Job 4:21 — Word Study
WLCהֲלֹא־ נִסַּ֣ע יִתְרָ֣ם בָּ֑ם יָ֝מ֗וּתוּ וְלֹ֣א בְחָכְמָֽה׃
BSAAre not their tent cordsyether [certainly, without a doubt, ropes, lifelines] pulled upnâçaʻ■ [removed, plucked away] so that they diemûwth▸ [pass away, perish] withoutlôʼ [lacking, devoid of] wisdomchokmâh [prudence, discernment, bəḥākəmāh, skill in living]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הֲלֹא־ | ¿ not | Particle, particle |
| נִסַּ֣ע | has it been pulled up | Verb, Niphal, perfect third person masculine singular |
| יִתְרָ֣ם | tent cord their | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| בָּ֑ם | in them | Preposition, suffix |
| יָ֝מ֗וּתוּ | will they die? | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| וְלֹ֣א | and not | Conjunction, particle |
| בְחָכְמָֽה׃ | with wisdom | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Are not their tent cords pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?’ |
| KJV | Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom. |
| ASV | Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom. |
| YLT | Hath not their excellency been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom! |
| WEB | Isn’t their tent cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom.’ |
| BBE | If their tent-cord is pulled up, do they not come to an end, and without wisdom? |
The translations are consistent in their rendering of the verse, emphasizing the connection between the loss of support and the inevitability of death.
The verse is structured with a main clause followed by subordinate clauses that clarify the consequence of the action.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָסַע
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 4:21
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 Fragility of Lifegenerated
Job 4:21 reflects on the fate of those who lose their support, likening their situation to that of tent cords being pulled up, leading to a swift demise devoid of wisdom. This verse is part of a larger dialogue where Eliphaz speaks to Job about human vulnerability and the importance of wisdom in life, paralleling themes found in Psalm 39:5–11 and Psalm 146:3–4.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 39:5–11 | You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah |
| 2 | Psalm 49:14 | Like sheep they are destined for Sheol. Death will be their shepherd. The upright will rule them in the morning, and their form will decay in Sheol, far from their lofty abode. |
| 3 | Psalm 146:3–4 | Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save. |
| 4 | Isaiah 14:16 | Those who see you will stare; they will ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made the kingdoms tremble, |
| 5 | Luke 16:22–23 | One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יָ֝מ֗וּתוּ, ya.Mu.tugenerated
The word מוּת (mūth) is a Qal imperfect verb meaning 'to die' or 'to perish'. It encompasses various contexts from natural death to execution, indicating a range of meanings depending on the subject. In this verse, it emphasizes the finality of death as a consequence of losing one's lifeline.
The verb's form indicates an ongoing or future action, suggesting a certainty about the fate of those without wisdom. The context implies that without the support of wisdom, life is fragile and ultimately leads to demise.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree on the core meaning of the verse.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse features a main clause with a finite verb יָ֝מ֗וּתוּ, will they die?, which is followed by a series of phrases that elaborate on the condition of their support. The structure highlights the cause-and-effect relationship between the removal of tent cords and the loss of life.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the verbs and the subject, creating a poignant statement about the inevitability of death without wisdom.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates the verb נִסַּ֣ע as ἐνεφύσησεν, which implies a sense of blowing away or removing. This choice suggests a more forceful action in the removal of support, highlighting the fragility of life.
This interpretation may reflect a broader understanding of the consequences of losing one's lifelines, emphasizing the urgency of the message.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 4:21 questions whether the removal of tent cords leads to death without wisdom. Eliphaz, speaking to Job, emphasizes the fragility of life and the importance of having wisdom to navigate it.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Tent cords symbolize the support and stability in life; their removal signifies vulnerability and impending death.
Wisdom is portrayed as essential for life; without it, one is likened to a tent without cords, leading to a swift demise.
The question format emphasizes uncertainty and provokes thought about the consequences of losing support.
It reflects on human suffering and the importance of understanding one's circumstances, a recurring theme in the Book of Job.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I rely on wisdom to support my decisions in life?
- How can I recognize when my own 'tent cords' are being pulled away?
- What lessons can I learn from the fragility of life as described in this verse?
- How can I seek wisdom in my daily life to avoid the pitfalls of ignorance?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early commentary reflects on the implications of this verse, discussing the fate of the despised and the importance of wisdom in life.
But they that have been left shall be taken away from among them. Whom else do we understand by 'the left,' but all the despised of this world? whom whilst the present life chooses not for any use of honour,Early Church Fathers on Job 4 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 4:21 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleDoth not their excellency [which is] in them go away?.... Either the soul which is in them, and is the most excellent part of them; this, though it dies not, yet it goes away and departs from the
Read John Gill on Job 4 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryDoth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom. Their excellency - (Psalms 39:11; Psalms 146:4 ; 1 Corinthians 13:8). But Umbreit by an Oriental image from a bow useless, because unstrung.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 4 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWhatsoever is really or by common estimation excellent in men, all their natural, and moral, and civil accomplishments, as high birth, great riches, power, and wisdom, &c.; these are so far from preserving men from perishing, as one would think they should do, that they perish themselves, together with those houses of clay in which they are lodged. Which is in them go away; or, go away with, (as beth is oft used) them; it doth not survive them. Without wisdom: either, 1. Like fools. Wise men and fools die alike, . Or, 2. They never attain to perfect wisdom, to that wisdom which man once had, much less to that wisdom which is in God, which Job conceiveth he hath; otherwise he would not so…
Read Matthew Poole on Job 4 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 4:21 Doth not their excellency [which is] in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.Ver. 21. Doth not their excellency which is in them go away?] Journeyeth not their excellency with them? so Broughton rendereth it. By their excellence here some understand the soul, called by David his glory. A philosopher said, there was nothing excellent in the world but man, nothing in man but his soul (Favorinus). The Stoics affirmed that the body was not a part of a man, but the instrument, or rather the servant, of the soul. Hence the Latins call the body Corpus, or Corpor (as of old they speak), quasi cordis puer sive famnlus. And Plato saith that that is not the man that is seen of him; but…
Read John Trapp on Job 4 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 21. Doth not their excellency - go away!] Personal beauty, corporeal strength, powerful eloquence, and various mental endowments, pass away, or are plucked up by the roots; they are no more seen or heard among men, and their memory soon perisheth. They die, even without wisdom.] If wisdom means the pursuit of the best end, by the most legitimate and appropriate means, the great mass of mankind appear to perish without it. But, if we consider the subject more closely, we shall find that all men die in a state of comparative ignorance. With all our boasted science and arts, how little do we know! Do we know any thing to perfection that belongs either to the material or spiritual world?…
Read AdamClarke on Job 4 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges21. their excellency go away] This verse is obscure. The word rendered go away means to pull out, as a pin or the posts of a gate, Judges 16:3; Judges 16:14 (English version, went away with), or the stake of a tent, Isaiah 33:20 (be removed). This is probably the original meaning. Then the word is used in a secondary, more general sense, to break up an encampment, to remove or journey, to depart, e.g. very often in Numbers 33. In the present verse the verb is pass., and probably has its original sense, plucked up, or torn out. The word translated excellency has that meaning, e.g. Genesis 49:3; Proverbs 17:7. In other places the word means a cord, Judges 16:7-9, the string of a bow, Psalms…
Read Cambridge on Job 4 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleDoth not their excellency ... - Dr. Good renders this, “Their fluttering round is over with them,” by a very forced construction of the passage.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 4 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible21. Excellency — ιϊψ. Among its significations is also that of a cord, for instance, of a tent. The language is now generally regarded as figurative.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 4 →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
Are not their tent cords pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?’
Isn’t their tent cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom.’
Are not their tent cords pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?’
Is not their excess wealth taken away from them? They die, yet without attaining wisdom.
Tyndale line
Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.
Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom.
Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them? they die, and that without wisdom.
Doth not their excellence which is in them depart? they die, even without wisdom.
Doeth not their dignitie goe away with them? do they not die, and that without wisdom?
Strictly literal
Is not their tent-cord torn away in them? they die, and without wisdom.
Hath not their excellency been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom!
Has their excellence not been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom!”
Behold, their excellency which is in them is torn away: they die, and this without wisdom.
Are not their tent cords plucked up among them? They die; they die without wisdom.
From the Latin
And they that shall be left, shall be taken away from them: they shall die, and not in wisdom.
Simplified
They are like tent ropes that are pulled up, and they collapse in death. They die without wisdom.’”
If their tent-cord is pulled up, do they not come to an end, and without wisdom?
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 show agreement in the core message of the verse, though the Septuagint employs different wording. The Septuagint's translation indicates a more dynamic removal of support, enhancing the sense of urgency in the statement.
הֲלֹא־ נִסַּ֣ע יִתְרָ֣ם בָּ֑ם יָ֝מ֗וּתוּ וְלֹ֣א בְחָכְמָֽה׃
4 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.
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 4:21
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.
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)
Conj | Part — Particle · particleHTi/Tn
נָסַע (naca`) means to pull out or up, particularly in the context of setting out on a journey. It encompasses actions like departing, marching, and removing, with nuances related to both physical movement and the wind. The word can also imply causing someone or something to set out or be led away.
נָסַע 147 vb. pull out or up, set out, journey
Qal 137
pull out or up
hence (from pulling up tent-pegs),
set out
depart
journey, march (by stages)
of wind
Niph. be pulled up, removed
Hiph.
cause to set out, lead out
remove
base
H5265 נָסַע pull out or up, set out, journey .. pull out or up
. hence (from pulling up tent-pegs), . set out
. depart
. journey, march (by stages)
. of wind
. be pulled up, removed
. . cause to set out, lead out
. remove
5265 naca` naw-sah'
a primitive root; properly, to pull up, especially the
tent-pins, i.e. start on a journey:--cause to blow, bring,
get, (make to) go (away, forth, forward, onward, out), (take)
journey, march, remove, set aside (forward), X still, be on
his (go their) way.
נָסַע (na.sa) — to set out.
1) to pull out, pull up, set out, journey, remove, set forward, depart
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to pull out or up
1a2) to set out, depart
1a3) to journey, march
1a4) to set forth (of wind)
1b) (Niphal) to be pulled up, be removed, be plucked up
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to set out, lead out, cause to spring up
1c2) to remove, quarry
V-Niphal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person masculine singularHVNp3ms
The Hebrew word יֶ֫תֶר (*yether*) encompasses meanings related to remainder, excess, and excellence, as well as a small cord. It is derived from a root meaning 'to remain' and can refer to both a surplus or remnant and a physical string. The entries consistently highlight its dual meanings without significant disagreement.
יֶ֫תֶר 94 n.m. remainder, excellence, excess
base
יֶ֫תֶר n.m. cord (prop. as hanging over or down)
base
H3499a יֶ֫תֶר remainder, excellence, excess H3499b יֶ֫תֶר cord
3499 yether yeh'-ther
from 3498; properly, an overhanging, i.e. (by implication) an
excess, superiority, remainder; also a small rope (as hanging
free):--+ abundant, cord, exceeding, excellancy(-ent), what
they leave, that hath left, plentifully, remnant, residue,
rest, string, with.
see HEBREW for 03498
יֶ֫תֶר (ye.ter) — remainder.
1) remainder, excess, rest, remnant, excellence
1a) remainder, remnant
1b) remainder, rest, other part
1c) excess
1d) abundantly (adv)
1e) abundance, affluence
1f) superiority, excellency
יֶ֫תֶר (ye.ter) — cord.
cord
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3mp
הֶם (hem) — them.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine plural
HR/Sp3mp — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3mp
מוּת (mūth) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to die' or 'to kill.' It encompasses a range of meanings from dying naturally to being executed as a penalty. The word can refer to both humans and animals, and it includes various forms such as causing death or being killed. There is a distinction in usage based on the subject, whether it is a person or God inflicting death.
מוּת vb. die
Qal
die, of natural or other causes
die as a penalty = be put to death
Po‛lel. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)
Hiph.
abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man
subj. God, by inflicting penalty
of animals killing men
bring to a premature death
Hoph. be killed, put to death
base
H4191 מוּת die .. die, of natural or other causes
. die as a penalty = be put to death
. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)
. . abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man
. subj. God, by inflicting penalty
. of animals killing men
. bring to a premature death
. be killed, put to death
4191 muwth mooth
a primitive root: to die (literally or figuratively);
causatively, to kill:--X at all, X crying, (be) dead (body,
man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to,
be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), X must needs,
slay, X surely, X very suddenly, X in (no) wise.
מוּת (mut) — to die.
1) to die, kill, have one executed
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to die
1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death
1a3) to die, perish (of a nation)
1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct)
1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch
1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death
1d) (Hophal)
1d1) to be killed, be put to death
1d1a) to die prematurely
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVqi3mp
(muth, gawa`; apothnesko, teleutao): "To die," etc., is of very frequent occurrence, and in the Old Testament is generally the translation of muth, meaning perhaps originally, "to be stretched out" or "prostrate." "To die," should be the consequence of eating the forbidden fruit (Ge 2:17; compare Ge 20:7; 2Ki 1:4,6). "Die" is commonly used of natural death (Ge 5:8; 25:8). It is used also of violent death (Ge 26:9,11; Ex 21:20); punitive (Ex 19:12; 21:12,14; 28:43; Nu…
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)
HC/Tn — Conjunction · particleHC/Tn
חָכְמָה (chokmah) means wisdom and encompasses various forms of skill, including in war and administration, as well as shrewdness and ethical prudence. It is built from the root word for wisdom, חָכַם (chakam). The term appears in contexts related to both practical and religious matters.
חָכְמָה n.f. wisdom
skill in war
wisdom, in administration
shrewdness, wisdom
wisdom, prudence in religious affairs
wisdom, ethical and religious
base
H2451 חָכְמָה wisdom . skill in war
. wisdom, in administration
. shrewdness, wisdom
. wisdom, prudence in religious affairs
. wisdom, ethical and religious
2451 chokmah khok-maw'
from 2449; wisdom (in a good sense):--skilful, wisdom,
wisely, wit.
see HEBREW for 02449
חׇכְמָה (chokh.mah) — wisdom.
1) wisdom
1a) skill (in war)
1b) wisdom (in administration)
1c) shrewdness, wisdom
1d) wisdom, prudence (in religious affairs)
1e) wisdom (ethical and religious)
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHR/Ncfsa
wiz'-dum:
1. Linguistic
2. History
3. Religious Basis
4. Ideals
5. Teaching of Christ
6. Remainder of the New Testament
(1) James
(2) Paul
7. Hypostasis
LITERATURE
1. Linguistic:
In the Revised Version (British and American) the noun "wisdom" and its corresponding adjective and verb ("be wise," "act wisely," etc.) represent a variety of Hebrew words: bin (binah, and in the English Revised Version tebunah), sakhal (sekhel, sekhel), lebh (and in the English Revised Version labhabh), tushiyah (and in the English Revised Version Te`em, `ormah, piqqach. None of these, however, is of very frequent occurrence and by far the most common group is the verb chakham, with the adjective chakham, and the nouns chokhmah, chokhmoth, with something over 300 occurrences in the Old Testament (of which rather more than half are in Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes). Cokhmah, accordingly, may be treated as the Hebrew…