Job 37:8 — Word Study
WLCוַתָּבֹ֣א חַיָּ֣ה בְמוֹ־ אָ֑רֶב וּבִמְע֖וֹנֹתֶ֣יהָ תִשְׁכֹּֽן׃
BSAThe wild animalschay [feral, untamed, beasts, living creatures] enterbôwʼ▸ [go into, take shelter in] their lairsʼereb [dens, coverts, hiding places] they settle downshâkan▸ [remain, abide, take rest] in their densmᵉʻôwnâh [habitations, places of dwelling]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַתָּבֹ֣א | and it went | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person feminine singular |
| חַיָּ֣ה | an animal | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| בְמוֹ־ | in | Preposition |
| אָ֑רֶב | a lair | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וּבִמְע֖וֹנֹתֶ֣יהָ | and in dens its | Conjunction, preposition, noun common feminine plural construct |
| תִשְׁכֹּֽן׃ | it dwells | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person feminine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The wild animals enter their lairs; they settle down in their dens. |
| KJV | Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places. |
| ASV | Then the beasts go into coverts, And remain in their dens. |
| YLT | And enter doth the beast into covert, And in its habitations it doth continue. |
| WEB | Then the animals take cover, and remain in their dens. |
| BBE | Then the beasts go into their holes, and take their rest. |
Where they part company is on the word תִשְׁכֹּֽן — see How Translations Differ.
The structure consists of a main clause followed by two prepositional phrases that clarify where the animals go and where they settle.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectחַיָּה
verbבּוֹא
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 37:8
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 Reflection on Creationgenerated
Job 37:8 is situated within a poetic reflection on the natural order, where Job contemplates the ways in which God governs creation. The verses surrounding it emphasize the power and majesty of God in the natural world, illustrating how all creatures respond to His authority and design.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 104:22 | The sun rises, and they withdraw; they lie down in their dens. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חַיָּה, chai.Yahgenerated
The noun חַיָּה (chaiyah) refers to a living creature or animal. It encompasses all forms of life, emphasizing vitality and existence. This term is often used in the context of God's creation, as seen in Genesis 1:20, where it describes the creatures of the sea and the land.
In this verse, it highlights the wild nature of the animals, underscoring their instinct to seek shelter. The parsing indicates it is a feminine singular noun, which aligns with the Hebrew tradition of gendering nouns.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb תִשְׁכֹּֽן (tishkon), meaning 'it dwells', governs the sentence, with two phrases preceding it: a prepositional phrase describing where the animals go and a noun phrase identifying the animals themselves. This structure emphasizes the action of dwelling as the focal point of the verse.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the animals entering their lairs before stating that they dwell in their dens, highlighting their instinctive behavior.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates חַיָּה as θηρία (thēria), a term that specifically denotes wild beasts. This choice narrows the focus to untamed creatures, aligning with the Hebrew meaning but emphasizing their wild nature.
For תִשְׁכֹּֽן, the LXX uses a different construction, which reflects a broader interpretation of dwelling, potentially indicating a more general sense of habitation.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 37:8 tells us that wild animals go into their lairs and settle down in their dens. This verse reflects on how animals instinctively find safe places to rest, showcasing God's design in nature.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies the natural instinct of animals to seek shelter and safety in their dens, reflecting their behavior in the wild.
This verse illustrates God's order in nature, where every creature has its place and instinctively knows where to find safety.
We can learn about the importance of having a safe space and the instinctual behaviors that God has designed within His creation.
The term 'wild' emphasizes the untamed nature of these animals, highlighting their instinctual behaviors and the rawness of creation.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I seek safety and rest in my life, similar to how animals find their dens?
- How can I better appreciate the order and design of God's creation around me?
- What does it mean to me that God cares for all creatures, including the wild animals?
- How can I reflect on the instincts and behaviors of animals as a reminder of God's provision in my own life?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Gregory the Dialogist references this verse in his moral reflections, illustrating how the behavior of animals can symbolize deeper spiritual truths.
The beast will enter his covert, and will abide in his den. Who else is understood by the name of the beast, except our ancient enemy, who cruelly aimed at the deception of the first man,Early Church Fathers on Job 37 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 37:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThen the beasts go into dens,.... When snow and rains are on the earth in great abundance, then the wild beasts of the field, not being able to prowl about, betake themselves to dens; where they lie
Read John Gill on Job 37 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThen the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places. Remain - rest in their lairs, It is beautifully ordered that, during the cold, when they could not obtain food, many lie torpid-a state wherein they need no food.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 37 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThen, in great rains or deep snows, the beasts go into dens for shelter and comfort.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 37 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 37:8 Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.Ver. 8. Then the beasts go into dens] In rainy and snowy weather, the very wild beasts (as lively and lusty as they are, whence also they have their name in the original) are glad to take harbour, and there to hold them till the storm be over.
Read John Trapp on Job 37 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(8) Then the beasts go into dens.—And not man only, but the beasts likewise, have to take refuge in their dens and coverts.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 37 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges8. their places] Their coverts or lairs. The reference is to the hibernation of the animals, or to their retreat into their coverts for shelter from the snow and rains.
Read Cambridge on Job 37 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThen the beasts go into dens - In the winter. This fact appears to have been early observed, that in the season of cold the wild animals withdrew into caves, and that many of them became torpid.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 37 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible8. The world is thus left to man alone in the presence of God. (Canon Cook.)
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 37 →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
The wild animals enter their lairs; they settle down in their dens.
Then the animals take cover, and remain in their dens.
The wild animals enter their lairs; they settle down in their dens.
The wild animals go to their lairs, and in their dens they remain.
Tyndale line
Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.
Then the beasts go into coverts, And remain in their dens.
Then the beasts go into coverts, and remain in their dens.
Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.
Then the beastes go into the denne, and remaine in their places.
Strictly literal
And the wild beast goeth into its lair, and they remain in their dens.
And enter doth the beast into covert, And in its habitations it doth continue.
And the beast enters into [its] lair, || And it continues in its habitations.
Then retire the beasts into [their] dens, and rest in their lairs.
Then the beasts go into hiding and stay in their dens.
From the Latin
Then the beast shall go into his covert, and shall abide in his den.
Simplified
Even the animals take shelter and remain in their dens.
Then the beasts go into their holes, and take their rest.
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 of Job 37:8 states, "וַתָּבֹ֣א חַיָּ֣ה בְמוֹ־ אָ֑רֶב וּבִמְע֖וֹנֹתֶ֣יהָ תִשְׁכֹּֽן׃" which translates to "The wild animals enter their lairs; they settle down in their dens." The Septuagint, while not providing a direct translation, shows a strong correspondence with the Masoretic Text, matching 5 of the 6 words, indicating agreement in the overall meaning. However, the Septuagint's word order and articles differ from the Hebrew text, reflecting its own stylistic choices. There are no significant variations in meaning between these witnesses for this verse, as both convey the same idea of animals finding shelter.
וַתָּבֹ֣א חַיָּ֣ה בְמוֹ־ אָ֑רֶב וּבִמְע֖וֹנֹתֶ֣יהָ תִשְׁכֹּֽן׃
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 37:8
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.
בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.
בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go
Qal
come in
come (approach, arrive)
go, i.e. walk, associate with
go from speaker, but with limit of motion given
Hiph.
cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)
cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)
Hoph.
be brought in (of pers. and things)
be brought
be introduced, put
base
H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in
. come (approach, arrive)
. go, i.e. walk, associate with
. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given
. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)
. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)
. . be brought in (of pers. and things)
. be brought
. be introduced, put
935 bow' bo
a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of
applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +
besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X
certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,
upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,
(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be
fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),
grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,
pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken
(in age), X surely, take (in), way.
בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.
: come/go_in
1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to enter, come in
1a2) to come
1a2a) to come with
1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)
1a2c) to come to pass
1a3) to attain to
1a4) to be enumerated
1a5) to go
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to lead in
1b2) to carry in
1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon
1b4) to bring to pass
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be brought, brought in
1c2) to be introduced, be put
לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).
This name means to go in, enter
Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)
בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.
: towards/entrance
1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to enter, come in
1a2) to come
1a2a) to come with
1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)
1a2c) to come to pass
1a3) to attain to
1a4) to be enumerated
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3fs — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singularHc/Vqw3fs
The Hebrew word חַי (*chay*) means 'alive' or 'living' and covers a range of meanings related to life, including living beings, vitality, and freshness. It can refer to God, animals, vegetation, and even concepts like appetite and community. Variants include חַיָּה (*chayyah*), meaning 'living thing' or 'animal,' and חַיִּים (*chayim*), which emphasizes life and sustenance.
חַי adj. alive, living
of God, as the living one, the fountain of life
of man
of animals, alive, living
animals and man
(dub.) of vegetation, as thorns, green
of water, fresh
(dub.) lively, active
reviving
base
[חַי] n.[m.] kinsfolk, pl. sf. 1 S 18:18
ref
חַיָּה n.f. living thing, animal
animal
in general
wild animals, on account of their vital energy and activity
living beings, of the cherubic chariot
life, only in late poetry
appetite, activity of hunger
revival, renewal
base
חַיָּה n.f. community
base
חַיִּים n.m. pl. abstr. emph. life
life: physical
life: as welfare and happiness in king's presence
sustenance, maintenance
base
H2416a חַי alive, living . . of God, as the living one, the fountain of life
. of man
. of animals, alive, living
. animals and man
. (dub.) of vegetation, as thorns, green
. of water, fresh
. (dub.) lively, active
. reviving
H2416b חַי kinsfolk H2416c חַיָּה living thing, animal . animal . in general
. wild animals, on account of their vital energy and activity
. living beings, of the cherubic chariot
. life, only in late poetry
. appetite, activity of hunger
. revival, renewal
H2416d חַיָּה community H2416e חַיִּים pl. abstr. emph. life . life: physical
. life: as welfare and happiness in king's presence
. sustenance, maintenance
2416 chay khah'-ee
from 2421; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water,
year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine
singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether
literally or figuratively:--+ age, alive, appetite, (wild)
beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living
(creature, thing), maintenance, + merry, multitude, + (be)
old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.
see HEBREW for 02421
חַי (chay) — alive.
adj
1) living, alive
1a) green (of vegetation)
1b) flowing, fresh (of water)
1c) lively, active (of man)
1d) reviving (of the springtime)
Aramaic equivalent: chay (חַי "living" H2417)
חַי (chay) — kinsfolk.
kinsfolk
חַיָּה (chay.yah) — living thing.
1) living thing, animal
1a) animal
1b) life
1c) appetite
1d) revival, renewal
Aramaic equivalent: che.va (חֵיוָא "beast" H2423)
חַיָּה (chay.yah) — community.
community
חַיִּים (chay.yim) — life.
1) life (abstract emphatic)
1a) life
1b) sustenance, maintenance
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
an'-i-mal: See under the various names and also the general article on ZOOLOGY.
Animal
An organized living creature endowed with sensation. The Levitical law divided animals into clean and unclean, although the distinction seems to have existed before the Flood (Gen. 7:2). The clean could be offered in sacrifice and eaten. All animals that had not cloven hoofs and did not chew the cud were unclean. The list of clean and unclean quadrupeds is set forth in the Levitical law (Deut. 14:3-20; Lev. 11).
The Hebrew word בְּמוֹ (*bemo*) is a poetic form meaning 'in,' 'with,' or 'by.' It serves as a prolongation of the prepositional prefix בְּ (*be*), indicating location or accompaniment. The entries consistently describe its usage in a similar context without significant disagreement.
בְּמוֹ poet. for בְּ
base
H1119 בְּמוֹ poet. for בְּ
1119 bmow bem-o'
prolongation for prepositional prefix; in, with, by,
etc.:--for, in into, through.
בְּמוֹ (be.mo) — in/at/by.
in, at, by
HR — PrepositionHR
A principal thing to notice about this preposition, which in the King James Version represents about 16 Hebrew and as many Greek words and prepositions, is that, in hundreds of cases (especially in the Old Testament, but frequently also in the New Testament) in the Revised Version (British and American) the rendering is changed to more exact forms ("to," "unto," "by," "upon," "at," "with," "among," "for," "throughout," etc.; compare e.g. Ge 6:16; 13:8; 17:7,9,12; 18:1; Ex 8:17; Le 1:9, etc.); while, nearly as often, "in" is substituted for divergent forms of the King James Version (e.g. Ge 2:14; 17:11; 31:54; 40:7; 49:17; Ex…
The Hebrew word אֶ֫רֶב (*'ereb*) refers to an ambush or a place of concealment, such as a den or lair. It is derived from another Hebrew root and is used in contexts like lying in wait, as seen in Job 38:40. The entries consistently emphasize its association with stealth and hiding.
[אֶ֫רֶב] אָ֑רֶב n.[m.]—
a lying-in-wait Jb 38:40.
covert, lair 37:8
ref
H695 אֶ֫רֶב, אָ֑רֶב
695 'ereb eh'-reb
from 693; ambuscade:--den, lie in wait.
see HEBREW for 0693
אֶ֫רֶב (e.rev) — ambush.
1) a lying-in-wait
2) covert, lair, den
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
מְעֹנָה (meonah) refers to a den or lair, particularly of wild beasts, and can also signify a dwelling or habitation, including a figurative sense of God as a refuge for His people. It is derived from the related word מָעוֹן (maon), which shares similar meanings.
מְעֹנָה n.f. id.
[p.bj.ac]den, lair of wild beasts
fig. the ancient God is a dwelling-place (for his people)
base
H4585 מְעֹנָה id. . den, lair of wild beasts
. fig. the ancient God is a dwelling-place (for his people)
4585 m`ownah meh-o-naw'
or msonah {meh-o-naw'}; feminine of 4583, and meaning the
same:--den, habitation, (dwelling) place, refuge.
see HEBREW for 04583
מְעֹנָה (me.o.nah) — habitation.
1) dwelling, habitation, refuge
1a) den, lair (of animals)
1b) dwelling-place (of God) (fig.)
Conj | Prep | N-cp | Suff — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHC/R/Ncfpc/Sp3fs
שָׁכַן (shakan) is a Hebrew verb meaning to settle down, abide, or dwell. It encompasses various forms of residing, both literally and figuratively, and includes nuances of establishing or causing to dwell. The entries indicate its use in different grammatical forms, such as Qal, Piel, and Hiphil, which express actions related to dwelling and establishing habitation.
שָׁכַן, שָׁכֵ֑ן 129 vb. settle down, abide, dwell
Qal
settle down to abide
abide, dwell
Pi.
make settle down, establish
make to dwell
Hiph.
lay
cause birds to settle
cause to dwell
base
H7931 שָׁכַן, שָׁכֵ֑ן settle down, abide, dwell
7931 shakan shaw-kan'
a primitive root (apparently akin (by transmission) to 7901
through the idea of lodging; compare 5531, 7925); to reside or
permanently stay (literally or figuratively):--abide,
continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-er), have habitation,
inhabit, lay, place, (cause to) remain, rest, set (up).
see HEBREW for 05531
see HEBREW for 07925
שָׁכַן (sha.khan) — to dwell.
1) to settle down, abide, dwell, tabernacle, reside
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to settle down to abide
1a2) to abide, dwell, reside
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to make settle down, establish
1b2) to make or cause to dwell
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to lay, place, set, establish, settle, fix
1c2) to cause to dwell or abide
Aramaic equivalent: she.khan (שְׁכֵן "to dwell" H7932)
V-Qal-Imperf-3fs — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine singularHVqi3fs