Job 31:20 — Word Study
WLCאִם־ לֹ֣א בֵרֲכ֣וּנִי חֲלָצָ֑יו וּמִגֵּ֥ז כְּ֝בָשַׂי יִתְחַמָּֽם׃
BSAifʼim his heartchâlâts [loins, the seat of vigor and strength] has notlôʼ blessed mebârak■ [praised or honored] for warming himchâmam▸ [to warm or heat] with the fleecegêz [woolly coat] of my sheepkebes [young ram or lamb]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אִם־ | if | Particle |
| לֹ֣א | not | Particle |
| בֵרֲכ֣וּנִי | they blessed me | Verb piel perfect third person common plural, suffix |
| חֲלָצָ֑יו | loins his | Noun common feminine dual construct, suffix |
| וּמִגֵּ֥ז | and from [the] fleece of | Conjunction, preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| כְּ֝בָשַׂי | lambs my | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| יִתְחַמָּֽם׃ | he warmed himself | Verb, Hithpael, imperfect third person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep, |
| KJV | If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; |
| ASV | If his loins have not blessed me, And if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep; |
| YLT | If his loins have not blessed me, And from the fleece of my sheep He doth not warm himself, |
| WEB | if his heart hasn’t blessed me, if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece; |
| BBE | If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm; |
Where they part company is בֵרֲכ֣וּנִי — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause is conditional, followed by a prepositional phrase explaining the action, and a negation indicating what is not the case.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbחָמַם
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 31:20
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 Defense of His Integritygenerated
Job 31:20 is part of Job's speech where he defends his integrity against accusations of wrongdoing. He asserts that he has treated others with kindness and questions whether he has received gratitude in return. This verse highlights Job's commitment to righteousness and his expectation of reciprocity in relationships, particularly in the context of caring for those in need.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 29:11 | For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me, |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 24:13 | be sure to return it to him by sunset, so that he may sleep in his own cloak and bless you, and this will be credited to you as righteousness before the LORD your God. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — בֵרֲכ֣וּנִי, ve.ra.Khu.nigenerated
The word בָּרַךְ (*barak*) means 'to bless' and is derived from a root that implies kneeling in worship. In this context, it expresses the idea of being honored or praised for an act of kindness.
The verb is in the perfect tense, indicating a completed action, and is used here in the third person plural form, suggesting that the heart of the recipient should have expressed gratitude for Job's warmth and care.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses blessed for בֵרֲכ֣וּנִי, consistent with the KJV and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is יִתְחַמָּֽם, he warmed himself, which governs the entire clause. The structure presents a conditional statement framed by אִם, if, indicating a hypothetical situation.
The sentence comprises a conditional clause introduced by אִם, followed by a negation with לֹא, and concludes with the main action, emphasizing the relationship between Job's actions and the expected response.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates בֵרֲכ֣וּנִי as με, which means 'me.' This choice reflects a direct address to the speaker, emphasizing the personal nature of the blessing or acknowledgment Job seeks.
The Greek translation captures the relational aspect of the Hebrew, focusing on the interaction between Job and those he has cared for.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 31:20 reflects Job's concern about whether he has received gratitude for his kindness. He questions if the heart of the person he helped has not blessed him for warming him with the fleece of his sheep, emphasizing the importance of compassion.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To bless someone means to express gratitude or honor for their actions, often in a way that acknowledges their kindness.
Job uses the fleece as a metaphor for providing warmth and comfort, illustrating his care for others.
The heart represents the inner feelings and attitudes of a person, indicating that true appreciation comes from one's inner self.
This verse underscores Job's commitment to righteousness and his expectation that kindness should be recognized and reciprocated.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I show kindness to others, and how might I expect them to respond?
- How do I express gratitude for the kindness I receive from others?
- What does this verse teach me about the importance of compassion in my relationships?
- How can I ensure that my actions reflect my values, similar to Job's commitment to integrity?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 31:20 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleIf his loins have not blessed me,.... Which were girded and covered with garments he gave him; which, as often as he put on and girded his loins with, put him in mind of his generous benefactor, and
Read John Gill on Job 31 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryIf I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me; Job affirms his freedom from unfairness toward his servants: from harshness and oppression toward the needy.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 31 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleBlessed me, i.e. given him occasion to bless and praise me, and to pray to God to bless me for covering them; the loins being put synecdochically for the whole body: see the like expression , and compare . With the fleece of my sheep; with clothing made of my wool.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 31 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 31:20 If his loins have not blessed me, and [if] he were [not] warmed with the fleece of my sheep;Ver. 20. If his loins have not blessed me] As being warm clothed by me; not with a suit of words, as those great benefactors, James 2:15-16, who were much in mouth mercy, which indeed is good cheap; but a little handful of Job’ s wool is much better than a mouthful of such airy courtesies, and would open more mouths to bless men who, today, for the most part, will be but as friends at a sneeze, the most you can get of them is, God bless you. These have as many flouts and curses as Job had well wishes, and God thereby had praises, according to that of our Saviour, Matthew 5:16. And if he…
Read John Trapp on Job 31 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 20. If his loins have not blessed me] This is a very delicate touch: the part that was cold and shivering is now covered with warm woollen. It feels the comfort; and by a fine prosopopoeia, is represented as blessing him who furnished the clothing.
Read AdamClarke on Job 31 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges13–23. Job repudiates all misuse of the power which his rank gave him, denying (1) that he treated contemptuously his servants when they had a cause against him, Job 31:13-15; (2) that he was indifferent to the wants of the unprotected, or refused to bestow on them of his own bread and raiment, Job 31:16-20; (3) that he violently wronged any, even though he could have secured a judgment favourable to him before the tribunal, Job 31:21; after which follows the imprecation, Job 31:22-23.
Read Cambridge on Job 31 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleIf his loins have not blessed me - This is a personification by which the part of the body that had been clothed by the benevolence of Job, is supposed to speak and render him thanks.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 31 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible20. The loins, previously naked, are personified and poetically described as invoking upon him every blessing.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 31 →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
if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep,
if his heart hasn’t blessed me, if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;
if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep,
whose heart did not bless me as he warmed himself with the fleece of my sheep,
Tyndale line
If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
If his loins have not blessed me, And if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
If his loins have not blessed me, and if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
If his loynes haue not blessed me, because he was warmed with the fleece of my sheepe,
Strictly literal
If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my lambs;
If his loins have not blessed me, And from the fleece of my sheep He doth not warm himself,
If his loins have not blessed me, || And from the fleece of my sheep || He does not warm himself,
If his loins have not blessed me, and if he have not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
if his heart has not blessed me because he has not been warmed with the wool of my sheep,
From the Latin
If his sides have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep:
Simplified
they always thanked me for the wool clothing that kept them warm.
If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm;
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 presents the verse as אִם־ לֹ֣א בֵרֲכ֣וּנִי חֲלָצָ֑יו וּמִגֵּ֥ז כְּ֝בָשַׂי יִתְחַמָּֽם׃. The Septuagint matches five out of seven words but alters the order and structure. The Dead Sea Scrolls fragment shows some agreement with the Masoretic Text, with four words present, though one is partly restored.
אִם־ לֹ֣א בֵרֲכ֣וּנִי חֲלָצָ֑יו וּמִגֵּ֥ז כְּ֝בָשַׂי יִתְחַמָּֽם׃
5 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.
[חלצי׳ו] [ומגז] [כבש׳י] יתחמם
4 words of the verse are on this fragment — 1 partly restored, 3 supplied entire by an editor.
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 31:20
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.
אִם (im) is a Hebrew conjunction primarily meaning 'if' and is used in various contexts, including conditional clauses and interrogative situations. It can also express negation, alternatives, or exceptions, and appears frequently in the Old Testament. The lexicons note its use in oaths and its ability to connect different clauses, sometimes altering their meanings.
אִם conj.
hypoth. part. if
Interrog. part.
base
כִּי אם־
each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:
that if
for if
(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—
limiting the prec. clause, except
the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
after an oath, surely
base
H518a אִם conj. . hypoth. part. if
. Interrog. part.
H518b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if
. for if
. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except
. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
. after an oath, surely
518 'im eem
a primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!;
interrog., whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh
that!, when; hence, as a negative, not:--(and, can-,
doubtless, if, that) (not), + but, either, + except, +
more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or,
+ save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, + surely (no more,
none, not), though, + of a truth, + unless, + verily, when,
whereas, whether, while, + yet.
אִם (im) — if.
: if/whether_or/though
1) if
1a) conditional clauses
1a1) of possible situations
1a2) of impossible situations
1b) oath contexts
1b1) no, not
1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or
1d) when, whenever
1e) since
1f) interrogative particle
1g) but rather
[כִּי] אם (ki im) — if: except.
1) except if
1a) but if
אִם (im) — if: surely no.
: surely_no
1) if
1a) conditional clauses
1a1) of possible situations
1a2) of impossible situations
1b) oath contexts
1b1) no, not
1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or
1d) when, whenever
1e) since
1f) interrogative particle
1g) but rather
אִם (im) — if: surely yes.
: surely_yes
1) if
1a) conditional clauses
1a1) of possible situations
1a2) of impossible situations
1b) oath contexts
1b1) no, not
1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or
1d) when, whenever
1e) since
1f) interrogative particle
1g) but rather
אִם (im) — if: until.
: until/except
Conj — ParticleHTc
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)
Part — ParticleHTn
The Hebrew word בָּרַךְ (*barak*) is built from a primitive root meaning 'to kneel' and encompasses a range of meanings including 'to bless' and 'to curse.' It can refer to blessing God or men, as well as the act of kneeling in adoration. The entries note that it can also imply a curse in certain contexts, reflecting a nuanced use in greetings and farewells.
[בָּרַךְ] 329 vb. kneel, bless
Qal
kneel down
bless
Niph. bless oneself
Pi.
bless God, adore with bended knees
God blesses
men bless men
salute, greet, with an invocation of blessing
bless, with the antithetical meaning curse from the greeting in departing, saying adieu to, taking leave of; but rather a blessing overdone and so really a curse as in vulgar English as well as in the Shemitic cognates
Pu.
pass. to be blessed, adored
prospered by God
have prosperity invoked, by Balaam
in gratitude
Hiph. and he made his camel kneel
Hithp. bless oneself, congratulate oneself in his heart
base
H1288 בָּרַךְ kneel, bless .. kneel down
. bless
. bless oneself
. . bless God, adore with bended knees
. God blesses
. men bless men
. salute, greet, with an invocation of blessing
. bless, with the antithetical meaning curse from the greeting in departing, saying adieu to, taking leave of; but rather a blessing overdone and so really a curse as in vulgar English as well as in the Shemitic cognates
. . pass. to be blessed, adored
. prospered by God
. have prosperity invoked, by Balaam
. in gratitude
. and he made his camel kneel
. bless oneself, congratulate oneself in his heart
1288 barak baw-rak'
a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as
an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit);
also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason):--X
abundantly, X altogether, X at all, blaspheme, bless,
congratulate, curse, X greatly, X indeed, kneel (down),
praise, salute, X still, thank.
בָּרַךְ (ba.rakh) — to bless.
1) to bless, kneel
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to kneel
1a2) to bless
1b) (Niphal) to be blessed, bless oneself
1c) (Piel) to bless
1d) (Pual) to be blessed, be adored
1e) (Hiphil) to cause to kneel
1f) (Hithpael) to bless oneself
2) (TWOT) to praise, salute, curse
Aramaic equivalent: be.rakh (בְּרַךְ "to bless" H1289)
V-Piel-Perf-3cp | Suff — Verb piel perfect third person common plural · suffixHVpp3cp/Sp1bs
חָלָץ (chalats) refers to the loins, specifically in the dual form, indicating a focus on this area as the seat of strength, virility, and pain, particularly in the context of childbirth. The term is associated with physical vigor and is noted for its use in describing the loins as girded.
[חָלָץ] n.[f.] only dual, loins
as seat of virility
as girded
as seat of pains, like a woman in travail
base
H2504 [חָלָץ] only dual, loins
2504 chalats khaw-lawts'
from 2502 (in the sense of strength); only in the dual; the
loins (as the seat of vigor):--loins, reins.
see HEBREW for 02502
חָלָץ (cha.lats) — loin.
1) loins
1a) as seat of virility
1b) as girded
1c) as seat of pain (woman's travail)
N-cd | Suff — Noun common feminine dual construct · suffixHNcfdc/Sp3ms
גֵּז (gez) refers to shearing or mowing, particularly in the context of fleece or mown grass. It is derived from a root meaning to shear, and its usage encompasses both the act of shearing and the result, such as fleece or cut grass.
גֵּז n.[m.] shearing, mowing
base
H1488 גֵּז shearing, mowing
1488 gez gaze
from 1494; a fleece (as shorn); also mown grass:--fleece,
mowing, mown grass.
see HEBREW for 01494
גֵּז (gez) — fleece.
1) a shearing, mowing
1a) shearing, that sheared off
1b) a mowing, mown grass
Conj | Prep | N-ms — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHC/R/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
כֶּ֫בֶשׂ (*kebes*) means 'lamb' and can also refer to a young ram or sheep. The word is derived from an unused root suggesting a meaning related to dominance. It appears in various contexts in the Old Testament, primarily denoting young sheep.
כֶּ֫בֶשׂ 107 n.m. lamb
base
H3532 כֶּ֫בֶשׂ lamb
3532 kebes keh-bes'
from an unused root meaning to dominate; a ram (just old
enough to butt):--lamb, sheep.
כֶּ֫בֶשׂ (ke.ve.s) — lamb.
lamb, sheep, young ram
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp1bs
חָמַם (chamam) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be or become warm. It can refer to physical warmth, as well as metaphorical heat, such as passion or arousal. The verb appears in various forms, including Qal (to grow warm), Niphal (to inflame oneself), Piel (to warm), and Hithpael (to warm oneself). The entries indicate its use in contexts like conception and idolatry.
[חָמַם] vb. be or become warm
Qal
lit., be or grow warm
fig.
of heat in conception (animals)
Niph. inflame oneself with, of idolatry.
Pi. keep eggs warm
Hithp. warm oneself
base
H2552 חָמַם be or become warm
2552 chamam khaw-mam'
a primitive root; to be hot (literally or
figuratively):--enflame self, get (have) heat, be (wax) hot,
(be, wax) warm (self, at).
חָמַם (cha.mam) — to warm.
1) to be hot, become warm
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be or grow warm
1a2) of passion (fig.)
1b) (Niphal) to become aroused, inflame oneself with
1c) (Piel) to warm
1d) (Hithpael) to warm oneself
V-Hithpael-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Hithpael · imperfect third person masculine singularHVti3ms