1c4) to leave (as a gift)
V-Niphal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person masculine singularHVNp3ms
מַ֫עַל (ma'al) refers to an act of unfaithfulness or treachery, particularly in the context of sin or transgression against both God and man. It is derived from a root meaning treachery and encompasses ideas of falsehood and grievous wrongdoing. The entries consistently emphasize its moral implications without notable disagreement.
מַ֫עַל n.m. unfaithful, treacherous act
base
H4604 מַ֫עַל
4604 ma`al mah'-al
from 4603; treachery, i.e. sin:--falsehood, grievously,
sore, transgression, trespass, X very.
see HEBREW for 04603
מַ֫עַל (ma.al) — unfaithfulness.
1) unfaithful or treacherous act, trespass
1a) against man
1b) against God
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa