Job 33:11 — Word Study
WLCיָשֵׂ֣ם בַּסַּ֣ד רַגְלָ֑י יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר כָּל־ אָרְחֹתָֽי׃
BSAHe putssûwm▸ [binds, restrains] my feetregel [steps, paths] in the stocksçad [wooden blocks, restraints] He watches overshâmar▸ [guards, observes] allkôl [every, each] my pathsʼôrach [ways, journeys]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| יָשֵׂ֣ם | he puts | Verb, Qal, jussive third person masculine singular |
| בַּסַּ֣ד | in the stock[s] | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| רַגְלָ֑י | feet my | Noun common feminine dual construct, suffix |
| יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר | he watches | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| כָּל־ | all | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| אָרְחֹתָֽי׃ | paths my | Noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches over all my paths.’ |
| KJV | He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths. |
| ASV | He putteth my feet in the stocks, He marketh all my paths. |
| YLT | He doth put in the stocks my feet, He doth watch all my paths.' |
| WEB | He puts my feet in the stocks. He marks all my paths.’ |
| BBE | He puts chains on my feet; he is watching all my ways. |
The translations agree on the core meaning of Job's experience of being bound and watched over.
Two main clauses, each with its own object, highlighting Job's feelings of being both bound and observed.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbשׂים
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 33:11
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 Against His Accusersgenerated
Job 33:11 captures Job's sense of being restrained by God, as he feels his feet are bound in stocks while God vigilantly observes his every move. This reflects Job's struggle to understand his suffering and God's role in it, as he grapples with the accusations made against him by his friends, who believe his misfortunes are a result of sin. Job's assertion highlights the tension between divine oversight and human suffering, emphasizing his feeling of being trapped yet watched over.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 13:27 | You put my feet in the stocks and stand watch over all my paths; You set a limit for the soles of my feet. |
| 2 | Psalm 105:18 | They bruised his feet with shackles and placed his neck in irons, |
| 3 | Jeremiah 20:2 | he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD. |
| 4 | Acts 16:24 | On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. |
| 5 | Job 31:4 | Does He not see my ways and count my every step? |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יָשֵׂ֣ם, ya.Semgenerated
The verb שׂים (sum) is a jussive form, indicating a wish or command, meaning to put or place something. It encompasses a variety of applications, from appointing to establishing, and in this context, it conveys the sense of being bound or restrained.
This verb's usage here implies that Job feels he is not merely placed in stocks but is under God's deliberate action, which emphasizes both his vulnerability and God's authority over his life.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the phrase is rendered as He puts my feet in the stocks, a translation echoed by the KJV and ASV, both maintaining the imagery of restraint.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse contains two finite verbs: יָשֵׂ֣ם (he puts) and יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר (he watches), with the first verb governing the initial clause and the second verb forming a separate clause that describes God's action.
The structure indicates a relationship between the two actions: Job's feet are bound, and simultaneously, God is observing all his paths, highlighting the duality of restriction and vigilance.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יָשֵׂ֣ם as ἔθετο (he placed), which carries a similar meaning of putting or setting something in place, emphasizing the action of binding.
This choice mirrors the Hebrew sense of confinement, suggesting a consistent understanding of Job's plight across both texts.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 33:11 tells us that Job feels as if God has bound his feet in stocks, meaning he feels trapped and restricted. At the same time, Job acknowledges that God is watching over all his paths, suggesting that God is attentive to his situation. This reflects Job's struggle to understand his suffering and God's role in his life.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This signifies Job's feeling of being restrained or trapped by his circumstances, indicating a lack of freedom.
Job sees God as both the one who restricts him and the one who watches over him, creating a complex relationship of oversight and control.
The mention of paths symbolizes Job's life journey and choices, suggesting that God is aware of every aspect of his life.
The verse employs imagery of confinement and vigilance, contrasting Job's feelings of being bound with God's watchful care.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I feel constrained in my life, and how can I recognize God's presence in those moments?
- How can I understand the balance between feeling restricted and knowing that God is watching over my paths?
- What are some paths in my life that I believe God is guiding me on?
- How can I respond to feelings of being trapped in a way that acknowledges God's oversight?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 33:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe putteth my feet in the stocks,.... This also he had said, Job 13:27; by which he would suggest not only that his afflictions were painful and disgraceful, and from which he could not extricate
Read John Gill on Job 33 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths. (Job 13:27.) Marketh - narrowly watches
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 33 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHe narrowly pries into all my actions, that he may find matter for further severities against me.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 33 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 33:11 He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.Ver. 11. He putteth my feet in the stocks, &c.] See Job 13:27; Job 14:16,
Read John Trapp on Job 33 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(11) He putteth my feet in the stocks.—Referring, probably, to Job 13:27.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 33 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 11. He putteth my feet in the stocks] See Clarke on Job 13:27.
Read AdamClarke on Job 33 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHe putteth my feet in the stocks - This also is language which Job had used; see Job 13:27. “He marketh all my paths;” in Job 13:27, “Thou lookest narrowly unto all my paths;” see the notes at that verse.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 33 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible11. Elihu reproduces here Job 13:27, where see note. Says Caryl: “Having ended his sweet, ingenious, insinuating preface, Elihu falls roundly to the business, and begins a very sharp charge.”
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 33 →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
He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches over all my paths.’
He puts my feet in the stocks. He marks all my paths.’
He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches over all my paths.’
He puts my feet in shackles; he watches closely all my paths.’
Tyndale line
He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.
He putteth my feet in the stocks, He marketh all my paths.
He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.
He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.
He hath put my feete in the stockes, and looketh narrowly vnto all my paths.
Strictly literal
He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.
He doth put in the stocks my feet, He doth watch all my paths.'
He puts my feet in the stocks, || He watches all my paths.
He putteth my feet in the stocks, he watcheth all my paths.”
He puts my feet in stocks; he watches all my paths.'
From the Latin
He hath put my feet in the stocks, he hath observed all my paths.
Simplified
He puts my feet in the stocks and watches everything I do.’
He puts chains on my feet; he is watching all my ways.
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 align closely, with all six words matched in the Hebrew and Greek. The Dead Sea Scrolls show some variation, with two words present on the leather and the rest supplied by an editor, but they still convey the same essential meaning.
יָשֵׂ֣ם בַּסַּ֣ד רַגְלָ֑י יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר כָּל־ אָרְחֹתָֽי׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[ישם] [בסד] [רגל׳י] שמר כל [ארחתי]
2 words on the leather — 4 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 33:11
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 שׂוּם (sum) is a verb meaning to put, place, or set, with a wide range of applications including appointing, establishing, and making. It can also refer to laying something upon or directing it. There is a related noun שׂוּמָה (sumah), which may denote a token of unluckiness. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.
שׂוּם, שִׂים 582 vb. put, place, set
Qal
put, set, in a place
put something upon
put, lay, set
put, c. בֵּין
set, direct
set, ordain, in a place
set, establish a law, statute
set, found a nation
set, appoint (as ruler, official)
set, constitute, make
set, determine, fix, bounds
set, station, at a post
put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars
set up altars
= plant, wheat
set, fix (countenance)
make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into
make, constitute
work, bring to pass
appoint, give
set, fix (countenance)
Hiph. I will make him for a sign
Hoph. there was set before him
base
שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl;—2 S 13:32
ref
H7760a שׂוּם, שִׂים put, place, set .. . put, set, in a place
. put something upon
. put, lay, set
. put, c. בֵּין
. set, direct
. . set, ordain, in a place
. set, establish a law, statute
. set, found a nation
. set, appoint (as ruler, official)
. set, constitute, make
. set, determine, fix, bounds
. . set, station, at a post
. put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars
. set up altars
. = plant, wheat
. set, fix (countenance)
. . make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into
. make, constitute
. work, bring to pass
. appoint, give
. set, fix (countenance)
. I will make him for a sign
. there was set before him
H7760b שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl
7760 suwm soom
or siym {seem}; a primitive root; to put (used in a great
variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially,
and elliptically):--X any wise, appoint, bring, call (a
name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider,
convey, determine, + disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap
up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out),
mark, + name, X on, ordain, order, + paint, place, preserve,
purpose, put (on), + regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set
(on, up), shew, + stedfastly, take, X tell, + tread down,
((over-))turn, X wholly, work.
שׂוּם (sum) — to set: make.
: make/establish
1) to put, place, set, appoint, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on
1a2) to set, direct, direct toward
1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)
1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix
1a4) to set, station, put, set in place, plant, fix
1a5) to make, make for, transform into, constitute, fashion, work, bring to pass, appoint, give
1b) (Hiphil) to set or make for a sign
1c) (Hophal) to be set
שׂוּמָה (su.mah) — fate.
token of unluckiness, scowl
שׂוּם (sum) — to set: put.
: put/give
1) to put, place, set, appoint, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on
1a2) to set, direct, direct toward
1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)
1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix
V-Qal-Juss-3ms — Verb · Qal · jussive third person masculine singularHVqj3ms
סַד (sad) refers to stocks, which are devices used to confine the feet of culprits. The term is derived from an unused root meaning to estop. The entries consistently highlight its function in restraining individuals.
סַד n.[m.] stocks, for confining feet of culprits
base
H5465 סַד
5465 cad sad
from an unused root meaning to estop; the stocks:--stocks.
סַד (sad) — stock.
stocks (for feet)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ncmsa
רֶ֫גֶל (regel) means 'foot' and can refer to a foot or leg in various contexts, including anthropomorphic references to God and other beings. It also implies steps or paces. The word is derived from a root meaning related to walking, and it appears in multiple forms, such as feet and paces.
רֶ֫גֶל 247 n.f. foot
foot
three times (feet, paces)
base
H7272 רֶ֫גֶל foot . foot
. three times (feet, paces)
7272 regel reh'-gel
from 7270; a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a
step; by euphem. the pudenda:--X be able to endure, X
according as, X after, X coming, X follow,
((broken-))foot((-ed, -stool)), X great toe, X haunt, X
journey, leg, + piss, + possession, time.
see HEBREW for 07270
רֶ֫גֶל (re.gel) — foot.
1) foot
1a) foot, leg
1b) of God (anthropomorphic)
1c) of seraphim, cherubim, idols, animals, table
1d) according to the pace of (with prep)
1e) three times (feet, paces)
Aramaic equivalent: re.gal (רְגַל "foot" H7271)
N-fd | Suff — Noun common feminine dual construct · suffixHNcfdc/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word שָׁמַר (*shamar*) is a primitive root meaning to keep, guard, or observe. It encompasses a wide range of actions including protecting, waiting for, and celebrating obligations like the Sabbath. The verb appears in various forms, indicating nuances such as being on guard or refraining from certain actions. It is used extensively in the Old Testament, reflecting both physical and moral vigilance.
שָׁמַר 465 vb. keep, watch, preserve
Qal 425
keep, have charge of
keep, guard, captives
hence, watch for, wait for
watch, observe
keep, retain, of storing up (food)
keep within bounds, restrain
observe, celebrate
keep sabbath
of other obligations
observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)
sts. י׳ subj.
keep, reserve, weeks of harvest
Niph.
36be on one's guard
keep oneself, refrain, abstain
be kept, guarded
Pi. those paying regard to false vanities
Hithp. I kept myself from
base
H8104 שָׁמַר keep, watch, preserve .. . keep, have charge of
. keep, guard, captives
. hence, watch for, wait for
. watch, observe
. . keep, retain, of storing up (food)
. keep within bounds, restrain
. . observe, celebrate
. keep sabbath
. of other obligations
. observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)
. sts. י׳ subj.
. keep, reserve, weeks of harvest
. . be on one's guard
. keep oneself, refrain, abstain
. be kept, guarded
. those paying regard to false vanities
. I kept myself from
8104 shamar shaw-mar'
a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns),
i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.:--beward,
be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark,
look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save
(self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).
שָׁמַר (sha.mar) — to keep: obey.
: obey/observe
1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to keep, have charge of
1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life
1a2a) watch, watchman (participle)
1a3) to watch for, wait for
1a4) to watch, observe
1a5) to keep, retain, treasure up (in memory)
1a6) to keep (within bounds), restrain
1a7) to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow)
1a8) to keep, preserve, protect
1a9) to keep, reserve
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware
1b2) to keep oneself, refrain, abstain
1b3) to be kept, be guarded
1c) (Piel) to keep, pay heed
1d) (Hithpael) to keep oneself from
שָׁמַר (sha.mar) — to keep: guard.
: guard
1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to keep, have charge of
1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life
1a2a) watch, watchman (participle)
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
Watches
The periods into which the time between sunset and sunrise was divided. They are so called because watchmen relieved each other at each of these periods. There are frequent references in Scripture to the duties of watchmen who were appointed to give notice of the approach of an enemy (2 Sam. 18:24-27; 2 Kings 9:17-20; Isa. 21:5-9). They were sometimes placed for this purpose on watch-towers (2 Kings 17:9; 18:8). Ministers or teachers are also spoken of under this title (Jer. 6:17; Ezek. 33:2-9; Heb. 13:17).
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
אֹ֫רַח (orach) means 'way' or 'path,' and can refer to both literal and figurative routes in life, including one's manner of living or character. It also denotes a traveler or wayfarer. The word is derived from a root meaning a well-trodden road, and it encompasses various aspects of life’s journey.
אֹ֫רַח n.m. way, path
lit.
fig. path, way, of course & fortunes of life
fig. way, of mode of living, or character
by meton. traveller, wayfarer
base
H734 אֹ֫רַח way, path . lit.
. fig. path, way, of course & fortunes of life
. fig. way, of mode of living, or character
. by meton. traveller, wayfarer
734 'orach o'-rakh
from 732; a well-trodden road (literally or figuratively);
also a caravan:--manner, path, race, rank, traveller, troop,
(by-, high-)way.
see HEBREW for 0732
אֹ֫רַח (o.rach) — way.
1) way, path
1a) path, road
1b) the path, way, passing of life (fig.)
1c) way of living (fig.)
1d) traveller, wayfarer (meton)
Aramaic equivalent: o.rach (אֹ֫רַח "way" H0735)
N-cp | Suff — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHNcfpc/Sp1bs