Job 39:29 — Word Study
WLCמִשָּׁ֥ם חָֽפַר־ אֹ֑כֶל לְ֝מֵרָח֗וֹק עֵינָ֥יו יַבִּֽיטוּ׃
BSAFrom thereshâm [that location, thence] he spieschâphar■ [carefully, with diligence] out foodʼôkel [seeks, searches for, prey, sustenance] his eyesʻayin [sight, vision] seenâbaṭ▸ [behold, gaze upon] [it] from afarrâchôwq [a distant place, afar off]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מִשָּׁ֥ם | from there | Preposition, adverb |
| חָֽפַר־ | it spies out | Verb, Qal, perfect third person masculine singular |
| אֹ֑כֶל | food | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| לְ֝מֵרָח֗וֹק | from afar | Preposition, preposition |
| עֵינָ֥יו | eyes its | Noun common feminine dual construct, suffix |
| יַבִּֽיטוּ׃ | they look | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect third person masculine plural |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | From there he spies out food; his eyes see it from afar. |
| KJV | From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off. |
| ASV | From thence she spieth out the prey; Her eyes behold it afar off. |
| YLT | From thence he hath sought food, To a far off place his eyes look attentively, |
| WEB | From there he spies out the prey. His eyes see it afar off. |
| BBE | From there he is watching for food; his eye sees it far off. |
The translations agree in their rendering of the eagle's search for food.
The sentence consists of a main clause followed by two prepositional phrases and a noun phrase, clearly outlining the eagle's action and its context.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbחָפַר
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 39:29
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 — The Majesty of Creationgenerated
Job 39:29 describes the eagle's keen ability to spot food from a distance, emphasizing its natural instincts and survival skills. This verse is part of a larger passage where Job reflects on the wonders of creation, including the behaviors of various animals, as seen in the preceding verses. The imagery of the eagle serves to illustrate God's intricate design in nature.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 9:26 | They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חָֽפַר, cha.far-generated
The verb חָפַר (chaphar) means to search or dig, indicating a thorough and diligent effort in seeking out food. It conveys an image of careful observation, as the eagle scans its surroundings for sustenance.
This word is used in contexts that imply a deep examination or exploration, highlighting the eagle's instinctual behavior as it hunts. The perfect tense indicates that this action is completed, showing the eagle's successful search for food.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree here, consistently rendering the action of the eagle searching for food.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main action is governed by the verb חָֽפַר, he spies out, which is followed by its object אֹ֑כֶל, food, and further described by the prepositional phrase לְ֝מֵרָח֗וֹק, from afar. This structure emphasizes the eagle's focused action.
The sentence flows from the eagle's location to its action and then to the result of that action, illustrating the eagle's sharp eyesight and hunting capabilities.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates חָֽפַר as ζητεῖ (zētei), meaning 'to seek' or 'to search.' This choice emphasizes the active pursuit of food, aligning with the Hebrew meaning but also suggesting a broader sense of seeking.
This translation choice indicates an interpretation that highlights the eagerness and diligence of the eagle in finding its prey.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 39:29 describes how the eagle looks for food from a distance, using its sharp eyesight to spot prey. This verse highlights the eagle's natural instincts and ability to hunt effectively.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means the eagle carefully searches for and observes its prey from a distance, showcasing its keen eyesight and hunting skills.
Job uses the eagle to illustrate the majesty of creation and the instinctual behaviors of animals, reflecting on God's design in nature.
The eagle's ability to spot food from afar highlights its unique attributes, contrasting with other animals that may not have such keen eyesight or hunting skills.
We can learn about the importance of observation and diligence in seeking out what we need, whether in nature or in our own lives.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does the eagle's ability to see from afar relate to our own ability to perceive opportunities in life?
- In what ways can we be more diligent in seeking out what we need, like the eagle searching for food?
- What does this verse teach us about the instincts and abilities that God has given to creatures?
- How can we apply the eagle's focused searching behavior to our own pursuits and goals?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers also reflected on this verse, often drawing lessons about divine providence and the nature of creation.
From thence she beholdeth her food. Her eyes behold afar off. 100. That is, from these choirs of Angels he directs the eyes of his mind to contemplate the glory of the Majesty on high: and, not seeing it, he is still hungry: and seeing it,Early Church Fathers on Job 39 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 39:29 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleFrom thence she seeketh the prey,.... From the high rock; from whence she can look down into valleys, and even into the sea; and spy what is for her purpose, and descend and seize upon them; as lambs, fawns, geese, shellfish, c.
Read John Gill on Job 39 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryFrom thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off. Seeketh - is on the look out for. Behold - the eagle descries its prey at an astonishing distance by sight rather than smell.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 39 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHer sight is exceeding sharp and strong, so that she is able to look upon the sun with open eyes, and to behold the smallest prey upon the earth or sea, when she is mounted out of our sight; which when she spies, she flies to it with incredible swiftness, even like an arrow out of a bow.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 39 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 39:29 From thence she seeketh the prey, [and] her eyes behold afar off.Ver. 29. From thence she seeketh her prey] Besides fowls (whereof she is called the queen) she preyeth upon hares, hinds, foxes, and such other beasts as she can master. Hence that complaint of the hare, In me omnis terraeque marisque aviumque ruina est (Martial). And her eyes behold afar off] To a very great distance. She has sharp sight, and first sees her prey, and then seeks it. Her sight is so strong, that she can look intently into the body of the sun without being dazzled; and by that property makes proof of her young ones whether they be right or not. Those that cannot so behold the sun she drives out of the…
Read John Trapp on Job 39 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 29. Her eyes behold afar off.] The eagle was proverbial for her strong and clear sight. So Horace, lib. i., sat. iii., ver. 25: - Cum tua pervideas oculis mala lippus inunctis, Cur in amicorum vitas tam cernis acutum, Quam aut aquila, aut serpens Epidaurius? "For wherefore while you carelessly pass by Your own worst vices with unheeding eye, Why so sharp-sighted in another's fame, Strong as an eagle's ken, or dragon's beam?" FRANCIS. So AElian, lib. i., cap. 42. And Homer, Iliad xvii., calls the eagle οξυτατονὑπουρανιωνπετεηνων, "The most quick-sighted of all fowls under heaven."
Read AdamClarke on Job 39 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges27–30. The eagle. Is it at Job’s command that the eagle fixes her habitation fearlessly on the dizzy crag? Did he bestow on her her penetrating vision, which scans the wide expanse of country and pierces into the deep ravine? or did he endow her with her terrible instincts, that shew themselves at once in her young, which “suck up blood”?
Read Cambridge on Job 39 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleFrom, thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off - “When far aloft, and no longer discernible by the human eye, such is the wonderful acuteness of its sight, that from the same
Read Albert Barnes on Job 39 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible29. Her eyes behold afar — Homer accords to the eagle the keenest vision of all birds. (Iliad, 17:674.) Similarly, Horace, “sharp-sighted as an eagle.” — Satire I, 3:27.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 39 →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
From there he spies out food; his eyes see it from afar.
From there he spies out the prey. His eyes see it afar off.
From there he spies out food; his eyes see it from afar.
From there it spots its prey, its eyes gaze intently from a distance.
Tyndale line
From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
From thence she spieth out the prey; Her eyes behold it afar off.
From thence she spieth out the prey; her eyes behold it afar off.
From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
Shall the hauke flie by thy wisedome, stretching out his wings toward the South?
Strictly literal
From thence he spieth out the prey, his eyes look into the distance;
From thence he hath sought food, To a far off place his eyes look attentively,
From there he has sought food, || His eyes look attentively to a far-off place,
From there he espieth his food, from afar can his eyes behold.
From there he searches for victims; his eyes see them from very far away.
From the Latin
From thence she looketh for the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
Simplified
From there it spies its prey from far away, fixing its gaze on its victim. Its chicks eagerly swallow blood.
From there he is watching for food; his eye sees it far off.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in content, with four out of six words matching. The Septuagint's word order differs from the Hebrew, but the essential meaning remains intact.
מִשָּׁ֥ם חָֽפַר־ אֹ֑כֶל לְ֝מֵרָח֗וֹק עֵינָ֥יו יַבִּֽיטוּ׃
4 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 39:29
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.
שָׁם (sham) is a Hebrew adverb meaning 'there' or 'thither,' indicating a location or direction. It can also refer to a point in time, translating to 'then.' The word is derived from a relative pronoun and is used in various contexts, including movement and temporal references.
שָׁם adv. there, thither
base
H8033 שָׁם there, thither
8033 sham shawm
a primitive particle (rather from the relative pronoun, 834);
there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or
thence:--in it, + thence, there (-in, + of, + out), +
thither, + whither.
see HEBREW for 0834
שָׁם (sham) — there.
1) there, thither
1a) there
1b) thither (after verbs of motion)
1c) from there, thence
1d) then (as an adverb of time)
Aramaic equivalent: tam.mah (תַּמָּה "there" H8536)
שָׁם (sham) — (Jerusalem) Is There.
Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
This name means there, thither
Prep | Adv — Preposition · adverbHR/D
חָפַר (chaphar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to dig or search for. It is a primitive root that conveys the idea of prying into something, exploring, or delving deeper. The entries consistently highlight its use in contexts related to digging and searching.
חָפַר vb. dig, search for
base
H2658 חָפַר dig, search for
2658 chaphar khaw-far'
a primitive root; properly, to pry into; by implication, to
delve, to explore:--dig, paw, search out, seek.
חָפַר (cha.phar) — to search.
1) to dig, search for
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to dig
1a2) to search, search out, explore
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singularHVqp3ms
אֹ֫כֶל (okel) means food and encompasses a range of meanings including meal, meat, and food supply. It is derived from the root word for eating. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, such as meals and victuals, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among the lexicons.
אֹ֫כֶל 40 n.m. food
base
H400 אֹ֫כֶל food
400 'okel o'-kel
from 398; food:--eating, food, meal(-time), meat, prey,
victuals.
see HEBREW for 0398
אֹ֫כֶל (o.khel) — food.
1) food
1a) cereal
1b) meat
2) food supply
3) meal, dinner
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
food:
I. VEGETABLE FOODS
1. Primitive Habits
2. Cereals
3. Leguminous Plants
4. Food of Trees
II. ANIMAL FOOD
LITERATURE
In a previous article (see BREAD) it has been shown that in the Bible "bread" usually stands for food in general and how this came to be so. In a complementary article on MEALS the methods of preparing and serving food will be dealt with. This article is devoted specifically to the foodstuffs of the Orient, more especially to articles of food in use among the Hebrews in Bible times. These are divisible into two main classes.
Food
Originally the Creator granted the use of the vegetable world for food to man (Gen. 1:29), with the exception mentioned (2:17). The use of animal food was probably not unknown to the antediluvians. There is, however, a distinct law on the subject given to Noah after the Deluge (Gen. 9:2-5). Various articles of food used in the patriarchal age are mentioned in Gen. 18:6-8; 25:34; 27:3, 4; 43:11. Regarding the food of the Israelites in Egypt, see Ex. 16:3; Num. 11:5. In the wilderness their ordinary food was miraculously supplied in the manna. They had also quails (Ex.…
The diet of eastern nations has been in all ages light and simple. Vegetable food was more used than animal. The Hebrews used a great variety of articles, (John 21:5) to give a relish to bread. Milk and its preparations hold a conspicuous place in eastern diet, as affording substantial nourishment; generally int he form of the modern leben , i.e. sour milk. Authorized Version "butter;" (Genesis 18:8; Judges 5:25; 2 Samuel 17:29) Fruit was another source of subsistence: figs stood first in point of importance; they were generally dried and pressed into cakes. Grapes were generally eaten in a dried state as raisins. Of vegetables we have most frequent notice of lentils…
In ancient the food of a people was more entirely the product of their own country than in our day. Palestine was favored with an abundance of animal food, grain, and vegetables. But throughout the East, vegetable food is more used than animal. Bread was the principal food. Grain of various kinds, beans, lentils, onions, grapes, together with olive oil, honey, and the milk of goats and cows were the ordinary fare. The wandering Arabs live much upon a coarse black bread. A very common dish in Syria is rice, with shreds of meat, vegetables, olive oil, etc., intermixed. A similar dish, made with beans, lentils, and various kinds of pulse, was in frequent use at an earlier age, Ge 25:29-34 2Ki 4:38-1.
רָחֹק (rachowq) means distant or far, and can refer to both physical distance and time. It can also denote a sense of remoteness or preciousness. The word can be used adverbially and is associated with the concept of distance in various contexts, including distant lands or times.
רָחֹק, רָחוֹק adj. distant, far, et n.m. distance
base
H7350 רָחֹק, רָחוֹק distant, far, distance
7350 rachowq raw-khoke'
or rachoq {raw-khoke'}; from 7368; remote, literally or
figuratively, of place or time; specifically, precious; often
used adverbially (with preposition):--(a-)far (abroad, off),
long ago, of old, space, great while to come.
see HEBREW for 07368
רָחֹק (ra.choq) — distant.
adj
1) remote, far, distant, distant lands, distant ones
1a) of distance, time
n m
2) distance
2a) from a distance (with prep)
Aramaic equivalent: ra.chiq (רְחִיק "far" H7352)
Prep | Prep | Adj — Preposition · prepositionHR/R/Aamsa
The Hebrew word עַ֫יִן (*'ayin*) means 'eye' and can refer to both the physical organ and its figurative uses, such as mental qualities and desires. It also denotes a 'spring' or 'fountain' of water. The entries highlight various phrases and contexts, including appearances and expressions of emotion, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.
עַ֫יִן 859 n.f. eye
lit. as physical organ
eyes as showing mental qualities
desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes
Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states
Transferred mngs.:
visible surface of earth
appearance
gleam, sparkle
Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead
base
עַ֫יִן n.f. spring (of water). Particular springs are:
ע׳ חֲרֹר Ju 7:1
ע׳ הַקּוֹרֵא (partridge-spring) Ju 15:19
ע׳ רֹגֵל near Jerus.
ע׳ הַתַּנִּין (dragon-spring)
base
H5869a עַ֫יִן eye . lit. as physical organ
. . eyes as showing mental qualities
. desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes
. Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states
. Transferred mngs.: . visible surface of earth
. appearance
. gleam, sparkle
. Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead
H5869b עַ֫יִן spring (of water)
5869 `ayin ah'-yin
probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or
figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the
landscape):--affliction, outward appearance, + before, +
think best, colour, conceit, + be content, countenance, +
displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, + favour,
fountain, furrow (from the margin), X him, + humble,
knowledge, look, (+ well), X me, open(-ly), + (not) please,
presence, + regard, resemblance, sight, X thee, X them, +
think, X us, well, X you(-rselves).
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye.
: eye
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain (Gate).
§ spring, fountain
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain of.
§ spring, fountain
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: seeing.
: seeing
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: appearance.
: appearance
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: before(the eyes).
: before(the_eyes)
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: sin.
: sin
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
N-cd | Suff — Noun common feminine dual construct · suffixHNcfdc/Sp3ms
נָבַט (nabat) is a Hebrew verb meaning to look or regard. It encompasses various nuances, such as looking intently, considering, and showing favor or care. The entries indicate its use in different grammatical forms, specifically the Piel and Hiphil stems, which emphasize the act of looking or regarding. No significant disagreements among lexicons are noted.
[נָבַט] vb. Pi., Hiph. look
Pi. look
Hiph. look
base
H5027 נָבַט look
5027 nabat naw-bat'
a primitive root; to scan, i.e. look intently at; by
implication, to regard with pleasure, favor or care:--(cause
to) behold, consider, look (down), regard, have respect, see.
נָבַט (na.vat) — to look.
1) to look, regard
1a) (Piel) to look
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) tolook
1b2) to regard, show regard to, pay attention to, consider
1b3) to look upon, regard, show regard to
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVhi3mp
look:
(1) The uses of the simple verb in English Versions of the Bible are nearly all good modern English. In Isa 5:2, however, "He looked that it should bring forth grapes"--"look" is used in the sense of "expect." Compare the King James Version of Sirach 20:14; Ac 28:6, "They looked when he should have swollen" (the Revised Version (British and American) "They expected that he would have swollen"). In 1 Macc 4:54, the King James Version has inserted "look" (omitted in the Revised Version (British and American)) as a simple interjection, without a corresponding word in the Greek
(2) "Look upon" means "fix one's attention on," and is often so used in English Versions of the Bible without further significance (Ec 2:11;