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Job 40:2 — Word Study

Depth

WLCהֲ֭רֹב עִם־ שַׁדַּ֣י יִסּ֑וֹר מוֹכִ֖יחַ אֱל֣וֹהַּ יַעֲנֶֽנָּה׃ פ

BSAWill the faultfinderyiççôwr [one who reproves] contendrîyb [strive, argue] withʻim the AlmightyShadday [Shadday, all-powerful One] Let him who arguesyâkach [cavils, disputes] with Godʼĕlôwahh [Eloah, the one true Deity] give an answerʻânâh [respond, provide a reply]

Word
Listen & take awayJob 40
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 2 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (ya.'a.Ne.nah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Job 40:2quick helps
In a sentenceJob challenges the one who finds fault to argue with the Almighty.
Who is speakingGod, addressing Job directly.
Where we areGod responds to Job's previous complaints.
The hard wordיִסּ֑וֹר
Take awayThe challenge is posed: can anyone truly contend with God?
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectיִסּוֹר verbיָכַח The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

1 of 7 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.

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 40:2

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 — God's Challenge to Jobgenerated

1And the LORD said to Job:
2“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who argues with God give an answer.”
3Then Job answered the LORD:
4“Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You? I place my hand over my mouth.

Job 40:2 presents a moment where God directly confronts Job, questioning whether a mere human can truly contend with the Almighty. This verse follows God's earlier speeches, where He emphasizes His power and authority over creation, and Job's responses highlight his human limitations and the futility of questioning divine justice. The surrounding verses illustrate Job's humility in the face of God's grandeur, as seen in Job 40:3-4.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Job 9:3If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
2Job 33:13Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks?
3Ecclesiastes 6:10Whatever exists was named long ago, and what happens to a man is foreknown; but he cannot contend with one stronger than he.
4Isaiah 45:9–11Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker— one clay pot among many. Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?
5Isaiah 50:8The One who vindicates Me is near. Who will dare to contend with Me? Let us confront each other! Who has a case against Me? Let him approach Me!

The Key Word יִסּ֑וֹר, yi.Sorgenerated

The word יִסּ֑וֹר (yi.Sor) is a noun meaning 'faultfinder' or 'one who reproves.' It is derived from the root meaning to correct or reprove, indicating someone who points out mistakes. In this context, it refers to a person who challenges or argues against God’s decisions or actions.

The parsing indicates that it is a masculine singular noun, suggesting a specific individual rather than a general group. This word captures the essence of someone who seeks to find fault, particularly in the context of divine authority.


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 הֲ֭רֹב (ha.ro) governs the entire verse, leading to a question posed to the subject יִסּ֑וֹר (yi.Sor). The structure is straightforward, with a main clause followed by a conditional clause that invites a response.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the challenge to the faultfinder, framing the question as a direct confrontation with God’s authority.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יִסּ֑וֹר as κρίσιν (krisin), meaning 'judgment' or 'decision.' This choice suggests a broader interpretation of the faultfinder's role, emphasizing not just the act of finding fault but also the implications of passing judgment on God's actions.

This translation reflects a shift from a personal reprover to a more general concept of judgment, indicating the weight of the challenge posed to humanity in relation to divine authority.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Job 40:2 presents a question from God to Job, asking if a faultfinder can truly contend with the Almighty. It emphasizes the futility of arguing with God and invites a response from anyone who dares to challenge divine authority.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to be a faultfinder?

A faultfinder is someone who points out mistakes or shortcomings, often in a critical way, as seen in this verse where God challenges Job.

Why does God ask if a faultfinder can contend with Him?

God is emphasizing His supreme authority and power, suggesting that no human can successfully argue against divine wisdom.

What is the significance of God addressing Job directly?

This direct address highlights the personal nature of God's relationship with Job and serves to remind him of his limitations in understanding God's ways.

How does this verse relate to the broader themes in the Book of Job?

This verse encapsulates the central theme of the Book of Job, which grapples with human suffering, divine justice, and the limitations of human understanding in the face of God's sovereignty.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I find myself questioning God's decisions?
  2. How can I approach God with humility rather than as a faultfinder?
  3. What does it mean to me that God is described as the Almighty?
  4. How can I better understand the nature of divine authority in my daily life?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Job 40:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct [him]?.... Is he capable of it?

Read John Gill on Job 40 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it. He that contendeth - as Job had so often expressed a wish to do (cf. Isaiah 45:9).

Read Robert Jamieson on Job 40 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Shall Job, who presumed to contend with me in judgment, and to dispute the reasonableness and equity of my proceedings, give me instructions or directions how to manage my own affairs, and govern my creatures? He justly mentions his almightiness, as a convincing argument of his justice. For how can he be unjust to his creatures, who hath no obligation to them, and never did nor can receive any thing from them; and who hath an absolute, sovereign, and uncontrollable dominion over them; and who being infinitely and necessarily perfect, and all-sufficient within himself, can neither have any inclination to unrighteousness, which is an imperfection, nor any temptation to it from any need he…

Read Matthew Poole on Job 40 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 40:2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct [him]? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.Ver. 2. Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him?] Or, Is it wisdom to contend with the Almighty? An disputare cum Omnipotente est eruditio? No, but the greatest folly and sottishness. Job might think otherwise, so long as he compared himself with others; but being once set by God in his super excellencies considered, he shall see his own nothingness, and sit down in silence and patience, though severely tried and sharply afflicted. He that reproveth God, let him answer it] Answer it if he can, or else yield the cause. Praestat herbam dare quam turpiter pugnare. But if…

Read John Trapp on Job 40 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

XL.(2) Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him?—Rather, Can he that reproveth (e. g., Job) contend with the Almighty? or, Can the contending with the Almighty instruct Him? “Art thou prepared still to dispute and contend with God? or, if thou dost, is there any hope that thou wilt instruct (i.e., convince) Him in argument? Let him that argueth with God (i.e., Job) answer this question.” It might, perhaps, tend to make these verses (Job 40:4-5) more effective if we transposed them after Job 42:6, and regarded them as the very climax of the poem, as some have done. But this is not necessary, and is an arrangement that has no support from external evidence. If, however, it were…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 40 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 2. He that reproveth God, let him answer it.] Let the man who has made so free with God and his government, answer to what he has now heard.

Read AdamClarke on Job 40 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. The verse means, Will the reprover contend with the Almighty? He that disputeth with God let him answer it. The “reprover” or blamer is of course Job; and so is “he that disputeth,” or, “he that would dispute.” The word it refers to the foregoing display of God’s glory in creation, which Jehovah has set before Job. And the question means, Will Job now, having God in the manifoldness of His Being thus set before him, really enter on a contention with the Almighty?

Read Cambridge on Job 40 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Shall he that contendeth with the A mighty instruct him? - Gesenius renders this, “Contending shall the reprover of God contend with the Almighty?” Prof.

Read Albert Barnes on Job 40 →

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

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who argues with God give an answer.”

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“Shall he who argues contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.”

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who argues with God give an answer.”

NETBNew English Translation2006

“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let the person who accuses God give him an answer!”

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Shall he that cavilleth contend with the Almighty? He that argueth with God, let him answer it.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Shall he that cavilleth contend with the Almighty? he that argueth with God, let him answer it.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him ? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Girde vp now thy loynes like a man: I will demaunde of thee, and declare thou vnto me.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Shall he that will contend with the Almighty instruct [him]? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Is the striver with the Mighty instructed? The reprover of God, let him answer it.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

“Is the striver with the Mighty instructed? The reprover of God, let him answer it.”

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Will he that contendeth with the Almighty yet find fault? him that reproveth God answer this.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

“Should anyone who wishes to criticize try to correct the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer.”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Gird up thy loins like a man: I will ask thee, and do thou tell me.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

“Are you still going to fight with the Almighty and try to set him straight? Anyone who argues with God must give some answers.”

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Will he who is protesting give teaching to the Ruler of all? Let him who has arguments to put forward against God give an answer.

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.

clauseהֲ֭willclauseverbרֹבhe.contend?prepositional phrase · prepositionalעִםwithשַׁדַּ֣י[the].Almightysubjectיִסּ֑וֹרa.faultfinderclausenoun phrase · subjectclauseverbמוֹכִ֖יחַ[one.who].correctsobjectאֱל֣וֹהַּGodverbיַעֲנֶֽletobjectנָּהhim.answer.him

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 agree on the wording of Job 40:2, with all words matched in the Hebrew and Greek texts. This consistency highlights the shared understanding of the challenge posed by God.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

הֲ֭רֹב עִם־ שַׁדַּ֣י יִסּ֑וֹר מוֹכִ֖יחַ אֱל֣וֹהַּ יַעֲנֶֽנָּה׃ פ

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
הֲ֭רֹבκρίσινעִם־μετὰשַׁדַּ֣יἱκανοῦיִסּ֑וֹרἐκκλινεῖמוֹכִ֖יחַἐλέγξωνאֱל֣וֹהַּθεὸνיַעֲנֶֽנָּה׃ פαὐτήν

7 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.

Job 40:2רִיב¿ will he c¿ will he conteרִיבעִםwithwithעִםשַׁדַּי[the] Almig[the] Almightyשַׁדַּייִסּוֹרa faultfinda faultfinderיִסּוֹריָכַח[one who] c[one who] correיָכַחאֱלֹהַּGodGodאֱלֹהַּעוּןlet him anslet him answer עוּןעָמַםto darkento darkenעָמַםשָׁדַדto ruinto ruinשָׁדַדיָסַרto disciplto disciplineיָסַרעָנָהbe occupiebe occupiedעָנָהאֵלgodgodאֵלרִיבstrifestrifeרִיבשָׁכַבto lie dowto lie down: laשָׁכַבקָבַרto buryto buryקָבַרעָוַתto pervertto pervertעָוַתלִיץto mockto mockלִיץשַׁדַּיAlmightyAlmightyשַׁדַּירֵעַneighborneighborרֵעַאִיּוֹבJobJobאִיּוֹבשָׁוַעto cryto cryשָׁוַע
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Job 40:2

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.

¿ will he contend with [the] Almighty a faultfinder [one who] corrects God let him answer him
הֲ֭רֹבha.ro ¿ will he contend H7378 Particle · verb qal infinitive absolute
67× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to argue or contend with someone, like in a lawsuit or a heated debate. It is used in various forms, such as physically fighting or verbally complaining. This concept appears in books like Genesis and Exodus.
Amplified meaning
strive, argue
Tyndale gloss
to contend
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רִיב (riyb) means to strive or contend, often in a figurative sense of grappling or wrangling. It can refer to physical struggle, verbal disputes, legal cases, or complaints. The entries indicate that it encompasses a range of meanings from quarreling to defending one's position. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רִיב vb. strive, contend

Qal strive

Hiph. (those) displaying contention against him

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7378 רִיב strive, contend

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7378 riyb reeb

or ruwb {roob}; a primitive root; properly, to toss, i.e.

grapple; mostly figuratively, to wrangle, i.e. hold a

controversy; (by implication) to defend:--adversary, chide,

complain, contend, debate, X ever, X lay wait, plead, rebuke,

strive, X thoroughly.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רִיב (riv) — to contend.

1) to strive, contend

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to strive

1a1a) physically

1a1b) with words

1a2) to conduct a case or suit (legal), sue

1a3) to make complaint

1a4) to quarrel

1b) (Hiphil) to contend against

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part | V-Qal-Ptc — Particle · verb qal infinitive absolute
HTi/Vqaa
¿ will he contend with [the] Almighty a faultfinder [one who] corrects God let him answer him
עִם־'im- with H5973 Preposition
1,052× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means with or together, like when God is with his people in Exodus 33:14-15. It's used to describe accompaniment or association, and can also mean against or beside. The word is used to convey a sense of relationship or proximity between people or things.
Tyndale gloss
with
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עִם (im) is a preposition meaning 'with' and covers a range of relationships, including companionship, locality, and possession. It can imply actions done jointly, equality, or even opposition in contexts like combat. The related form מֵעִם (me.im) means 'from with' or 'beside.' The entries reflect various nuances but do not present significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִם prep. with

of fellowship and companionship

of aid

Of actions done jointly with another

If the common action be of the nature of a contest or combat, with in the sense of against

Of dealing with a person, or of the relation in which one stands with, or towards, another

Of a common lot together with the wicked

Of equality or resemblance generally aid

Of time, as long as

Of a locality, close to, beside

Of persons, עִם is spec.

in the house or family or service of

In possession of

In the custody or care of

Beside = except

With = friendly with

Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one

Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding

base

מֵעִם 72 from with or beside

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5973a עִם with . of fellowship and companionship

. Of a locality, close to, beside

. Of persons, עִם is spec. . in the house or family or service of

. In possession of

. In the custody or care of

. Beside = except

. With = friendly with

. Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one

. Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding

H5973b מֵעִם from with, beside

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5973 `im eem

from 6004; adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction

with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with;

often with prepositional prefix (and then usually

unrepresented in English):--accompanying, against, and, as (X

long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from

(among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-)to,

with(-al).

see HEBREW for 06004

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִם (im) — with.

1) with

1a) with

1b) against

1c) toward

1d) as long as

מֵעִם (me.im) — from with.

1a) beside, except

1b) in spite of

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
¿ will he contend with [the] Almighty a faultfinder [one who] corrects God let him answer him
שַׁדַּ֣יsha.Dai [the] Almighty H7706 Noun proper
48× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Shadday means Almighty, referring to God's great power. It is another name for the Lord, emphasizing His strength and might. This name is used in the Bible to describe God's power and authority.
Amplified meaning
Shadday, all-powerful One
Tyndale gloss
Almighty
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שַׁדַּי (Shadday) is a Hebrew word meaning 'Almighty' and is often used to refer to God. It is derived from a root that suggests self-sufficiency. The entries indicate that this term emphasizes God's power and might, and it is recognized as another name for the LORD (יהוה).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שַׁדַּי 48 n.m.dei (etym. dub. (1) (self-)sufficient. (2) = Almighty)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7706 שַׁדַּי (etym. dub. (1) (self-)sufficient. (2) = Almighty)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7706 Shadday shad-dah'-ee

from 7703; the Almighty:--Almighty.

see HEBREW for 07703

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שַׁדַּי (shad.day) — Almighty.

Shaddai, the Almighty (God)

Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

This name means almighty, most powerful

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ol-mit'-i:

(1) (shaddai (Ge 17:1)): Found in the Old Testament forty-eight times, most of these in the Book of Job; it occurs either alone or in combination with 'el, "God"). The root meaning is uncertain.

(2) (pantokrator), the exclusive translation of this Greek word in the New Testament, found principally in Re (nine times), once besides (2Co 6:18). Its occurrence in the Apocrypha is frequent. See GOD, NAMES OF.

¿ will he contend with [the] Almighty a faultfinder [one who] corrects God let him answer him
יִסּ֑וֹרyi.Sor a faultfinder H3250 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
1× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A faultfinder is someone who corrects or reproves others, as seen in the KJV translation of instruct. This word is about pointing out mistakes. It appears in the Bible as a way to guide people.
Amplified meaning
one who reproves
Tyndale gloss
faultfinder
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִסּוֹר (yis.sor) refers to a reprover or faultfinder, someone who corrects or instructs. The term is derived from a root meaning to reprove and is mentioned in Job 40:2.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִסּוֹר n.m. one who reproves, faultfinder, Jb 40:2

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3250 יִסּוֹר

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3250 yiccowr yis-sore'

from 3256; a reprover:--instruct.

see HEBREW for 03256

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִסּוֹר (yis.sor) — faultfinder.

faultfinder, reprover, one who reproves

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
¿ will he contend with [the] Almighty a faultfinder [one who] corrects God let him answer him
מוֹכִ֖יחַmo.Khi.ach [one who] corrects H3198 Verb · Hiphil · participle (active) masculine singular
59× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to rebuke or correct, and is used in the Bible to describe arguing, judging, or convincing someone of their wrongdoings. It is seen in the KJV translation as rebuke or reprove. The word is used in various forms, including to describe God's correction of his people.
Amplified meaning
cavils, disputes
Tyndale gloss
to rebuke
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word יָכַח (yakach) is a primitive root that encompasses a range of meanings related to judgment and correction, including to decide, prove, and rebuke. It appears in various forms, such as Hiphil for active judgment and Niphal for reasoning together. Notably, it conveys ideas of justification and argumentation, with some entries referencing the concept of being chastened.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[יָכַח] vb. Hiph. decide, adjudge, prove

Hiph.

decide, judge

adjudge, appoint

shew to be right, prove

convince, convict

reprove, chide

correct, rebuke

Hoph. he is chastened also with pain

Niph. come now and let us reason together; there an upright man might reason with him; and thou art set right, righted, justified

Hithp. with Israel he will argue

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3198 יָכַח Hiph. decide, adjudge, prove . . decide, judge

. adjudge, appoint

. shew to be right, prove

. convince, convict

. reprove, chide

. correct, rebuke

. he is chastened also with pain

. come now and let us reason together; there an upright man might reason with him; and thou art set right, righted, justified

. with Israel he will argue

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3198 yakach yaw-kahh'

a primitive root; to be right (i.e. correct); reciprocal, to

argue; causatively, to decide, justify or convict:--appoint,

argue, chasten, convince, correct(-ion), daysman, dispute,

judge, maintain, plead, reason (together), rebuke,

reprove(-r), surely, in any wise.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָכַח (ya.khach) — to rebuke.

1) to prove, decide, judge, rebuke, reprove, correct, be right

1a) (Hiphil)

1a1) to decide, judge

1a2) to adjudge, appoint

1a3) to show to be right, prove

1a4) to convince, convict

1a5) to reprove, chide

1a6) to correct, rebuke

1b) (Hophal) to be chastened

1c) (Niphal) to reason, reason together

1d) (Hithp) to argue

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil — Verb · Hiphil · participle (active) masculine singular
HVhrmsa
¿ will he contend with [the] Almighty a faultfinder [one who] corrects God let him answer him
אֱל֣וֹהַּ'e.Lo.ah God H433 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
57× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Eloah refers to God or a deity, and is used to describe the one true God or false gods. It is often translated as God in the KJV, and is related to the word Elohim, which also refers to God.
Amplified meaning
Eloah, the one true Deity
Tyndale gloss
god
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֱלֹהַּ (*'elowahh*) refers to a deity or the Deity, translating to 'God' or 'god.' It is derived from a root meaning 'to be strong' and can also denote a false god. The term appears in various contexts, including ancient poetry and references to heathen gods.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֱלֹהַּ 67; elsewhere אֱלוֹהַּ n.m. god, God

a heathen god, late usage

God, used in ancient poems

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H433 אֱלֹהַּ; elsewhere אֱלוֹהַּ god, God

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

433 'elowahh el-o'-ah; rarely (shortened) >eloahh {el-o'-ah

probably prolonged (emphat.) from 410; a deity or the

Deity:--God, god. See 430.

see HEBREW for 0410

see HEBREW for 0430

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֱלֹהַּ (e.lo.ah) — god.

1) God

2) false god

Aramaic equivalent: e.lah (אֱלָהּ "god" H0426)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

god ('Elohim, 'El, [`Elyon], Shadday, Yahweh; Theos):

I. INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL IDEA

1. The Idea in Experience and in Thought

2. Definition of the Idea

3. The Knowledge of God

4. Ethnic Ideas of God

(1) Animism

(2) Fetishism

(3) Idolatry

(4) Polytheism

(5) Henotheism

(6) Pantheism

(7) Deism

(8) Semitic Monolatry

(9) Monotheism

II. THE IDEA OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

1. The Course of Its Development

2. Forms of Its Manifestation

(1) The Face or Countenance of God

(2) The Voice and Word of God

(3) The Glory of God

(4) The Angel of God

(5) The Spirit of God

(6) The Name of God

(7) Occasional Forms

3. The Names of God

(1) Generic

(2) Attributive

(3) Yahweh

4. Pre-prophetic Conceptions of God

(1) Yahweh Alone Is the God of Israel

(a) His Early Worship

(b) Popular Religion

(c) Polytheistic Tendencies

(i) Coordination

(ii) Assimilation

(iii) Disintegration

(d) No Hebrew Goddesses

(e) Human Sacrifices

Easton's Bible Dictionary

God

(A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew ’El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of ’Eloah_, plural _’Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by “LORD,” printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argument to prove it. He who disbelieves this truth is spoken of as one devoid of understanding (Ps. 14:1).

The arguments generally adduced by theologians in proof of the being of God are:

(1.) The a priori argument, which is the testimony afforded by reason.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(good). Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures two chief names are used for the one true divine Being--ELOHIM, commonly translated God in our version, and JEHOVAH, translated Lord . Elohim is the plural of Eloah (in Arabic Allah); it is often used in the short form EL (a word signifying strength , as in EL-SHADDAI, God Almighty, the name by which God was specially known to the patriarchs. (Genesis 17:1; 28:3; Exodus 6:3) The etymology is uncertain, but it is generally agreed that the primary idea is that of strength, power of effect , and that it properly describes God in that character in which he is exhibited to all men in his works, as the creator, sustainer and supreme governor of the world. The plural form of Elohim has given rise to much discussion. The fanciful idea that it…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

This name, the derivation of which is uncertain, we give to that eternal, infinite, perfect, and incomprehensible Being, the Creator of all things, who preserves and governs all by his almighty power and wisdom, and is the only proper object of worship. The proper Hebrew name for God is JEHOVAH, which signifies He is. But the Jews, from a feeling of reverence, avoid pronouncing this name, substituting for it, wherever it occurs in the sacred test, the word ADONAI, Lord; except in the expression, ADONAI JEHOVAH, Lord Jehovah, for which they put, ADONAI ELOHIM, Lord God. This usage, which is not without an element of superstition, is very ancient, dating its origin some centuries before Christ; but there is no good ground for assuming its existence in the days of the inspired Old Testament writers. The proper word for God is ELOHIM, which is plural in its form, being thus used to signify…

¿ will he contend with [the] Almighty a faultfinder [one who] corrects God let him answer him
יַעֲנֶֽנָּה׃ פya.'a.Ne.nah let him answer him H6030 Verb qal imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
332× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to sing or make music, but also to respond or give an answer. In the Bible, it is used to describe praising God in song or responding to a question. The KJV translates it as 'sing' or 'answer'.
Amplified meaning
respond, provide a reply
Tyndale gloss
to dwell
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עָנָה (*anah*) is built from a primitive root meaning to heed or pay attention, covering a range of meanings including to answer, respond, testify, and sing. It appears in contexts where one responds to speech or circumstances, and can also refer to singing. The lexicons indicate that it can imply both verbal responses and musical expression.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[עוּן] vb. dwell

base

עָנָה 316 vb. answer, respond

Qal

answer, respond to sthg. said, actual or implied

respond to an occasion, speak in view of circumstances

money meets all demands

specif. respond as a witness, testify

less oft. make response as one accused (respondent)

Niph.

make answer

be answered

Hiph. wholly dub.; causes all things to respond in the joy of his heart

base

עָנָה vb. sing

Qal sing, utter tunefully

Pi. sing sweetly of it

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6030a עוּן dwell H6030b עָנָה answer, respond .. answer, respond to sthg. said, actual or implied

. . respond to an occasion, speak in view of circumstances

. money meets all demands

. . specif. respond as a witness, testify

. less oft. make response as one accused (respondent)

. . make answer

. be answered

. wholly dub.; causes all things to respond in the joy of his heart

H6030c עָנָה sing

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6030 `anah aw-naw'

a primitive root; properly, to eye or (generally) to heed,

i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extens. to

begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify,

announce:--give account, afflict (by mistake for 6031),

(cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for 6031), cry,

hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, X scholar, (give a) shout, sing

(together by course), speak, testify, utter, (bear) witness.

See also 1042, 1043.

see HEBREW for 06031

see HEBREW for 06031

see HEBREW for 01042

see HEBREW for 01043

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עוּן (un) — to dwell.

(Qal) to dwell

עָנָה (a.nah) — to answer.

1) to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to answer, respond to

1a2) to testify, respond as a witness

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to make answer

1b2) to be answered, receive answer

Aramaic equivalent: a.nah (עֲנָה "to answer" H6032)

עָנָה (a.nah) — to sing.

(Qal) to sing, utter tunefully

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Juss-3ms | Suff — Verb qal imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
HVqi3ms/Sp3fs
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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